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)

Exam-taking is not something that most people anticipate eagerly, no matter how well prepared they are. In most cases, familiarity helps offset test anxiety. In plain English, that 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.