Faulty Questions in Microsoft's MCSA/MCSE Training Kit. Are They Also On Exam?

I posted this in the 'microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcsa' newsgroup, but I need
all the help I can get right now so I thought I'd post it here as well.


I'm currently taking the tests that come with the MS training kit in study
mode and two of the questions I've come across are very poorly worded.

Here's an example (paraphrased for brevity):


QUESTION
Admin shuts down stand alone servers to install hardware. When servers come
up, the Add New Hardware wizard appears. Admin goes through wizard, but
process fails because driver cannot be installed. Admin looks at Driver
Signing settings in System properties. Driver signing setting is set to
Block with other options dimmed. Admin wants to install unsigned driver.
What action should he/she take?

ANSWERS (select all that apply)
a) Admin should reconfigure domain GPO and set Unsigned Driver Installation
Behavior policy to Warn But Allow Installation.
b) Admin should reconfigure the GPO applied to the OU that the servers are
members of and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to Warn
But Allow Installation.
c) Admin should check the Administrator Option/Make This Action The System
Default check box in the Driver Signing Options dialog box, accessible from
the System Properties. This will enable her to switch the option from Block
to Warn
d) Admin should reconfigure the local GPO and set the Unsigned Driver
Installation Behavior policy to Warn but Allow Installation.
e) Admin should reconfigure the GPO assigned to the site that the servers
are set up in and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
Warn But Allow Installation.



Based on what I saw on my test server set up, I chose d) only. I went back
and specifically checked: you do NOT have to check the Administrator
Option/Make This Action... setting to switch from Block to Warn.

Here's what I want to know

1) Has anyone worked with the practice tests from the MS kit? If so, have
you found poorly worded (or incorrect) questions such as this?
2) Are poorly worded questions like this on the actual exams? If so, is
there any way to contest if you fail because of several poorly worded
questions?

CJH

When we create our exams, we go to great lengths to ensure that each
question has only one correct answer, all answers are possible, and that the
wording and question is reviewed by editors several times. We also do a lot
of psyochometric work to evaluate the question and how it performs with
hundreds and thousands of candidates, so statistically, the question tests
relevant knowledge and the people that should pass will get the question
right, and the people that shouldn't pass will get it wrong.

Based on the paraphrasing, this question doesn't seem that bad. What is the
problem with it?

--
--
Andy Ruth
Microsoft Learning

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

"CJH" <chaselton AT gmail DOT com> wrote in message
news:...
>I posted this in the 'microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcsa' newsgroup, but I
>need all the help I can get right now so I thought I'd post it here as
>well.
>
>
> I'm currently taking the tests that come with the MS training kit in study
> mode and two of the questions I've come across are very poorly worded.
>
> Here's an example (paraphrased for brevity):
>
>
> QUESTION
> Admin shuts down stand alone servers to install hardware. When servers
> come
> up, the Add New Hardware wizard appears. Admin goes through wizard, but
> process fails because driver cannot be installed. Admin looks at Driver
> Signing settings in System properties. Driver signing setting is set to
> Block with other options dimmed. Admin wants to install unsigned driver.
> What action should he/she take?
>
> ANSWERS (select all that apply)
> a) Admin should reconfigure domain GPO and set Unsigned Driver
> Installation
> Behavior policy to Warn But Allow Installation.
> b) Admin should reconfigure the GPO applied to the OU that the servers
> are
> members of and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
> Warn
> But Allow Installation.
> c) Admin should check the Administrator Option/Make This Action The
> System
> Default check box in the Driver Signing Options dialog box, accessible
> from
> the System Properties. This will enable her to switch the option from
> Block
> to Warn
> d) Admin should reconfigure the local GPO and set the Unsigned Driver
> Installation Behavior policy to Warn but Allow Installation.
> e) Admin should reconfigure the GPO assigned to the site that the servers
> are set up in and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
> Warn But Allow Installation.
>
>
>
> Based on what I saw on my test server set up, I chose d) only. I went
> back
> and specifically checked: you do NOT have to check the Administrator
> Option/Make This Action... setting to switch from Block to Warn.
>
> Here's what I want to know
>
> 1) Has anyone worked with the practice tests from the MS kit? If so,
> have
> you found poorly worded (or incorrect) questions such as this?
> 2) Are poorly worded questions like this on the actual exams? If so, is
> there any way to contest if you fail because of several poorly worded
> questions?
>
>

See the part I mentioned in my original email about the actual server
behavior.
The question assumes that you cannot change the option from "Block" to
"Warn" without checking the "Administrator Option/Make This Action The
System Default". This is not true; I went back and examined the behavior
on the test 2003 Server that I built. You can change the option from
'Block' to 'Warn' without checking the Administrator Option.


"Andy Ruth [MSFT]" <> wrote in message
news:...
> When we create our exams, we go to great lengths to ensure that each
> question has only one correct answer, all answers are possible, and that
> the wording and question is reviewed by editors several times. We also do
> a lot of psyochometric work to evaluate the question and how it performs
> with hundreds and thousands of candidates, so statistically, the question
> tests relevant knowledge and the people that should pass will get the
> question right, and the people that shouldn't pass will get it wrong.
>
> Based on the paraphrasing, this question doesn't seem that bad. What is
> the problem with it?
>
> --
> --
> Andy Ruth
> Microsoft Learning
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.
>
> "CJH" <chaselton AT gmail DOT com> wrote in message
> news:...
>>I posted this in the 'microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcsa' newsgroup, but I
>>need all the help I can get right now so I thought I'd post it here as
>>well.
>>
>>
>> I'm currently taking the tests that come with the MS training kit in
>> study
>> mode and two of the questions I've come across are very poorly worded.
>>
>> Here's an example (paraphrased for brevity):
>>
>>
>> QUESTION
>> Admin shuts down stand alone servers to install hardware. When servers
>> come
>> up, the Add New Hardware wizard appears. Admin goes through wizard, but
>> process fails because driver cannot be installed. Admin looks at Driver
>> Signing settings in System properties. Driver signing setting is set to
>> Block with other options dimmed. Admin wants to install unsigned driver.
>> What action should he/she take?
>>
>> ANSWERS (select all that apply)
>> a) Admin should reconfigure domain GPO and set Unsigned Driver
>> Installation
>> Behavior policy to Warn But Allow Installation.
>> b) Admin should reconfigure the GPO applied to the OU that the servers
>> are
>> members of and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
>> Warn
>> But Allow Installation.
>> c) Admin should check the Administrator Option/Make This Action The
>> System
>> Default check box in the Driver Signing Options dialog box, accessible
>> from
>> the System Properties. This will enable her to switch the option from
>> Block
>> to Warn
>> d) Admin should reconfigure the local GPO and set the Unsigned Driver
>> Installation Behavior policy to Warn but Allow Installation.
>> e) Admin should reconfigure the GPO assigned to the site that the
>> servers
>> are set up in and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
>> Warn But Allow Installation.
>>
>>
>>
>> Based on what I saw on my test server set up, I chose d) only. I went
>> back
>> and specifically checked: you do NOT have to check the Administrator
>> Option/Make This Action... setting to switch from Block to Warn.
>>
>> Here's what I want to know
>>
>> 1) Has anyone worked with the practice tests from the MS kit? If so,
>> have
>> you found poorly worded (or incorrect) questions such as this?
>> 2) Are poorly worded questions like this on the actual exams? If so, is
>> there any way to contest if you fail because of several poorly worded
>> questions?
>>
>>
>
>

Ahhh. Got it. Sorry about that. If you can call out specific questions, we
can add that information to our errata sheets for that TK, and that will
also let the editor for that book know there is a problem with the practice
tests in that book. The email address below can be used to do that. Also,
from www.microsoft.com/learning/books you can follow the link to "Book and
CD corrections search" and see if there are any other errors that have been
identified in the book or the CD. Thanks for calling this out!

a.. : Microsoft Press® Training Kits and Readiness
Reviews

--
--
Andy Ruth
Microsoft Learning

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.


"CJH" <chaselton AT gmail DOT com> wrote in message
news:...
> See the part I mentioned in my original email about the actual server
> behavior.
> The question assumes that you cannot change the option from "Block" to
> "Warn" without checking the "Administrator Option/Make This Action The
> System Default". This is not true; I went back and examined the behavior
> on the test 2003 Server that I built. You can change the option from
> 'Block' to 'Warn' without checking the Administrator Option.
>
>
> "Andy Ruth [MSFT]" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> When we create our exams, we go to great lengths to ensure that each
>> question has only one correct answer, all answers are possible, and that
>> the wording and question is reviewed by editors several times. We also do
>> a lot of psyochometric work to evaluate the question and how it performs
>> with hundreds and thousands of candidates, so statistically, the question
>> tests relevant knowledge and the people that should pass will get the
>> question right, and the people that shouldn't pass will get it wrong.
>>
>> Based on the paraphrasing, this question doesn't seem that bad. What is
>> the problem with it?
>>
>> --
>> --
>> Andy Ruth
>> Microsoft Learning
>>
>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
>> rights.
>>
>> "CJH" <chaselton AT gmail DOT com> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>>I posted this in the 'microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcsa' newsgroup, but I
>>>need all the help I can get right now so I thought I'd post it here as
>>>well.
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm currently taking the tests that come with the MS training kit in
>>> study
>>> mode and two of the questions I've come across are very poorly worded.
>>>
>>> Here's an example (paraphrased for brevity):
>>>
>>>
>>> QUESTION
>>> Admin shuts down stand alone servers to install hardware. When servers
>>> come
>>> up, the Add New Hardware wizard appears. Admin goes through wizard, but
>>> process fails because driver cannot be installed. Admin looks at Driver
>>> Signing settings in System properties. Driver signing setting is set to
>>> Block with other options dimmed. Admin wants to install unsigned
>>> driver.
>>> What action should he/she take?
>>>
>>> ANSWERS (select all that apply)
>>> a) Admin should reconfigure domain GPO and set Unsigned Driver
>>> Installation
>>> Behavior policy to Warn But Allow Installation.
>>> b) Admin should reconfigure the GPO applied to the OU that the servers
>>> are
>>> members of and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy to
>>> Warn
>>> But Allow Installation.
>>> c) Admin should check the Administrator Option/Make This Action The
>>> System
>>> Default check box in the Driver Signing Options dialog box, accessible
>>> from
>>> the System Properties. This will enable her to switch the option from
>>> Block
>>> to Warn
>>> d) Admin should reconfigure the local GPO and set the Unsigned Driver
>>> Installation Behavior policy to Warn but Allow Installation.
>>> e) Admin should reconfigure the GPO assigned to the site that the
>>> servers
>>> are set up in and set the Unsigned Driver Installation Behavior policy
>>> to
>>> Warn But Allow Installation.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Based on what I saw on my test server set up, I chose d) only. I went
>>> back
>>> and specifically checked: you do NOT have to check the Administrator
>>> Option/Make This Action... setting to switch from Block to Warn.
>>>
>>> Here's what I want to know
>>>
>>> 1) Has anyone worked with the practice tests from the MS kit? If so,
>>> have
>>> you found poorly worded (or incorrect) questions such as this?
>>> 2) Are poorly worded questions like this on the actual exams? If so,
>>> is
>>> there any way to contest if you fail because of several poorly worded
>>> questions?
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

I sent in the question to the email you provided.

I actually checked the knowledgebase for any errata for the 70-290 book.
There were none listed.


"Andy Ruth [MSFT]" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Ahhh. Got it. Sorry about that. If you can call out specific questions, we
> can add that information to our errata sheets for that TK, and that will
> also let the editor for that book know there is a problem with the
> practice tests in that book. The email address below can be used to do
> that. Also, from www.microsoft.com/learning/books you can follow the link
> to "Book and CD corrections search" and see if there are any other errors
> that have been identified in the book or the CD. Thanks for calling this
> out!
>
> a.. : Microsoft Press® Training Kits and Readiness
> Reviews
>
> --
> --
> Andy Ruth
> Microsoft Learning
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.