Chapter 1. Microsoft Certification Exams

Terms you'll need to understand:

Case study
Multiple-choice question formats
Build-list-and-reorder question format
Create-a-tree question format
Drag-and-connect question format
Select-and-place question format
Fixed-length tests
Simulations
Adaptive tests
Short-form tests

Techniques you'll need to master:

Assessing your exam-readiness
Answering Microsoft's varying question types
Altering your test strategy depending on the exam format
Practicing (to make perfect)
Making the best use of the testing software
Budgeting your time
Guessing (as a last resort)

Introduction

Exam-taking is not something that most people anticipate eagerly, no matter how well prepared they might be. In most cases, familiarity helps offset test anxiety. In plain English, this means you probably won't be as nervous when you take your fourth or fifth Microsoft certification exam as you'll be when you take your first one.

Whether it's your first exam or your tenth, understanding the details of taking the new exam (how much time to spend on questions, the environment you'll be in, and so on) and the new exam software will help you concentrate on the material rather than on the setting. Likewise, mastering a few basic exam-taking skills should help you recognize (and perhaps even outfox) some of the tricks and snares you're bound to find in some exam questions.

This chapter explains the exam environment and software and describes some proven exam-taking strategies that you can use to your advantage.

Assessing Exam Readiness

I strongly recommend that you read through and take the self-assessment included with this book (it appears just before this chapter). It can help you compare your knowledge base to the requirements for obtaining an MCSE or MCSA, and it also can help you identify parts of your background or experience that might need improvement, enhancement, or further learning. If you get the right set of basics under your belt, obtaining Microsoft certification will be that much easier.

After you've gone through the self-assessment, you can remedy those topical areas in which your background or experience might be lacking. You also can tackle subject matter for individual tests at the same time, so you can continue making progress while you're catching up in some areas.

After you've worked through an Exam Cram 2 , have read the supplementary materials, and have taken the practice test, you'll have a pretty clear idea of when you should be ready to take the real exam. Although I strongly recommend that you keep practicing until your scores top the 75 percent mark, 80 “85 percent is a better goal because it gives you some margin for error when you are in an actual, stressful exam situation. Keep taking practice tests and studying the materials until you attain that score. You'll find more pointers on how to study and prepare in the self-assessment. But now, on to the exam itself.

What to Expect at the Testing Center

When you arrive at the testing center where you scheduled your exam, you must sign in with an exam coordinator and show two forms of identification, one of which must be a photo ID. After you've signed in and your time slot arrives, you'll be asked to deposit any books, bags, cell phones, or other items you brought with you. Then, you'll be escorted into a closed room.

All exams are completely closed book. Although you are not permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, you are furnished with a blank sheet of paper and a pen (in some cases, an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable pen). Immediately before entering the testing center, try to memorize as much of the important material as you can, so you can write that information on the blank sheet as soon as you are seated in front of the computer. You can refer to this piece of paper during the test, but you'll have to surrender the sheet when you leave the room. Because your timer does not start until you begin the testing process, it is best to do this first while the information is still fresh in your mind.

You will have some time to compose yourself, write down information on the paper you're given, and take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. I suggest you take the orientation test before taking your first exam (because the exams are generally identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably won't need to do this more than once).

Typically, the room has one to six computers, and each workstation is separated from the others by dividers . Most test rooms feature a wall with a large picture window. This permits the exam coordinator to monitor the room, prevent exam-takers from talking to one another, and observe anything out of the ordinary. The exam coordinator will have preloaded the appropriate Microsoft certification exam (for this book, Exam 70-216), and you'll be permitted to start as soon as you're seated in front of the computer.

All Microsoft certification exams allow a certain maximum amount of time in which to complete your work (this time is indicated on the exam by an onscreen counter/clock, so you can check the time remaining whenever you like). All Microsoft certification exams are computer-generated. In addition to multiple choice, you'll encounter select and place (drag and drop), create a tree (categorization and prioritization), drag and connect, and build list and reorder (list prioritization) on most exams. The questions are constructed to check your mastery of basic facts and figures about Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Administration and to require you to evaluate one or more sets of circumstances or requirements. Often, you'll be asked to give more than one answer to a question. You also might be asked to select the best or most effective solution to a problem from a range of choices, all of which are technically correct. Taking the exam is quite an adventure, and it involves real thinking. This book shows you what to expect and how to deal with the potential problems, puzzles, and predicaments.

In the next section, you learn more about the format of Microsoft test questions and how to answer them.

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Chapter 1. Microsoft Certification Exams