Chicken Soup For The Soulless

I’ve been bitching a fair amount about the official Microsoft 70-646 course book published by Wiley Press of late. See, I’ve finally decided to go ahead with the Microsoft certification trac

I’ve been working on my MCITP for Server 2008, and I thought until yesterday that I was just about ready to take the first of three tests. I’d taken the Server 2008 Administration Course at TCC, studied the official academic course book until I could honestly claim to know 95% of the material by heart, and took all of the practice tests contained on the included CD. Things were looking good!

Of course, I’m no novice to the certification test arena. More to the point, I know the format of Microsoft’s tests rather well. The tests in the academic book were structured as simple fact recitations, aka:

What over the counter medicine helps you get your Zz’s?

A. Ham Biscuit
B. Viagra
C. Chloroform
D. Nyquil
E. Dayquil

…whereas Microsoft’s questions are more like word problems.

John Smith has been working as a brick mason for 12 years at the Bigass Brick Barn. He is working at a building site when he begins to develop sniffling, sneezing, and coughing. He is sent home by his supervisor, who advises him to rest himself overnight so that he can return to work as soon as possible.

What steps should John Smith take to suppress his symptoms and meet the requirements of his supervisor with the minimum expense and investment of time? (Choose Two)

A. Go to the hospital to be treated.
B. Take a dose of Nyquil
C. Take a does of Dayquil
D. Go to bed.
E. Stay awake until symptoms are clear.

Knowing this, I sought out a practice test from MeasureUp. When I did not only did not know the answers, but I did not know what the questions was referring to, I suspected that the $120 “Academic Course” was a pile of shit. Not one to jump to immediate conclusions, though, I went out and bought the self-paced MS Press course, which had the information that was missing from the other book.

Nice.

A quick minute or five later, and I’d pushed the test back a week and set a pretty rigorous schedule of two chapters a day (600+ pages total) in the self-paced course so I can hopefully be prepared to take the test NEXT Friday. I can always re-re- schedule, but I’d honestly like to move on to the next cert test. :-/