alt.certification.mcse - Server+, any tips?

Author

Server+, any tips?

A Guy

2002-12-12, 12:24 am

Getting ready to sit the Server+ exam next week. Any one give a
comparison to A+ and Network+, both which I wrote and had no problems
with. Read the Exam Cram book and score in the 88-92% range on Exam
Essentials. I think I am ready, but just curious as to other
experience with this exam compared to the others I have written
including 70-210,215,A+,Network+.

Just wondering because I've read postings about how difficult it is.
The Exam Essentials doesn't seem that hard, the practice test in the
book didn't seem that hard either.

TIA

Rod Buike
A+, Network+, MCP

A Guy

2002-12-12, 2:25 pm

Thanks. I looked at the type of questions at that site. I think
anyone studying those answers would have a hard time

Rod Buike
A+, Network+, MCP

GBP

2002-12-21, 7:26 pm

I just took the Server+ exam and made an 82%.

A little background. I got my A+ and Network+ previously. I actually thought
they were rather easy, except for all the memorization. I made a 91% and a
92% on the A+ and a 90% on the Network+. I studied for six months on the A+
and three months on the Network+.

I studied for the Server+ for about one year. I used the All-In-One,
Dummies, Exam Cram, and Syngress books for study. I devoured them. I took
all the tests and consistently passed with 85-95%. I thought I was ready.
Just before I took the test I downloaded some "braindumps" off the Internet.
Some of them actually included some of the questions on the actual exam.
(WARNING: There are wrong answers in those dumps!) I took those tests and
only scored a 72%. Oops! What this did is show me that there were quite a
few "holes" in my studies. I beefed up my studies in those areas and took
the test and passed.

My impressions: This was one of the harder tests I have ever taken! Why? In
my opinion CompTIA tests ask a lot of "trick questions." They purposely make
two of the selections very, very close and even potentially confusing. It is
like they are trying to trip you up. (Actually they are!) In fact, some of
the answers could actually be possible, but they want you to choose the
"best" one. That is, the "best" one THEY think is best! It seems like you
have to figure out how CompTIA thinks and then take their test. (I always
hated that in school.) The trouble is, CompTIA never tells you how they
think. They don't write a curriculum. You can't even see the questions you
got wrong so you never know.

Another frustration in preparing for the test is that the books and
materials you use actually have wrong answers! And one source conflicts with
another. On some of the SCSI forms no two sources could seem to agree, so
which one does CompTIA want? Hmmmm. You REALLY have to know your stuff to
sort this out.

And, what is more, the CompTIA test throws in obscure and arcane knowledge
questions. They use out-of-the-way terms (i.e., MDI and MDI-X) instead of
real world terms (i.e., hub). I sort of noticed this on the A+ and Network+
tests, but I really noticed it on the Server+.

The Server+ test has a LOT of situation questions involving troubleshooting.
There were basically NO questions about specific SCSI facts and stats. So,
my braindump before the test on SCSI bits and bytes and cables and crap was
an almost complete waste. Funny thing is ALL the books said memorize this
stuff. (NOTE: You still had to figure in some of this in the situation
questions, but not much.)

Now for my critique of the books: (1) All-In-One - Nice background, but did
not seem at all written with the test in mind; (2) Dummies - Always find
these to be among the most helpful; (3) Exam Cram - Usually okay, but not
for the Server+ yet the questions were pretty good; (4) Syngress - Pretty
good, but the questions and exam book were the best part of it all. That
brings me to a point about the CDs (that come with the books) and questions.
Some of them are too easy. Like I said above, early on I could pass some of
the tests with 85% and above. Many of the sources for the questions
(including some of the free question and demos on the Net) did not reflect
the Server+ exam very well.

Well, I could go on (and I have :-), but what do I make of it all. His is
my advice:

First, if you are IN the tech industry and deal with the area of study you
will have an advantage over someone who is not. If you are not in the
industry you must do a little overkill -- overlearn your subject.

Second, make it your goal to PASS the certification, but don't try to pass
it with a perfect score. All that matters is that you rack up the certs!

Third, buy a couple of books that take different approaches and cover
different areas. Some of the stuff on the test you probably won't find in
any book but the wider your studies, the better. Don't forget to USE THE
INTERNET!!! There is a ton of free stuff out there including braindumps.
(But don't trust the braindumps to always be correct!)

Fourth, that brings me to this: Make your own braindump! Combine whatever
sources you use into a study guide. Now, here is the most important point of
all -- Know your own learning style! Do you NEED to overlearn you subject?
Then do it! (That is the way I have to do it.) But, if you pick it all up
easily, then you probably don't need to study from five different sources
for a year . . . like me. ;-)

bb

"A Guy" <rbuike@msn.com> wrote in message
news:5b5084f9.0212112136.15fbe682@posting.google.com...
> Getting ready to sit the Server+ exam next week. Any one give a
> comparison to A+ and Network+, both which I wrote and had no problems
> with. Read the Exam Cram book and score in the 88-92% range on Exam
> Essentials. I think I am ready, but just curious as to other
> experience with this exam compared to the others I have written
> including 70-210,215,A+,Network+.
>
> Just wondering because I've read postings about how difficult it is.
> The Exam Essentials doesn't seem that hard, the practice test in the
> book didn't seem that hard either.
>
> TIA
>
> Rod Buike
> A+, Network+, MCP

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