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Home > Archive > SQL server exams > June 2004 > Why I hate these tests
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Why I hate these tests
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| It's the way they ask the questions. You can know the material and not be able to decipher the @#$% (explitive deleted) question, at least not in a reasonable amount of time. Here's an example of the same question asked in a straight forward manner and then Microsoft's way:
Q: Which method allows people using a specific application access to data without logging into the database under their own account or with group credentials?
A) A secure channel between trusted domains
B) An application role
C) Group policies
D) Mixed mode authentication
Now Microsoft's way:
Q: Jane and Mary are members of an organization with 55,000 users on different domains. Jane is a member of the Marketing group in Dallas and Mary is a member of the HR group in Seatle. Jane's domain is gobblygoop and Mary's domain is whatchamacallit. Both Mary and Jane use a custom in-house application for payroll. You must accomplish the following goals:
* Allow Mary and Jane access to the payroll data
* Deny other members of the HR and Marketing groups access to the data
* Prevent domain admins on gobblygoop from administering servers on whatchamacallit
How can the in-house developers coordinate their work with SQL DBAs and sys admins to accomplish these goals?
A) Use the sp_joindomains command to link the the Marketing and HR departments then restict access to just Mary and Jane with sp_restrictusers
B) Use an application role
c) Program a second level of security within the application and use a secure channel between domains to export the groups
D) It can't be done, use Oracle instead | |
| elijathegold 2004-06-07, 11:09 am |
| Seems to me, the first tests your knowledge. The second tests your understanding.
Elija.
0x2b | ~0x2b - Hamlet | |
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| I was just stressing.  Knocked out A+, Network+ and Linux+ in six weeks and needed some time off before switching gears to tackle MS' tests. I complained about CompTIA's format in the beginning too. They often give you several answers that are technically right and what you really have to do is choose the "best" one, not just any "correct" answer. Pays not to think too much about various scenarios in their case. Just give them the "most right" (or right most of the time) answer and move on.
For MS seems the strategy is to read the answers before the extremely wordy question. You can often eliminate two of the four answers immediately and then focus on info pertaining to just the other two. Or, in other words, rather than trying to make sense of their convoluted scenarios, pull out the relevant information and disregard the rest.
Anyway, guess it's time to hit the books (and boards) again.  | |
| elijathegold 2004-06-21, 5:09 am |
| Actually, I agree with you. I don't like them much either, its just that you can guarantee that your boss will never phrase a request clearly, they waffle.
So I guess these exams also test on "boss-speak"
The worst exam I have experienced for that was IBM486 - Object Oriented Analysis and Design with UML. I still have nightmares.
Good luck with your MS tests.
I'm off to do final revision for for the next CIW exam.
Elija |
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