microsoft.public.cert.mcdba - I need some helpful advice on study approaches

Author

I need some helpful advice on study approaches

jim

2003-05-18, 12:24 am

My company bought transcender for us. I took multiple
exams and could not pass them (In transcender), because
the approach it was taking was not right in my head. Yet I
have never failed an exam. I abondoned the transcenders.
The only thing I can tell you is microsoft press. I dont
use it, but best I can say unless you get access to Netg
training CBT. They are computer based training courses
that follow the microsoft curriculum. That was about the
extent of my study. Of course there where a few topics
that I wanted to know more about so I found white papers
and such. The resource guides are also good sources.
Because god knows microsoft likes to pull from those.
>-----Original Message-----
>Hello,
>
>I am 2 1/2 months into my effort to get the MCDBA
certification for SQL
>Server 2000. I have about one year of experience with SQL
Server 2000, and
>about four years of total database experience ( I started
with Access 97).
>Most of my time in SQL Server 2000 has been spent with
development, but I
>also work with Security, Jobs, DTS, and backups. I have
not done anything
>with SQL Profiler, System Monitor, Replication, or Full
Text Search.
>
>
>
>I took exam 70.228 (SQL Server 2000 Administration) three
months ago without
>any preparation just to see what the exam was like, and
to try to get an
>idea of how much work I needed to do. I scored a 533, and
so I figured I
>just needed a little polish to pass. I bought the
Microsoft Press book,
>"Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administration" and the
companion 'Readiness
>Review' book. I did not elect to go through these, as I
figured I was close
>enough to passing the test that I could save some time by
just prepping with
>Transcender test software and BOL.
>
>
>
>I bought the Transcender software for this exam, and for
the last two and
>1/2 months, I have studied the Transcender test
questions, the explanations,
>and have reviewed the BOL references made in the
Transcender test question
>explanations. I built an outline that mirrored BOL for
all the areas that
>the Transcender tests made reference to, and reviewed
this outline several
>times. With Transcender, I took many custom exams, going
through each
>section individually. I repeated this process for all
sections, and studied
>the explanations. My scores for the custom exams got
better and better. I
>then took the exams A, B, and C, and scored 933 on each
test. At this point,
>I had worked at this approach for 2 1/2 months every
weekday morning from
>5am to 7am. I felt like I understood why the right
answers where right, and
>why the wrong answers were wrong.
>
>
>
>It was two days ago that I took Transcender test 'C'. I
took 70.228 this
>morning at 8:00am, and I was confident before I took the
test that I was
>going to pass. Instead, I got a rude awakening with the
way the actual test
>questions were presented vs. what I had experienced with
Trancender, was
>surprised at how much information the test presented that
Transcender didn't
>cover, almost ran out of time before I got to question
45, and would up
>with a 577.
>
>
>
>So, it's back to the drawing board. That is to say, I
don't think a short
>review before I take the test again is going to work, I
think I need to
>start over and take a different and more complete
approach to preparation. I
>don't blame Transcender for this set back, though it does
seem like with as
>much work as I did with what this software offers, I
should have been better
>prepared, and should have done better on the test. Even
so, I need a more
>thorough self-study that will give me good scenarios and
examples within all
>of the objectives.
>
>
>
>After I get back from vacation, I want to start this
again. But before I try
>this again, I would like to get answers to some questions:
>
>
>
>1. Will a thorough study of the Microsoft Press books for
test 70.228 help
>me to become well prepared for this test, or are there
some other books I
>should consider instead?
>
>
>
>2. Is it realistic for someone with 1 year experience as
a SQL Server 2000
>developer to expect to pass any of the MCDBA tests?
>
>
>
>3. Is there a better choice for self-test software than
Transcender?
>
>
>
>4. Am I using the Transcender software the correct way?
>
>
>
>I really want to get this certification, and I really
don't want to waste a
>lot more time with a preparation approach that isn't
going to work. I don't
>know if I've asked the most useful questions here, so if
you have something
>to offer besides just answers to the questions I have
addressed here that
>you feel would be more helpful, please share. I sure
could use the help.
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>
>CSDunn
>
>
>.
>

CSDunn

2003-05-19, 2:24 pm

Please excuse the dumb question, but what Resource Guides are you referring
to?

Thanks

CSDunn

"jim" <jim.mccarty@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:0b5501c31cfb$da8f76b0$a40
1280a@phx.gbl...
> My company bought transcender for us. I took multiple
> exams and could not pass them (In transcender), because
> the approach it was taking was not right in my head. Yet I
> have never failed an exam. I abondoned the transcenders.
> The only thing I can tell you is microsoft press. I dont
> use it, but best I can say unless you get access to Netg
> training CBT. They are computer based training courses
> that follow the microsoft curriculum. That was about the
> extent of my study. Of course there where a few topics
> that I wanted to know more about so I found white papers
> and such. The resource guides are also good sources.
> Because god knows microsoft likes to pull from those.
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hello,
> >
> >I am 2 1/2 months into my effort to get the MCDBA
> certification for SQL
> >Server 2000. I have about one year of experience with SQL
> Server 2000, and
> >about four years of total database experience ( I started
> with Access 97).
> >Most of my time in SQL Server 2000 has been spent with
> development, but I
> >also work with Security, Jobs, DTS, and backups. I have
> not done anything
> >with SQL Profiler, System Monitor, Replication, or Full
> Text Search.
> >
> >
> >
> >I took exam 70.228 (SQL Server 2000 Administration) three
> months ago without
> >any preparation just to see what the exam was like, and
> to try to get an
> >idea of how much work I needed to do. I scored a 533, and
> so I figured I
> >just needed a little polish to pass. I bought the
> Microsoft Press book,
> >"Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administration" and the
> companion 'Readiness
> >Review' book. I did not elect to go through these, as I
> figured I was close
> >enough to passing the test that I could save some time by
> just prepping with
> >Transcender test software and BOL.
> >
> >
> >
> >I bought the Transcender software for this exam, and for
> the last two and
> >1/2 months, I have studied the Transcender test
> questions, the explanations,
> >and have reviewed the BOL references made in the
> Transcender test question
> >explanations. I built an outline that mirrored BOL for
> all the areas that
> >the Transcender tests made reference to, and reviewed
> this outline several
> >times. With Transcender, I took many custom exams, going
> through each
> >section individually. I repeated this process for all
> sections, and studied
> >the explanations. My scores for the custom exams got
> better and better. I
> >then took the exams A, B, and C, and scored 933 on each
> test. At this point,
> >I had worked at this approach for 2 1/2 months every
> weekday morning from
> >5am to 7am. I felt like I understood why the right
> answers where right, and
> >why the wrong answers were wrong.
> >
> >
> >
> >It was two days ago that I took Transcender test 'C'. I
> took 70.228 this
> >morning at 8:00am, and I was confident before I took the
> test that I was
> >going to pass. Instead, I got a rude awakening with the
> way the actual test
> >questions were presented vs. what I had experienced with
> Trancender, was
> >surprised at how much information the test presented that
> Transcender didn't
> >cover, almost ran out of time before I got to question
> 45, and would up
> >with a 577.
> >
> >
> >
> >So, it's back to the drawing board. That is to say, I
> don't think a short
> >review before I take the test again is going to work, I
> think I need to
> >start over and take a different and more complete
> approach to preparation. I
> >don't blame Transcender for this set back, though it does
> seem like with as
> >much work as I did with what this software offers, I
> should have been better
> >prepared, and should have done better on the test. Even
> so, I need a more
> >thorough self-study that will give me good scenarios and
> examples within all
> >of the objectives.
> >
> >
> >
> >After I get back from vacation, I want to start this
> again. But before I try
> >this again, I would like to get answers to some questions:
> >
> >
> >
> >1. Will a thorough study of the Microsoft Press books for
> test 70.228 help
> >me to become well prepared for this test, or are there
> some other books I
> >should consider instead?
> >
> >
> >
> >2. Is it realistic for someone with 1 year experience as
> a SQL Server 2000
> >developer to expect to pass any of the MCDBA tests?
> >
> >
> >
> >3. Is there a better choice for self-test software than
> Transcender?
> >
> >
> >
> >4. Am I using the Transcender software the correct way?
> >
> >
> >
> >I really want to get this certification, and I really
> don't want to waste a
> >lot more time with a preparation approach that isn't
> going to work. I don't
> >know if I've asked the most useful questions here, so if
> you have something
> >to offer besides just answers to the questions I have
> addressed here that
> >you feel would be more helpful, please share. I sure
> could use the help.
> >
> >
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >
> >
> >CSDunn
> >
> >
> >.
> >

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