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

Author

I need some helpful advice on study approaches

CSDunn

2003-05-16, 6:24 pm

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

Tim Fisher

2003-07-25, 1:24 pm

Yeah I think I need some help too. I just took my first certification exam,
70-229, and failed it. I used Microsoft Press's Self-Paced Training book and
of course SQL Books Online. I read the entire book and did well on the
self-exams. I have 8 years experience as a DBA, and have never had any
complaint about my competence as a DBA.

The biggest problem I had with the exam was the length of the questions. All
the questions were very long essay-type questions, and almost all of them
had extensive exhibits (many with code you have to debug) to go along with
the essay. There were 44 of them, and only 110 minutes to complete the exam
which means you have 2.5 minutes to read each question and answer it. I
don't see how I could read that much crap in under 2.5 minutes, and then on
top of that read through all the answers and pick the right one(s). I ran
out of time and had to Christmas-tree the last 10 questions.

I guess I just don't see how passing an exam has anything to do with your
competence as a DBA or developer. I mean, if you're writing a stored
procedure and you can't remember whether you should use OPENQUERY,
OPENDATASOURCE or OPENROWSET, then you just look it up in your BOL file. It
takes about 4 seconds to figure out which one to use. Now Microsoft tells me
I can't be a DBA anymore because I can't memorize useless trivia and read a
huge essay question in under 2.5 minutes. Sheesh.

Tim

Sasquatch

2003-07-26, 1:24 am

Take it again but just remember what it was like. MS tests are kind of a
mind game. I think they a made to see what you can take under pressure.
"Tim Fisher" <someone@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:u1yBq8sUDHA.3972@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Yeah I think I need some help too. I just took my first certification
exam,
> 70-229, and failed it. I used Microsoft Press's Self-Paced Training book
and
> of course SQL Books Online. I read the entire book and did well on the
> self-exams. I have 8 years experience as a DBA, and have never had any
> complaint about my competence as a DBA.
>
> The biggest problem I had with the exam was the length of the questions.
All
> the questions were very long essay-type questions, and almost all of them
> had extensive exhibits (many with code you have to debug) to go along with
> the essay. There were 44 of them, and only 110 minutes to complete the
exam
> which means you have 2.5 minutes to read each question and answer it. I
> don't see how I could read that much crap in under 2.5 minutes, and then
on
> top of that read through all the answers and pick the right one(s). I ran
> out of time and had to Christmas-tree the last 10 questions.
>
> I guess I just don't see how passing an exam has anything to do with your
> competence as a DBA or developer. I mean, if you're writing a stored
> procedure and you can't remember whether you should use OPENQUERY,
> OPENDATASOURCE or OPENROWSET, then you just look it up in your BOL file.
It
> takes about 4 seconds to figure out which one to use. Now Microsoft tells
me
> I can't be a DBA anymore because I can't memorize useless trivia and read
a
> huge essay question in under 2.5 minutes. Sheesh.
>
> Tim
>
>

Matt

2003-07-30, 4:24 pm

> I guess I just don't see how passing an exam has anything to do with your
> competence as a DBA or developer. I mean, if you're writing a stored
> procedure and you can't remember whether you should use OPENQUERY,
> OPENDATASOURCE or OPENROWSET, then you just look it up in your BOL file.
It
> takes about 4 seconds to figure out which one to use. Now Microsoft tells
me
> I can't be a DBA anymore because I can't memorize useless trivia and read
a
> huge essay question in under 2.5 minutes. Sheesh.

You are absolutely right. Passing a test means nothing, that is why the
market is saturated with MCSE and beginning to become saturated with
MCDBA's. They have the ability to memorize test questions and pass the
test, but couldn't tell thier elbow from thier..., well, lets just say they
don't have the knowledge and experience required to do the job. You on the
other hand may be a slow reader and although you have all the required
experience and know how, you just aren't good at tests. Don't let it get
you down. Having a cert means nothing, it is what you can do that really
matters. Give it another try if you wish, or, unless it will really help
you get a job or a raise, don't waste the 125 bucks and forget about having
the title. It really isn't a big deal, no one will think any less of you
without it. IMHO the experience and ability means more than the cert.

Good Luck,
Matt

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