How to prepare myself for MCP?

I've been talking with my dad and he wants me to take (or better yet to complete) an MCP cert by the time I graduate (August 2006).

Though I surf SF and like to read about tweaking, fixing, general news about hardware, software etc etc. I don't know if I'm ready to take the MCP exam.
My only experience is mostly what is said here in SF, don't have any employee experience just as a freelance as fixing 3-8 computers in a location.

I haven't really played with any Windows Server OS so I can't say I know how to setup an Active Directory and IIS in 2 hours (don't know if it's possible just making up a number).

What can I expect from a MCP test? It's been years I've used DOS, just know some basic commands that I use in command prompt. I've never changed an I/O or IRQ.

So the real question is when do I know I'm ready to take (or prepare) myself an MCP cert?

Any feedback is appreciated

read some braindumps... did mine 6 years ago, good luck... if you know the answers to the braindumps you're ready...

edit - just to clarify, since people like to read what they want... im saying read the dumps to see if you KNOW the answer, not read and go "oh thats what it is?" if you dont know the answer study... you might be like me and have the ability to memorize thousands of answers and just ace a test, but it's really better to KNOW the info... i still retain every malarky game answer.... 3 answers per card, 300 something cards... its crazy....damn college

Look through the exams and pick a topic with which you are most familiar.

The exams are not difficult, but they do require knowledge of the subject matter.

Do not try to read more into the questions than what is there.

Read the brain dumps related to that topic and take a practice exam to become familiar with the testing method.

Pay the fee, take the exam and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Move on to the next exam.

Nice site! Even has Cisco. Will give it a try, thanks

Have some real world experience. Some of the tests I’ve taken were not really on the subject of the course material.

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Originally Posted by freedonX

Nice site! Even has Cisco. Will give it a try, thanks

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Get use to the formatting of the questions, you have to look at everything from a Microsoft point of view. Like ua said, the exams are not difficult but you will need to have an understanding of the subject. Have you decided on any particular tests yet?

Another thought, if you knowledge is more general computer troubleshooting than MS-specific, consider a CompTIA cert like A+ or Net+.

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Originally Posted by Thermo

Have some real world experience. Some of the tests I’ve taken were not really on the subject of the course material.

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Thats a first. Microsofts always has been theoretical and 99% book based. My running joke is "where is the regedit option?". I'm a big fan of regedit :) Seriously the majority of the people that were MCSE's and did not work out here only knew what was in those books and couldn't compromise or find real solutions to save thier lives.

Eric

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Originally Posted by BloodRed

Have you decided on any particular tests yet?

Another thought, if you knowledge is more general computer troubleshooting than MS-specific, consider a CompTIA cert like A+ or Net+.

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Not really.

A+ doesn't sound such a bad idea

I'm not sure but maybe I could email you the tests. I got this torrent the other day but it's about 80mbs, I don't know if I can email it but maybe, for the most part its simulated test questions:


Release Date - 03/01/2006
Language - English
Type - Education ebook
Format - PDF and mdi
Size - 72.8 MB

These are the tests which accompany the MCSE track I am uploading. In this torrent we have ebook tests for.

70-270
70-290
70-291
70-293
70-294
70-298
70-299

These ebooks will help you to prepare for the exam by simulating questions and senarios posed in the test.

Rethinking about the MCP cert.


In the MS Learning & Reference site they have links to two independent testing organizations and in one of them I found 3 testing centers in my city (I was surprised).

On the list of exams they offer, it's basically Windows 2000, XP, 2000 Server, 2003 and some Solution Developer.

I'm no developer, 2000 is too old, and I don't have experience on servers so the only one left is XP.


Exam 70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Exam 70-271: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows XP for Desktop Support Technicians
Exam 70-272: Maintaining and Troubleshooting Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Platform for Desktop Support Technicians

Found these books.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073...books&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073...lance&n=283155


What do you guys think?

270 is the basic Client OS exam, it replaced 210 for Win2K. It's not a bad place to start at all, but go through the topics covered on the MS site and do some reading before trying it. I took 70-210, I thought I was very familiar with Win2K Pro but there are just some features you never think about if you don't use them often.

The other two are for the newer MSDST cert track I believe, they wouldn't be bad exams to take but I'd suggest 270 first.

I'm also in search for the training courses or do you guys think with just buying the book it's enough?

Regardless if I take the training course, should I buy the book? $35 isn't a lot considering the book can be used as a reference or would the course give me the books like the ones I linked?

Depends on the course. Contact the IT training center you'd be taking the courses at and ask about the materials included. They want your money so they'll be more than happy to answer any questions about the course.

MS courses I've gone to have only included the official MS cirriculum in a fancy binder, not the actual Training Kit books.

And yes, by all means buy books. They're a great reference and between them and google you can solve just about any issue.

$35 is good, my test was on NT 4.... i paid $65 for an A+ book and never took the test....

My employer wants me to get my MCP "Server" (W2K?) certification.

I am NT 4.0 MCSE certified (wow.... that was ages ago).

I'd recommend (and will soon be doing it myself).

Research a good book on the topic to buy and read. Be thourough... don't skim. Take time and digest it all.

Look at some of the braindumps. It was my experience that some of the questions that came up were not covered (or covered very scantily) in the books. One or two answers I thought that Micorsofts were flat out wrong on (of course our opinions don't matter on the grade).Do many of these to give yourself some kind of indications whether or not you're ready to take the test. Don't "memorize" the answers. Make sure that you understand why the answers are the way they are.

Take the test. Be ready for misdirection... they will deliberately try to confuse or distract you from the correct path. Some tests are FAR harder than others (TCP/IP was a BEAR!!!).

Its also been my experience that there is no substitute for experience. I got my MCSE ready to conqueor the world and was humbled very quickly. The MCSE is valuable but in the real world the experience is most valuable.

Finally got an email from the trainer rep with costs and dates of the courses.

For exam 70-270, the course related is 2272 and it costs $700! That's insane!! 35 hour course. I just began a new job, the course overlaps with my job schedule and after the job I go to school

It'll be a lot cheaper if I buy the book and retake the exam 6 times than to take theiscourse. I can take the exam here locally for $80. Unless you have to pay something extra but I couldn't continue further more without giving the credit card number.


Does anyone actually take these courses?

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Originally Posted by freedonX

Does anyone actually take these courses?

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I took some for free (was doing some work for the school at time time). That said, I wouldn't pay much for them (nowhere near what they cost, at least). A decent knowledge base is the best way to start. After that, most of the test-oriented books will get you through the areas you don't know so well.

Realistically (at least when I took mine a few years back), you could pass the tests by just reading/memorizing practice questions that were of the same type as the exams. I wouldn't know how much this has changed--I'm not about to take another one.

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Originally Posted by Spank_Me_Hard

Its also been my experience that there is no substitute for experience. I got my MCSE ready to conqueor the world and was humbled very quickly. The MCSE is valuable but in the real world the experience is most valuable.

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Very very true. I've learned a LOT since I first got MCSE certifed, if I had gone into situations and seen problems I've faced lately with only the studying required to get the cert, I'd be lost. Experience can't be replaced. Like any good musician, as a Sysadmin you still need to "pay your dues". That said, you'll still find that Google is your best friend and your cash cow if you know how to use it.

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Originally Posted by freedonX

Does anyone actually take these courses?

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Yes, I've been to many of the classes like you describe. The vast majority of the people in those classes have corporate sponsorship. The pricing structures of courses like that aren't put in place with the intention of drawing in individuals paying their own way, they're designed to bring in professional IT people that have a corp. (or Gov't in my case) training budget to spend.

Those same classes are often offered at community colleges, which are a LOT cheaper for individuals than private training providers. With a community college, though, scheduling can be a problem since they often stretch out the course over the length of a quarter or semester.

This may not be for you, but the way I did it back in the 80's was to setup a 2 computer lab at home and practice, practice, practice. MS has lots of on-line info and best practices white papers. You can get 180 day demo software for free or shipping charges only. I studied extensively for a week or two, took practice exams, re-studied the areas where I missed a question and took my first exam. I took the next exam the following week. It was much easier because of material overlap between the client OS and the server OS. The hardest are the elective exams such as SQL Server because there is no overlap.

You have supported your parents business computers for quite awhile. I'm sure you know more than you give yourself credit. Worst case is that you fail an exam and have to retake it. That is less expensive than enrolling in a series of $700+ courses.

I have yet to acutally take my A+, though I started to study for it again, last I heard the A+ exam has become Adaptive (UGH).

So besides the A+ anyone recommend certain Certs or exams to study for that are relative to the near future, and present work environments.

AND AND, do you really need to know programming????

I know there is Java, C++, etc.............just it doesn't interest me.

I really like the adaptive exams. When I did the Netware CNE adaptive exams, they rarely lasted more than 10 minutes when each question was correctly answered. I was able to take all the exams in a single morning.