Ratko Ćosić - lamentations of one programmer

How to pass this certificates and what can I say about it, you can read here...

After MCPD certificate passed, I thoght about at which field I can improve myself until the new generation (3.5) arrives. Since I somehow lacked with knowledge of databases (becase, for example, in MCSD generation was the requirement to pass one exam about database - then, it was SQL Server 2000), I've decided to try myself in more 'sysop' certificate - Microsoft Certified IT Professional.
The certificate itself is, as far as database is concerned, splitted into three tracks, from which the most developerish is very this one I'll describe in the following post - titled Database Developer. List of all certifications and corresponding exams you can find here.

What you have to pass to get MCITP-DD certificate?

You need to pass three exams which cover the area of SQL Server 2005, and these are:

- 70-431: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – Implementation and Maintenance,
- 70-441: PRO: Designing Database Solutions by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and
- 70-442: PRO: Designing and Optimizing Data Access by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

Generally, this order was logical to me, becase in the first exam (70-431) you tackle with the installation and maintenance of the server, in the second exam (70-441) you create the solutions of database (you build its structure and architecture), and in the last one (70-442) you connect to the database and do the queries and optimizations. It seems so logical to pass it in this way, and I think it was easier and senseful to get it.

How I studied (and probably learned something)?

I've tried to solve it by reading just one, let's say, main book, and by reading lots of other information on the way. For the main book I've choose Pro SQL Server 2005 from Apress and I didn't regret it. The book is very good written, you have my review somewhere in the posts. Anyway, I've read it from the beginning to the end, after that, I've seen if I covered it all by exam course agenda. Then I've gathered PDF versions of some books and consulted with the MSDN documentation on internet. That was enough.
Unfortunatelly, I didn't read all the books I've planned, especially those concerning Data Mining and Data Warehousing, because I'm interested in, but doesn't matter. Probably I'll have chance to deal with it later.

What you can find in the exams?

70-431 (administration of sql 2005) - cleaned up with 1000/1000, simulations with 70%

(jeez, I've lost my paper with the exam results :( )

The exam was extremely good, questions clear and obvious, so that was the result. I don't have any objections except that it's constantly pushed those already known, and that is - new features. Well, everything is already known and feasible... But, then, there is surprise! After all the questions I've answered and nervous waiting on exam results, there comes the second part of the exam, and these are: the simulations!

You can expect the facade of SQL server in which you can click on different options, open windows and find the errors inside the queries. Sounds easy? Well, to me it was pain, but somehow I managed. I was passing through the questions to read every single checkbox and textbox from the screen before I gave the final answer. An, huh, I solved!

70-441 (architecture of sql 2005) - passed with 866/1000



Exam was ok. Enlisted were exams from six case studies:Woodgrove Bank, Contoso, Northwind Traders, etc.
Those of you passing the exams for longer time, these are well-known 'guys' in exams. Questions are quite clear and solid made, but for some of them I could'n get the right answer, therefore I got worse result. Anyway, crucial is to know and use SQL Server 2005 in everyday life, and that, I hope, stands for the next exam.

70-442 (everyday life with sql 2005) - passed with 960/1000



Here, finally, I passed today this exam! The exam was really good and I've solved it well (96%).
It was structured consisting of 7 case studies (each with cca 6 questions) and additional set of independent questions (about 15 questions). Basic problem was, as in the other sql exams, to read carefully and investigate what exactly is the problem and what clue can be found inside the text. I began to like this because the following reasons; actually, a developer is forced to think with his head, not just blindly to answer on a question. More, he/she is forced to think criticaly on all the possibilities to solve the problem, and moreover to anayze the case in a manner that the problem is saturated and splitted in tiny details - either important ones or waste. I can get the feeling that I'm playing a CSI forensics and that feels just great - to analyse the case and discover the solution to a problem.

Topics you can find most wanted to know:

- MARS = multiple active result sets,
- transaction isolation levels (read uncommited, commited, snapshot, serializable...),
- using marked and distributed transactions,
- locking mechanism strategies (updlock, nolock, keylock..),
- xml data type methods (.nodes, .value, .query, .exist, .modify),
- sumarizing data (cube, rollup, compute),
- ranking data (rank, diverse rank, ntile),
- query hints (recompile, optimize for..),
- declaring cursors (insensitive, scroll, static, keyset, optimistic..),
- execute context (execute as self, owner, caller).

Anyway, through passing these exams, I've learned a lot, partially already applied in everyday life, but the significant part I hope I would be able to apply in near future.

Kind regards and good luck on exams!

How to pass (still very actual and valid) Microsoft MCPD certificate and what you can expect in the exam, you can find here in the following post...

Additional information about the certificate and the required exams you can find on the official Microsoft site by clicking right here.

So basically, the story goes like that: Microsoft in this generation (Microsoft .NET 2.0) offers developer certificate with mark MCSD called Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD). Certificate 's got three tracks, depending on a kind of solutions he/she wants to deal with as a proud professional developer. For the classics there is Windows developer track, for fishermen there is Web developer track, and for enterprise-level developers (integrators) there is also Enterprise Application Developer. Since I'm gymnasium classico kind a dev, I've completed the Windows Developer certificate and done so without any major obstacles, and so will you.

How to climb on that hill of might?

In short, there are certain exams to be passed. The monsters are:

- 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Application Development Foundation,
- 70-526: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Windows-Based Client Development, and
- 70-548: PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Of course, Microsoft offers also upgrade exams (in two parts) for this certificate, but I skipped them (!?). The reason is because I'm dumb. Well, probably. But, I've found out that the preparation for this tiny itzi-bitzi upgrade lasts for just as the preparation of 'ordinary' exams, so I've decided to pass the cert 'from the ground up'.

There IS a certain logic behind the order by which I've passed those exams as well.
First, I've prepared generally myself for framework 2.0 by reading the exam preparation book 'MCTS Self-Paced Training (70-536)', which I've already reviewed in one of the recent posts. Then, I've entered the exam and passed it.
Further, I've read the book Windows Forms Programming 2.0, but I didn't read it by the covers but rather what I've found as interesting, and moreover, read the appendices in which you can find the differences between this and the previous versions of fw (1.1). Prerequisite for this was that I've already had MCAD and MCSD certificate for Windows .NET, so, I found it already very familiar.
And finally, I've studied hard by reading 'MCPD Self-Paced Training (70-548)', which I've been also reviewed recently. I entered the exam and passed with a little bit of luck.

How to pass the exam without sweat?



That reminds me on similar questions from series "how to loose weight without stop eating too much", or "your pounds get melted, and you sitting and watch TV set as usual", and so on. Of course, you can always get stiffed with different kinds of medicaments and treat yourself with electroshocks and liposuction, just as you can remember by heart all the answers from the braindumps. But the same question arises: Is it healthy?

Well, I also use the braindumps to 'sharpen my teeth' before the exam, and to make sure that I will not just fail it because some stupid reason like Microsoft loves to question some ridiculous questions in a most ridiculous way. So I read it. But, it should be enough.

Some things are overbolded and some are just swept away from the exam. Every exam has got its own pace and set of questions and way to check your knowledge. So, let me begin...

70-536 (framework 2.0) - passed with 965/1000



Relatively easy exam after all. You can expect around 40 questions of different hardiness. It's about security, configuration, deployment. There are questions about serialization, xml, archiving the data. One question per topics as types, s, graphics, text. There are also about diagnostics, debugging and logging. Alltogether, solidly distributed questions amongs the different topics from the official exam preparation study guides, and mostly everything you can find the in exam prep book.

70-526 (forms 2.0) - made it with 860/1000



It was a little bit heavier than the first one, although I had relatively solid knowledge of the subject. Anyway, it's about messing around with the properties of forms, some controls, GDI+ methods. It has a few questions about printing and reports, data binding, background workeru, and different kinds of controls we use. I didn't know everything well, I admit, I should learn more and study it harder, because I do not use all the controls and properties in everyday life. But, it is feasible, so I passed.

70-548 (architecture 2.0) - hardly made it with 769/1000



Gosh, that was tough. I must admit that I do not admire exams of this type and I hardly wait to get rid of them (as in the past). Alas, it was about five to six case studies which you have to read carefully and they generate only a few questions. The problem is that you have a vast of text to read (cca two pages of A4 paper size) and you have to be extremely cautious because some things are very important and they are hidden or not well described in text. You have to take lots of it into account when you give the answer. Most of it, there are lots of questions that are, I think, of subjective nature. Especially when it comes to, for example, the factors or effects on performance, happiness of a client, and such. Also, there are a few questions in which you have to drag and drop and order things to make a right data flow, order of development phases, etc. I say, it's hard to say that I really knew all the answers, I tried to answer it well. And yes, the braindumps are not correct. Definitelly. ;)

And that's it! I'm still waiting for my certificate on a paper with signature of Bill (of course, just printed one), but that is an issue lately, and it takes some time to receive it...

I hope I help you a little bit, guys.
Good luck on your exams!