| The following series of questions and observations is designed to help you figure out how much work you must do to pursue Microsoft certification and what kinds of resources you should consult on your quest. Be absolutely honest in your answers; otherwise, you'll end up wasting money on exams you're not yet ready to take. There are no right or wrong answers, only steps along the path to certification. Only you can decide where you really belong in the broad spectrum of aspiring candidates. Two things should be clear from the outset, however: Even a modest background in computer science and programming will be helpful. Hands-on experience with Microsoft products and technologies is an essential ingredient to Microsoft certification success.
Educational Background Following are questions related to your education: Have you ever taken any computer-related classes? [Yes or No] If your answer is Yes, proceed to question 2; if your answer is No, proceed to question 4. Have you taken any classes about computer operating systems? [Yes or No] If your answer is Yes, you will probably be able to handle Microsoft's architecture and system component discussions. If you're rusty, brush up on basic operating system concepts and general computer security topics. If your answer is No, consider some basic reading in this area. We strongly recommend a good general operating systems book, such as Operating System Concepts, 6th Edition, by Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, and Greg Gagne (John Wiley & Sons, 2001). If this title doesn't appeal to you, check out reviews for similar titles at your favorite online bookstore. Have you taken any networking concepts or technology classes? [Yes or No] If your answer is Yes, you will probably be able to handle Microsoft's networking terminology, concepts, and technologies (brace yourself for frequent departures from normal usage). If you're rusty, brush up on basic networking concepts and terminology, especially networking media, transmission types, the OSI Reference Model, and networking technologies such as Ethernet, token ring, FDDI, and WAN links. Skip to the next section, "Hands-On Experience." If your answer is No, you might want to read one or two books in this topic area. The two best books that we know of are Computer Networks, 4th Edition, by Andrew S. Tanenbaum (Prentice-Hall, 2002) and Computer Networks and Internets, 3rd Edition, by Douglas E. Comer (Prentice-Hall, 2001). Have you read operating system or network publications? [Yes or No] If your answer is No, consult the recommended reading for both topics. A strong background will help you prepare for the Microsoft exams better than just about anything else.
Hands-On Experience The most important key to success on all the Microsoft tests is hands-on experience, especially with Windows Server 2003, 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. Have you installed, configured, and worked with Windows Server 2003 Server? [Yes or No] If your answer is Yes, make sure you're familiar with not only installing and configuring the operating system, but also with using the different services included. When studying for Exam 70-297, you should pay close attention to DNS, DHCP, WINS, RRAS, and Certificate Services. The exam requires in-depth knowledge of 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/train_cert/. Use the Find an Exam link to obtain specific exam information. |
If you haven't worked with Windows Server 2003, 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 Server 2003. Then learn the operating system. Do the same for TCP/IP and whatever other software components you'll be tested on. 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 Server 2003 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. | For any and all of these Microsoft exams, the Resource Kits for the topics involved are a good study resource. You can purchase soft-cover Resource Kits from Microsoft Press (search for them at www.microsoft.com/mspress/), but they also appear on the TechNet CDs (www.microsoft.com/technet). We believe that Resource Kits, along with Exam Cram 2 series of books, are among the best preparation tools available. |
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 your answer is Yes, skip to the "Testing Your Exam-Readiness" section. If your answer is No, you must get some experience. Read on for suggestions on how to do this. Experience is a must with any Microsoft product exam, whether something as simple as FrontPage or as challenging as Exchange Server or SQL Server. 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 such as BackOffice or Small Business Server. | If you have the funds or your employer will pay your way, consider taking a class at a Microsoft Certified Training and Education Center (CTEC) or at an IT academy. 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, with the training materials for that class. |
Before you even think about taking any Microsoft exam, make sure you've spent enough time with the related software to understand how it can be installed and configured (depending on the exam, this could 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!
Testing Your Exam-Readiness Whether you attend a formal class on a specific topic to get ready for an exam or use written materials to study on your own, some preparation for the Microsoft certification exams is essential. At $125 a try, pass or fail, you want to do everything you can to pass on your first try. That's where studying comes in. We've included two practice exams in this book (Chapters 7 and 9) so that if you don't score that well on the first, you can study more and then tackle the second. For any given subject, consider taking a class if you've tackled self-study materials, taken the test, and failed anyway. The opportunity to interact with an instructor and fellow students could make all the difference in the world, if you can afford that privilege. For information about Microsoft classes, visit the Training and Certification page at for Microsoft Certified Training and Education Centers. If you can't afford to take a class, visit the Training page at www.microsoft.com/traincert/training/find/default.asp anyway it also includes pointers to free practice exams and to Microsoft Certified Professional Approved Study Guides and other self-study tools. Even if you can't afford to spend much at all, you should still invest in some low-cost practice exams from commercial vendors. Have you taken a practice exam on your chosen test subject? [Yes or No] If your answer is Yes and you scored 70% or better, you're probably ready to tackle the real thing. If your score isn't above that threshold, keep at it until you break that barrier. If your answer is No, obtain all the free and low-price practice tests you can find and get to work. Keep at it until you can break the passing threshold comfortably.
| When it comes to assessing your test-readiness, there is no better way than to take a good-quality practice exam and pass with a score of 70% or better. When we're preparing for exams, we shoot for 80% or more, just to leave room for the fact that we might encounter a question or two on the exam that makes little sense due to its wording. |
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