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My Year End Review

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had a post a few week back about his certification achievements this past year. Seeing this is the last week of the year, I was reflecting on what I accomplished this past year. Listing what you have accomplished in the past year along with setting goals for the future is a good way to mark your progress and then set goals to achieve going ahead.

This past year I have been fairly steady with the certifications I passed the following exams:

  • 70-640 TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
  • 70-642 TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
  • 70-625 TS: Connected Home Integrator
  • 70-626 Consumer Sales Specialist
  • 70-622 PRO: Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians
  • 70-293 Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
  • 70-294 Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
  • 70-297 Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure

As a result of these exams I received the MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician and the MCSE 2003 credential.

I am also taking a program through Loyalist College’s Loyalist Training and Development Centre called Managing and Leading in a Municipal Environment as part of my job at the County.

 

In 2009 my plan is to pass the following exams:

  • 70-643 TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuring
  • 70-646 PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator
  • 70-647 PRO: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator
  • 70-236 TS: Exchange Server 2007, Configuring
  • 70-635 TS: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008, Desktop Deployment

As well as these Microsoft exams, I also want to do an ITIL course this year and Security+ and maybe look at the CCNA from Cisco but probably won’t write that exam in 2009. I may also try and write some other Microsoft exams besides the ones above, but we’ll see how it goes. I am going to try to get through the ones listed first.

Registration open till October 25th for testing New Virtual Lab based Exam 70-113

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Microsoft has extended their offer to write the Microsoft exam 70-113: TS: Windows® Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring. This is the exam where you don’t get a score but it is for Microsoft Learning to test their deployment and for your trouble you will receive 3 three exam vouchers. I have written this exam and some words of advice, don’t arrive too early for the exam, you can’t start the exam until the time you selected. For example, I arrived at 8:45 and started my 9:00 exam. I had to sit and twiddle my thumbs until 9:00 while the counter counted down because the VM you run your test in
doesn’t get prepped until a few minutes before the exam. So don’t be like me, arrive a little early for your test but don’t start the exam until your allotted
time.

Normally I would say good luck, but in this case, there is no
score, so have fun. Below is the official text.

Registration open
till October 25th for testing New Virtual Lab based Exam 70-113: TS:
Windows® Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

Responding
to a ton of positive and productive feedback and many customer requests,
Microsoft extends the registration for exam
70-113 till October 25th. Call to your near test centers before
October 25th to learn and experience it now to prepare for your experience
during scored testing. The new pilot exam 70-113: TS: Windows® Server 2008
Active Directory, Configuring tests candidate’s abilities to actually perform
tasks and solve problems in virtual lab environment like they would do it
normally in a real world. We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to
experience this pilot exam at no charge and obviously we are eager to receive
your opinion.

Now
virtual lab based pilot Exam 70-113 is available worldwide, with high
concentration of test centers ready to receive registrations for this pilot exam
in Ireland, Singapore, Canada,
Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, UK,
Egypt, UAE, South Africa, US, India, Eastern Europe, Russia (Moscow),
China.

Upon
completion of this pilot exam, the first 3000 candidates will receive
3 (!) free exam vouchers that can be used to register for any
Microsoft Certification exam delivered at a Prometric testing center.  The
voucher will be distributed electronically 4 weeks after end of Pilot.  This
pilot exam will not provide you with a score as with normal beta exams.
This pilot is a test of the exam experience, so only a portion of the final exam
will be presented to you during this pilot. This pilot exam will not be added to
your transcript and you will need to take the exam in its released form in order
to be awarded the credential. Find exam preparation information: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-640.mspx

Registration
Information

You
must register at least 7 days prior to taking the exam. Register before October
25th to take the exam before October 31st.
Please use
the following promotional code when registering for the exam: H640
(promo code is active till October 31st)
Receiving this
invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the pilot; we recommend that you
register immediately.


•

· Go
to the Prometric Website: http://www.register.prometric.com/ClientInformation.asp

· Select
Microsoft exam 70-113:
TS: Windows® Server 2008 Active Directory,
Configuring

· Enter
Promo Code H640
(promo code is active till October
31st)

Send your opinion
about exam experience to: http://blogs.technet.com/betaexams/and to:[email protected]

Microsoft Certification Online Study Groups

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I am going to be working on two more Microsoft Exams. One is 70-646, Windows Server Administration and the other is 70-236, Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Both are technologies I use at my job and I want to get certified on.

My plans for the 646 is to write the exam sometime before the end of October. That being said, if it looks too ambitious then I might push it out to November. The Exchange certification I plan to work on with a friend in Ottawa to help keep me focused. The plan for him and I is to try and meet once a week via Microsoft LiveMeeting and discuss the chapters that we were to cover for that week. When we are done, we will try the exam. I imagine we will be early February or March before we tackle the exam.

For both of these exams, I will be posting to my blog a recommended schedule, a quick review of the weekly content and a question of the week. Look for me to have a plan together for the 646 exam first (probably next week) and then once I have the details finalized, the plan for 236. My intention with the LiveMeeting’s on exchange is to open them up to anyone who is interested in following along. To follow along with either of these sessions, you will need the Microsoft Press Study Guides for the respective material. Unfortunately, I don’t have any copies of the book to give away, your best bet is to do like I did and order the book through Amazon. Ordering online saved me about $20.00 versus buying it in a store and I had the books in two days.

Here is the link to each of the books:

70-646, Windows Server Administration

70-236, Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

If you are interested in working on these exams, we’ll be creating forums for each of the exams at the OWSUG site where questions can be asked. Look for more information about 70-646 next week.