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mikebird
Aged Yak Warrior
529 Posts |
 Posted - 2008-11-29 : 09:15:25
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| I've been needing to do this for a whileMCTS SQL Server 2005 - Implementation & Maintenance (to start with)Anyone who's done this, can you advise on how you went about it, and where? Preferably in the UK, where I am. I've been thinking about just taking the exam for £80 but from what I've seen and heard it's not so simple and the questions do their best to catch you out. Aparently if you fail a certain number of times, the examining organisation will stop you trying.Thoughts are to go for full whack training with www.firebrandtraining.co.uk - spoken to them a lot - looks promising. £3,110 or so for a week of mentoring and certification with food & accommodation might be well spent |
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GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4507 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 11:51:41
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| Bootcamps will help you pass, but it's not likely that they will teach you skills beyond how to pass the exams. Too many who take those can't apply what they know practically. The point of the boot camps is to get you to pass the exam, not to teach you SQL and the DBA/database developer job.I would recommend that you get the self-paced training kit (from MS press) and study for the exam yourself. It'll work out a lot cheaper than the boot camp. It may take longer, but you will (if you study the material, look up stuff you don't understand, and try stuff out) get the skills to pass the exam and will be able to use them afterwards.You can write the exam any time. I can't recommend a place in the UK. I don't live there.If you fail it you can take it again immediately (or at the next opening the exam center has). After the second failure you have to wait a while (I don't recall how long) and then you can write again. I've never heard of someone failing more than twice.I believe that Microsoft is still doing their second chance offer. Pay a bit extra for the exam and if you fail, the rewrite is free. Check with the exam center when you book.The questions aren't designed to trip you up, but they can get complex and you should read them very carefully before assuming you know the answer. They're multiple choice (mostly)The MCTS exam also has simulations that require you to do something in a mock-up of management studio.--Gail ShawSQL Server MVP |
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visakh16
Very Important crosS Applying yaK Herder
52326 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 12:06:27
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| As per my experience (i had taken exam earlier and got 88%), you need to have got working knowledge of SQL managment studio for basic things like addingdeleting logins, associate schema, create indexes, views.... if you want to get through simulations. The questions are of varied wweightage and you may require to do more than one task in a question.The objective portion contain questions regarding installation,programming & administration. You also need to have some knowledge on various editions and their available features also. |
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mikebird
Aged Yak Warrior
529 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 12:51:04
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| Excellent words, thank you!You're right about bootcamps being for passing exams and not much else - spirit1 on here has said accreditation is great to show the boss but doesn't make you a better DBA. Absolutely right!My reason for all this is that I'm a contractor getting into jobs and doing really well in the real world (T-SQL dev / DBA), but when I finish one project and looking for the next, I need to show that piece of paper to the next boss. It's hard to convince these people with a CV, when they don't know me.I've been through plenty of mock-up questions from books and online, and I'm pretty sure of the nature of what to expect. Gila, what about the multi-choice and simulation? Do I get to choose, or do I get surprised? Will I walk to the exam and see desk, paper and pencil, or PCs, or a mix?Looking at the PROMETRIC website, it seems USA-only - there's no test site coming up at all for the UK, and I've tried quite a few contries!Anyone know what the pass acceptance level is? 88% sounds real good visakh16!Thanks |
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visakh16
Very Important crosS Applying yaK Herder
52326 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 13:03:38
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quote:
Originally posted by mikebird
Excellent words, thank you!You're right about bootcamps being for passing exams and not much else - spirit1 on here has said accreditation is great to show the boss but doesn't make you a better DBA. Absolutely right!My reason for all this is that I'm a contractor getting into jobs and doing really well in the real world (T-SQL dev / DBA), but when I finish one project and looking for the next, I need to show that piece of paper to the next boss. It's hard to convince these people with a CV, when they don't know me.I've been through plenty of mock-up questions from books and online, and I'm pretty sure of the nature of what to expect. Gila, what about the multi-choice and simulation? Do I get to choose, or do I get surprised? Will I walk to the exam and see desk, paper and pencil, or PCs, or a mix?Looking at the PROMETRIC website, it seems USA-only - there's no test site coming up at all for the UK, and I've tried quite a few contries!Anyone know what the pass acceptance level is? 88% sounds real good visakh16!Thanks
Thanks Mike  i think pass acceptance level is 70 |
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GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4507 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 14:04:34
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quote:
Originally posted by mikebird Gila, what about the multi-choice and simulation? Do I get to choose, or do I get surprised?
No surprise. You will get both. No idea on the relative percentages though (and even if I did, that's straying too close to violating the NDA on those exams)quote:
Will I walk to the exam and see desk, paper and pencil, or PCs, or a mix?
A PC. It's a completely electronic exam. Most test centers will give you something to write on (I get laminated cardboard and whiteboard marker), but that's just for rough working.quote:
Looking at the PROMETRIC website, it seems USA-only - there's no test site coming up at all for the UK, and I've tried quite a few contries!
It definitely isn't US only. I use it to book exams and I'm in South Africa.[url]http://prometric.com/[/url] On the first screen select what exams. It'll be IT and then microsoft in the second box. On the second screen, select the item "Locate a test center" It's an image in the center. Select the Locate a text center option on the next screen and then you will get a drop down box of locations. Select UK. Next screen you select your exam and finally you'll get a list of test centres. As I look now, there are 6 pages of test centers for the UK.quote:
Anyone know what the pass acceptance level is? 88% sounds real good visakh16!
Pass mark is 700, it's marked out of 1000. I got 929. If you know your way around SQL well, it's not difficult.--Gail ShawSQL Server MVP |
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mikebird
Aged Yak Warrior
529 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 14:50:52
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You have made my day!!You get to use Management Studio in an exam?! You reckon around 70% pass level? I was thinking 98% for Microsoft! You found 6 test centres for UK with Prometric? Thank You! I'm not surprised. The dropdown was just stuck on <none> and I kept trying - it must have been my ISP today.I am gonna take that exam at first opportunity, even if it's Christmas Day. I am gonna achieve this!!  |
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GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4507 Posts |
Posted - 2008-11-29 : 14:53:49
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| No. I found 6 *pages* of test centers in the UK.It's not quite management studio. It's a mock-up that looks and acts like management studio, but doesn't have full functionality. Just enough to do what they want you to.Pass mark is not around 70%. It is exactly 700 out of 1000.--Gail ShawSQL Server MVP |
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mikebird
Aged Yak Warrior
529 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-17 : 11:50:21
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| Well, I got 622 on the multiple-choice stuff. I can get that above 700 next time. There was no material on the hot topics I was expecting. No XML, partitioning, indexes, linked servers, not even a few installations, etc... which I knew back-to-front. That's exams for you. Random questions - it's down to luckBy far the worst was the simulations. I expected to need at least 30 mins per simulation, writing and testing my scripts for creating procedures, views, tables, etc, but it all seems to be drag 'n' drop GUI one click per simulation. The fact that you get a no-entry sign for 95% of all actions is a big giveaway. The whole question seems to be keep clicking everything until you don't get "no-entry" and you've done it.I don't really fiddle with Management Studio to create or drop objects or do backups. I like to write SQL. Does anyone have tips on the sims? I got 200 on it, and have one chance left before Xmas to get it >700. |
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mikebird
Aged Yak Warrior
529 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-17 : 13:50:21
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| Did anyone ever have to type anything into the simulation part? Is it just mouse work?I had to give a specific pathname for a backup. Perhaps I was supposed to select from an existing family filename anyway. Who knows? |
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GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4507 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-18 : 02:25:05
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quote:
Originally posted by mikebird
The fact that you get a no-entry sign for 95% of all actions is a big giveaway. The whole question seems to be keep clicking everything until you don't get "no-entry" and you've done it.
Bear in mind that every wrong click counts against you. You can click around until you find the right command, but that's an almost guaranteed fail.quote:
Does anyone have tips on the sims?
Get very familiar with management studio.--Gail ShawSQL Server MVP |
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PingTheServer
Starting Member
28 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-19 : 17:42:43
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| I passed this exam several months ago. I will say know SSMS inside and out. Know all about backup/resore, logins, profiler, tuning. The multiple choice portion wasnt terrible, but it had enough terrible questions that you had to know your stuff to get the 70%. There were quite a few sims.I used the MS Press book, and also the APRESS books for High Availability and Disaster Recovery. The latter were written much better.If you have the $$, I would purchase the CBT Nugget for it @ about $300. I havent seen this one specifically, but I did use them for the MCSA series. |
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PingTheServer
Starting Member
28 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-19 : 17:47:55
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quote:
Originally posted by mikebirdI don't really fiddle with Management Studio to create or drop objects or do backups. I like to write SQL. Does anyone have tips on the sims? I got 200 on it, and have one chance left before Xmas to get it >700.
Sorry I didnt read this before my response above.You definitely need the CBT Nugget for it then as well as performing the exercises in the MS Press. Even if you dont test for something, these nuggets are invaluable (for me) in learning something new. I'm a visual learner, so it really helps to watch someone do what they're talking about. I'm considering getting the DBA package just to help learn faster, probably wont test though.http://www.cbtnuggets.com/webapp/product?id=343 |
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mt_dren
Starting Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 2008-12-20 : 23:55:14
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quote:
Originally posted by mikebird
I don't really fiddle with Management Studio to create or drop objects or do backups. I like to write SQL. Does anyone have tips on the sims? I got 200 on it, and have one chance left before Xmas to get it >700.
Spend time trying to accomplish tasks using only SSMS. I don't think there is another way to really cram for it. I passed the 70-431 yesterday. I used the MS Training Kit book and followed the excercises at the end of the lessons in both SQL and using SSMS if it was available and spent lots of time playing around in SSMS. |
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Advice on MCTS SQL Server 2005 Certification?