I signed up for a few of the SQL Server 2012 Beta certification exams, and have been going through them over the last few days. The exams I signed up for are:

• 071-461 – Querying Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012
• 071-462 – Administering Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Databases
• 071-464 – Developing Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Databases
• 071-465 – Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012

I took the first one on Monday, and the second on Wednesday. I have the other two scheduled for Friday and next Wednesday.

I can’t really comment on what was in the exam, but I did see some evolutions of the testing software, which was nice. I like a few of the changes, and they should help people demonstrate a few more skills than the old multiple-guess exams. There are still multiple choice questions, but some new ways to ask someone to show knowledge.

I’m not really worried about being certified, but I do like to see how the certification process works, I might write some stuff to help people (I’ve worked on three cert books in the past) and most importantly, I get a rough idea of what I know on the exams. They’ll ask me a few things I might not have looked at in depth, and I certainly found a few holes in my knowledge over the last few exams.

If you have the chance to take a beta, I’d encourage you. They’re free, and the time they take can be a valuable aid in helping plan your future learning.

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