Favorite practice exams

I've passed two of the MCSD.NET exams so far (70-229, 70-
300) and have not spent any money on practice exams
(except for those really cheesy ones that come with the
study guides). Newsgroup comments I've read make it seem
questionable whether an old tightwad like me would really
find them to be worth the money. From comments I've seen,
it seems like people who have used Trancender feel like
they are the best...but they seem to be about the most
expensive, as well. Evidently, you get what you pay for,
as with most things.

The price for Transcender exams for the four CORE MCSD.NET
tests is almost the same as taking four exams (likely more
than a coincidence). It almost seems like you might as
well take the exams for $125 a throw and treat it like a
practice exam. Once you know what you're dealing with,
then you know what to study. And, with some preparation,
you oughta be able to pass one or two the first
time...then you'd even come out ahead.

It seems like you can spend some bucks on this stuff, not
knowing whether what you are buying is really pertinent.
The main reason I haven't bought practice exams is that I
don't know who to trust.

I would like any responses, feedback, comments that anyone
would like to share on the following questions:

1 - What practice exams are really a realistic
representation of the actual cert exams?

2 - How much time is it worthwhile to spend on practice
exams, as opposed to just learning the relevant material?

3 - Certification should be about mastering a skill - If
you know VB or C#, etc. you should be ready and able to
deal with whatever they throw at you in the exam. Or am I
just being too idealistic?

Rich

Transcenders are very good, I've found, but I like the
exams in the Exam Cram books too. The web services/vb
book was very strong and covered some stuff on the exam
that Transcender didn't focus much on.
The advantage of owning the simulated test is that you
can return to the difficult questions as often as you'd
like. You can't do this with the real exams; you can only
rely on memory.


>-----Original Message-----
>I've passed two of the MCSD.NET exams so far (70-229, 70-
>300) and have not spent any money on practice exams
>(except for those really cheesy ones that come with the
>study guides). Newsgroup comments I've read make it
seem
>questionable whether an old tightwad like me would
really
>find them to be worth the money. From comments I've
seen,
>it seems like people who have used Trancender feel like
>they are the best...but they seem to be about the most
>expensive, as well. Evidently, you get what you pay
for,
>as with most things.
>
>The price for Transcender exams for the four CORE
MCSD.NET
>tests is almost the same as taking four exams (likely
more
>than a coincidence). It almost seems like you might as
>well take the exams for $125 a throw and treat it like a
>practice exam. Once you know what you're dealing with,
>then you know what to study. And, with some
preparation,
>you oughta be able to pass one or two the first
>time...then you'd even come out ahead.
>
>It seems like you can spend some bucks on this stuff,
not
>knowing whether what you are buying is really
pertinent.
>The main reason I haven't bought practice exams is that
I
>don't know who to trust.
>
>I would like any responses, feedback, comments that
anyone
>would like to share on the following questions:
>
>1 - What practice exams are really a realistic
>representation of the actual cert exams?
>
>2 - How much time is it worthwhile to spend on practice
>exams, as opposed to just learning the relevant material?
>
>3 - Certification should be about mastering a skill - If
>you know VB or C#, etc. you should be ready and able to
>deal with whatever they throw at you in the exam. Or am
I
>just being too idealistic?
>.
>

Thanks for all the invaluable insights....I especially
liked the part about Tiger Woods.

Yeah, I must be smarter than I sounded 'cause I had
already figured out all by myself that you have to prepare
for these exams. The question is what is the most time-
efficient and cost-efficient way to do that.

What you're telling me is that you invested time and money
into Trancender exams yet you likely would have passed the
exams anyway. If, as you say, certificaton is only part of
the learning experience, then wouldn't that time and money
be better spent on learning something you didn't already
know?



>-----Original Message-----
>I understand your situation, Transcender costs too much
>money.
>
>Here is my situation. I have more than 7 years of
>programming experience and I know C#/.NET pretty well,
>but I still used Transcender to prepare for my MCSD.NET
>(4 exams). I think I would have passed all these exams
>without using any practice test. But I want to have good
>preparation for these LIVE exams.
>
>It is like Tiger Wood playing golf. He is very good or
>maybe he is too good, but he still needs to prepare and
>work-hard for any golf competition, try to have good
>preparation. As a result, after "good preparation", I
>passed all 4 exams in 2 weeks.
>
>I don't work for Transcender, so I don't want to promote
>their product here. You just have to make up your mind
>what preparation tool you are going to use or feel
>comfortable with.
>
>One more thing, certification is not everything, I look
>at it as part of the learning process.
>
>Cheer~
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>I've passed two of the MCSD.NET exams so far (70-229, 70-
>>300) and have not spent any money on practice exams
>>(except for those really cheesy ones that come with the
>>study guides). Newsgroup comments I've read make it
>seem
>>questionable whether an old tightwad like me would
>really
>>find them to be worth the money. From comments I've
>seen,
>>it seems like people who have used Trancender feel like
>>they are the best...but they seem to be about the most
>>expensive, as well. Evidently, you get what you pay
>for,
>>as with most things.
>>
>>The price for Transcender exams for the four CORE
>MCSD.NET
>>tests is almost the same as taking four exams (likely
>more
>>than a coincidence). It almost seems like you might as
>>well take the exams for $125 a throw and treat it like a
>>practice exam. Once you know what you're dealing with,
>>then you know what to study. And, with some
>preparation,
>>you oughta be able to pass one or two the first
>>time...then you'd even come out ahead.
>>
>>It seems like you can spend some bucks on this stuff,
>not
>>knowing whether what you are buying is really
>pertinent.
>>The main reason I haven't bought practice exams is that
>I
>>don't know who to trust.
>>
>>I would like any responses, feedback, comments that
>anyone
>>would like to share on the following questions:
>>
>>1 - What practice exams are really a realistic
>>representation of the actual cert exams?
>>
>>2 - How much time is it worthwhile to spend on practice
>>exams, as opposed to just learning the relevant material?
>>
>>3 - Certification should be about mastering a skill - If
>>you know VB or C#, etc. you should be ready and able to
>>deal with whatever they throw at you in the exam. Or am
>I
>>just being too idealistic?
>>.
>>
>.
>

Rich

Good point about owning the exams and being able to refer
back to questions you missed, etc.

But the question still remains: How do you know that the
questions on the Transcender Exam (or any sample exam)
really relates to what the test is all about? What means
do these guys have of giving you a sample exam that
comprehensively reflects the real exam? You said
yourself, there were areas the Transcender exam didn't
focus on very much...so is it really, in any way, a useful
model of the exam?

I went through the sample test that came with the Exam
Cram book for 70-300 - total trash. No reflection, by the
way on the Exam Cram Authors - the test was from some
third party (Pro Logic, or something). That thing had
nothing to do with the real exam...pretty much a waste of
time.

You guys are convincing me more and more that the best
thing to do is just learn the stuff - the tests (with
limnited exceptions) are about problem-solving...if you
know the language, if you understand good design, if you
have some experience, you'll be able to think through the
problems.




>-----Original Message-----
>Transcenders are very good, I've found, but I like the
>exams in the Exam Cram books too. The web services/vb
>book was very strong and covered some stuff on the exam
>that Transcender didn't focus much on.
>The advantage of owning the simulated test is that you
>can return to the difficult questions as often as you'd
>like. You can't do this with the real exams; you can only
>rely on memory.
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>I've passed two of the MCSD.NET exams so far (70-229, 70-
>>300) and have not spent any money on practice exams
>>(except for those really cheesy ones that come with the
>>study guides). Newsgroup comments I've read make it
>seem
>>questionable whether an old tightwad like me would
>really
>>find them to be worth the money. From comments I've
>seen,
>>it seems like people who have used Trancender feel like
>>they are the best...but they seem to be about the most
>>expensive, as well. Evidently, you get what you pay
>for,
>>as with most things.
>>
>>The price for Transcender exams for the four CORE
>MCSD.NET
>>tests is almost the same as taking four exams (likely
>more
>>than a coincidence). It almost seems like you might as
>>well take the exams for $125 a throw and treat it like a
>>practice exam. Once you know what you're dealing with,
>>then you know what to study. And, with some
>preparation,
>>you oughta be able to pass one or two the first
>>time...then you'd even come out ahead.
>>
>>It seems like you can spend some bucks on this stuff,
>not
>>knowing whether what you are buying is really
>pertinent.
>>The main reason I haven't bought practice exams is that
>I
>>don't know who to trust.
>>
>>I would like any responses, feedback, comments that
>anyone
>>would like to share on the following questions:
>>
>>1 - What practice exams are really a realistic
>>representation of the actual cert exams?
>>
>>2 - How much time is it worthwhile to spend on practice
>>exams, as opposed to just learning the relevant material?
>>
>>3 - Certification should be about mastering a skill - If
>>you know VB or C#, etc. you should be ready and able to
>>deal with whatever they throw at you in the exam. Or am
>I
>>just being too idealistic?
>>.
>>
>.
>

Rich

I always want to learn something new.

And yes, I'm working on Oracle OCP ...


>-----Original Message-----
>Thanks for all the invaluable insights....I especially
>liked the part about Tiger Woods.
>
>Yeah, I must be smarter than I sounded 'cause I had
>already figured out all by myself that you have to
prepare
>for these exams. The question is what is the most time-
>efficient and cost-efficient way to do that.
>
>What you're telling me is that you invested time and
money
>into Trancender exams yet you likely would have passed
the
>exams anyway. If, as you say, certificaton is only part
of
>the learning experience, then wouldn't that time and
money
>be better spent on learning something you didn't already
>know?
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>I understand your situation, Transcender costs too much
>>money.
>>
>>Here is my situation. I have more than 7 years of
>>programming experience and I know C#/.NET pretty well,
>>but I still used Transcender to prepare for my MCSD.NET
>>(4 exams). I think I would have passed all these exams
>>without using any practice test. But I want to have
good
>>preparation for these LIVE exams.
>>
>>It is like Tiger Wood playing golf. He is very good or
>>maybe he is too good, but he still needs to prepare and
>>work-hard for any golf competition, try to have good
>>preparation. As a result, after "good preparation", I
>>passed all 4 exams in 2 weeks.
>>
>>I don't work for Transcender, so I don't want to
promote
>>their product here. You just have to make up your mind
>>what preparation tool you are going to use or feel
>>comfortable with.
>>
>>One more thing, certification is not everything, I look
>>at it as part of the learning process.
>>
>>Cheer~
>>
>>
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>I've passed two of the MCSD.NET exams so far (70-229,
70-
>>>300) and have not spent any money on practice exams
>>>(except for those really cheesy ones that come with
the
>>>study guides). Newsgroup comments I've read make it
>>seem
>>>questionable whether an old tightwad like me would
>>really
>>>find them to be worth the money. From comments I've
>>seen,
>>>it seems like people who have used Trancender feel
like
>>>they are the best...but they seem to be about the most
>>>expensive, as well. Evidently, you get what you pay
>>for,
>>>as with most things.
>>>
>>>The price for Transcender exams for the four CORE
>>MCSD.NET
>>>tests is almost the same as taking four exams (likely
>>more
>>>than a coincidence). It almost seems like you might
as
>>>well take the exams for $125 a throw and treat it like
a
>>>practice exam. Once you know what you're dealing
with,
>>>then you know what to study. And, with some
>>preparation,
>>>you oughta be able to pass one or two the first
>>>time...then you'd even come out ahead.
>>>
>>>It seems like you can spend some bucks on this stuff,
>>not
>>>knowing whether what you are buying is really
>>pertinent.
>>>The main reason I haven't bought practice exams is
that
>>I
>>>don't know who to trust.
>>>
>>>I would like any responses, feedback, comments that
>>anyone
>>>would like to share on the following questions:
>>>
>>>1 - What practice exams are really a realistic
>>>representation of the actual cert exams?
>>>
>>>2 - How much time is it worthwhile to spend on
practice
>>>exams, as opposed to just learning the relevant
material?
>>>
>>>3 - Certification should be about mastering a skill -
If
>>>you know VB or C#, etc. you should be ready and able
to
>>>deal with whatever they throw at you in the exam. Or
am
>>I
>>>just being too idealistic?
>>>.
>>>
>>.
>>
>.
>

Kyle