70-297 and 70-298

Hi,
is there anyone who write me is there in 70-297 and 70-298 any simulations,
problems to resolve or something similar?
I prepare to pass these exams, so I will be greatful for your help.

Andrew

Montreal
Wed Mar 05 19:12:18 CST 2008

Hi Andy,

There are no simulations on 297 and 298. They are design exams, which will
give you a number of scenarios with both business and technical issues and
you will then have a number of questions on the scenario. There are no
simulations.

M

--
Mitch Garvis, MCT
Microsoft MVP: Windows Server - Customer Experience
mitch@mitchgarvis.com
http://blog.mitchgarvis.com

"Andy" <andy_news@o2.pl> wrote in message
news:u3#gXrwfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> is there anyone who write me is there in 70-297 and 70-298 any
> simulations, problems to resolve or something similar?
> I prepare to pass these exams, so I will be greatful for your help.
>
> Andrew

Andy
Thu Mar 06 01:12:03 CST 2008

Thx M. :)
I know it's hard to say if the exam is easy or hard, but what do you think
about it?
And :) L'm sorry for my poor english :)

Andy

Montreal
Thu Mar 06 07:35:52 CST 2008

Hmmm... hard :) Good luck though!

--
Mitch Garvis, MCT
Microsoft MVP: Windows Server - Customer Experience
mitch@mitchgarvis.com
http://blog.mitchgarvis.com

"Andy" <andy_news@o2.pl> wrote in message
news:#lE#al1fIHA.5752@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Thx M. :)
> I know it's hard to say if the exam is easy or hard, but what do you think
> about it?
> And :) L'm sorry for my poor english :)
>
> Andy
>

John
Thu Mar 06 08:19:23 CST 2008


"Andy" <andy_news@o2.pl> wrote in message
news:%23lE%23al1fIHA.5752@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Thx M. :)
> I know it's hard to say if the exam is easy or hard, but what do you think
> about it?
> And :) L'm sorry for my poor english :)
>
> Andy
>

I have to agree, I thought 70-297 was certainly challenging from the
standpoint of you have to be on top of your game to get through it. Many
people complain about the "clock" aspect of it. You will have several
"testlets", each one has it's own time slice, and time saved in one testlet
cannot be shared into other testlets. It can be quite intimidating.
However, if you can think clearly and you understand the concepts, you will
find there is (almost) plenty of time. My only advice is to pay attention
to who says what when reading the interviews. For example, if the CEO says
something that contradicts what the IT manager says, you must go with the
CEO (given that it is physically possible). The IT manager might say that
he wants all users in all locations to be able to authenticate locally, but
the CEO might say that cost savings in the implementation is a major
concern. So, if you have a small location with only a few users, you would
not put a new DC there since DCs cost money and the users can authenticate
over the WAN. However, if DC class equipment is available at no cost, then
go ahead and put a DC there to satisfy the IT manager.

John R

PedroAsani
Thu Mar 06 18:21:02 CST 2008

Took my 298 today. Passed, although I didn't like the way it worked.

You get 34 questions, but they are broken up between several scenarios.

So you may get 8 questions, then 5, then 9, then 4, then 8. Each section has
a time limit, and once you finish each section, you can't go back.

There are no specific topics that I can advise you study, since they cover
everything with the scenarios.

And the reason I didn't like it? I would prefer 34 questions, covering the
range of topics, using a single scenario. You could use one simulation to
play out the whole exam. It would be more of a real world test.

John
Thu Mar 06 20:10:29 CST 2008


"PedroAsani" <PedroAsani@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1AE90637-7A5B-4475-BAC0-E39F0D027E19@microsoft.com...
> Took my 298 today. Passed, although I didn't like the way it worked.
>
> You get 34 questions, but they are broken up between several scenarios.
>
> So you may get 8 questions, then 5, then 9, then 4, then 8. Each section
> has
> a time limit, and once you finish each section, you can't go back.
>
> There are no specific topics that I can advise you study, since they cover
> everything with the scenarios.
>
> And the reason I didn't like it? I would prefer 34 questions, covering the
> range of topics, using a single scenario. You could use one simulation to
> play out the whole exam. It would be more of a real world test.

Plus, would you impose a 20 minute time limit for someone to design your
network?

lol

John R

catwalker63
Mon Mar 10 18:39:25 CDT 2008

=?Utf-8?B?UGVkcm9Bc2FuaQ==?= <PedroAsani@discussions.microsoft.com>
prattled ceaselessly in
news:1AE90637-7A5B-4475-BAC0-E39F0D027E19@microsoft.com:

> Took my 298 today. Passed, although I didn't like the way it worked.
>
> You get 34 questions, but they are broken up between several
> scenarios.
>
> So you may get 8 questions, then 5, then 9, then 4, then 8. Each
> section has a time limit, and once you finish each section, you can't
> go back.
>
> There are no specific topics that I can advise you study, since they
> cover everything with the scenarios.
>
> And the reason I didn't like it? I would prefer 34 questions, covering
> the range of topics, using a single scenario. You could use one
> simulation to play out the whole exam. It would be more of a real
> world test.

More scenarios make you think. This isn't the "real" world. This the
simulated world. Besides, you may want to become a consultant or project
manager, in which case you may be working on more than one account at a
time with totally different requirements and constraints. Testing you on
one design scenario does not effectively test your ability to recognize
the important things in any scenario.

--
Catwalker
MCNGP #43
www.mcngp.com
"Definitely not wearing any underwear."

ChrisNott
Wed Mar 12 14:57:03 CDT 2008

Hi Andy/Mitch,

I have taken 70-297 twice now, and failed twice.
I've done the MS official course, used transcender and preplogic and other
practice tests which I pass every time. I've read the books till I'm blue in
the face (english for long and hard!) and I'm happy I understand the material.

This exam is not about the material, and I'm sure this does not break the
confidentiallity terms...... There are almost no questions about the design
process or documents that I remember. It is an exercise in speed reading and
making snap decisions. I got an average of 3 mins a question to read the
question, read the scenario and answer the question. There is not enough time
to make your own notes - even if they provided proper paper instead of that
horrible laminated stuff that leaves you covered in ink....

The only option it seems left to me is find out where the pool of questions
are and practice those until I am fast enough to take the test. To me, that
completely misses the point of a design exam, since I (with my MCSE NT4 and
15+years in IT) would not trust someone who said they could design my network
after a 10 minute review of some notes.

If anyone has some suggestions how I can get fast enough for this exam, I'd
love to hear it.

"Montreal MCT" wrote:

> Hi Andy,
>
> There are no simulations on 297 and 298. They are design exams, which will
> give you a number of scenarios with both business and technical issues and
> you will then have a number of questions on the scenario. There are no
> simulations.
>
> M
>
> --
> Mitch Garvis, MCT
> Microsoft MVP: Windows Server - Customer Experience
> mitch@mitchgarvis.com
> http://blog.mitchgarvis.com
>
> "Andy" <andy_news@o2.pl> wrote in message
> news:u3#gXrwfIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > Hi,
> > is there anyone who write me is there in 70-297 and 70-298 any
> > simulations, problems to resolve or something similar?
> > I prepare to pass these exams, so I will be greatful for your help.
> >
> > Andrew
>

ChrisNott
Wed Mar 12 15:01:02 CDT 2008

John R,

This is the first useful thing I've seen about 70-297. I really struggle
with the speed issue. Do you have any more gems to help filter the chaff and
find the important stuff?

"John R" wrote:

>
> "Andy" <andy_news@o2.pl> wrote in message
> news:%23lE%23al1fIHA.5752@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > Thx M. :)
> > I know it's hard to say if the exam is easy or hard, but what do you think
> > about it?
> > And :) L'm sorry for my poor english :)
> >
> > Andy
> >
>
> I have to agree, I thought 70-297 was certainly challenging from the
> standpoint of you have to be on top of your game to get through it. Many
> people complain about the "clock" aspect of it. You will have several
> "testlets", each one has it's own time slice, and time saved in one testlet
> cannot be shared into other testlets. It can be quite intimidating.
> However, if you can think clearly and you understand the concepts, you will
> find there is (almost) plenty of time. My only advice is to pay attention
> to who says what when reading the interviews. For example, if the CEO says
> something that contradicts what the IT manager says, you must go with the
> CEO (given that it is physically possible). The IT manager might say that
> he wants all users in all locations to be able to authenticate locally, but
> the CEO might say that cost savings in the implementation is a major
> concern. So, if you have a small location with only a few users, you would
> not put a new DC there since DCs cost money and the users can authenticate
> over the WAN. However, if DC class equipment is available at no cost, then
> go ahead and put a DC there to satisfy the IT manager.
>
> John R
>
>
>

Mostly
Wed Mar 12 16:15:12 CDT 2008

> If anyone has some suggestions how I can get fast enough for this exam,
> I'd
> love to hear it.
>
> "Montreal MCT" wrote:

I found that reading the questions before reading the supporting materials
helped me immensely. That might just be me, though.

MG

John
Wed Mar 12 20:03:06 CDT 2008


"ChrisNott" <ChrisNott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1A639588-4A3D-47FD-854E-97E5AE95F692@microsoft.com...

> The only option it seems left to me is find out where the pool of
> questions
> are and practice those until I am fast enough to take the test.

That is a horrible option Chris. If you do that, not only will you be
cheating the test, you'll be cheating yourself, and potentially putting your
current and future certs in jeopardy. You don't want to pass like that.
You want to know that you can handle any situation, and that you earned what
you got. Granted, the design tests are intimidating, but believe me, they
are passable. I am confident that you will find a way.

John R

John
Wed Mar 12 20:29:18 CDT 2008


"ChrisNott" <ChrisNott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9C19D81B-BE40-4C64-8351-B051931D6A20@microsoft.com...
> John R,
>
> This is the first useful thing I've seen about 70-297. I really struggle
> with the speed issue. Do you have any more gems to help filter the chaff
> and
> find the important stuff?
>

Evelyn Wood Speed Reading ;)

MG suggested reading the questions first. This is a common practice that
many people have suggested and used. I did this for a couple of the
scenarios. When you read the questions, that puts little time bombs in your
head that go off when you are reading the scenario. The clock does not run
while switching between the questions and while graphics are loading, but it
does run while you are reading.

Mostly however, this test (IMHO) is all about confidence. That is what I
meant earlier about being on top of your game. You have to know DNS, WINS,
GPOs, replication, trusts, domain models, etc to the point where you can
make quick decisions. And it isn't about what you want to do, or what
Microsoft wants you to do, it is about what the CUSTOMER wants you to do.
If the customer says they want to keep their existing BIND DNS, then guess
what? You're keeping it. Now, what do you need to do to accommodate that?
If the CEO says keep costs down, don't be deploying two DCs, two DNS, two
WINS, two DHCP, and two RRAS servers in each site. If the CEO says network
performance is the paramount issue, what does that mean to server
deployment? After all, the CEO is paying you to do what he wants.

I found myself sketching out the domains and OUs while I was reading the
scenario, marking DNS, DHCP, etc for each site, blocking out domains, etc.
I also made highlight suggestions, i.e. CEO: Costs, IT Mgr: Network
Security, IT Staff: GPO Software Deployment, etc. This helped me sort
through the questions a little quicker. Some people would say there is no
time for that, but I think the time spent doing it was better spent than
re-reading the scenario searching for an answer for three questions. On one
scenario, I literally had 2 seconds left.

Best of luck to you.

John R

ChrisNott
Tue Mar 18 14:35:03 CDT 2008

Thanks guys for your replies.

Agreed! I won't to pass that way - and i don't know how anyone could prove
you did. My point was that for me, being a particularly slow reader (slow,
not dim) I struggle to read the questions and scenarios (I've tried it both
ways) and still have time to actually answer the questions never mind making
any notes to help my decision making.
To me, and I've seen one or two others viewing the same opinion, a design
exam shouldn't have the same pressure of time that some of the other exam
types might have. personally I'd be veryscared of an "MCSE" who said they
could design my network after a 20 minute interview....

I would still keep trying, but if anyone can suggest a way to get faster I'm
still listening.

chris

"John R" wrote:

>
> "ChrisNott" <ChrisNott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:1A639588-4A3D-47FD-854E-97E5AE95F692@microsoft.com...
>
> > The only option it seems left to me is find out where the pool of
> > questions
> > are and practice those until I am fast enough to take the test.
>
> That is a horrible option Chris. If you do that, not only will you be
> cheating the test, you'll be cheating yourself, and potentially putting your
> current and future certs in jeopardy. You don't want to pass like that.
> You want to know that you can handle any situation, and that you earned what
> you got. Granted, the design tests are intimidating, but believe me, they
> are passable. I am confident that you will find a way.
>
> John R
>
>
>

ChrisNott
Tue Mar 18 14:39:01 CDT 2008

Thanks Mostly,

I tried that way too........It gave me more time, but I think I missed more
of the important stuff than doing it the other way round.....

Chris

"Mostly Gizzards" wrote:

> > If anyone has some suggestions how I can get fast enough for this exam,
> > I'd
> > love to hear it.
> >
> > "Montreal MCT" wrote:
>
> I found that reading the questions before reading the supporting materials
> helped me immensely. That might just be me, though.
>
> MG
>

Montreal
Wed Mar 26 09:06:00 CDT 2008

Sorry to bother you guys im new in montreal and wondering where i can do MCSE
exams and decent price as well .

please email me if you could hussam_idris@msn.com

cheers

Jtyc
Wed Mar 26 09:41:57 CDT 2008

> Sorry to bother you guys im new in montreal and wondering where i can do
> MCSE
> exams and decent price as well .

http://www.2test.com

Darrin
Wed May 07 01:47:01 CDT 2008

Hi All,
I plan to take this 297 exam soon.
And I am just wondering about the "reading the questions first" technique;
Does the test allow you to read ALL the questions related to the current
scenario, eg. move forwards and backwards through the questions.
My concern is that, I select "next" to the last question* and the test
starts the next scenario, without me having answered any of the questions
from the previous scenario.

Hope this question makes sense.

thx Darrin

*ps. Are you able to tell if you are on the last question in a
scenario/section?


"PedroAsani" wrote:

> Took my 298 today. Passed, although I didn't like the way it worked.
>
> You get 34 questions, but they are broken up between several scenarios.
>
> So you may get 8 questions, then 5, then 9, then 4, then 8. Each section has
> a time limit, and once you finish each section, you can't go back.
>
> There are no specific topics that I can advise you study, since they cover
> everything with the scenarios.
>
> And the reason I didn't like it? I would prefer 34 questions, covering the
> range of topics, using a single scenario. You could use one simulation to
> play out the whole exam. It would be more of a real world test.