Adaptive formats?

What ever became of the adaptive exam format? Whilst reading New Riders /
QUE guides they made a big thing that Microsoft were moving to adaptive
testing however all exams I have done in the past 2 years have been the
standard 60 questions in 3 hours jobs.

Are there any Microsoft exams using adaptive testing and are there plans to
make it more widely available?

The
Sun Jan 04 11:11:24 CST 2004

>What ever became of the adaptive exam format? Whilst reading New Riders /
>QUE guides they made a big thing that Microsoft were moving to adaptive
>testing however all exams I have done in the past 2 years have been the
>standard 60 questions in 3 hours jobs.

I guess it was not that popular, I do remember reading a post way back
in the mcsd or mcdba ng that there was some kind of problems, but who
knows; was there also something in the mcp mag???

I personally did not think it was good idea, a better move would have
been to introduce lab based test's.

In any case 2 - 3 hour exams aren't that bad.

>Are there any Microsoft exams using adaptive testing and are there plans to
>make it more widely available?

Who know's microsoft reserve the right to change the format of the
exams at any time, but as far I'm aware adaptive testing is dead.

Rowdy
Mon Jan 05 12:25:40 CST 2004

The Poster Formerly Known as Kline Sphere <.> wrote in
news:rlhgvvg71q1td5919a45vh5tvisp5fp9gj@4ax.com:

>>What ever became of the adaptive exam format? Whilst reading New
>>Riders / QUE guides they made a big thing that Microsoft were moving
>>to adaptive testing however all exams I have done in the past 2 years
>>have been the standard 60 questions in 3 hours jobs.
>
> I guess it was not that popular, I do remember reading a post way back
> in the mcsd or mcdba ng that there was some kind of problems, but who
> knows; was there also something in the mcp mag???
>
> I personally did not think it was good idea, a better move would have
> been to introduce lab based test's.
>
> In any case 2 - 3 hour exams aren't that bad.
>
>>Are there any Microsoft exams using adaptive testing and are there
>>plans to make it more widely available?
>
> Who know's microsoft reserve the right to change the format of the
> exams at any time, but as far I'm aware adaptive testing is dead.
>

back in the day, (win95, winnt era) they were adaptive. meaning if you
got a question wrong, you got nailed again and again and again until you
got one right. (thats how it was expalained to me by a guy that took
them).

sounds like many people bitched & complained, and MS changed it to linear
format. i am not aware fo any ms exams that are adaptive. but i believe
that MS do not reveal that info anyways, so there is no way to tell
anyways.

re: lab based. sure why not. maybe they can do what redhat does.
unfortunatly it might cost you > $3,000 per MCSE if you include getting
to the city, taking classes and the exam. but the desigation might be
worth a lot more. i doubt ms will do it.

The
Mon Jan 05 13:09:25 CST 2004

>re: lab based. sure why not. maybe they can do what redhat does.
>unfortunatly it might cost you > $3,000 per MCSE if you include getting
>to the city, taking classes and the exam.

So? Granted a lot would depend on whether companies considered
worthwhile or not. If the benefits are there the cost should not be a
problem.

> but the desigation might be worth a lot more.

Maybe not, the damage has already been done.

>i doubt ms will do it.

Agreed.

Rowdy
Mon Jan 05 13:35:45 CST 2004

The Poster Formerly Known as Kline Sphere <.> wrote in
news:iddjvvk65lnek8pvfbfk2ree4h0buh4e5k@4ax.com:

>>re: lab based. sure why not. maybe they can do what redhat does.
>>unfortunatly it might cost you > $3,000 per MCSE if you include getting
>>to the city, taking classes and the exam.
>
> So? Granted a lot would depend on whether companies considered
> worthwhile or not. If the benefits are there the cost should not be a
> problem.
>
>> but the desigation might be worth a lot more.
>
> Maybe not, the damage has already been done.
>
>>i doubt ms will do it.
>
> Agreed.

for an MCSE...

7 x 7 exams @ $125 each = $875
7 books for 7 exams @ ~$100 each = ~$700
total +/- tax & whatever else = ~$1575 minimum
note: thats without classes, instruction and doing it all on your own.

the RHCE is...
1 x 1 exam @ $750 + book @ 100 = $850

the >$3000 per RCHE when you consider the classroom training e.t.c...
isn't that bad if you think about it.

MS should at least evaluate the option. It would be nice to cram 6 months
for 1 exam and get it all over with instead of draggin my sorry ass to a
test center all year long.

--
Rowdy Yates
MCSE, Security+, Linux+

The
Mon Jan 05 13:49:57 CST 2004

Absolutely, the whole ball game needs to change, I've been saying so
for age's. Every time I fill out a survey, I say the same old thing.

I can't believe ms don't take notice of what other vendors have
done/are doing.

Still....

On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 11:35:45 -0800, Rowdy Yates
<rowdy.yates@nospamman.com> wrote:

>The Poster Formerly Known as Kline Sphere <.> wrote in
>news:iddjvvk65lnek8pvfbfk2ree4h0buh4e5k@4ax.com:
>
>>>re: lab based. sure why not. maybe they can do what redhat does.
>>>unfortunatly it might cost you > $3,000 per MCSE if you include getting
>>>to the city, taking classes and the exam.
>>
>> So? Granted a lot would depend on whether companies considered
>> worthwhile or not. If the benefits are there the cost should not be a
>> problem.
>>
>>> but the desigation might be worth a lot more.
>>
>> Maybe not, the damage has already been done.
>>
>>>i doubt ms will do it.
>>
>> Agreed.
>
>for an MCSE...
>
>7 x 7 exams @ $125 each = $875
>7 books for 7 exams @ ~$100 each = ~$700
>total +/- tax & whatever else = ~$1575 minimum
>note: thats without classes, instruction and doing it all on your own.
>
>the RHCE is...
>1 x 1 exam @ $750 + book @ 100 = $850
>
>the >$3000 per RCHE when you consider the classroom training e.t.c...
>isn't that bad if you think about it.
>
>MS should at least evaluate the option. It would be nice to cram 6 months
>for 1 exam and get it all over with instead of draggin my sorry ass to a
>test center all year long.