70-431 Exam Question

I just took the 70-431 exam the other day and did not pass. As a matter of
fact I failed miserably, mostly on the simulation questions (which this was
my first experience with those types of questions). Now I know I am not tha
t
dumb, have been using SQL for almost 10 years and passed the same type of
exam for SQL 7 a few years back.
My question.... in the simulation questions are you marked down for things
such as 1) time to answer a question 2) hitting areas of the simulation that
do not apply (hence the message that the part I was trying to hit was not
valid for that simulation). When I first saw these questions I noticed I
could try alot of things and I went a little "click-happy" to see what did
and did not work before I answered the question which I suspect absolutly
KILLED me.
Also, any advice in order for me to prepare for the re-take would be greatly
appreciated. I should be able to pass this thing with some effort.
Thanks!
-Richard KRichard - I'd recommend the Transcender preparation exams (even though I
disagreed with several answers). I didn't use anything else to prepare and
got something like 950 on 70-431. In the Transcender test you get zero for a
partially complete answer which might relate to your experience on the
simulations - I'm not too sure. If you do go for the Transcenders, get in
touch with their marketing dept as they often have special offers that'll
save you $100 or so if you time your purchase right.
Cheers,
Paul Ibison|||"Paul Ibison" <Paul.Ibison@.Pygmalion.Com> wrote in message
news:uT8nRLCvHHA.4512@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Richard - I'd recommend the Transcender preparation exams (even though I
> disagreed with several answers). I didn't use anything else to prepare
> and got something like 950 on 70-431. In the Transcender test you get zero
> for a partially complete answer which might relate to your experience on
> the simulations - I'm not too sure. If you do go for the Transcenders, get
> in touch with their marketing dept as they often have special offers
> that'll save you $100 or so if you time your purchase right.
Alternatively, just download the entire set of questions and learn them
parrot-fashion the night before you sit the "test"...
http://www.examcheets.com/
It will cost you $16 (that's SIXTEEN DOLLARS) and will take you a couple of
hours...
These "certifications" are totally and utterly worthless...
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net|||Mark - the thing with the more recent SQL exams is that they largely can't
be learned parrot-fashion (esp 70-443). The exam style has changed a fair
bit and there are enough simulations/scenarios to make cheating like this
(fortunately) more difficult. I omitted to mention that I had been using SQL
2005 for 1.5 years before doing the exams - what I was getting at is that
for preparation on the exam type, Transcender is the best out there. So,
admittedly it's not all down to knowledge and I agree that exam technique
can still make a disproportionately big difference - eg there are still far
too many questions where in a list of options the most recent SQL technology
is always going to be the correct answer!
Cheers,
Paul|||In article <Opvl7JDvHHA.4648@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>,
mark@.markNOSPAMrae.net says...
> These "certifications" are totally and utterly worthless...
>
if that is true -- and after 10 years as a technical trainer, hiring
manager and DBA I would seriously disagree with you -- the reason it
would be true is folks like you recommending illegal brain dumps.
--
Graham (Pete) Berry
PeteBerry@.Caltech.edu|||"Pete Berry" <PeteBerry@.Caltech.edu> wrote in message
news:MPG.20f304289e174897989691@.msnews.microsoft.com...

> if that is true
IMO, yes.

> and after 10 years as a technical trainer, hiring
> manager and DBA I would seriously disagree with you
That's fine.

> the reason it would be true is folks like you recommending illegal brain
> dumps.
I don't recommend them any more than I recommend MCP "certification" - I
merely cite them as an illustration of the the total worthlessness of MCPs,
since anyone with not the slightest clue about the technology in question
can simply pay a small amount of money, download the entire question pool,
learn them parrot-fashion and pass the "test".
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net|||In article <e3$cD6QvHHA.4784@.TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl>,
mark@.markNOSPAMrae.net says...
> I don't recommend them any more than I recommend MCP "certification" - I
> merely cite them as an illustration of the the total worthlessness of MCPs
,
> since anyone with not the slightest clue about the technology in question
> can simply pay a small amount of money, download the entire question pool,
> learn them parrot-fashion and pass the "test".
>
used to be truer when the exam pool was primarily multiple guess, but
with the advent of simulations and design testlets it is far more
difficult. Plus you may not be aware of some significant actions taken
by M'soft and the training community to address the problem, up to and
including permanent de-certification. Is it solved -- no but the
trajectory is in the right direction
--
Graham (Pete) Berry
PeteBerry@.Caltech.edu