InstantForum.NET v2.9.0SQLServerCentralhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/notifications@sqlservercentral.comTue, 21 May 2013 16:53:17 GMT20http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1377933-10-1.aspxHi all,When I just opened the 70-462 TK I saw a six server Hyper-V environment is neccesary to complete the book. It has only very, very brief instructions on setting this environment up. No info on the configuration of the separate servers on disksize, memory etc.So far I have no experience with Hyper-V. I have only used it as enduser on some classroom MS courses in the past. Other MS studies I did could all be done on a single local SQL Server installation.Before I even start to try and install the Hyper-V environment (on what machine is a different question...) I wondered if the empty training environment might be available as a download somewhere? I have seen similar environments available but have not been able to find this one.Any ideas?Cheers,ErikSat, 27 Oct 2012 03:43:25 GMTErikvanDhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1433748-10-1.aspxTook 462 yesterday and only managed to get 612 vs the pass mark of 700. Main problem is that I'm not a DBA so was doing everything from the book rather than based on experience. I will need to pass this at some point though (I have a Second Shot valid until the end of May).I'm actually a Senior Developer. I came in this morning and took a practice test for 461. Fifty questions, which I rushed through in 20min without having looked at the book at all yet I still managed 92%. So, assuming I do a quick "brush up" on 461 (Query Hints and Encryption was what I missed) is it worth taking that before the 462 resit just to get a bit of a confidence boost?As far as 462 goes does anybody have any tips for the best way to approach this? I think I need to spend more time actually working through examples and case studies from the book but I'm still not sure if that covers everything. I won't say anything about what was in the exam but there were a couple of nasty surprises there for me.I was hoping to get 462 "out of the way" as the other ones actually reflect what I do in my job. It's a shame that you now need a DBA qualification to get any sort of certification in SQL Server 2012.Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:18:42 GMTRichard Warrhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1452033-10-1.aspxhello. I am preparing my exam 70-448 and want to do more test.What exams you recommend me?I saw SelfExamEngine and transcend, which is better?thank you very muchMon, 13 May 2013 04:14:25 GMT@Aprendiz@SQLhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1452003-10-1.aspxhello. I am preparing my exam 70-448 and want to do more test.What exams you recommend me?I saw SelfExamEngine and transcend, which is better?thank you very muchMon, 13 May 2013 02:56:17 GMT@Aprendiz@SQLhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1316383-10-1.aspxHi, Id like to take this exam and looking for some good prep.. My T-SQL skills are basic at present (main reason for taking the exam). Since the exam prep books arent out for another few months, Could anyone suggest some study materials? I prefer learning by doing, so any training with examples and things you can try yourself would be great. Any learning techniques that poeple have for learning coding would be great to (I normal draw out any concepts im trying to learn, doesnt really work with writing TSQL)ThanksFri, 15 Jun 2012 02:37:50 GMTn00bDBAhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1449511-10-1.aspxHi All,back in 2009 I did the SQL Server 2005 Database Developer MCITP certification, but never got around to upgrading that to 2008. I'm thinking of getting certified on 2012 (if for no other reason that to force myself to learn the bits i've not looked at yet). I can see clearly from the Microsoft site that there is an upgrade path from 2008 certification to 2012, but it doesn't appear that there is anything for 2005 to 2012.Does anyone know if there is there an exam path I've missed, or would getting certified on 2012 essentially mean "starting over", exam wise?Sun, 05 May 2013 06:56:01 GMTT. C.http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1448921-10-1.aspxI've been trying to locate what are called votech high schools that are MS IT Academy partners, which teach SQL Server. I cannot afford 'for profit' schools and votechs like PTEC are extremely affordable plus do a great job in many instances. MS does not track which IT Academys teach what so it's been extremely difficult to locate any that teach SQL.However, a few votech high schools nearby will be offering MTA certifications in web programming classes that will get me prepared for Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Exam 98-364 - Database Fundamentals.So my dilemna. First, I'm aware all education is self education. I was in a program for SQL where the teacher did not know SQL. The school closed the class. I'm convinced an IT Academy school will speed my progress immensely. So straight comparison: if you thought you couldn't afford MCSA classes, how useful do you think the 98-364 will be? I'm thinking of immediately starting the 461, 462, etc. as soon as I can afford them.I'm also thinking the web programming classes will get me through C##, etc. which I'd have to tackle anyway (in the grad degree I'm considering) and should help me w/better positions so I can afford expensive SQL classes. But it will take a year, maybe less.What do you think?Thu, 02 May 2013 10:56:46 GMTblackrm79http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1446154-10-1.aspxI've noticed that the 70-461 Exam guide contains quite a bit of the authors' opinions on the style issues of query writing that are not enforced by the database engine and not all code writers adhere too.For example, the book may use an example like SELECT s.St_Id AS 'Student ID', s.FIRST AS 'First Name', s.LAST AS 'Last Name', m.DESCRIPTION AS 'Major'FROM STUDENT AS sINNER JOIN MAJOR AS m ON s.M_ID = m.M_ID; Where I might have written it likeselect s.st_id 'Student ID', s.first 'First Name', s.last 'Last Name'from student s inner join major m on m.m_ID = s.m_IDThere is the argument that some forms are more readable, but people who have been writing queries for years using a different style may disagree.Is knowledge of the "preferred" styles of query writing needed on the exam? Or is it just being able to recognize what will and will not produce the desired output?Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMTdan-572483http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1445869-10-1.aspxHello All.... I am a fresher in an MNC and have been assigned the task of optimization. I am working on Sql Server 2000 for database support. So, can anybody help me out in getting the [b]list of things[/b] which i can look into while optimizing the code in SQL?? It will be better if i get something on optimizing at logical level.Here is a few things which i look into....1) Removal of Cursors2) Removal of unused variables3) Prefixing qualified name "dbo." while calling Stored Procedures4) Replacement of multiple 'Set' statements with a single select statement.5) Removing unnecessary BEGIN or END6) Taking care of numeric precisions while declaring variables7) Replacing 'Else If' conditional blocks with 'Case' statement blocksSo, other than these things can i get something better on optimizing from logical point of view??? :-) Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:34:44 GMTrohit11.jagannathhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1444980-10-1.aspxJust passed the 70-461 SQL Developer Exam Today.This exam is much harder than I expected.Its quite syntax heavy, and asks a lot of questions on correct syntax, things that if SSMS didnt like the syntax it would take 30 secs to g00gle the proper syntax. Syntax memorization isnt a real test of knowledge IMO but regadless, its in the exam. correct syntax on index creation, table altering, view creation, grouping, xml, windowing, xml, xml and more xml all came up.Lots of XML, know the different ways to convert rows to XML, and the differences between those ways to get xml out of tabular data.Know your windowing functions well.Know grouping very well.Know UDF's well, different types and syntax.Types of triggers and their usage.Pretty much everything that the exam covers came up so not many shortcuts. I used the microsoft training book as prep. book is great, but the sample exam is worse than useless. I wouldnt use it AT ALL if doing this again.Best of luck to all taking this exam.Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:27:39 GMTwinston Smithhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1440337-10-1.aspxHello: First of all sorry for my english !. I'm a bit confused. I'm learning to pass the 70-432 exam in a few weeks if everything goes fine. But I don't know which exam to take after: 70-450 or 70-448.70-450 is for advanced administration but it seems that it will be retired soon, and 70-448 tends to B.I, but it's not going to be retired.I like both of them but is worth the effort to pass an exam that will be retired soon ??.Regards.Tue, 09 Apr 2013 07:57:38 GMTdiegovillamilhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1287974-10-1.aspxI thought it was time to push myself again so I have booked 70-450 for 29th May, which should hopefully give me enough time to go through the Transcenders.I know there are no official MS Press books for 70-450, but other than Transcenders and MeasureUp/SelfTestSoftware, what other none rule breaking resources are good to swat up on. If anyone can recommend a book much like the MC:TS book for 70-432 that would be amazing as that helped me on the bits I struggled on when I failed 70-432 for the first time.Also is the pass mark 700 still like it is for 70-432 so I can configure the pass mark on Transcender?Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:57:52 GMTanthony.greenhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1442648-10-1.aspxHello: I'm now preparing the 70-432 exam and looked at the 70-450 and it seems quite similars, is this true ??.After 70-432 I think I will take the 70-450 with some CBT Nuggets course and later this year I will take 70-448.Please give me your impressions about the similarities of 70-432 and 70-450.Thanks a lot.Regards.Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:48:50 GMTdiegovillamilhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1436228-10-1.aspxHi, I have the MCTS in SQL2008 and want to upgrade to 2012. Currently I have been unable to find any study resources for 70-457 or 70-458 (the two upgrade exams), does anybody know of any good material?Thanks.Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:38:44 GMTReamerXXVIhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1427254-10-1.aspxHi,Ive just ordered the book: Querying SQL Server 2012 Training Kit. I am planning to take the exam 70-461 within 3 months. My question is: Will this book be sufficient enough to study to pass the exam. Are there any other resources anyone can recommend to make sure I have a good chance of passing. ThanksWed, 06 Mar 2013 02:50:01 GMTdbmanhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1435858-10-1.aspxHey guys, I just decided upon a career change at the end of last year and want to become a SQL developer. I've been learning SQL for almost 3 months now (Head First book) and am planning on taking 2 classes at the local college in May and August. My goal is to take all 3 exams by the end of this year or January of 2014 at the latest and become MCSA certified so I could get my first Entry level/Junior level position next February. Is this a realistic goal? Also, how much experience do I need to have to begin studying for these exams? How much time should I give myself to study for each exam? Any help would be appreciated guys, this career change was abrupt and I am putting the work into it, I just hope I'm doing it right.Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:23:45 GMTdob111283http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1417077-10-1.aspxHi all, I'm in need of some advice from some learned peeps regarding study material etc for my 70-450 exam.I've unfortunately just failed the exam this morning (score of 457!! :crying:). So, I've been a DBA since Jan 2012 using SQL Server 2008 R2 looking after 5 servers each with an instance of SQL Server supporting up to 15 databases collectively (nothing over 2GB). I've been on the MS course applicable for the 70-450 exam (M50400) and also studied for it using the MS suggested MeasureUp online course tests. Without breaking the terms of the NDA I can safely say the exam was soooo much more in depth than the MeasureUp questions and included topics that weren't covered in the M50400 course which took me quite by surprise!I passed my 70-432 exam with a score of 900 back in November and really want/need to pass my 70-450 by the end of March this year....am I being too ambitious or could someone suggest alternative methods of study? I've been toying with setting up virtual machines to implement security settings, replication/mirroring/failover clustering etc to give me more of a practical angle of study (I also have access to a physical test server that I can play with), what do people reckon, what would you do?? :unsure:Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:45:17 GMTWWDMarkhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1436029-10-1.aspxOne of the Exam topics I find difficult to prepare for is performance tuning. The performance of any SQL instance with only one user who occasionally runs a query in SSMS is most likely going to be excellent, and you won't see the effects of configuring Resource Govenor, paralellism settings, fine tuning indexes, etc. I have limited opportunities at work to play with these things because most learning is from experimentation and learning from what doesn't work, and we don't implement things on live systems unless we're very certain we're doing the right thing, or the live system is actually broken. Are there apps available that can throw large numbers of queries at AdventureWorks, or otherwise simulate a production-level load on non-production systems?Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:34:07 GMTdan-572483http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1434943-10-1.aspxSo.. I am using Adventure works 2008 sample database now as my SQL server software is only compatible with that... I am using a 2008R2 sql server SSMS. But somehow it wont support adventureworks 2008R2. I am little confused why is not not supporting....Now my question is whether i can use AW2008 for practicing on stuff for AW2012 from Microsoft website????Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:37:30 GMTprathibha_aviatorhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1432907-10-1.aspxI am just wondering how much each exam would cost...and where to register.. Would also like to know how many exams we need to pass to get first level of certification and what are they...Appreciate ur help..Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:03:46 GMTprathibha_aviatorhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1430246-10-1.aspxHello all I am in need of some serious help. At the age of 29 I decided to go to Uni and 5 years later I gradudated with a Msc in GIS. I have 7 months work experince in a National Elecrical company but have had to move to my girldriends home country in central europe and start all over looking for a job. There are no GIS jobs where I am and thats ok for my. However 4 months in and no new job and I am regreting the move. The presure is on big time. I want to move into the Database and sever maintainance area. There are lots of jobs around where I am and its my best way of getting back into IT. I have worked with servers in my last position but to be honest I am a new- bee. I am sick of sitting on my hands and doing the odd interview here and there and I want to get certified. Can anyone recommend me how to start on the road to getting a Microsoft qualification too increase my chances of employment? Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:42:27 GMTdiarmuid_dugganhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1329929-10-1.aspxI have been preparing for MCTS 70-432 for the past 1 year. I was planning to take the certification exam sometime this month; at least until I saw SQL Server 2012 certification on Microsoft website. As I understood it, it's now 2 test to "upgrade" from MCTS 70-432 to MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-sql-server-mcsa.aspxMy questions are:1) Is anyone (besides me) really annoyed by Microsoft's decision to keep changing the names of these certifications. Wasn't it MCDBA not too long ago? And changed to MCTS and MCITP; and now MCSA and whatever.2) With the change coming, is still worth for me to take the 70-432 exam? I mean, before too long, no one will remember what's MCTS? Just wondering what'll the job marketability be like in your opinion? Will it all about MCSA now or will most companies still look for MCTS 70-432?Thanks for any advise.Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:55:32 GMTMSSQL_NOOBhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1426376-10-1.aspxI passed 70-432 this past Friday. Since the 2008 certifications are being retired at the end of July, it makes sense for me to skip the other 2008 exams at this point and begin working toward the 2012 certifications.As I read the Microsoft certification site (http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/mcsa-sql-certification.aspx), ONE 2008 MCTS exam (such 70-432) is adequite to take the 2012 upgrade exams (70-457, 70-458). Is that correct?Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:04:07 GMTdan-572483http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1426223-10-1.aspxCan anyone give me any guidance on training kits for 70-466 exam?Thanks in advance for your help.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:57:42 GMTpollypranborahttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1346920-10-1.aspxHi guys and girls. I passed the 70-433 exam yesterday on the second attempt. I missed out by 2 questions first time round which was disappointing but got 870 this time. Now I'm debating whether to go for the 70-451 which seems to have no official microsoft books, or go for the short track to MCSA in SQL 2012. Ive never used 2012 and dont know how different it is or if there's much study material about. Im completely self taught via online resource and books and would rather continue to study in the same way, rather than official classroom courses.What do you guys think, and can anyone suggest reading material for both 70-451 (MCITP 2008) and 70-457 (Part one of the short track to MCSA 2012) if there are any?Sun, 19 Aug 2012 06:31:26 GMTg_demetriouhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1424455-10-1.aspxDear Friends,I have 2.5 years experience in SQL Development and BI tools (SSRS,SSIS).Which one Certification is best for me. and how to apply for that one.Any one can you please guide me.RegardsArul RWed, 27 Feb 2013 04:02:43 GMTArul Rhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1422786-10-1.aspxI was trying to start to schedule a few exams, and noticed that there are several versions of the same exam (I think). For example:Microsoft - 070-461 - Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012Microsoft Academic - 072-461 - Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012Microsoft IT Academic Exam - 073-461 - Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012The reason I asked, was one simple confusion; and two the price to take each one is very different: $150, $83, $72, at the place that I was looking at testing. Call me crazy but why would I spend the extra 70 bucks if I don't have to? I think this probably has something to do with if one is a college student or something, but i'm not positive? Any thoughts?Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:02:29 GMTsean hawkeshttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1378308-10-1.aspxHello,I'm planning to upgrade to an MCSA 2012 by taking 70-457 and 70-458.Does anyone know of any good resource material that is out? If not when are they expected to be out?ThanksMon, 29 Oct 2012 09:28:30 GMTPac123http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1120822-10-1.aspxThere's been a lot of debate recently about whether certifications are worth doing and whether they provide you or your employer with any benefits. As somebody who is currently on the long and rocky road to hopeful Microsoft Certified Masterdom (MCM), I was wondering what other people think of this qualification?I've read [url=http://www.brentozar.com/sql-mcm/]Brent Ozar's numerous posts[/url] on the subject and he seems to think it's well worth doing. Also, the fact there were only ten or so SQL Server MCMs in the US outside of Microsoft at the start of the year indicates this is an exclusive qualification and one that is not easy to obtain.I've seen in Steve Jones' editorials that he is currently studying towards this. To pass you need to have passed two developer exams (70-433 and 70-451) and two administrator exams (70-432 and 70-450), then two MCM exams (an exam and a lab).This seems like a great way to learn about SQL Server in-depth and to become a recognised expert on the subject.What does everybody think, and are there any other people on here who are thinking of going down this route?Mike.Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:25:35 GMTmike.mcquillanhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic884667-10-1.aspxI am planning to take up this certification .Can you guys please tell me how to clear this certification?That is how is the test is evaluated and what is the pass marks for the test.Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:52:17 GMTkoustav_1982http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1417380-10-1.aspxHello everyone! I hope this is in the correct forum. Please let me know if I'm in the wrong spot. I am looking for some advice in terms of career development, but rather than ask "What do I do?" I'm trying to get some feedback on some of the things that I'm doing/ planning on doing in the next year and to see if there aren't some things that I haven't considered.I'm currently working for a tech firm as... some kind of SQL professional. I'm not clear on even what my job title is, but generally speaking I'm applying hot fixes to "data issues" that occur in client production environments, writing some reports and undertaking small projects involving data manipulation. I've been with this company for about a year.About three months ago I started to really lose enthusiasm for the position. I'm paid relatively well for what I do and the company treats me better than my past employers, but the variety of problems that I'm asked to solve isn't very diverse and I feel like my technical skills aren't developing as quickly as I'd like. As much as I enjoy working here, the idea of being in this same role 3 - 5 years from now gives me with The Fear. I'm not sure what particular role I want to pursue when it comes down to prod DBA, B/I, etc. just that I want to understand RDMS at a more fundamental level in order to get a more technically challenging position, at this company or elsewhere.I'm currently reading through Itzik Ben-Gan's 'SQL Server 2012 T-SQL Fundamentals' and have ordered the exam guide for the MCSA Exam 461 (Querying SQL Server 2012) and Exam 462 (Administering Sql Server 2012 Databases). Obviously, I'm on SqlServerCentral (and it's great!) and have started reading some of the blogs from the likes of Brent Ozar, Paul Randal and some others. I plan on starting a blog, getting on Twitter and generally trying to contribute and gain as much from the SQL Server community as possible, though I'm not quite sure the best way to do so as the knowledge gap between myself and the rest of the community is... daunting. I don't have a SQL Pass chapter in town, but there is a group south of me in Seattle that I hope to get in contact with.I've set up an instance of SQL Server Express on my home computer and am designing and constructing a database that will help me process orders on Ebay for junk items that I have laying around; the goal is to build an application that will do something in the "real world" but I'll need to look into the license for Express more closely. Not sure if that would be breaking the agreement at this point.I've started chirping at work about SQL Server installations and administration to see if I couldn't be involved in some form, even observing, but I haven't had much luck so far. Apparently we aren't exactly clear who is actually installing and administering all of these wonderful servers humming along at our client locations... or at least I haven't found out yet!Am I misguided in pursuing any of these tracks? Am I missing a resource or resources that I should be taking advantage of? Thanks in advance for your suggestions and insight.-NThu, 07 Feb 2013 15:59:25 GMTNgramstadhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1414685-10-1.aspxGood DayI am doing some research on SQL certifications that are available and was hoping if anyone out there can give me some advice.I am currently employed as an analyst developer supporting an ERP's. I have limited experience in SQL 2005 and 2008, SSRS, SSIS. I am looking at obtaining some certification in MS BI suite. I have started working through 70-448 self practice guide but I see that the exams will retire July 2013. The new certifications will cater SQL 2012.I'm from Cape Town, South Africa and I don't see my employer investing in SQL in the near future and a lot of vacancies require SQL 2008 background. Taking all of this into account would it be advisable to continue with 70-448 or should I be looking at certification towards SQL 2012. Thanks in advance.Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:46:30 GMTgrantchttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic726910-10-1.aspxI passed the 70-448 exam for the [url=http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-448.mspx]MCTS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance [/url]certification this weekend. According to the [url=http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certified.mspx]MCP numbers[/url], I’m now around person #334 certified for this exam. I hope this information helps anyone else preparing for certification.Exam basics: 50 questions, 120 minutes, 700 passing scoreThis exam covers Integration Services (SSIS), Analysis Services (SSAS) and Reporting Services (SSRS)On my exam, all questions were either multiple choice or select the best two answers. I didn’t have any questions that required ordering steps in a process or “select all the correct answers”.Background: I have 13 years experience in IT and earned my MCDBA on SQL Server 2000 five years ago. I skipped the SQL 2005 certifications, but wanted to add a fresh SQL 2008 certification to my resume now that SQL 2000 is looking pretty old. I’ve worked with SQL Server 2008 since February on a data warehousing team.Preparation resources: I primarily used the [url=http://www.amazon.com/MCTS-Self-Paced-Training-Exam-70-448/dp/0735626367/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242738527&sr=8-1]Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kit book[/url] along with installing the evaluation edition of SQL Server 2008 on my home PC. The Training Kit book is like other Microsoft Press certification books I’ve read. It’s lacking in details but gives a good overview of the topics. To fill in the details, I used SQL Server Books Online (BOL) along with these reference books:[url=http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Microsoft-Integration-Services-Programmer/dp/0470247959/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242738632&sr=1-3]Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Integration Services[/url][url=http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Server-Analysis-Services-Unleashed/dp/0672330016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242738715&sr=1-1]SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Unleashed[/url][url=http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Server-2008-Reporting-Services/dp/0071548084/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242738784&sr=1-4]SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services[/url]The Microsoft Training Kit also included a practice exam with 201 questions from MeasureUp on the CD that was in the book. This practice exam was OK, but neither the Training Kit book nor the included practice exam prepared me enough to pass the exam. I purchased a 30-day online subscription to the [url=http://www.transcender.com/product.aspx?product_id=Cert-70-448&dept_id=102209]Transcender practice exams[/url] for this certification and the flashcards and three practice exams from Transcender were excellent. However, because this is a low-volume exam, it seems they recycled some material from the SQL 2005 practice exams. The Transcender exams allowed me to focus on the details that were important for the exam and their explanations and references for each question were outstanding as always.I prepared for about 5 weeks before taking the exam, but I could have used another week to study SSAS which was my weakest subject.The exam started out very difficult but seemed to get easier as I progressed through the questions. I marked five questions for review and after reviewing those questions I still had 30 minutes to go back and double-check every question on the exam before my two hours was up. I didn’t have any “new format” questions like ordering steps or completing a dialog box but there were quite a few questions where I had to study an exhibit to answer the question. The questions jumped around from SSAS to SSIS to SSRS instead of ordering the questions in blocks with SSIS first, SSAS second and SSRS third. Sometimes this required me to re-read the question a few times to be sure I was focused on the right topic (was that a SSIS role or a SSRS role?). The exam really seemed to hammer on a few topics and I began to double-guess myself when it seemed like three SSRS questions in a row all should be answered with the same config file name. In the end I passed with an 842 so I am happy to be certifiable. (pun intended) Once my transcript gets updated I plan to order the new certificate for my wall and download the new logo for my resume.Now I’m going to take some time off and enjoy the summer! Maybe I’ll tackle an Oracle 11g certification in the fall. Good luck to all those preparing for certification…Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:46:42 GMTcppwizhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1375748-10-1.aspxAfter being an MS SQL DBA for over a decade I'm finally looking at getting some certifications. Unfortunately though it'll be on my dime so I'll have to be out of pocket for exams and materials. So due to this I wanted to ask if I only use the MS Exam Training Kits/Books provided by MS Press is this sufficient? I can't afford the week long training courses, so I wasn't sure if this would work or if there are other resources to help me practice.I'll probably pick-up Training Kit (Exam 70-461): Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 this week and start reading through it to prepare for the 70-461 exam, but is there some other place I should look?Edit: Well I just noticed the book isn't out yet... so I guess I'll have to use BOL only? Are there any other resources or practice exams I should look at for 70-461? Also the book description on Amazon says it comes with an Exam Voucher, so does that mean the cost of the test is covered? NICE if so, and makes this book a good investment.Thanks for any advice.Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:17:37 GMTsamalexhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1410204-10-1.aspxPlease can anyone give me any further information regarding the 70-461 exam querying a MS SQL 2012 database? e.g. number of questions, are they multiple choice, duration , etc.Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:55:23 GMTsystem243trdhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1409886-10-1.aspx(Creating a new thread so I can inform about my background)Hello, I am Sagar. I have a Bachelors in computers science completed in 2007. after that I worked 4 years in Cerner working as a software engineer writing C++ code and database queries in Cerner Command Language, aka CCL (which is a wrapper for Oracle Database) to fetch data/improve performance for the front end of the application. I quit job in 2011 and right now i am doing my Masters in Computers Science at Texas Tech University about to graduate in August 2013. I have a student job on campus creating ASP.net web applications and the necessary databases required for them in SQL Server 2008. After I graduate I do not want to go back into software development jobs but rather going back into a SQL Server related job and possibly a DBA afterwards. Could you guide me on how I start going about starting a career in this field. I am considering getting certifications. Would my experience in the previous job in Cerner and the student jobs count as experience when I am applying for jobs. I think I am honest when I say I have intermediate - advanced skills in SQL Queries and T-SQL. What kind of reading materials would you recommend for me?Thank you for your time,Sagar.Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:10:34 GMTsagarkasukurthyhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1384871-10-1.aspxI've been waiting patiently for this training kit coming out for months now, expectantly waiting for it's arrival end of November. Now i find out it's being delayed. When exactly is the training kit being made available to us I wonder ?I'm trying desperately to make a start on some self-study and want to make a proper start soon.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:35:34 GMTsnapplejackshttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1404885-10-1.aspxI've taken and passed a few tests over the years - all of which I did through Prometric. The company I work for is partnered with Microsoft and they get additional partner credit for certifications held by employees. Microsoft has already associated my transcript with the companies' partnership by providing them my MCP ID so that's not a problem. The problem is that Microsoft is asking for a score history for all exams, preferably the sheet of paper you get after passing a test that has the score on it. No problem, I thought. I haven't kept those, but I should be able to pull that online through Prometric's site, right? Wrong, they only track pass/fail on their site and their site only shows previous 4 years or so, but the first test I passed was in 2004. I called Prometric and it sounded like it would be no problem to email me score history so I figured problem was solved, but after being on hold for 5 minutes the person came back and basically said that wasn't possible and the only way I would be able to prove my exam score would be that all-important sheet of paper I was given after passing the test. What the hell?! I didn't think keeping that sheet of paper would be this important because this is 2013 for crying out loud. Anyone happen to have this issue before and perhaps have some suggestions?Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:09:55 GMTlbrighamhttp://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1404725-10-1.aspxThis has probably been discussed before but thought id create my own thread so i can inform you of my background.I have been in software support for around 5 years now, its only software roll out, configuration, fault diagnosis, database queries (SQL), general user support....that kinda of thing, have been usign transact sql for those 5 years, not done too much with it other that T-SQL, quering data, bulding queries for customers, find problems with data.I really want to expand my knowledge of SQL and would like to become a DBA.I have no idea where to start, obviously i have a good understanding of how sql works so im not a total begginer but i need to know where to start learning more.So i guess i just want some direction as to what books i can start with? Though about the microsoft training kit books for SQL 2012 but then i thought that would only cover things i need to get the cert rather than getting the full comprehensive knowledge on the subject, please help!!Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:15:22 GMTclark.adamj89http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1397992-10-1.aspxI want to learn SQL Server 2012 and looking forward to MCSA and MCSE certifications. Can anyone tell me a good training institute in NCR (preferably Gurgaon) region ?ThanksTue, 18 Dec 2012 12:43:17 GMTdeliquent.menace