Has anyone taken the 70-290 new M$ simulation exam? 8

[alliknowisnetworking]

I want to know how much the new M$ simulation exams differ from the old ones. Are there a lot of sim questions? Let me know the changes you have seen.

 

[Wishdiak]

dantephoto,

Although it's been about a year and a half since I passed 70-290, the subject matter hasn't changed much. I didn't have sims when I took it, but from what I've seen the only problem is not with the difficulty of the sims, but the stability.

I used the MS Press books and the Readiness Review CD and I was able to pass the exam on the first attempt.

Good luck!

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[Teknoratti]

How much of the command line stuff do they cover in the 70-290? i.e. LDIFE, DSMod, DSADD etc, etc.Are the questions actually simmed, or is it multiple choice?

 

[pretaanluxis]

You need to know what LDIFE, DSMod, DSADD etc. do, but you don't need to remember all the modifiers. Make sure you know the differences between the cmds (eg: ldifde and csvde, dsmod and dsadd)

 

[ntfsDOTsys]

Hello All,

I took the exam today for the first time and failed with a 674. I figure that is about 2 - 3 questions short of 700?? It took me just over 2 hours to finish. Anyways I studied really hard for this but it was not enough. I did extremely well in 2 of the categories but failed miserably on the permissions questions and I think that's what put the nail in the coffin for me.

My study material:

1) Mike Meyers' MCSE/MCSA Windows Server 2003 Environment Certification Passport (Exam 70-290)
2) Preplogic practice exams
3) Exam saver practice exams (god are they bloody difficult)
4) Syngress MCSA/MCSE Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment: Exam 70-290 Study Guide and DVD Training System.
5) The M$ web site (Technet rox)

It had the Sims on the actual exam and all in all i do not think they were that bad.

The sims covered:
1) IIS
2) Share permissions and groups
3) User permissions using ADUAC (re-enabling an account and so on)
4) Groups between 2 domains (ug.)
5) ?? Cant remember....

In true M$ fashion the wording was tricky on many of the questions.

My advice to all people who will take this test is study up on:

1) IIS
2) BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP
3) RAID and disk configurations
4) Universal groups vs. Global groups vs. Domain Local groups
5) Command line utilites for administering AD (dsadd, etc)
6) System Monitor and perfomance logs and alerts (and what the diff. counters are)
7) Disk Qoutas
8) Print server / Print sharing
9) TERMINAL SERVICES <<<<<<<

I had many questions on the above topics.

Plus a personal tip from me is to arrive at the testing center and hour before your exam and cram in your car before you go in. Make sure you hit the bathroom first too Take your time on the the questions and for goodness sake you the dry erase board they give you - It works wonders (well it helped me alot at least).

I am going to spend the next week setting up a test lab at my house. I have an extra switch and a few extra computers to setup a domain on. That should help. 2 PC's will be the DC's and 2 will be client computers.

Anyhoo good luck to all that go for the 70-290 exam. i swear next time I will kick it's butt.

--me

 

[Wishdiak]

ntfsDOTsys,

Thanks for the review and the good advice (especially the bathroom and the dry erase board). You'll get it next time!

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[ntfsDOTsys]

BTW I forgot to mention that my exam crashed on about question 38!!! I called the person who worked there into the room in a panic. He logged the session in again and it picked up where I left off. man did that stink. THANK GOODNESS I did not lose everything!

A+, Network+, MCP
========================================>
My first computer was the Atari 400 (heh)

 

[BigFinn]

I did mine today, passed!

-All users vs Default user exhibit
-Join a domain & set IP address simulation
-Simulation on setting up a default website and port settings
-Sim about setting up a scheduled backup job
-several questions on permissions via group memberships
-quite a few questions about backup and restores
-Several disks and volumes questions
-some print sharing
-a couple on shadow copies

-Very little on any command-line utils
-No disk quotas questions

44 questions, pass mark at 700. The exam allowed reviewing - you could go back and change answers.

All in all the thread here covers the topics accurately. I used a Syngress book (900+ pages) to learn from initially, then Transcenders exam software and an Exam Cram book to tighten my study focus.

I ran a test server at home - this was very useful for the sims and for getting to grips with Terminal Services as an idea. I've only used the remote admin side of it at work.

I studied for 5 days full-time at home, bootcamp on the sofa.

This thread is very useful - keep it going!

 

[dtooth71]

I passed the exam this morning. I did not htink it was that hard. I used exam cram 70-290, Mastering Windows Server 2003 by Mark Minasi, and the Measure Up Practice Exams.

The simulations in my opinion are not bad. It is what we do everyday in our jobs, right? I have not experienced any of the computers crashing during the sims or anything so my experience with them is a good one, you just definatley need to know what you are doing.