Hands-On Experience

The most important key to success on all the Microsoft tests is hands-on experience, especially with Windows 2000 Server and Professional, plus the many add-on services and BackOffice components around which so many of the Microsoft certification exams revolve. If we leave you with only one realization after taking this self-assessment, it should be that there's no substitute for time spent installing, configuring, and using the various Microsoft products upon which you'll be tested repeatedly and in-depth .

5. Have you installed, configured, and worked with

   • Windows 2000 Server? [Yes or No]

     If Yes, be sure you are familiar with not only installing and configuring the operating system but also with the different services included. When studying for exam 70-216, you should pay close attention to the TCP/IP interfaces, utilities, and services.

     Some of the other services you must be very familiar with are DNS, DHCP, WINS, RRAS, and Certificate Services. The exam requires in-depth knowledge and a fair amount of experience with each one.

     

     You can download objectives, practice exams, and other data about Microsoft exams from the Training and Certification page at www.microsoft.com/traincert/. Use the "Exam Resources" link to obtain specific exam info .

     
     

     If you haven't worked with Windows 2000 Server, TCP/IP, and IIS (or whatever product you choose for your final elective ), you must obtain one or two machines and a copy of Windows 2000 Server. Then, learn the operating system and do the same for TCP/IP and whatever other software components on which you'll also be tested.

     In fact, we recommend that you obtain two computers ”each with a network interface ”and set up a two-node network on which to practice. With decent Windows 2000-capable computers selling for about $500 to $600 apiece these days, this shouldn't be too much of a financial hardship. You might have to scrounge to come up with the necessary software, but if you scour the Microsoft Web site, you can usually find low-cost options to obtain evaluation copies of most of the software that you'll need.

   • Windows 2000 Professional? [Yes or No]

     If Yes, be sure you understand the concepts covered in Exam 70-210.

     If No, you will want to obtain a copy of Windows 2000 Professional and learn how to install, configure, and maintain it. You can use MCSE Windows 2000 Professional Exam Cram 2 to guide your activities and studies, or work straight from Microsoft's test objectives if you prefer.

     

     For any and all of these Microsoft exams, the resource kits for the topics involved are a good study resource. You can purchase softcover resource kits from Microsoft Press (search for them at http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/), but they also appear on the TechNet CDs ( www.microsoft.com/technet). We believe that resource kits are among the best preparation tools available, along with the Exam Cram 2 series of books.

     
     

6. For any specific Microsoft product that is not itself an operating system (for example, FrontPage 2000, SQL Server, and so on), have you installed, configured, used, and upgraded this software? [Yes or No]

   If the answer is Yes, skip to the next section. If it's No, you must get some experience. Read on for suggestions on how to do this.

   Experience is a must with any Microsoft product exam, be it something as simple as FrontPage 2000 or as challenging as Exchange Server 2000 or SQL Server 7.0. For trial copies of other software, search Microsoft's Web site using the name of the product as your search term . Also, search for bundles like "BackOffice" or "Small Business Server."

   

   If you have the funds, or your employer will pay your way, consider taking a class at a Certified Training and Education Center (CTEC) or at an Authorized Academic Training Partner (AATP). In addition to classroom exposure to the topic of your choice, you get a copy of the software that is the focus of your course, along with a trial version of whatever operating system it needs (usually Windows 2000 Server).

   
   

   Before you even think about taking any Microsoft exam, be sure you've spent enough time with the related software to understand how it's installed and configured (depending on the exam, this may be an operating system or specific services and applications), how to maintain such an installation, and how to troubleshoot that software when things go wrong. This will help you in the exam, and in real life!