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Post by Kalim on Jul 24, 2015 14:36:42 GMT 2
I wrote my first mini practise test for the MCSA exam! You can see my results attached   85%  Thats quite a high mark but let me put that into context before you start thinking i can take the exam tomorrow  Using the software that came with the Textbook (which you can get from me at any time just send me a mail or come chat to me ) I ran a custom mode test which focused on the "Work with Data" objective. The "Work with Data" objective focuses mainly on the first 7-8 chapters. I then limited the questions to 20, this took me about 30 minutes to complete. I didn't use any assistance during this test, although you can easily glance at the answers if you want or even google. The software allows you to add answer explanations as well. Try this out and post your scores here. I've posted another screenshot of the settings I used for this test. Id encourage you not to cheat when doing a test like this to gauge what you have actually learnt over the last few months.  In our next masterclass we can do a test of either 1 or 2 sections and see how we all fare. |
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Post by Kalim on Jul 24, 2015 14:40:46 GMT 2
If you take the test you will start to notice which functions/datatypes are used quite often:
- CAST
- CONVERT
- DATE datatypes
- aggregations functions (max, min, sum, avg, count)
- rank functions
- subqueries
This can give you an indication on what to really focus on for the exam.
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salih
New Member
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Post by salih on Aug 5, 2015 13:26:40 GMT 2
So i took the test for the first time. 44 questions in 1 hour. same customized exam as Kalim. Its not a pass, but its also not 5%. Some tips for taking the exam: 1. some questions seem to be so easy and obvious that you think its a trick question, but its really that easy. 2. the first few questions might be the hardest, but don't give up hope as yet, because the easiest questions came last. 3. dont stay too long on one question, you can always come back. 4. the query questions, all 4 options will look the exact same, but look carefully to find the small difference.  |
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Post by Kalim on Aug 6, 2015 8:07:15 GMT 2
So i took the test for the first time. 44 questions in 1 hour. same customized exam as Kalim. Its not a pass, but its also not 5%. Some tips for taking the exam: 1. some questions seem to be so easy and obvious that you think its a trick question, but its really that easy. 2. the first few questions might be the hardest, but don't give up hope as yet, because the easiest questions came last. 3. dont stay too long on one question, you can always come back. 4. the query questions, all 4 options will look the exact same, but look carefully to find the small difference. Well done Salih Writing these practice exams gives you a good indication on where you are in terms of your readiness for the exam and how well you know the content. More importantly it makes it clear what sections/areas you don't know, making it clear what you should focus on when studying. Also nice tips! I too found that a lot of the questions appear as trick questions but they really not, quite often the most obvious answer is the actual answer. What I need to find out is if this is the standard the actual test will be at. 69% is a good starting point! Its not too far off from a pass mark of 85%. You should definitely try and write September. I will share your post with the rest of the team, as I don't think many people are visiting the forum. |
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Post by Sandakahle on Aug 6, 2015 13:25:12 GMT 2
Taking these tests is actually a great idea even though some of us messed up  I took the certification option and only realized when I was half way through that I'm actually writing a wrong test, however it was a great experience at least now I know exactly what to expect. |
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Post by Kalim on Aug 7, 2015 16:34:52 GMT 2
Taking these tests is actually a great idea even though some of us messed up I took the certification option and only realized when I was half way through that I'm actually writing a wrong test, however it was a great experience at least now I know exactly what to expect. Yeah I'm going to start recommending people practice from the questions more. And then use the book maybe as a reference. Ive been learning quite a bit by going through the questions. |
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Post by Kalim on Aug 7, 2015 16:37:02 GMT 2
Salih, Sanda...thanks for participating on the forum It means a lot. I've been feeling like i did this for nothing, but at least now i know there are some people participating. |
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Post by lyndon on Aug 12, 2015 11:08:52 GMT 2
I passed this time. It helps to look at what you got wrong the first time and then learn from that. I suggest you print your test to PDF after you are complete. This will show you all the answers, which ones you got right and which ones you got wrong, along with the explanation to the answers. I used this to learn from my mistakes which prepared me for similar questions when I retook the test.  |
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Post by Kalim on Aug 12, 2015 19:05:31 GMT 2
I passed this time. It helps to look at what you got wrong the first time and then learn from that. I suggest you print your test to PDF after you are complete. This will show you all the answers, which ones you got right and which ones you got wrong, along with the explanation to the answers. I used this to learn from my mistakes which prepared me for similar questions when I retook the test. Congrats Lyndon Il share your victory with the rest of the team! |
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I took the certification option and only realized when I was half way through that I'm actually writing a wrong test, however it was a great experience at least now I know exactly what to expect. 