Mo’ beta goes global: 70-113 pilot period extended (really!) to October 25, 2008

October 9, 2008 at 7:48 am | In Microsoft, Performance-Based Testing | Leave a Comment
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If you missed out on the 70-113 pilot, or if you reside in a country where the pilot was not offered, you have another chance: it has been extended to October 25. The Microsoft Born To Learn crew just made this announcement:

Now virtual lab based pilot Exam 70-113 is available worldwide, with high concentration of test centers ready to receive registrations for this pilot exam in Ireland, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, UK, Egypt, UAE, South Africa, US, India, Eastern Europe, Russia (Moscow), China.

If you’re at all interested, I suggest you hop on over to the Born To Learn post NOW for the promo code and signup information, because they’re also giving away exam vouchers:

Upon completion of this pilot exam, the first 3000 candidates will receive 3 (!) free exam vouchers that can be used to register for any Microsoft Certification exam delivered at a Prometric testing center.

Preparing for SQL Server 2008 certification tests: insight from the Product Development team

August 15, 2008 at 3:36 pm | In Microsoft, Study hints | 1 Comment
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Microsoft recently released the beta versions of the first TS exams for SQL Server 2008: exams 71-432 and 71-448. It is expected that a beta for 71-433 will be released later this month. The live versions of these exams should be released 6 to 8 weeks after the beta period closes. (Note: Beta tests for Microsoft usually start with 71-, while live exams are 70-XXX.)

During this time, the Product Development team at Transcender is developing practice tests for these exams. As one of the SQL Server test developers, I thought I’d share a few tips for taking the SQL Server 2008 certification tests.

Before you start studying, you first need to identify the test content. This is best done by reviewing the Skills Measured section of the Microsoft Exam Guide. (This is exactly what we do ourselves before developing a new practice test.) The SQL Server 2008 Exam Guides are as follows:

· 70-432 – TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance – http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-432.mspx

· 70-433 – TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development – http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-433.mspx

· 70-448 – TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance – http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-448.mspx

While reviewing the Exam Guide, you should identify the areas you need to study – areas where you aren’t as familiar with the technology as you could be. Then research those areas on SQL Server 2008’s TechNet site or SQL Server 2008 Books Online. Another great site that I use is Rob’s SQL Server blog.

Once you have studied all the skills needed for the certification, you should focus on ensuring you can pass the test. It is always good to review the technologies that are new to SQL Server 2008, or focus on what has changed from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008. The SQL Server 2008 Books Online site includes an article on the new and improved features in SQL Server 2008 at What’s New (SQL Server 2008). As with any exam, many of the test questions will focus on these version changes to ensure that the candidate has prepared for the exam and is fully updated on the application. Keep in mind that any new features that were introduced in SQL Server 2005 may also be covered. So be familiar with the features themselves, and also know which features have changed.

Finally – to fully prepare for the exam experience, buy your practice test from Transcender. (Shameless plug! You didn’t think this would just be about the live exam, did you?) The Transcender practice tests should be released close to the live exam release date.

-Robin

Mo’ beta: 70-113 pilot period extended?

August 12, 2008 at 3:38 pm | In Microsoft, Performance-Based Testing, Vendor news | Leave a Comment
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I tried taking the 70-113 exam (TS: Windows® Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring) last Thursday. It’s technically a pilot of the new performance-based testing (PBT) technology, not a beta exam per se. However, the testing center couldn’t get the exam to run, so I just drove there and back. You could say it was a beta of the pilot, with the actual pilot to follow.

The nice lady at Prometric told me that Microsoft has extended the 71-113 pilot testing period “through the end of September,” so I rescheduled. The posted end date is September 12. Important Disclaimer: I’m not an official representative of either company; I don’t know if this translates to more slots opening up for the test or if they’re just shuffling around the people who were already signed up. If this is something you want to take and you missed the original beta announcement, you might want to keep an eye peeled on Trika’s blog to see if they announce an extension.

[Note for those unfamiliar with American slang: mo' betta means "more better." This is more worser grammar so don't repeat it on, say, a job application.]

[Note on the note. If, in LOLspeak, "pwned" is mo' betta than "owned," then would better than mo' betta be written as.... no' betta?]

-blogmistress Ann

ETA 9-12-08: Success! I contacted Microsoft directly a couple of weeks ago to report the test failures. And yesterday I got a call out of the blue from Prometric, asking me if I wanted to reschedule. So now I’m re-re-taking the 70-113 exam on September 19. Third time’s the charm.

From what I have seen on comment threads, the issue is not with the pilot product itself, but with the requirement that you connect to the Internet (where the virtual servers are) from within the Prometric network. Historically, exams have *not* allowed test-takers to go onto the Internet during an exam, so it makes sense that they’re still ironing out the kinks in that interface. (Again, not an official representative, not an official explanation, just a best guess.)

I’ll report on my actual experience when I return (victorious!) from the pilot.

ETA(2) 10-09-08: Pilot WAS extended! Information here: http://transcender.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/mo-beta-goes-global-70-113-pilot-period-extended-really-to-october-25-2008/.

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