Customer Reviews

MCSA/MCSE Exam 70-292 Study Guide and DVD Training System: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used this book and DVD as my only study tools for the 70-292 exam, and I passed rather easily. Don't get me wrong, the test is difficult, but I have a fair amount of experience and this study guide is just great. It covers absolutely everything that's on the exam (and had very helpful icnons in the margins telling you which headings specifically cover which exam objectives). And, it also covers additional material that may not actually be on the exam, but you really need to know. I looked at all of the objectives pretty closely before I started readying, and when I was done I was incredibly confident that the book had covered everything. Again, I do have some experience, and I could tell the book was very accurate. Highly recommended!

I had purchased this book in 2004 with the intentions of completing the exam at that time. As most IT pros know, the best laid plans are often foiled and I was unable to really start reviewing the material until earlier in the year. As much as I like the "big happy friendly letters" and writing style of this book, you'll be left lacking. Read the book cover to cover...doing the labs...the practice exams and have successfully passed the exam. Flat out IT WONT DO IT! Get another book!

Luckily, I checked the previous reviews and made a decision to invest in the Microsoft Upgrade book ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735619719/sr=1-1/qid=1155760374/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7126449-1861536?ie=UTF8&s=books ) as well as a set of Transcender prep exams.

This book will no longer prepare you for the depth of 70-292 and as a matter of fact, it may cover as little as 30% of the exams content. It's great for a light casual overview but just doesn't cover the following subjects deeply enough:
1, Security Infrastructure, Certificate Infrastructure, Troubleshooting
2, Detailed DNS, extensive command line review
3, GPO Policy, Automating Server and TS management, Priveleges
4, Server recovery procedures, ASR, DC recovery, WSUS Recovery

If you want to pass this exam and move on to 70-296, get the Dan Holmes and Orin Thomas Microsoft Self Paced Training Kit as well as set of Transcenders. The Microsoft Book is not as dry as you'd expect and covers roughly 80% of the material...regretably, there isn't anything out there that will cover it %100.

Good luck to you all

For years I had always used the Sybex books to prepare for exans, but when I started studying for Security+ a friend recommended the Shimonski book from Syngress, and I passed pretty easily. When I started preparing to upgrade my MCSE, I thought I would use the Shimonski book again. I was again very pleased with the quality of the book. I also thought the DVD with this one was much better than the Security+ DVD. It was just much better done with a lot more content. I just ordered the 70-296 book as well, and I'm hoping it's as good.

I used to use other publishers books (Sybex and MS Press) to help review for my exams until the 70-214 exam came out in January of 2003 and Syngress was the only publisher with a book. Now I am hooked on Syngress and I will continue to use them exclusively. Interestingly enough, the same author that wrote that awesome 70-214 Syngress book is back at again with this 70-292 book. What can I say...this book rocks!

Being an MCSE on Windows 2000, it was only two exams to take to upgrade. I took and passed the 70-292 exam after reading this book over the course of a week. I had a fair bit of hands-on and my network is preparing to migrate some of our key servers to Windows Server 2003 later this year, so having the upgraded MCSE is a plus for me.

If you can only get one book, get this one...you get the great writing style complete with more information than you need to know for the exam, combined with the nice sidebars that add extra info about "you better know this" or "did you know this" types of things. The DVD has improved 100000% since the earlier ones they did for 70-214 and Security+ and it's actually quite usefull as a night before review session...or to watch when you get brain fried from studying.

Get this book, get some time with the product and get that upgrade exam out of the way! I am going to buy the Syngress 70-296 book next as soon as it comes out based on how pleased I am with this one. Thanks.

Yet another great book from Syngress and Will Schmied. After using about every other publisher's study guides, I've been hooked on the Syngress books for some time now and this one has raised the bar. The DVD is perfect for day before the test review and the content in concise and reads very well. The hands-on exercises are great for someone who has real world working knowledge of Windows 2000. I recommend this to anyone who wants to upgrade their MCSA.

This book is good to become more knowledgeable on all topics, but the material certainly doesn't match even the style of questions on the exam.

Doesn't go into enough detail on the subjects.

This book has a few typos and a few factual errors, but that seems to be unavoidable with books of this type. It is better than most that I have read. It is a valuable resource.

Just took 70-292 today. The exam has changed considerably since this book was written. According to sources on MCSA/MCSE forums, the exam has been rewritten as of December 2004. While it covers the same objectives, the focus is very different. No book written before December 2004 will prepare you enough for this exam.

Be prepared to write off your exam costs the first time you take it, as you'll probably be sitting for a retake.

First of all, this book has plenty of mistakes among the self test questions. None of these questions or similar questions are asked at the exam and the dvd is useless, showing a trainer reading down the main lines of the chapters.
It was the first time I bought a Syngress book and the first time I did not pass a Microsoft exam. I'll go back to Microsoft Press.

This book offers great reference material for the field, but the details needed to pass the exam are not to be found here. Don't use it as your only source for the exam.