Customer Reviews

MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft (2nd Edition) .NET Core Requirements, Exams 70-305, 70-315, 70-306, 70-316, 70-310, 70-320, and 70-300 box vol. set

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Three things struck me about this set as soon as I received it and started working through the material. First, these books can be used for both learning and preparing for the certification exams. Second, if you buy the set from Amazon and you intend to take the exams, your cost will be a fraction of the published cost. This is because of the four 15% off exam fee vouchers that are included in the set. In the end, you will get almost 75% off the published price! Be careful when you buy this set as a used set from someone as the vouchers have discount codes that can only be utilized once. Third, these same books can be used whether you are interested in the VB.NET track or VC#.NET track.

This set is best suited for basic and intermediate level users of the .NET technologies. The four books in the set are focused on helping you learn - windows based programming, web based programming, XML web services and server components, and solution architectures. Each book takes a lesson style approach by splitting each chapter into multiple lessons. Each lesson focuses on teaching a unique skill and can be worked through individually. But I found that you need to stay with the sequence of lessons in order to get the maximum benefit.

I am new to taking Microsoft certifications so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the way the material is presented. Each lesson has an estimated time of completion which I found to be a bit too optimistic but not too far off. The relevant concepts are explained first and these are followed by step by step instructions on how to perform a specific task. Example code related to the task being described is included. At the end of each chapter (not lesson), there is a lab section that contains several exercises for the reader to perform to ensure proper learning. The completed labs are on the CD-ROM that comes with the set. This is very helpful in identifying by comparison anything wrong that you might have done on these exercises.

The CD-ROM that comes with the set has the entire set in electronic form, completed labs, practice files, and exam questions. The set also comes with a DVD that has a 60 day trial version of Visual Studio.NET 2003 Professional. The paper is very thin and these are paperbacks and not hardcover editions. I personally like the thinner paper as it is easier to carry the individual books around.

The prerequisites for using this set are a knowledge of controls & events, SQL, and other basic programming concepts. I think this set is aimed at users that are at a beginner or intermediate level. One advanced user I talked to wasn't as impressed with this set as I was.

The only downside to the set that I found was the intermingling of VB.NET and VC#.NET code throughout the books. I found this very annoying as I am interested in only the VB.NET portions. But I guess this could be a positive if you haven't decided which path to take or are planning on mixing the exams that you take.

The best part about these books is that there are so many practice questions for each exam! After researching other preparatory material online, I found that most vendors are not including that many practice questions. So getting these many questions (550 total in the set) for such a low price made it really worthwhile for me.

I would recommend getting the training guides by Mike Gunderloy (Que Certification series) that I am finding to be the best tools for exam preparation. But it doesn't hurt to get this Microsoft set considering the exam fee discount reduces the price of the set and the number of questions included is great!

Overall, don't hesitate to get this set if you are sure that you are going to take the exams. But use the set as a secondary and not a primary preparation tool. Good luck learning .NET and passing the exams!

Update on 5/5/2005: This review is old so please check with Amazon if the kit still comes with the vouchers before purchasing. I remember seeing an expiration date on those vouchers so it's quite possible they don't include the vouchers with the kit anymore.

(This review is a variation of my review for the individual 70-315 "redbook")

Microsoft approaches certification exams the same way that the Educational Testing Service approaches SAT, GMAT and GRE college entrance exams.

ETS discourages people from using SAT preparation classes and books and, rather, encourages people to just work on their verbal and quantitative skills. They suggest that doing so is enough to do well on the exams. We all know better.

Microsoft takes the approach that, if you have a good mastery of the subject being tested then that is all you need to pass the certs. The Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits (known as the "redbooks") do a reasonable job of teaching you the concepts of ASP.NET (and WinForms and the VB.NET/C# language and other tested topics), but they do a poor job of preparing you for the certs.

It's true that, if you review vocabulary words a lot and practice intermediate algebra and 10th grade geometry problems in the weeks preceding your SATs you may improve your score by 3 or 4%. But if you use that time to review sample test questions and analyze the structure and logic behind SAT questions using Princeton Review or Kaplan etc., then you will improve your score by considerably more than a few percentage points. The same goes for Microsoft certs. If you master the topic being tested (in this case, Web apps, ASP.NET), you may still pass the exam or, at least, slightly increase your score. But knowing the topic is not enough. You must know the exam, as well. This thinking goes against Microsoft's view of their own certification exams. Microsoft's thinking and point-of-view is reflected in their "redbooks."

Therefore, if all you want is to learn ASP.NET using either of the dialects of the VB.NET/C# language, then this book is OK (if a bit pricey compared to other "cert prep" books). But if you are looking for certification preparation (as opposed to just learning the topic), then a combination of one of the cert prep products such as TestKing or Transcender along with a book like Kalani (ISBN: 0789728222) is a much better approach. These tools will help you pass the exam. Kalani, in particualr, will help you master the topic AS WELL AS prepare you for the exam. TestKing and/or Transcender will give you practice with close-to-actual exam questions. No, they don't repeat real questions but they do give you examples of the TYPES of question to expect and give you practice with the nuances, languages and tricks that are part of the cert exam questions.

You can't pass the certs without understanding the topics (and I would never hire anyone who passed the exam by memorizing questions -- believe me, I can tell). But knowing the topics alone is usually not enough. The "redbooks" teach the concepts and prepare you for using the ASP.NET tools, but the "redbooks" do not prepare you for the exams.

If the books were cheaper (or if you can share with 2 or 3 friends), and your goal was just to learn how to program (but not necessarily pass a cert) then I would recommend this book for learning the topic. For cert preparation, however, use something else.
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NOTES:
(1) I gave the entire set 3 stars even though I gave the individual 70-315 book only 2 stars because if you buy the entire set, not only is the discount price below that of buying all 4 books separately, but also because the test vouchers inside reduce the price even more (if you use all 4). The reduced price makes it more of a bargain. Also, the 70-300 exam book was closer to the actual exam than the other three books.

(2) When you buy the boxed set, the volumes are softbound (paperback). When you buy the books individually, they are hardcover.

(3) For "server" certs, the equivalent to the Microsoft "redbooks" are the "bluebooks." For the 70-229 exam (T-SQL and SQL Server), the "bluebook" is ISBN: 0735619603. 7-229 can be used as the elective on the MCAD or as the required "server" cert on the MCSD exam. In addition to the 4 books in the above Self-training kit, you will need the 70-229 "bluebook" (unless you go for one of the other server certs, such as Biztalk Server or Commerce Server). The 70-229 "bluebook" is closer to the cert exam than the "redbooks" are to their respective exams.

I'm a long-time .NET developer, since it was in Beta. I love the .NET Framework, and I wanted to get certified to grow professionally.

If you are trying to pass the certs, DO NOT BUY THIS SET.

The practice exams in this set are a joke- I was getting 90+ scores on the practice exams, only to find the real exams covered substantially different materials, kept a totally different time pace (these are timed exams), and were presented in substantially different style.

I bought books from Microsoft Press because I didn't want to mess around with anyone else- I trusted the name. I am furious with Microsoft Press- they've cheated me. Don't let them take you.

If there's anything I've learned in my years of programming, it's that you need more than one book to achieve a Microsoft programming certification. Usually MS Press (recently affliated with/purchased by McGraw Hill) books are the gospel, but their theory goes much further than their hands-on, which is far from extensive. In the past I have used Sybex's books, which have much better hands-on examples, allowing you to explore all of the features of the environment.

These books are very helpful to me, but I certified in VB5 and 6, and have been working with .NET since Beta 1. These books will not be helpful to someone who is "new" to Visual Studio languages, or new to programming altogether.

If this is your first MS programming cert, be sure to pick up other books as well to ensure you cover the breadth of material necessary.

Of course, there is no question that this book is one of the best references out there for VS2003. However, if you are just starting studying for MCSD 2003, then I say wait! Microsoft has totally redesigned its certification program; The new certifications are coming out in Spring 2006. Now, studying for MCSD is not a 24 hours or 36 hours matter, unless you are vastly experienced in .Net technology and even if you are, there is no guarantee that you 'll pass the exam without following a study guide. My advice to you is to save your money and go for the new certifications. Those certifications are long-term investments, and you'll thank yourself in a year or two!

The good thing about buying this collection of books is that it represents a worthwhile investment for someone who wants to get an MCSD or MCAD certification. The savings over buying the hardcover books individually is significant.

I'm in agreement with what seems to be a consensus among reviewers that, while these books contain a lot of good information, you'll need to go to other resources to learn everything you'll need to know to actually pass the tests. MSDN is often a great source of information - if only because it's free - for things that the books don't cover.

In places where these books are good, they present concise explanations of concepts you need to understand to be able to answer test questions. The tests often involve some reasoned problem-solving to arrive at the right answer, rather than simple factual recall. (Some cert test questions, on the other hand, are almost silly - but that's another issue.) Where lots of computer books are padded with pendanticism and lengthy, tedious sample applications, these books can often help you grasp the salient concepts in a few short pages.

Code samples also tend to be concise and illustrative (although they don't always work!). Some of the sample code on the CDs might be the best thing the collection has to offer. You can learn a lot by pasting it into Visual Studio - and then changing stuff around to see what it does. If you're like me and don't type well, the CD is great to have.

In places where they are bad, these books are bloated with fluffy chapter introductions and summaries, that are really only filler, and nearly irrevelant information. They also frequently do not reflect the emphasis that a subject area will have on the exams. If 20% of a book covers a given topic, that doesn't mean that 20% of the test questions will cover that topic. The left hand and the right hand at Microsoft just aren't all that coordinated. In this respect, these books leave much to be desired as "exam preparation" guides.

I personally felt the 70-300 book was by far the worst in these respects while the 70-305 book was quite worthwhile. The other two fit somewhere in the middle.

I went through the practice tests for two of the exams and decided they weren't worth the time it takes to go through them. After that, I gave up on those and bought practices tests instead.

In two cases, I also used Exam Cram books to prepare and agree with those who say that they are better. It really is kind of shabby that a third party can come up with better instructional materials than Microsoft itself.

This set is a great deal when it comes with the vouchers, but still an OK deal otherwise. The books for the Windows, Web, and Web Services exams are good and they were able, with no other material, to allow me to pass those three exams. The book for the Solution Architecture exam (70-300), however, is useful only as a paperweight. That book is so poorly written, I couldn't even finish half of it! Fortunately, Exam Cram 2 has an excellent book for that exam. Not only is this set cheaper than buying the three good books separately, but the paperback editions in the set are lighter and smaller as well.

I have QUE books for actual hands-on studying at home. But I wanted books for a quick on-the-go studying. I'm satisfied with the sets for the following reasons:
1) each book is light enough for me to carry in my backpack everyday.
2) Content may not be in-depth but is decent enough.
3) Exam questions are much better than QUE books. This is arguable However I just passed 70-315 and I can tell you that many of the questions were awefully familar thanks to the practice questions that came with the set.

No discount code in my set but I bought the voucher from online companies that offers 10+ % discount.

Before buying material for my MCSD on amazon.com I read customer reviews .... some said this material rocks, some said this is bad. In my personal opinion this "Self-Paced Training Kit" is good for getting your certification. My advice to all certification wannabe's is to stick to one type of guide and do thorough study, and you will click the exams. I got this material and it worked for me because I am doing a thorough study of this. This is a decent material and you get so many books in so less price. What else you expect.

Having worked with .NET for almost two years the first three books (305/315, 306/316, 320) where a good guide as to what topics might be covered in the exam. I would certainly recommend them.

The last book for 70-300 was misleading. The sample questions were not even close to the format or question type offered in the exam. The exam covered material not covered in the book where experience really is a must or at least familiarity with MS Products like BizTalk and Host Integration Server. Out of the set, this is the only book I would really recommend a person read for background purposes only and find something else to prepare them for the test. The book is not without merit though as it is a good intro to MSF.