«

Hi,

I've been studying for around a year for the MCDST in Supporting Users and
Troubleshooting XP (exam 70-271) and have some questions:

I'm currently using the Self-Paced Training kit MS provide for this and have
been using the practice questions on the CD. Someone has told me that the 300
questions on the CD are the exact same questions as used in the exam (where
45 are chosen at random), can anyone confirm if this is correct as it seems
quite odd to me? If not, is there any way of getting hold of the questions
which are used in the exam in order to revise from?

Also, to get the MCDST qualification, do I have to complete and pass 2
examinations or will exam 70-271 be enough?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Baker

"catwalker63" <_catwalker63_@hotmamamail.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:Xns9999635A9EE6Dcatwalker63athotmail@216.196. 97.136...
> =?Utf-8?B?QmFrZXJib3k=?= <> prattled
> ceaselessly in news:658FC4C0-6035-4860-A2EF-:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've been studying for around a year for the MCDST in Supporting Users
>> and Troubleshooting XP (exam 70-271) and have some questions:
>>
>> I'm currently using the Self-Paced Training kit MS provide for this
>> and have been using the practice questions on the CD. Someone has told
>> me that the 300 questions on the CD are the exact same questions as
>> used in the exam (where 45 are chosen at random), can anyone confirm
>> if this is correct as it seems quite odd to me? If not, is there any
>> way of getting hold of the questions which are used in the exam in
>> order to revise from?
>>
>> Also, to get the MCDST qualification, do I have to complete and pass 2
>> examinations or will exam 70-271 be enough?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help!
>>
>> Baker
>>
>
> No they are not actual questions. I don't recommend trying to get the
> actual questions -- that's called cheating.


Not necessarily. If the exam is based on a very large database of questions
I would rather call knowing the right answers to all questions "excellent
preparation" .
The fact that you can't check (and, de facto, challenge) the results of a
test it's pretty unfair: it may happen that a candidate fails a test because
of an error in the questions and nobody will never know.

And on the eigth day "Pincopallino" <> did
cause the electrons to come together and form the following words:

> Not necessarily. If the exam is based on a very large database of
> questions I would rather call knowing the right answers to all
> questions "excellent preparation".

Sorry there, bucko. Its MS's exam, so they get to make the rules. They
say its cheating (and a violation of copyright for that matter) to
posses copies of the actual test questions. Other operations may vary.

You are, of course, welcome to use brain dumps and email tctips at
microsoft and tell them about it. Make sure you include your MCP ID.


> The fact that you can't check (and, de facto, challenge) the results
> of a test it's pretty unfair: it may happen that a candidate fails a
> test because of an error in the questions and nobody will never know.

Again, their test, their rules. Just because you don't like the rules is
not justification to cheat.

Be aware that all of the questions do go through a "public beta" where
they randomly show up on tests, but don't count. That helps ensure the
questions are clear and the answers are accurate.

-------

T-Bone
MCNGP XL

>Its MS's exam, so they get to make the rules

But the rules must be fair. When I take an exam I pay MS to certificate my
knowledge. If they consider my knowlege not sufficent and deny the
certification it is understood that I should have the means to challenge
their decision. As I pay for a certification service they should not have a
completely discretionary right to withheld it.



> Again, their test, their rules. Just because you don't like the rules is
> not justification to cheat.

I'm not encouraging to cheat. I'm simply saying I disagree with MS, which
should still be allowed AFAIK.

> >Its MS's exam, so they get to make the rules
>
> But the rules must be fair. When I take an exam I pay MS to certificate my
> knowledge. If they consider my knowlege not sufficent and deny the
> certification it is understood that I should have the means to challenge
> their decision. As I pay for a certification service they should not have
> a completely discretionary right to withheld it.

if you don't think it's fair, don't get MS certified... after all.. what
does it mean to be MS certified? it simply means that MS believes you know
enough to enter into an elite group of people with a special title...
basically the MS exams are nothing more than interviews..


>> Again, their test, their rules. Just because you don't like the rules is
>> not justification to cheat.
>
> I'm not encouraging to cheat. I'm simply saying I disagree with MS, which
> should still be allowed AFAIK.


yah free speech and everything.. you can disagree all you want... doesn't
mean MS has to change their ways

"catwalker63" <_catwalker63_@hotmamamail.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:Xns999A580FAEBE6catwalker63athotmail@216.196. 97.136...
> "Pincopallino" <> prattled ceaselessly in
> news:favdkd$cai$:
>
>>>Its MS's exam, so they get to make the rules
>>
>> But the rules must be fair.
>
> First rule: There's no such thing as fair in life. If you haven't
> learned
> that yet, learn it now. It will save you lots of grief. You have no
> control of what rules MS comes up with for its own cert.


Thanks for your philosophy lesson but my point is a different one. From a
legal standpoint is at least arguable that MS would be wrong in case of a
litigation. I don't know in common law countries but in civil law countries
such as Italy where I live there are some limits to the discretionary rights
that a contract can grant to a party. I believe that in civil law a contract
in wich a party has no right to check the criteria used by the other part to
decide whether to comply with the first party's request is in any case null.

"Pincopallino" <> wrote in message
news:fb1joa$gt9$...
>
> "catwalker63" <_catwalker63_@hotmamamail.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:Xns999A580FAEBE6catwalker63athotmail@216.196. 97.136...
>> "Pincopallino" <> prattled ceaselessly in
>> news:favdkd$cai$:
>>
>>>>Its MS's exam, so they get to make the rules
>>>
>>> But the rules must be fair.
>>
>> First rule: There's no such thing as fair in life. If you haven't
>> learned
>> that yet, learn it now. It will save you lots of grief. You have no
>> control of what rules MS comes up with for its own cert.
>
>
> Thanks for your philosophy lesson but my point is a different one. From a
> legal standpoint is at least arguable that MS would be wrong in case of a
> litigation. I don't know in common law countries but in civil law
> countries
> such as Italy where I live there are some limits to the discretionary
> rights
> that a contract can grant to a party. I believe that in civil law a
> contract
> in wich a party has no right to check the criteria used by the other part
> to
> decide whether to comply with the first party's request is in any case
> null.
>
>
>

Oh Ga-hod, here we go again. Your "entitlement" mentality has already been
hashed out here ad-nausium. Microsoft Certification is a PRIVATE AGREEMENT,
not a civil contract. If you don't agree to it, don't do it. It really is
that simple. Further, even if you pass the tests, Microsoft is free to
withdraw their certification at any time for any reason (stated or not), and
you are free to forego it, for any reason. They set the rules, (and they
can change them at any time) and for the benefit of their certification, you
choose to abide by them. You cannot "sue" your way into certification.

John R