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Set
a Deadline
Although studying at your own pace and taking the exam
"when your ready" has its merits, it doesn't
work well for millions of people who tend to
procrastinate, or whose busy lives are filled with
distractions. When you begin your studies, set a real
schedule for yourself including how much you'll read every
day, when you'll start with studying review questions, lab
time, etc., Depending on the amount of study time you have
available and your level of experience with Windows
NT/2000, 8-10 weeks per exam should be enough.
Pick
a training method that works for you
Not everyone learns
the same way. Formal classroom training has its
advantages, but it's not an option for many people because
of cost, availability, and scheduling conflicts. Self
studying with books is cheaper and more flexible, but it
can be tedious and very boring. So what's left? SmartCertify
(formerly CBT Systems) offers an outstanding computer
based MCSE
training curriculum that is well below the cost of
classroom training. CBT
Nuggets offers an excellent and affordable CD based
video training program that is very similar to classroom
instruction. You'll get a combination of theory and
practical instruction as you progress through the lessons.
Be prepared for the new test format
Microsoft has re designed the test format for the Windows 2000 exams to discourage memorization of answers, use of "Braindumps", and to make the exams a little more relevant to real world environments. Expect of lots of troubleshooting questions, complex scenarios,
and interactive questions that require you to perform a specific task on a simulated control panel.
Always read 2 books on every exam
topic
This advice has served me well. Always read an official MCSE study guide and a real world guide during your studies. This will give you the information you need to pass the exam as well as the "unglazed" version of how Windows 2000 really works.
Begin by reading the real world version without
highlighting or taking reams of noted. The idea is to get
a basic understanding of the topic and an overview of how
everything works. When you're finished, start up with the
official study guide of your choice. Take your time, go
through the review questions and lab scenarios in each
chapter taking notes as you go.
Use
the best MCSE Books you can afford
Your choice of
study guides will depend on how you study, and your level of experience
with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. In our opinion the
best overall MCSE Book series is Syngress/Osborne's
series which is written by Deb and Tom Shinder. Our
second choice is the New
Riders series. The Sybex
series is decent, and covers the exam curriculum, but
is not as thorough as the other series. Although the Microsoft
official curriculum is a favorite of trainers, we
found the writing style too dry for self study and the
books don't include the number and quality of review
questions offered by the other series. (However, Microsoft
does make a "Readiness
Review" series to fill this void, if you want to
spend an additional $25.) If you're an experienced NT 4.0
MCSE with lots of hands on experience with Windows 2000
since it was in Beta, Coriolos
Exam Cram series is a good place to start.
What
to focus on
You obviously
can't memorize the entire book when preparing for the
exam, so what do you focus on? Microsoft publishes a
guideline for each exam that list the topics they expect
you to know, and these are a good indication of what
you'll be tested on. But that still leaves a lot to
chance. Fortunately, most of the MCSE books do a decent
job of creating review questions that cover the exam
topics very well. They also offer callouts of "exam
tips" or "Alerts" for trick questions (check
our Book Reviews for our recommendations). Test prep
software can also be useful, and there are also a number
of 'Certification Prep" books available that focus on
review questions and their rationale.
Staying
motivated
Procrastination is a big problem for many people, so if you're
having a hard time staying motivated to study, you're not
alone. You can fight this tendency by getting a study
partner, and or starting a friendly contest of who can
pass their exams first (or with the highest score).You should
pick your partners carefully, and if possible get a group
of 5-7 people together as a study group. Meet regularly,
and discuss exam topics and review questions
Set up a lab - even a small
one
Windows 2000 has some pretty hefty hardware requirements, but 30 GB hard drives are cheap, and you can load multiple versions of Windows 2000 on separate partitions and set up a lab. Network your PC's together (4 port hubs are cheap) and you will have an
amazing number of combinations that you can experiment with. Set up a domain, configure Active Directory, set up Global Groups, performance monitoring, try some unattended installation, etc.,
If you are using an approved MCSE study guide, each
chapter will have a walkthrough of a particular
administrative task that should be performed in your lab.
The new Windows 2000 exams feature simulations of actual
configuration and administrative tasks to test how well
you know the product.
Take plenty of Test
simulators
Some people are very bright, but just bad at taking tests. And some of the test questions can be tricky and catch you off guard. By taking some of the prep tests available, you'll be better prepared for the actual exam and more likely to pass. If you have the
funds, we recommend the Transcender Exams or ExamSimulators.com
There are also plenty of free practice exams available on the web. In addition, Sybex and Que make pretty good review guides that are full of sample questions. Well worth the money.
Warning: Beware of test prep software companies
that claim to offer the real questions from the exam.
Microsoft, CompTIA and other companies have begun to crack
down on these vendors for copyright infringement, and
often demanding a list of people who ordered the software
as part of the settlement agreement. It is unclear whether
they intend to "decertify" people who used these
products, but why take the risk?
A
word about Accelerated study guides
NT 4.0 MCSE's and experienced administrators who have
worked extensively with Windows 2000 have a big head start
on the curriculum and often use accelerated study guides
that focus only on the requirements needed to pass the
exam. These guides can be valuable shortcuts for
professionals who are short on time and need to upgrade
their certifications quickly. Unfortunately, inexperienced
administrators who are looking for a shortcut to
completing their MCSE's have used these same study guides
and passed the exams successfully, only to fail miserably
when they have to do it for real in the corporate
workplace. These people become known as "Paper
MCSE's", a label that can stick with you for years
and quickly kill your career Take the time to study the
material and learn it inside and out. The faster you cram
the information, the less likely it will "stick"
in your brain and be there when you need it. In the end,
"Paper MCSE's" not only cheat themselves, but
also the qualified MCSE candidates who actually know the
material because it dilutes the value of the
certification.
Schedule
the exam for your peak time
Give yourself the biggest edge possible by scheduling the
exam at your peak time. For most people, this is between
10am - 2pm. If you are more of an evening person, try
scheduling after 7pm. Obviously weekdays will be less
packed then Saturdays, giving you less of a distraction during
the exam. Try to give yourself a few hours of free time
before the actual exam to run through your review
questions and cram sheets just before you take the
test.
Get a good nights sleep
Fatigue will kill you on the tougher exams. Study as much as you like in the week before the exam, but staying up late the night before your test can degrade your performance.
Also, don't eat a big breakfast or lunch that may make you
sleepy during the test. Have a small healthy snack to
increase your blood glucose levels, and reward yourself
with a good meal after you pass the exam
Come prepared.
Be about 15 minutes early, bring 2 forms of photo ID, and an extra pen if you need one. Take the extra time to clear your head in the testing center. Some
people prepare a "cram sheet" of important exam
concepts and review in the parking lot just before they
take the exam. Printing out test questions and reviewing
them just before the exam can be helpful as well.
Before
you start...
Remember, the test doesn't start until you begin on the PC. Take your blank sheets of paper and write down any tables or
other information you think you may "draw a blank on" during the test.
If you've never taken a Microsoft test before, there is a
sample test available that doesn't count towards your
score or your time. It features the different types of
questions you'll encounter, including the new interactive
and drag and drop questions. Get comfortable with these
before you start. When you're ready to start the real
exam, take a deep breath, and relax before you begin. It's only a test.
Test
Taking Strategy
When looking at a multiple choice questions, remember to
read the entire group of answers before just clicking on
the first right one you come across. Microsoft is looking
for the "most correct" answer, and there may be
2 near correct answers. If you're stumped on a question,
try to eliminate the obviously wrong answers first
(there's almost always at least one, and sometimes two.)
This will improve your odds of selecting the right answer
from the remaining options.
If you fail, retake the test within 2 weeks.
It's important to get back on the horse if you failed by a slim margin. See the test as a learning experience. As soon as you leave the testing center, write down any questions that stumped you while they're still fresh in your head. Study some more, and retake the test as soon
as you fell comfortable. If you outright "bombed" the test, then you have a lot more studying to do.
Tell
us about your experience
If you can take a few minutes to let us know about your
testing experience, it will help provide better study
aides and help others along the way. What areas stumped or
surprised you? What study guides helped? Which one's
didn't? Did you think was hard or easy? How long did you
study? Send your comments to feedback@labmice.net
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