SQL server exams - Book recommendations

Author

Book recommendations

jocampo

2003-07-01, 3:03 pm

Hi fellas.

I've been busy working, but i'm back to examnotes...and to the Cert studies.

Now i'm planning to take 70-216 and 70-228. And for this last one, i've bought the Microsoft SQL 2000 Training Kit but this has been not so easy to read.

Thanks GOD i've never failed a test...and always passed at my 1st time, but i simply can not understand the whole new concepts that SQL involves. ¿Do i waste my money buying this book? I know is not an easy exam, but usually i can learn with a book and hands on practice. Is this book not for begginers? (i'm newbie in SQL) I saw at Amazon that the Dummie's book looks good, what do you think?

jocampo

2003-07-02, 8:13 am

Hey!?

¿no comments or suggestions for books?...

RUSH2112

2003-07-03, 11:56 am

quote:
Originally posted by jocampo
Hey!?

¿no comments or suggestions for books?...

I have just started to prepare for 70-228 myself. I also bought the M$ press kit. I have no experience will SQL, so it is a little crazy for me. The only thing I can suggest is to read the book and do the excercises in the book, including installing it and doing some test databases. Hope this helps.

jocampo

2003-07-03, 3:30 pm

quote:
Originally posted by RUSH2112
I have just started to prepare for 70-228 myself. I also bought the M$ press kit. I have no experience will SQL, so it is a little crazy for me. The only thing I can suggest is to read the book and do the excercises in the book, including installing it and doing some test databases. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your comments

ri1ck

2003-07-28, 8:21 am

i use sybex's reference books.i also did self-study.
i found M$ press more on the teori and the features and the practices are basic.
i'd complete the mcse using all the sybex's books(recent one is 70-228).sybex is better than M$.

rgds,
rick

sjgross

2003-08-08, 3:01 pm

Hi,

If you are really new to SQL and databases, the MS SQL Server 2000 Dummies book is an ok intro. I'd also recommend _SQL Server 2000 A Beginner's Guide_ by Dusan Petkovic

stef69

2003-08-30, 9:06 am

Also tried the Sybex book. Always used MS press books in past but these books tend to provide lots of theory. It also overkills with architectural stuff usefull in your later career but not always necessary to pass the exam. I agree with Rick.

The Sybex books might not be the best books on the market for an SQL novice but if you want to have some practical feeling (more lab based book then MS press books are)it is a good choice . I had nearly no SQL2000 experience (setup only).

The books Reference : ISBN 0-7821-2921-8 (US 50$/37£)

I didn't do any practise exams (as I sometimes do , Transcender is excellent if you have them !) before the exam. This is no problem if you are experienced enough. I felt I did have lots of questions left open though. IF this is the case I can tell you the exams will throw these subject on the table (eg foreign key contraints, triggers, rules, guest account access, inner/outer joins, ntext, indexes...) or they pop up in some multiple choice options you het offered.

A very cheap and excellent ressource is the SQL help. Just assure that all db mining terms are fully understood. Just query the online help for anything you don't fully understand.

Studying the Sybex book alone is not enough but is an starting point unless you are a real db miner/user or at least went through the novice level SQL query like books since actually this is a kind of prerequisite to go to the exams...

Programmers , db administrators from eventual other db products will have all this bagage and will most likely pass the exam going through the Sybex Book/MS Press books with ease.

Stefan (70-210,70-215,70-218 3xMCP)
2nd attempt on 70-228 @ 11 sept 2003.

Dann

2003-09-06, 1:03 pm

If you are new to SQL 2k admin, go for Sybex or Microsoft press guide on SQL 2k admin, study and practise those labs, and U should'nt have any problem admin SQL DB.

As for the design, go for Microsoft press, they are much more easier to understand compare to sybex. Sybex for SQL 2k design is a bit advance for beginner.

Good luck in learning SQL database.

stef69

2003-09-12, 8:18 am

I redid the test on 11/09 Same result. This Time I got an scorecard and I didn't like it since I scored 545/1000. Microsoft recently changed its philisophy again (sept 2003). Now on all certification exams you need to have a score of 700/1000. Original passing scores were roughly 755/1000 on 70-228 exam.

See http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/.../procedures.asp

Microsoft now has accredited 2 official partners for distributing practise tests.

http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/...cticetests.asp.

Most likely I will buy me such a set. I still see lots of black holes since the books really are insufficient. I recon it to be good for 40-60% of the questions.

I stress again you need general Database knowledge to pass the test ! Otherwise learning from several sources including having some real scenario training tests is a MUST.

I put this information here to help out beginnners so they don't make my mistakes...

Gving advise to Advanced & Senior experts is not my aim.

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