Going for Netwrok+ next week. MCSA is next!

CaterpillarAssassin · Sat Jun 18, 2005 10:44 pm

First I'll say hi all, and sorry I havent been around much. Too nice of weather and must be out enjoying it, or sitting inside reading lol.

Gotta do something to get a better job. Just getting tired of it, as some of you know I work as a metrologist in MA. Good work, but just the same all the time.

So, my plan is to take the net+ next week (already studied, and feel pretty confident). Gonna work towards an MCSA and further an MCSE. Seeing as how MS recognizes A+ and Network+ as an alternative to 1 exam for MCSA, thats a bonus. So I've got about 3 exams for that one. Then maybe I can actually get an IT job. Trouble is I have little IT experience and I cant afford to live for under what I'm making now. So best of luck to me, I suppose!

Any other suggestions?

b-man1 · Post by **b-man1** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 10:58 pm

an alternative is the Security+ as an elective...that's only one test vs. two if you do Net+ and A+

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 1:00 am

Originally posted by b-man1
an alternative is the Security+ as an elective...that's only one test vs. two if you do Net+ and A+

I took A+ , Net+ and Windows 2000 last year . A+ is actually 2 test alone , a hardware and a software test , then the Net+ . I didn't know Security test counted as an elective . That would be better . (and cheaper)

I also found the CompTia test a lot easier than the Microsoft test .

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 7:40 am

Yeah thing is I already have A+. So net+ is just one more. You say MS tests are hard? What kind of questions should I look out for? First MS test I'm taking is "managing and maintaining a ms server 2003 environment"

b-man1 · Post by **b-man1** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 8:19 am

nitro237 is right...sorry about that. i took A+ so long ago i forgot about there being two exams.

the client exam (70-270) is pretty easy but the rest are all difficult in different ways. 70-291 is considered the "test from hell" by many people because of the vast amount of information it covers. most of the tests do not ask simple, straighforward technical questions like "What does DNS do?". they will give you a scenario and make you pick multiple correct answers from multiple choices to show that you have at least the concepts down.

the nice thing is that they are finally adding full simulations into the exams. 290/291 already have them...293/294 are getting them soon. what that means is that people who have never touched a server before or actually used Active Directory have less of a chance to pass and become "paper MCSE's".

the design exams are a pain in the butt too...since there is so much reading for each scenario. ~3-4 pages of text about a company, interviews with admins/CEO/CIO, etc and then you have to answer questions on how to design their network.

i HIGHLY recommend (if you haven't begun this already) that you set up a home lab where you can test EVERYTHING possible as you read through study material. 2-3 computers...one domain controller...one backup...and a client pc to practice with is perfect. either that or use VirtualPC or VMWare to save on physical boxes. invaluable when practicing group policies, DNS, etc.

.02

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 8:31 am

Well I have Win2k3 Server Enterprise installed as dual boot on my normal system. But Its seeming more and more that I want to install it to a VM so I can access it through my WinXP OS. I'm currently studying for 70-290. Hoping to be ready in about 3 weeks or so.

b-man1 · Post by **b-man1** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 9:38 am

my plan was one exam per month...i ended up taking them a little faster than that, finishing in about six months. i used: Sybex, ExamCram2, and MS whitepapers mostly. another GREAT book for overall info is "Mastering Windows 2003 Server" by Mark Minasi. great reference book for studying...but more for on the job stuff too (he does not write toward the exams).

let me know if you have any other questions and i will try to help out.

good luck!!

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:32 pm

I passed with a 701. Scoring is from 500-900. Not bad i suppose!

eGoCeNTRoNiX · Post by **eGoCeNTRoNiX** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:57 pm

Gratz!

b-man1 · Post by **b-man1** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:20 pm

:chug

nice work!

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:36 pm

thanks. any particular areas I should concentrate on for the microsoft 70-290 exam, maintaining and managing a win2003 server environment?

BigCheeze · Post by **BigCheeze** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:45 pm

Congrats on the test. Because my company is making me get my MCSE I'm almost done with it (I'll have taken all 7 test in about 3 months). I'm taking the Security+ one as my other elective because I figure it should be an easy one for me, as I already have my CISSP, and it will give me my MCSE 2003: Security.

In my personal opinion... the MS test are mostly BS. They seem to be geared towards those that went through a bootcamp. I have taken Novell, Cisco, ISC(2) (CISSP), and now Microsoft test.... the MS test have been the worst in my opinion about testing real world knowledge.

So either go to a bootcamp, or pick up somethings like Exam Cram, and maybe some trancender test (I use them because my company pays for them), and memorize that stuff and you should be another MCSE.

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:04 pm

I used exam cram for the network+ and it wasnt that impressive. While it was a good read, and it did keep me interested. There were questions on the exam that I would not have known from reading the book and relied on my own knowledge, and guesses. I have the MS Press book for the 70-290 exam, and so far it seems to be pretty good with actual excercises on the computer. I have set up a lab using win2k3 server on a virtual machine across the network, and set my box to log onto the domain. I'll see how this come in relation to the exam. What do you recommend for study matierials on the MS tests?

BigCheeze · Post by **BigCheeze** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:12 pm

All I've used is Exam Cram, and Trancender. I haven't heard good stuff on the MS stuff (pretty odd huh?)

CaterpillarAssassin · Post by **CaterpillarAssassin** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:31 pm

haha yeah very odd. At least the cover looks nice, right? Well I suppose I did pass with exam cram, and it was pretty cheap maybe I'll get that for the next one. Heh, I was able to read the whole network+ book in a week. Thats what I like, minimal studying time.