Whats in the Book?

What’s in the Book?

When writing this book, we took into account not only what you need to know to pass the exam but also what you need to know to take what you’ve learned and apply it in the real world. This book contains the following:

• Objective-by-objective coverage of the topics you need to know   Each chapter lists the objectives covered in that chapter.

  Note 

  The topics covered in this study guide map directly to Microsoft’s official exam objectives. Each exam objective is covered completely.

• Assessment test   Directly following this introduction is an assessment test that you should take before starting to read the book. It’s designed to help you determine how much you already know about SQL Server 2005. Each question is tied to a topic discussed in the book. Using the results of the assessment test, you can figure out the areas where you need to focus your study. Of course, we do recommend that you read the entire book.

• Hands-on exercises   In each chapter, you’ll find exercises designed to give you the important hands-on experience that is critical for your exam preparation. The exercises support the topics of the chapter, and they walk you through the steps necessary to perform a particular function.

• Exam essentials   To highlight what you learn, you’ll find a list of essential topics at the end of each chapter. These “Exam Essentials” sections briefly highlight the topics that need your particular attention as you prepare for the exam.

• Review questions, complete with detailed explanations   Each chapter is followed by a set of review questions that test what you learned in the chapter. The questions are written with the exam in mind, meaning they are designed to have the same look and feel as what you’ll see on the exam.

• Glossary   Throughout each chapter, you’ll be introduced to important terms and concepts you’ll need to know for the exam. These terms appear in italic within the chapters; the detailed glossary in the book gives definitions for these terms as well as other general terms you should know.

• Interactive CD   Every Sybex study guide comes with a CD complete with additional questions, flashcards for use with an interactive device, a Windows simulation program, and the book in electronic format. Details are in the following section.