"Steve Smith" <> wrote:
>For too long I've put off taking my mcsd.
>I remain unconvinced about their true worth but hey if its
>a race between two people maybe the piece of paper will
>help make the difference?
>
>So, reading all manner of books and msdn links, I decided
>to go to the msmeasureup site and took the sample
>assessment Intro to MS .NET for Developers: MS VB.Net.
>
>It comes back with a percentage result (not a great one
>for me).
>
>So eventually to the question .. what, if any correlation
>is there to the 7/8/900 numbers you guys bandy about?
>
>As I get my act together I'll go the Transcender route I
>guess.
>
>Regards
>Steve
I'm afraid that you won't be able to make a definitive
correlation, other than "if you score low on the simulation
don't take the real test". There are just too many
variables.
For one, currently the passing score for the real tests are
700. The majority believes that the score os out of a 1000 -
but there is evidence to the contrary. And it makes sense -
if it is assessed that the current pool of questions is too
easy simply make the score 700/875 (80%), if the pool of
questions is too demanding make it 700/1166 (60%); note that
you can adjust the test strength on the fly without the
"public" getting wise to it (maintaining the unofficial
self-perpetuating illusion that the passing score 70%), as
the maximum score is not published on the test report. Plus
the maximum score may actually vary simply because the
questions could have variable weightings based on difficulty
and then the actual maximum score depends on the "lot" of
questions you drew when you registered for the exam.
And as the simulations aren't supposed to contain the "real"
questions (otherwise they are unethical, if not illegal
"braindumps") - their value decreases the more you use them,
as eventually you simply remember the answers to the
questions - the simulation results at some point simply
represent the proficiency in the simulation - not in the
skills being measured.
The simulation vendors simply pick 80% or 90% in the belief
that the actual exam will never require a passing score that
high and it also gives you a comfortable margin in case the
actual passing score is 70%. So if you take the simulation
for the first two or three times and you beat their passing
score consistently, then you have a good chance of passing
the real thing, provided the simulation is representative.
So if you choose to use a simulation, use it as late as
possible when you think you are ready to identify remaining
weak areas in your skills. Before that consult the "Skills
Being Measured" section of the exam preparation guide
Example:
Preparation Guide for Exam 70-340 : Implementing Security
for Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/ex...340.asp#SKILLS
Every now an then the skills being measured have an obscure
phrase that may not be very helpful when consulting the MSDN
or other reference materials. But most preparation guides
include references (and a relevancy matrix) to courses that
describe some skills in more detail:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/ex...-340.asp#TOOLS
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/sy...840afinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/sy...806bfinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/sy...350Bfinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/sy...300Afinal.mspx
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