MCSE Update: Exam 6 of 6, "The Danging"

dang.
dang.
dang.
dang.
dang.
failed it.

I mean I really failed it. 700 was passing and I got 506.

Ouch.

:(

But this score actually feels better than if I'd only failed by a few points. THAT would have really pissed me off, because I knew right away I'd answered a few questions wrong and those could have made the difference. But no, I failed this one with plenty of room to spare, so I'm strangely relieved! I went into this test feeling pretty confident, unlike some of the others that I passed, so something was up this time and I think I know what it was.

The format of this exam was very different from the other five. I've never seen it before. It was not just a string of 40 or so questions with a single countdown clock like all the others. This exam was divided into six "testlets," as Microsoft called them, each with its own countdown clock and about seven questions. Each testlet came with a tremendous amount of text and graphics describing a fictional company and their existing IT environment, as well as their desires/requirements for an upgraded network that I would provide.

I think my biggest mistake was in trying to read and absorb the multiple screens of information before concentrating on the questions. It was just too much information - much of it irrelevant to the questions! All that reading and re-reading wasted a lot of time, so on at least three of the testlets I ran out of time and clicked the remaining answers almost randomly so at least they weren't blank. Given more time I would have gotten many more questions right, but I felt a little flustered and rushed the whole time.

Adding to my unease with the format, at one point I clicked on a couple of prompts that I thought I understood, and "POP" I was back at the welcome screen for the entire exam! Agggghhh! When I saw this I thought I had just ended the exam prematurely! In a panic I ran out of the room to get the proctor. She came in, clicked a couple of things and I was on to the next testlet. Whew! But more time wasted and more unease.

Well, now that I'm familiar with navigating the information, next time I will let key words in the questions drive my scanning of the information, rather than trying to absorb all the information first. I think that will give me the time I need to calmly pull the knowledge out of my brain that I know is in there.

Given the firm deadline of our move to St. Paul and the retake policies of Microsoft, I expect to only have one more chance to pass this exam in LA. I'll probably study for another week - focusing on the computer-based practice tests, and retake this exam around Wednesday 12th.

dang. I'm so close to the end I can taste the impending pride and relief.


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S.P. minus 17 days
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