It would appear that Microsoft’s approach to the XP exam I failed has changed very recently. Every single question was expressed in terms of a case study, and some obscure aspects of XP were the subject of a number of questions. Some other issues, previously not covered, have also appeared in the exam. So, it wasn’t just me & where I was at in mid-December – though that didn’t help, obviously.
My training provider should be sending me some updates for the courseware they issue. In addition, I’ve decided to follow the advice to study XP and Server 2003 together, then do the exams. This was what people were expected to do a while ago, but then the exams were formally separated. They seem to “lean” on each other to a great extent, and the Server 2003 manual seems to reinforce a lot of the XP course. I’m now awaiting a start date for the Server 2003 online tutorials.
In addition, the centre where I go for tutorials has kindly offered some space for me to set up my own mini-network, and I spent today doing that using some castoff PCs. Two Celeron 633 PCs, 8Gb HDD, now bumped up to 128MB RAM each. One has Server 2003 on it, one XP Professional. Very satisfying setting them up. I had to do a bit of work on them: put a floppy drive in one, boost the RAM, deal with a Server installation problem using a portmanteau solution from a couple of Google searches. The two PCs are connected by a crossover CAT-5, but are not as yet talking to one another, and are not connected to the Net at all. My aim is to do all the practical exercises on them, as far as possible, and really get to know the system.
Many people are bemused to discover that I like doing this stuff. I’m bemused to discover that people enjoy EastEnders…
This has been a difficult time. Not only has L been in hospital & come out to convalesce, I have just had an almighty head cold which left me feeling like a zombie for much of the last week – thankfully, it’s on the retreat. I think it was questionable who was looking after whom, at one bit 
.
L too is recovering. She is finding her left arm painful and numb, but is certainly set to get out and about. Normality is beginning to creep in. I’ve been back at work this week, E has been in nursery, and all being well I shall be having some more paid work coming my way soon. Things have also changed at church – a new leadership team, with first meeting tonight. Very exciting.
I also need to get back into the MCSE, both starting a new course (Windows 2003 Server) and looking at retaking my previous exam.
Normality helps so much when things feel so abnormal.
Failed quite spectacularly!
I went to the test centre in Birmingham. After my bag, coat & mobile were taken off me I went into a room with separate cubicles with PCs in them. I sat a two-and-a-half hour test.
In order to pass, I needed to get 700. (Quite what the exam is out of, and how they calculate 700 from 50 questions, I don’t know). Let’s just say…I didn’t get 700.
Many of the questions were completely new to me, and don’t seem to have been covered by the course at all. Was I asleep for the last few months? Or are there really big holes in the course materials I’m using?
A retake beckons, anyway. One might argue that I haven’t done much revision in the last week (see below) but I don’t think that would have made much difference. Besides, I had revised pretty thoroughly before. I need to reflect on the whole thing for a day or two, and decide how I need to tackle this exam next time such that I can pass it.
My first exam for fifteen years. Having spent years teaching kids how to do it, I demonstrate my own stunning abilities!
…subnet masks that is.
My MCSE course continues with what I am told is the hardest part of this particular section (on XP). Binary arithmetic – maths generally – has never been my strong point, and numbers have a tendency to swim before the eyes. Conceptually, I think I have now understood them, but the question is will I get them the right way around in my head?
I’m trying to organise what I am learning into a wiki. really helpful experience. I’ve already been able to use it to help friends out with an XP problem.
Knee continues to give me gyp, but at least is bending at the moment. Doc today has referred me to the hospital fracture clinic on Thursday, so we’ll see what they say.