Customer Reviews

MCSE Exam Cram 2 Bundle (70-290, 70-291, 70-293 & 70-294)

5 star:		(1)
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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The PrepLogic exam simulator CDs that come with the Exam Cram 2 books are only 50 questions long and many of those questions have typos and are repeated more then once! I bought the book pack partly because it came with this exam simulator software, so minus a star for that.

The book itself, however, is pretty good. It does a nice job of concisely conveying the information and providing step-by-step instructions when needed. It also comes with a neat little "cheat sheet" that's filled with little important facts you need to know for that exam. The CD also has the book in PDF format which is a big plus for me.

However, the book does have it's problems. For example: for the exam 70-291 the subject of subnetting is never discussed and this IS on the exam. A quick brush-up on subnetting would be nice (the MSPress Self-Paced Training Kit does subnetting in one chapter). I also found minor typos, including mention of HFNetchk for checking for security hot fixes which has been replaced by MBSA. Minus another star.

As an MCSE, CCNA, and A+ certified student of computer certifications I found this series good for an intorduction of the subject(s) and an overview of the test objectives. However, and this is important for you to understand, these books alone will not help you pass the certification exams. Much of the material in this book is presented in outline form, and barely touches the depth of knowledge needed to answer the test questions. Also, as the following excerpt from the book description illustrates, much of the text of these books is dedicated to stuff seasoned test takers already know: "The books feature test-taking strategies, time-saving study tips, and a special Cram Sheet that includes tips, acronyms, and memory joggers not available anywhere else. The Cram Sheet is especially useful for last-minute review before the test begins."

My advice, buy this series if you want an overview of the test objectives, and use the material as a guide to your further studies. In that capacity, they are well worth the purchase price. Just don't go into the test room with knowledge limited to what you gleaned from these books.

I recommend this book for those starting their quest for MCSE certification.

Having recently completed my pursuit of the 2003 MCSE, I can say that these books are nothing more than a highlight of the topics you need to know in order to pass the exams. ExamCram seems to have rested on it's laurels on this one.

I consistenly found myself looking to other books and MS resources to find the information that I was seeking, and eventually shut these books and moved on without them. I did not look back. Several topics that were covered in the various exams were not even mentioned in the books, such as NLB affinity. The information contained is many times incomplete, or too general to be of any use on the exams. As the exams are more real-world experience based now, the "memorize this" format presented here does not serve as well as in the past.

I recommend the Microsoft Press and Syngress books as far better resources. I wouldn't recommend this set as anything more than a cross-reference for the better books available.