How to prepare myself for MCP?

[freedon]

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

[vairox]

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

[ua549]

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.

[freedon]

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

[Thermo]

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

[BloodRed]

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

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+.

[ewitte]

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

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

[freedon]

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+.

Not really.

A+ doesn't sound such a bad idea

[Freddy_Kruger]

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.

[freedon]

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?

[BloodRed]

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.

[freedon]

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?

[BloodRed]

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.

[vairox]

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

[Spank_Me_Hard]

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.