Exam Prep Tips

After you have mastered the subject matter, the final preparatory step is to understand how the exam will be presented. Make no mistake: A Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exam challenges both your knowledge and your test-taking skills. The following sections describe the basics of exam design and the exam formats, as well as provide hints targeted to each of the exam formats.

Preparing for the 70-270 exam is a bit different than preparing for those old Microsoft exams, too. The following is a list of things that you should consider doing:

• Combine your skill sets into solutions In the past, exams would test whether you knew to select the right letter of a multiple choice answer. Today, you need to know how to resolve a problem that may involve different aspects of the material covered. For example, on exam 70-270 you could be presented with a problem that requires you to understand how to incorporate drivers in an unattended installation, as well as what errors you might see if you installed a computer that used a device driver incompatible with Windows XP Professional. The skills themselves are simple. Being able to zero in on what caused the problem and then to resolve it for a specific situation is what you need to demonstrate. In fact, you should not only be able to select one answer, but also multiple parts of a total solution.

• Delve into excruciating details The exam questions incorporate a great deal of information in the scenarios. Some of the information is ancillaryit will help you rule out possible issues, but not necessarily resolve the answer. Some of the information simply provides you with a greater picture, like you would have in real life. Some information is key to your solution. For example, you may be presented with a question that lists a computer's hard disk size, memory size, and detailed hardware configuration. When you delve further into the question, you realize that the hardware configuration is the problem. Other times, you will find that the hardware configuration simply eliminates one or more of the answers that you could select. For example, a portable laptop does not support dynamic disks, so if the hardware configuration is a portable laptop and one of the answers is a dynamic disk configuration, you can eliminate it. If you don't pay attention to what you can eliminate, the answer can elude you completely. And other times, the hardware configuration simply lets you know that the hardware is adequate.

• TCP/IP troubleshooting is built right in Because TCP/IP is a core technology to the Windows XP Professional operating system, you are expected to know how to configure the operating system, how to recognize IP conflicts, and how to use the TCP/IP tools to troubleshoot the problem. You should also be able to discern between an IP problem and something wrong with the OS or hardware, or even some combination that involves IP along with some other element.

• It's a GUI test Microsoft has expanded its testing criteria into interface recognition. You should be able to recognize each dialog box, properties sheet, options, and defaults. You will be tested on how to navigate the new interfacefor example, the Category View shown in Control Panel. If you have reverted your Windows XP interface to the Classic View and you have not yet learned the new interface, you might end up selecting answers that are deliberately placed to confuse a person used to the old Windows interface. Of course, if you know the difference between the two, you'll be able to spot the old ones and avoid them.

• Practice with a time-limit The tests have always been time restricted, but it takes more time to read and understand the scenarios now and time is a whole lot tighter. To get used to the time limits, test yourself with a timer. Know how long it takes you to read scenarios and select answers.

MCP Exam Design

Every MCP exam is released in one of three basic formats. What's being called exam format here is really little more than a combination of the overall exam structure and the presentation method for exam questions.

Understanding the exam formats is key to good preparation because the exam format determines the number of questions presented, the difficulty of those questions, and the amount of time allowed to complete the exam.

All the exam formats use many of the same types of questions. These types or styles of questions include several types of traditional multiple-choice questions, multiple-rating (or scenario-based) questions, and simulation-based questions. Some exams include other types of questions that ask you to drag and drop objects onscreen, reorder a list, or categorize things. Still other exams ask you to answer various types of questions in response to case studies you have read. It's important that you understand the types of questions you will be asked and the actions required to answer them properly.

The following sections address the exam formats and the question types. Understanding the formats and question types will help you feel much more comfortable when you take the exam.

Exam Formats

As mentioned previously, there are two basic formats for the MCP exams: the traditional fixed-form exam and the case study exam. As its name implies, the fixed-form exam presents a fixed set of questions during the exam session. The case study exam includes case studies organized into testlets that serve as the basis for answering the questions. Most MCP exams these days utilize the fixed-form approach, with the case study approach running second.

Another test format previously used was the adaptive exam; however, Microsoft no longer employs adaptive algorithms in their exams. The adaptive exam uses only a subset of questions drawn from a larger pool during any given exam session. It may present each test-taker with a different number of questions, depending on how the person answers the initial questions.

Fixed-Form Exams

A fixed-form computerized exam is based on a fixed set of exam questions. The individual questions are presented in random order during a test session. If you take the same exam more than once, you won't necessarily see exactly the same questions. This is because two or three final forms are typically assembled for every fixed-form exam Microsoft releases. These are usually labeled Forms A, B, and C.

The final forms of a fixed-form exam are identical in terms of content coverage, number of questions, and allotted time, but the questions for each are different. However, some of the same questions are shared among different final forms. When questions are shared among multiple final forms of an exam, the percentage of sharing is generally small. Many final forms share no questions, but some older exams may have a 10%15% duplication of exam questions on the final exam forms.

Fixed-form exams also have fixed time limits in which you must complete them.

The score you achieve on a fixed-form exam, which is always calculated for MCP exams on a scale of 0 to 1,000, is based on the number of questions you answer correctly. The passing score is the same for all final forms of a given fixed-form exam. Although Microsoft no longer reports the actual score to you, preferring to just tell you whether you passed, it is still calculated in this fashion.

The typical design of a fixed-form exam is as follows:

• The exam contains 5060 questions.

• You are allowed 7590 minutes of testing time.

• Question review is allowed, including the opportunity to change your answers.

• Candidates must correctly answer 70% or more of the questions to pass.

• Candidates' answers are scored according to their correct answers:

  • No points are deducted for incorrect answersthere is only a zero credit for those questions.

  • Partial credit may be granted for some questions where multiple answers are expected for a complete solution and only a subset of the answers has been selected.

  • Full credit may be granted for some questions where multiple solutions are correct in their entirety and only one of the answers has been selected.

Case Study Exams

The case studybased format for Microsoft exams first appeared with the advent of the 70-100 exam (the original "Solution Architectures" exam) and then appeared in the MCSE sequence in the Design exams. The questions in the case study format are not the independent entities that they are in the fixed-format exams. Instead, questions are tied to a case study, a long scenario-like description of an information technology situation. As the test-taker, your job is to extract from the case study the information that needs to be integrated with your understanding of Microsoft technology. The idea is that a case study will provide you with a situation that is even more like a real-life problem than the other formats provide.

The case studies are presented as testlets. A testlet is a section within the exam in which you read the case study and then answer 10 to 20 questions that apply to the case study. When you finish that section, you move on to another testlet, with another case study and its associated questions. Typically, three to five of these testlets compose the overall exam. You are given more time to complete such an exam than to complete the other types because it takes time to read through the cases and analyze them. You might have as much as three hours to complete a case study examand you might need all of it. The case studies are always available through a linking button while you are in a testlet. However, when you leave a testlet, you cannot come back to it.

Figure 1 provides an illustration of part of such a case study.

Figure 1. An example of a case study.

Question Types

A variety of question types can appear on MCP exams. We have attempted to cover all the types that are available at the time of this writing. Most of the question types discussed in the following sections can appear in each of the three exam formats.

A typical MCP exam question is based on the idea of measuring skills or the ability to complete tasks. Therefore, most of the questions are written so as to present you with a situation that includes a role (such as a system administrator or technician), a technology environment (for example, 100 computers running Windows XP Professional on a Windows Server 2003 network), and a problem to be solved (for example, the user can connect to services on the LAN but not on the intranet). The answers indicate actions you might take to solve the problem or create setups or environments that would function correctly from the start. You should keep this in mind as you read the questions on the exam. You might encounter some questions that just call for you to regurgitate facts, but these will be relatively few and far between.

The following sections look at the different question types.

Multiple-Choice Questions

Despite the variety of question types that now appear in various MCP exams, the multiple-choice question is still the basic building block of the exams. The multiple-choice question comes in three varieties:

• Regular multiple-choice question Also referred to as an alphabetic question, a regular multiple-choice question asks you to choose one answer as correct. A circle is displayed to the left of each answer. You may click the circle to select the answer. If you change your mind, you may select another answer by clicking on it and your former selection is cleared.

• Multiple-answer, multiple-choice question Also referred to as a multi-alphabetic question, this version of a multiple-choice question requires you to choose two or more answers as correct. Typically, you are told precisely the number of correct answers to choose. A box is displayed to the left of each optional answer. You may click each box to select multiple answers. In some cases, the exam software prompts you to let you know that you have attempted to select more answers than the number required for the question.

• Enhanced multiple-choice question This is simply a regular or multiple-answer question that includes a graphic or table to which you must refer to answer the question correctly.

Examples of multiple-choice questions appear at the end of each chapter in this book.

Simulation Questions

Simulation-based questions reproduce the look and feel of key Microsoft product features for the purpose of testing. The simulation software used in MCP exams has been designed to look and act, as much as possible, just like the actual product. Consequently, answering simulation questions in an MCP exam entails completing one or more tasks just as if you were using the product itself.

A typical Microsoft simulation question consists of a brief scenario or problem statement, along with one or more tasks that you must complete to solve the problem.

It sounds obvious, but your first step when you encounter a simulation question is to carefully read the question (see Figure 2). You should not go straight to the simulation application! You must assess the problem that's presented and identify the conditions that make up the problem scenario. You should note the tasks that must be performed or outcomes that must be achieved to answer the question, and then you should review any instructions you're given on how to proceed.

Figure 2. A typical MCP exam simulation with directions.

The next step is to launch the simulator by using the button provided. After you click the Show Simulation button, you see a feature of the product, as shown in the dialog box in Figure 3. The simulation application partially obscures the question text on many test center machines. You should feel free to reposition the simulator and to move between the question text screen and the simulator by using hotkeys or point-and-click navigationor even by clicking the simulator's launch button again.

Figure 3. Launching the simulation application.

It is important for you to understand that your answer to the simulation question is not recorded until you move on to the next exam question. This gives you the added capability of closing and reopening the simulation application (by using the launch button) on the same question without losing any partial answer you may have made.

The third step is to use the simulator as you would the actual product to solve the problem or perform the defined tasks. Again, the simulation software is designed to functionwithin reasonjust as the product does. But you shouldn't expect the simulator to reproduce product behavior perfectly. Most importantly, you should not allow yourself to become flustered if the simulator does not look or act exactly like the product.

Figure 4 shows the solution to the sample simulation problem.

Figure 4. The solution to the simulation example.

Two final points will help you tackle simulation questions. First, you should respond only to what is being asked in the question; you should not solve problems that you are not asked to solve. Second, you should accept what is being asked of you. You might not entirely agree with conditions in the problem statement, the quality of the desired solution, or the sufficiency of defined tasks to adequately solve the problem. However, you should remember that you are being tested on your ability to solve the problem as it is presented.

The solution to the simulation problem shown in Figure 4 perfectly illustrates both those points. As you'll recall from the question scenario (refer to Figure 2), you were asked to assign appropriate permissions to a new user, FridaE. You were not instructed to make any other changes in permissions. Therefore, if you were to modify or remove the administrator's permissions, this item would be scored wrong on an MCP exam.

Hot-Area Question

Hot-area questions Microsoft has utilized call for you to click a graphic or diagram to complete some task. You are asked a question that is similar to any other, but rather than click an option button or check box next to an answer, you click the relevant item in a screenshot or on a part of a diagram. An example of such an item is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. A typical hot-area question.

Drag-and-Drop Questions

two different types of drag-and-drop questions in exams: select-and-place questions and drop-and-connect questions. Both are covered in the following sections.

Select-and-Place Questions

Select-and-place questions typically require you to drag and drop labels on images in a diagram so as to correctly label or identify some portion of a network. Figure 6 shows you the actual question portion of a select-and-place item.

Figure 6. A select-and-place question.

Figure 7 shows the window you would see after you clicked Select and Place. It contains the actual diagram in which you would select and drag the various server roles and match them up with the appropriate computers.

Figure 7. The window containing the select-and-place diagram.

Drop-and-Connect Questions

Drop-and-connect questions provide a different spin on drag-and-drop questions. This type of question provides you with the opportunity to create boxes that you can label, as well as connectors of various types with which to link them. In essence, you create a model or diagram to answer a drop-and-connect question. You might have to create a network diagram or a data model for a database system. Figure 8 illustrates the idea of a drop-and-connect question.

Figure 8. A drop-and-connect question.

Microsoft seems to be getting away from this type of question, perhaps because of the complexity involved. You might see the same sort of concepts tested with a more traditional question utilizing multiple exhibits, each of which shows a diagram; in this type of question, you must choose which exhibit correctly portrays the solution to the problem posed in the question.

Ordered-List Questions

Ordered-list questions require you to consider a list of items and place them in the proper order. You select items and then use a button or drag and drop to add them to a new list in the correct order. You can use another button to remove the items in the new order in case you change your mind and want to reorder things. Figure 9 shows an ordered-list question.

Figure 9. An ordered-list question.

Tree Questions

Tree questions require you to think hierarchically and categorically. You are asked to place items from a list into categories that are displayed as nodes in a tree structure. Such questions might ask you to identify parent-child relationships in processes or the structure of keys in a database. You might also be required to show order within the categories, much as you would in an ordered-list question. Figure 10 shows an example of a tree question.

Figure 10. A tree question.

Putting It All Together

As you can see, Microsoft is making an effort to utilize question types that go beyond asking you to simply memorize facts. These question types force you to know how to accomplish tasks and understand concepts and relationships. You should study so that you can answer these types of questions rather than those that simply ask you to recall facts.

Given all the different pieces of information presented so far, the following sections present a set of tips that will help you successfully tackle the exam.

More Exam-Preparation Tips

Generic exam-preparation advice is always useful. Tips include the following:

• Become familiar with the product. Hands-on experience is one of the keys to success on any MCP exam. Review the exercises and the Step by Steps in the book.

• Review the current exam-preparation guide on the Microsoft Training & Certification website. The documentation Microsoft makes available on the web identifies the skills every exam is intended to test.

• Memorize foundational technical detail, but remember that MCP exams are generally heavier on problem solving and application of knowledge than on questions that require only rote memorization.

• Take any of the available practice tests. We recommend the one included in this book and the ones you can create by using the MeasureUp software on this book's CD-ROM. As a supplement to the material bound with this book, try the free practice tests available on the Microsoft MCP website.

• Look on the Microsoft Training & Certification website for samples and demonstration items (as of this writing, check http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/mcpexams/faq/innovations.asp, but you might have to look around for the samples because the URL might have changed). These tend to be particularly valuable for one significant reason: They help you become familiar with new testing technologies before you encounter them on MCP exams.

Tips for Success During the Exam Session

The following generic exam-taking advice that you've heard for years applies when you're taking an MCP exam:

• To keep yourself sharp on the day of the exam, read over the items in the "Fast Facts" section of this book and get a good night's sleep the night before the exam.

• On the day of the exam, make sure that you take the necessary number of forms of identification that correctly identify you as the candidate. Arrive at least 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the exam. If you are sick and unable to take the exam, obtain a doctor's certificate signed on the day the exam was scheduled to take the exam at a later date.

• Take a deep breath and try to relax when you first sit down for your exam session. It is very important that you control the pressure you might (naturally) feel when taking exams.

• You will be provided scratch paper. Take a moment to write down any factual information and technical detail that you have committed to short-term memory.

• Carefully read all information and instruction screens. These displays have been put together to give you information relevant to the exam you are taking.

• Accept the nondisclosure agreement and preliminary survey as part of the examination process. Complete them accurately and quickly move on.

• Read the exam questions carefully. Reread each question to identify all relevant detail.

• Look for key words in multiple choice (MC) questions such as "all" or "any." The word "all" indicates that you should look for one or more correct answers. The word "any" indicates that there may be one or more correct answers or that the option indicating that there is no correct solution may be correct.

• You don't lose any marks for guessing wrong answers, but you don't gain any either! If you can't decide which solution is correct, you have nothing to lose by guessing.

• In fixed-form exams, tackle the questions in the order in which they are presented. Skipping around won't build your confidence; the clock is always counting down.

• Don't rush, but also don't linger on difficult questions. The questions vary in degree of difficulty. Don't let yourself be flustered by a particularly difficult or wordy question.

Besides considering the basic preparation and test-taking advice presented so far, you also need to consider the challenges presented by the different exam designs, as described in the following sections.

Tips for Fixed-Form Exams

Because a fixed-form exam is composed of a fixed, finite set of questions, you should add these tips to your strategy for taking a fixed-form exam:

• Note the time allotted and the number of questions on the exam you are taking. Make a rough calculation of how many minutes you can spend on each question, and use this figure to pace yourself through the exam.

• Take advantage of the fact that you can return to and review skipped or previously answered questions. Record the questions you can't answer confidently on the scratch paper provided, noting the relative difficulty of each question. When you reach the end of the exam, return to the more difficult questions.

• If you have session time remaining after you complete all the questions (and if you aren't too fatigued!), review your answers. Pay particular attention to questions that seem to have a lot of detail or that require graphics.

• As for changing your answers, the general rule of thumb here is don't! If you read the question carefully and completely and you felt like you knew the right answer, you probably did. Don't second-guess yourself. If, as you check your answers, one clearly stands out as incorrect, however, of course you should change it. But if you are at all unsure, go with your first impression.

Tips for Case Study Exams

The case study exam format calls for unique study and exam-taking strategies:

• Remember that you have more time than in a typical exam. Take your time and read the case study thoroughly.

• Use the scrap paper or whatever medium is provided to you to take notes, diagram processes, and determine the important information. You may find that writing your thoughts, diagramming the information described in the question or the case study provided, and eliminating the obviously wrong answers in your scrap notes shortens the time you spend on each question.

• Work through each testlet as if each were an independent exam. Remember that you cannot go back after you have left a testlet.

• Refer to the case study as often as you need to, but do not use that as a substitute for reading it carefully initially and for taking notes.