Practical Tips for Learning Windows 2012
Attempting a certification of Microsoft software can be difficult and all consuming. I will attempt to give you some ideas on studying for the Microsoft 70-410 test, "Installing and configuring Windows Server 2012". There are traditional and non-traditional ways to learn Microsoft. You can take a class at an authorized training center. Or you can read, study, and experiment on your own to learn the material. Time is money, and either way you will spend a good amount of time learning and memorizing. Talk to others who have taken the test (do online search for words and or the phrase "passed 40-410 test").
Check out your authorized training center. It might be better for some people to have a class room learning environment. Classroom training exists but is getting more expensive. Many use the online training route. Is it hard to estimate how many hours you will spend on this effort? A practice test might help you understand how far you have to go to study. Take a rough guess, and multiply it by 2 … this is your total hours you will spend. Then schedule how many hours per week you can study. Divide that number into your total hours, and you have the number of weeks it will take you to study and prepare to test.
Here are some tips on preparing for the Microsoft 70-410 test.
Download and install the Microsoft server software, and find a computer to run it on. You will need a fast internet connection to download the software. The corporate giant known as Microsoft gives this software away for free, as an evaluation component to anyone. You will need a 64 bit computer to run it, which is most modern computers made within the last five years. You will also need a DVD writer and a blank DVD. You will have a bootable DVD that you can then install the software. You will need to know the differences between the full installation and the minimal (core) installation. There are little nuances that will be tested. Probably a good idea to devote several hours to understanding how to operate a full GUI and a CORE installation of Windows.
Study you must, and use any spare time to keep the items fresh in your memory. I use flash cards that I put on 3×5 paper cards, that way I can use them at any moment. I also put notes in my cell phone, though I find it only mildly useful. Flash cards for me work best and these do take time to create.
Buy a practice test (online). The practice test will show what areas you are weak on. You might find you have total ignorance of some of the various ways to configure and tune the software. Do not attempt the test unless you can fly through the practice test! Invest many hours to work on the practice test, it must be done thoroughly. One vendor offers a practice test with a money back guarantee. If you do not pass the associated Microsoft test, you can get a refund.
Like most complex technical products, you will find that you will need to live and breathe this product in order to know it well. At the point you pass the test, you maybe surprised how much time you had to devote to this endeavor. Do not get frustrated with your slow progress and the scope of the test material.
Remember the line from Benjamin Franklin, "An investment in knowledge pays the best dividends."
