10/26/2004 -- The famous movie quote “Wait till they get a load of me!” comes to mind when I think of Microsoft tests these days. If you haven’t taken a Microsoft Server 2003 exam lately, then it’s not the same test you remember. I’ve been taking Microsoft tests since just after Microsoft company moved from NT 3.51 to NT 4.0, with even one of the early Windows 3.x tests under my belt. Also, I’ve been teaching Microsoft material and tests since 1990 throughout the world as well as being a published expert, and I’ve got to tell you I’m glad I passed the last round of tests, because they were tough.

If you haven’t taken a look at the numbers lately, while there are over 250,000 Windows 2000 MCSEs, there are less than 12,000 certified in Windows Server 2003, and it isn’t purely because it’s a relatively new track: The new tests are significantly harder. I can’t gauge the difference scientifically, but I feel they are easily at least 30 percent to 50 percent harder. With this in mind, here are some tips for passing the new generation of Microsoft Server MCSE/MCSA exams:

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Tip #1: Be Prepared in Depth and Width
The new exams cover more material in more excruciating detail in the new exams. Part of the reason for this change is the nature of any evolving product. For example, although NT had Certificate Services, hardly anyone used them. You certainly weren’t tested on them in the normal NT MCSE track. For Windows 2000 certification, you had to know the basics and could wing it on some questions. But with Windows Server 2003, you better know it inside and out. You have to know all the old features deeper and better, and Windows Server 2003 has about a gazillion new features. Do you love the GUI? You better, because you’ll be tested on it over and over. Not a scripter and command-line person? You better become one, because Microsoft love testing on its new command-line utilities and script automation integration. You’ll need to know everything you used to know, better and in more detail.

Tip #2: Understand Real World Applications and Implications
With the 2003 MCSA/MCSE exams, the questions are more "real world." This is certainly a welcome trend. Even my students who aren’t passing the tests -- of whom there are more of than before -- are saying they think the tests are a fairer reflection of the actual skills needed to survive out in the real world. Your DNS knowledge may be theoretical for larger deployments and integration issues if you’re a small-business leader, but you’ll be tested on how DNS interacts in very large environments spread around the globe, how it interacts with Unix DNS servers, and how well you can read the output from a DNS diagnostic command. Is the question a DNS problem, an Active Directory problem or an IP question? Just like in real life, the answer may not be readily apparent. Many of the questions show you actual screenshots of real-life errors, not all of which can be found through a general Knowledge Base article search. Fortunately, many of the errors will be things you’ve seen before, and maybe you do or don’t remember what the problem is.

TCP/IP troubleshooting skills also play a bigger role in these exams. You may read a long question concerning multiple proxy servers, firewalls and RRAS services, only to find out the problem is an incorrectly set IP address. It’s real-life stuff, and no matter how you do on the test, you’ll feel better prepared for the real world.

Tip #3: Move Away from the Multiple-Choice Mentality
There are more non-multiple choice questions on the test than ever before. You’ll see lots of GUIs that you’ll have to configure, lots of drag-n-drop and a few hot areas. It's almost as if Microsoft told their exam writers, “Only write multiple choice questions if they’re the only way to test concepts.” My students often call 70-291 (the MCSA test) the “GUI test.” It does have a fair amount of GUI questions on there, but so do all of the Windows Server 2003 tests.

Tip #4: Use Time-Restricted Practice Tests
Another factor that plays a big role in keeping the pass rate down is simply the mechanics of the exam. There is less time for each exam as compared with its predecessor. I -- as a guy with over 20 certifications -- usual have no problem finishing tests up in the allotted time. I’m a quick test taker -- the fastest that I know of, honestly. I’m the type of guy that would rather take a test fast knowing that I’ll miss a few questions, then slow down and get a better score. Get the pain over quickly is my motto. I can’t brag anymore; I’ve been pushed to the edge on several occasions with these new exams.

The test questions are longer and harder, and on average you only have 2.1 minutes per question. It probably takes at least a minute to a minute and a half to read them, even if you’re a fast reader. It’s not an unreasonable amount of time, in most cases, but you will have to know your stuff. If you’re hemming and hawing about how there’re too many questions, you’ll run out of time. Most tests feel at least a little time constrained for most test takers, and some exams, like the 70-294 and 70-297, will emphasize time-management skills.

Design test 70-297 is perhaps the most difficult computer test I’ve taken to date, if only because it’s virtually impossible to write down all the scenario factoids and requirements and also answer the questions correctly. You won’t be able to read the scenarios, write down all the requirements and then answer the questions in the allotted time period, like you might have been able to do on previous design tests.

A successful strategy I found is to read only the main part of the scenario and then rely on the questions to point me back to the parts of the scenario that I didn’t read. That way, I only focus on what I need to know to answer the questions.

Tip #5: You’ll Need a Higher Passing Percentage to Pass
Though I can’t confirm this, it appears many of the tests need an 85 percent correct answer ratio to pass. All Windows Server 2003 tests only need a 700 score to pass, but what compromises the scale changes per test, and Microsoft isn’t sharing that info. What I do know is that the graph bars on the exam printouts are considered accurate reflections of the weighting of each section on the test. I’ve had many students score a 100 percent on all bars, or sections, except one, and in that one area the bar was only missing a sliver. They missed a question or two at most. Their score? A 748! That means the top score is an 800 at best, or that is one heck of a weighted section. One instructor reported a student getting a 1,013 on one of the tests where the scoring was “more gentle,” but I haven’t seen that myself. Passing scores for most of my students has been between 700 and 750, and that isn’t because I don’t know my stuff or I’m a bad teacher. The top, brightest students are getting a 750. The key is that a 1,000 is more than likely not the top score, so don’t go in thinking you need a 700 to pass. Study like you need a minimum of 85 percent and realize most of these tests only have 35 to 40 questions, so you’d be better prepared for the challenge.

The End Result
If you practice your test taking skills using these hints and know the material well, you will pass. The Microsoft certification process is getting harder, and it will gain credibility in the industry. In fact, I truly think the increase in difficulty will jump up the respectability of these exams people’s minds to something on par with a Cisco test. Anyone who jokes about Microsoft’s tests these days hasn’t taken one lately. You won’t find schools promising free test re-takes. Reading a book for two weeks and playing with the software a bit won’t simply cut it this round. The men and woman of the Microsoft MCP program are out to change the rules, and it will only benefit you and your career. Good luck!