microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcsd - Waiting for 70-300

Author

Waiting for 70-300

Steve Horth

2002-12-20, 7:23 pm

I took the beta on 11/10 (and the 70-100 years ago), and
have this to add to the fray:

1. The 70-100 and this exam are VERY SIMILAR, but the
Prometric and Vue mechanisms for 300 is smoother, less
GPF-prone, and more forgiving (it allows you to re-enter
a scenario after you exit it - what a concept.)

2. With that in mind, you would assume (perhaps) that a
70-100 study guide would be a good thing to read for 70-
300. And you would be wrong, mostly. The ONLY BOOK that
resembled the actual test questions was the Architecture
Exam Cram (not to be confused with the Exam Prep). That
book, and the Transcender CD, were the ONLY study
materials that actually HELPED; everything else was a
rewording or cloning of the Microsoft 70-100 Study Guide,
which only helped with TWO QUESTIONS on my exam! I SPENT
SIX WEEKS IN THAT BOOK! I got to know the characters on a
nearly intimate level, thinking this would be of some
help, and I was wrong, as were many others. The bottom
line: MS owes the people who have failed 70-100 a MAJOR
APOLOGY.

I hope the 70-300 book publishers are sufficiently
cautious before going to press.

3. Having said that, the MS 70-100 book is a great book
and should be required reading - just don't assume it
will help you study for the exam!

4. The was no MSF on this exam - I was very disappointed.
There were some questions where you had to decide what
entities belonged in what tables, so I guess you'd have
to be familiar with 1NF, 2NF and 3NF to pass them.

5. If you aren't smart/experienced enough in SQL to pass
either of the SQL Server exams, you are going to blow a
few questions on 300. Understand how to combine tables to
create simple joined result sets.

6. No UML.

7. Here is the most helpful thing I can contribute:
Develop a system of your own that will allow you to read
through a scenario and WRITE DOWN the important facts
(which will be most of them) in predetermined areas on
your scrap paper. For instance, The top left corner could
include deadlines for various phases, under that could be
a rough diagram of the legacy system (with a "new system"
diagram next to it). On the bottom could be a data flow.
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS INFO AT A GLANCE and not
rely on paging back and forth from the question to the
scenario.

During the "interviews", you will discover the "wanna"
lists of various players. Are they all within the scope
of your project? Maybe a vendor is notorious for
delivering late - if he does, will you be late too?

Have a symbol you can place next to an item to indicate
that it is a potential risk. You the symbol twice if the
item is a show-stopper.

Assume you will be asked about the major data tables. If
you can, assemble an entity list as you are reading the
scenario. Draw relationships between the tables. Indicate
the database format and if it is going to change anytime
soon. Does the company have drivers? Are they using ODBC
or OLE DB?

Are you responsible for a one-time data migration or a
constant link between your SQL Server and some slowpoke
legacy system?

Identify the Users and what they NEED to have access to
(use lines!), along with Security concerns. BE VISUAL!

8. ABSORB EVERYTHING YOU CAN at
www.microsoft.com/Architecture and www.WWISA.org.

9. Learn Web Services, big time. In fact, do the other 70-
310/320 test first; there is a lot of overlap.

10. Read "The Software Architect's Profession: An
Introduction" by Marc T. Sewell & Laura M. Sewell. In
fact, read it twice.
It is a non-technical book that even your manager could
understand.
Also, anything by Alan Cooper.

And for those of you who feel this test is a waste of
time and shouldn't be part of the MCSD cert - Nuts to
you !!!

There are too many slipshod software creations out there.
It is time we build products we can be proud of, and this
test is a good start. When is Microsoft going to field a
Project Planning cert?

Ernesto Cardenas Cangahuala

2002-12-26, 9:23 am

Hi....

I think that the exams are JUST SIMILAR, so here are my 2 cents:

Think there are a other kind of applications beyond the Managemente,
CRM, ERP, etc.... your application could be focused more in USABILITY
rather a DB design if there is a DB at all......

Ernesto

Steve Horth wrote:
> I took the beta on 11/10 (and the 70-100 years ago), and
> have this to add to the fray:
>
> 1. The 70-100 and this exam are VERY SIMILAR, but the

Ernesto Cardenas Cangahuala

2002-12-31, 8:14 pm

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