Test King vs Transcender

[daneicher]

Has anyone tried both of these and tried the test?
It looks like Transcenders carry a 70 dollar premimum,
vs the TestKing tests.
Thanks,
Dan

FWIW - I agree with most of the comments I've seen, I took 70-290 and passed first try with a 900. I then took 70-291 - first time I got a 654, the next try (one week later) I got a 745. For me, 291 was much harder then 290.

 

[roary]

I have used both and find them both to be good prep for the exams. Testking is slightly more like the exam questions though. I use a combination of Tesking and MS Press books and this seems to be most useful. I have the 70-290 tomorrow, hope I get a score like yours. Any tips on what to expect. Can you remember what your Sims were on as I've not seen these yet. Roary.

 

[daneicher]

Thanks Roary,
I can't remember what SIMS I had, overall you should do well on 290. My way of studying so far has been, reading over examcram2 - make important mental notes in a spiral tablet - while marking up the book itself - then make sure I can answer the sample questions (that's pass one). Then start working on Transcender and reading the Big Blue Microsoft books.
Dan

 

[NickFerrar]

Test King is a brain dump (i.e. they are the actual exam questions), Transcender are simulated questions (although some are very close to exam questions to). If you use Test King and pass you're just proving you have a good short term memory...

 

[Wishdiak]

Test King is a brain dump (i.e. they are the actual exam questions)

Testking is a brain dump, and in many cases they are the actual exam questions. One needs to be careful about incorrect or missing answers on Testking, which I've noticed in most (if not all) of their material.

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

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[IT4EVR]

Ok, I will throw this one out as a point of discussion.

Let's say you used a brain dump but that allowed you to direct your studying resources to what was actually going to be on the test, instead of spending hours studying irrelevant material?

Let's say this braindump showed your areas of weakness and drove you to explore further these topics more in depth until you mastered them?

Let's say that at the end of the day, the brain dump helped you master the topics on the test. You set up your own simulation labs and test labs at home and used other studying resources. You didn't just memorize the material, you absorbed them, you applied them in your own applications.

Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with using braindumps as long as you know the material and you can apply it later, if it translates from short-term memory to long-term application.

I once had an anthropology class in college. It was a class near the Thanksgiving holiday and few attended it. The professor surprised us at the end of the lecture by saying "every one of the questions on your next exam was included in this lecture". This, in essense, was a brain dump!

But the whole point I was trying to make is, as long as you "know" the material, who cares if you use a brain dump or not? The point is, know the material and apply it.

Anyway, this is my opinion.



The wisest people are those who are smart enough to realize they don't know it all.

 

[IT4EVR]

If people think brain dumps are unethical and illegal, what is your take on Microsoft Testing Centers?

I know from personal experience that an instructor has provided a folder or documentation that basically had the answers to the test.

It's almost as if Microsoft sponsors and subsidizes the very behavior they deem to be illegal or unethical.

Again, just my take on it.

The wisest people are those who are smart enough to realize they don't know it all.

 

[Wishdiak]

Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with using braindumps as long as you know the material and you can apply it later

Sure, assuming that you have enough knowledge of the topics to spot the incorrect answers on the braindump(s).


I find the statement
***ANSWER MISSING***
in testking PDF's to be a good indication that they don't have enough people checking the accuracy of their material to be really useful.

I haven't actually gone into a testing room after studying the wrong answers. I have felt bad for others who have done so.

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

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[NickFerrar]

The point is Transcender and Self Test both do very good test exam products which give you a feel for the style of questions as well as the questions themselves being relevant and therefore a good study aid that will highlight your weaknesses.

There is no need to use a brain dump like Test King when these alternatives are available therefore if you do resort to using a brain dump "just as a study aid" you're kidding yourself and devaluing the cert for the rest of us.

As for people in test centres providing answers, I suggest you report it to Microsoft. Not encountered that myself but I'd hope MS would act (although it would be pretty difficult unless they received mutliple reports).

 

[eyeteafella]

I kinda agree with jrprgrmr...I have been working IT for a number of years now as a Novell CNE. I work in a MS environment (yeah, another Novell shop bit the dust), but never bothered to get my MCSE. I find that having to study and commit to memory material from an 800 page MS-approved "study guide" a waste of time. Mind you, they serve as a handy reference, but I have enough reading to do on a daily basis in my job as Network Admin / System Analyst every time a department decides to implement a new application or wants a new server dedicated to their pet project. But I digress. The point I am trying to make is that I have been doing the work for years, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I can test tomorrow on any MCSE exam and pass on the first try. So the brain dumps are a perfect solution for me, because it minimizes time studying irreverent material and maximizes the potential for focusing on what is needed to pass the exams. I can work in an MS environment without MCSE certification, but it's nice to have so my résumé looks good!

 

[Lilliabeth]

If people think brain dumps are unethical and illegal, what is your take on Microsoft Testing Centers?

I know from personal experience that an instructor has provided a folder or documentation that basically had the answers to the test.

It's almost as if Microsoft sponsors and subsidizes the very behavior they deem to be illegal or unethical.

There is not even any such thing as a Microsoft Testing Center. Microsoft contracts out the testing - technical testing to Prometric and VUE. Office Specialist testing is contracted to Certiport.

If you are referring to Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions training centers, they are not owned nor operated by Microsoft either. Most MCPLS's are also authorized as either VUE or Prometric (or both) testing centers. VUE and Promtric Authorized centers provide exams for many, many companies, Microsoft is one of them.

Giving answers is strictly against the rules - Microsoft's rules, VUE's rules, and Prometric's rules. I'm not sure what Microsoft could do to prevent the type of cheating you are referring to. If you know of some way to identify unethical instructors who are going out to Test King and compiling questions and answers and cheating in this manner, by all means tell us what it is. They are not getting the answers from Microsoft.

In your post you are quick to blame Microsoft, yet none of the parties involved are Microsoft employees and none are rewarded by Microsoft in any way for their students having passed exams.

 

[Lilliabeth]

There is no need to use a brain dump like Test King when these alternatives are available therefore if you do resort to using a brain dump "just as a study aid" you're kidding yourself and devaluing the cert for the rest of us.

Kidding yourself is right.

Living in some parellel universe where getting a copy of the test from a previous test-taker isn't cheating. If some one is OK with the fact they cheated, fine, but I wish they would quit trying to spin the unspinnable.

 

[IT4EVR]

Lilliabeth, Ok, I meant to say training center, not testing center.

That said, I'd be willing to bet that you go to any Microsoft-sponsored training center and you'll see that this stuff is a racket.

What I talked about earlier is quite widespread. I know of others who have gone to these training centers and indirectly got the answers to the test. I know of others who have gone to bootcamps who were told that there was a nice study guide in their folders. Look at the folder and you'll pass the test. Of course no one is going to be stupid enough and say "HELLOOOOOOOOO!, here are the answers to the test".

And if you think that these training centers don't get any money from Microsoft, you're living in a closet universe. So that is why I say Microsoft indirectly subsidizes this cheating mentality.

The wisest people are those who are smart enough to realize they don't know it all.

 

[Lilliabeth]

That said, I'd be willing to bet that you go to any Microsoft-sponsored training center and you'll see that this stuff is a racket.

I think you would lose that bet. Many of them do make outrageous promises (telling a career-changer that he can get an MCSE in 6 months and start making $70K), that's a terrible thing to do, but it's not Microsoft's fault. Microsoft is not making any such claim, in fact, quite the contrary. I want to be clear - Microsoft does not give training centers any special information about test contents.

And if you think that these training centers don't get any money from Microsoft, you're living in a closet universe.

MCPLS's do not get money from Microsoft. That is a fact. The training centers pay Microsoft, not the other way around. Just like Cisco centers pay Cisco, Oracle centers pay Oracle, etc. Again, no closet universe here - why in the world would you think that MS pays training centers? I have had a career in technical training for many years and this is the first time I have heard anyone think MS pays training centers. That is not entirely unlike thinking McDonald's Corp pays the restaurant owners.

I know of others who have gone to bootcamps who were told that there was a nice study guide in their folders.

That in itself is proof that they are not "microsoft sponsored". In order to be a MCPLS, you have to use Microsoft Official Curriculum for MS courses, which, of course, a boot camp doesn't do. That boot camp not only did not get answers from Microsoft, but they aren't even certified by Microsoft to give public classes.

 

[tfg13]

eyeteafella and jrprgmr,
You guys do make some valid points, as I don't have a lot of time myself. However, studying irrelevant material is not the point. I myself do not have an MCSE, or MCSA, or MCP, yet I can usually pick apart individuals who didn't study the "irrelevant" pieces of Microsoft products during interviews. Why? Experience, and the fact that I remember those interesting "gotchas" that text books point out. Don't get those from TestKing or Transcender. Knowing the theory behind the questions on the tests are more important than the test questions themselves.
I have no problems with people who use TestKing or Transcender as a supplement to training/books. If you do know the subject material, you will then know which questions they inacurately select as the correct answers, which seems to be the norm.
Taking these tests with only Braindumps has a pretty good analogy. Imagine an individual (never driven, or even rode in a car before) who braindumps their drivers license written test. Now, get in the car with them for their driving test. Scared?

 

[NickFerrar]

I'm not sure where you're getting your info jrprmgr but IME training centres where you can also take the exams are very strict. They even changed from allowing paper+pen to those crappy plastic sheets+baby wipes+felt pens to stop people writing questions down on paper and smuggling it out, problem is it screws up the legitimate test takers - last thing I want is to be worrying about wet/smeared writing sheet when trying to draw a diagram to help me wiht a question.

I did an Exchange bootcamp several months ago which inculded the 2 exams to get the messaging specialist upgrade to an MCSE. Some people on the course panicked a bit after a couple of days and downloaded Test Kings to brain dump but the trainer was less than impressed when he found out about it and personally I'm glad I didn't use them.

Any training centre worth going to will be MS approved, they'd be stupid to risk that just to boost pass rates a bit.