Taking a Certification Exam

After you've prepared for your exam, you need to register with a testing center. Each computer-based MCP exam costs $100, and if you don't pass, you can retest for $100 for each additional try. In the United States and Canada, tests are administered by Virtual University Enterprises (VUE) and Prometric . Here's how you can contact them:

• Virtual University Enterprises ” You can sign up for a test or get the phone numbers for local testing centers through its Web page at www.vue.com/ms/.

• Prometric ” You can sign up for a test through the company's Web site at www.prometric.com. Or, you can register by phone at 800-755-3926 (within the United States or Canada) or at 410-843-8000 (outside the United States and Canada).

To sign up for a test, you must possess a valid credit card or contact either company for mailing instructions to send them a check (in the United States). Only when payment is verified or a check has cleared can you actually register for a test.

To schedule an exam, call the number or visit either of the Web pages at least one day in advance. To cancel or reschedule an exam, you must call before 7 p.m. pacific standard time the day before the scheduled test time ( otherwise , you might be charged, even if you don't appear to take the test). When you want to schedule a test, have the following information ready:

• Your name , organization, and mailing address.

• Your Microsoft Test ID. (Inside the United States, this means your Social Security number; citizens of other nations should call ahead to find out what type of identification number is required to register for a test.)

• The name and number of the exam you want to take.

• A method of payment. (As we've already mentioned, a credit card is the most convenient method, but alternative means can be arranged in advance, if necessary).

After you sign up for a test, you'll be informed as to when and where the test is scheduled. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. You must supply two forms of identification ”one of which must be a photo ID ”to be admitted into the testing room.

All exams are completely closed-book. In fact, you will not be permitted to take anything with you into the testing area, but you will be furnished with a blank sheet of paper and a pen or, in some cases, an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable pen. We suggest that you immediately write down on that sheet of paper all the information you've memorized for the test. In Exam Cram books, this information appears on a tear-out sheet inside the front cover of each book. You will have some time to compose yourself, record this information, and take a sample orientation exam before you begin the real thing. We suggest you take the orientation test before taking your first exam, but because they're all more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably won't need to do this more than once.

When you complete a Microsoft certification exam, the software will tell you whether you've passed or failed. If you need to retake an exam, you must schedule a new test with Prometric or VUE and pay another $100.

The first time you fail a test, you can retake the test the next day. However, if you fail a second time, you must wait 14 days before retaking that test. The 14-day waiting period remains in effect for all retakes after the second failure.