Customer Reviews

McSe Training Guide: SQL Server 6.5 Design and Implementation

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used this book as my main source for studying for the SQL Server Implementation & Design exam. However, it does not cover all the necessary subjects, especially record locking. Also this book is full of errors. Be very careful when using their practice exams, you will flunk the Certification Exam based on their answers. I wondered if they ever hired a proofreader. Also the questions on the back of each chapter are something to be desired.

If you use this book, supplement it with the Transcender or Beachfront Quizzer sample tests. If you can get someone to lend you the MS SQL Server Resource Kit, it will make up for what is missing in this book.

A good start to passing the exam but not enough. I missed passing on my first try by one question. Grief. Book is weak on triggers which the exam hit heavily. The practice tests are frustrating and contain errors. You'd be better off using a Microsoft Press Book and Transcender

I found this book hard to use. The way they laid out the system and database catalogs was worthless. The examples were sparse to non-existent in the latter chapters (deadline approaching, maybe). The indexing chapters were almost informative enough to be useful. STILL, it's good enough to pass the test.

The last few chapters were written very well. They were thorough, logical and accurate. The rest of the book was poorly written. The beginning chapters were ambiguous, incomplete, inaccurate and contradictory. I would recommend the last few chapters to supplement your MSCE goals. As for the rest.... It's said that a thousand monkeys banging on typewriters for a thousand years could produce the complete works of Shakespeare. I'll give this book four monkeys and only three months.

The book provides a good overview of SQL Implementation, but is not enough. Read the book (skip it's questions and CD), then study the Transcender exams. Assuming you are not a novice, you should pass. I passed on the first attempt using these two resources.

The overall concept and presentation of the book is excellent. Don't be fooled by the test prep software however, it was extremely buggy and very week in scope. Combine this book with Transcender softare and you have a sure fire pass. The coverage of triggers and defaults/rules could have been stronger and programmability was not as up to speed as a few other guides, but overall it prepares you for the exam on a timely basis.

I highly recommend the New Riders series.

This book does a fairly good job of preparing you for the exam. The book seems to be put together well and the questions at the end of each chapter are thorough. The software was a major disappointment though. The book brags about the amazing testing engine included in the software, but in reality it is virtually useless because there are so many errors in the questions that the engine asks you. I even downloaded a patch for the software from the New Riders web site, but this still did not fix the numerous erroneous questions and answers. Some questions tell you to choose 2 asnwers, but only let you pick one. Others tell you to pick which item does NOT have these traits, but the answers are the items that do have the traits, etc. All of these problems would be easy to fix, but no one has taken the time to do it. Nevertheless, I did pass the test on the first try after reading this book.

I believe that the level of the text is reasonably geared for the intended audience. (If you're an old SQL pro, you probably don't really need a book like this and if you're a complete novice, you're probably not ready to think about taking the exam) This series uses the framework of the published Microsoft Exam topics to arrange the material covered. Despite the constraint, this book does a rather decent job of actually teaching one to use SQL Server. The authors frequently reference outside material, often the online docs, for further study. There are extensive exercises and question sets at the end of each chapter, though the questions are not "exam sound alikes". In any case I would suggest that someone hitting SQL cold, would do well to first spend some time with MS Access to learn the fundamentals of Relational Data Base Design (Teach Yourself Access 97 in 14 Days from Sams might be a good choice). Follow up with this book, and then the SQL Server online docs.

Provides good overview of topics covered in exam
Not extremely detailed or thorough in all topics
Review questions at end of each chapter are too easy and sometimes down-right wrong or contradict the text itself
Exercises are too easy.
Overall, good review for exam; should complement another study guide.

This book was a good high-level overview of all the major topics for the database design test. But the testprep software that came with the book was buggy and some of the questions were not worded properly. The questions at the end of each chapter are very thorough, but do not reflect questions that will be asked on exam 70-027.