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downtime
Old Timer
United Kingdom
653 Posts
Status: offline |
 Posted - 07/13/2012 : 12:57:00 PM
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Over the past 10 years or so I've passed all the Microsoft client OS exams relatively easily. So I was quite confident at passing the Windows 7 exam easily too.
Oh dear, what a mistake! I failed it badly about a month ago. Microsoft have really improved the quality of the exams, which is a good thing. So, I've spent the last month studying like mad 
Today I sat the exam again but I encountered two major errors that I had to report to Prometric. On two questions there were drop down boxes to select your answer, only I got XML errors instead of actual choices! Has anyone else encountered these errors before?
I was told by Prometric to stop the exam and re-sit it! Now, this was probably the only thing they could do, but my feeling was if I failed the exam I would appeal (time wasted explaining the problem to the examiner).
Thankfully I passed the exam with a score of 780, but it was really stressful not being able to answer two questions! I had spent nearly 2 hours answering questions and had to take half of day off to do so, so being told I should stop and re-sit the exam p***** me off!
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Edited by - downtime on 07/14/2012 04:02:15 AM |
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wobble_wobble
Honorable But Hopeless Addict
Ireland
4517 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/13/2012 : 5:00:56 PM
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Cisco had the same problem 4 or 5 years ago with the exams.
Congrats on getting the exam, and good luck with Win8. |
Joe
After everything that has happened during the month of Jan 07, I do believe that pigs fly backwards!
http://whatismyv6.com/ |
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Mark Minasi
Chief cook and bottle washer
USA
10658 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/13/2012 : 6:05:46 PM
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| Congrats! |
Mark
tweetin' at mminasi |
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timberk
Major Contributor
USA
786 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/13/2012 : 6:21:23 PM
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Nice job, Stuart!
I encountered serious problems taking an MS exam at a Prometric testing center a number of years ago. I can't remember which exam, I think it was one of the Windows Server 2003 exams. Anyway, the test hung and/or stalled a number of times during which the screen went black. These seisures lasted for minutes at a time not seconds. I was never sure if it was the testing software or the hardware. I ended up failing that particular test. A very tense test-taking experience.
On another, separate occasion, I booked a test online through Prometric. When I got to the test center, they were closed for holiday and not delivering tests. Later, the Prometric web site showed *my* status as a "No Show", lol. The part of their web site that took my money was working just fine on that day, though. They eventually issued me a voucher to retake the test.......
Good times!!
~tb |
Edited by - timberk on 07/13/2012 6:22:23 PM |
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jaxdave
Honorable But Hopeless Addict
USA
2426 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/14/2012 : 5:18:06 PM
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Congrats on passing. I too had issues, a year or so ago Microsoft had the idea to try "Live" labs for the AD 2008 test, The third attempt ,meaning third day of taking time off from work, I was finally able to RDP to the lab. Passed the test and it was actually pretty cool, it reminded me of the IIS test back in the NT4 days a little bit. Prometric paid for my next to tests with voucher after I explained to them that they cost me allot of money in billable hours. Soon after Microsoft went back to multi choice for that test.
Congrats again on passing and good luck on the others you are prepping for.
cheers,
Dave |
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Curt
Moderator
USA
6652 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/16/2012 : 09:26:25 AM
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Good job. Stuart.
Keep it up, buddy.
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Curt Spanburgh
Microsoft Certified Business Solution Specialist.
Dynamics CRM MVP
Contributing Editor, Windows IT Pro
He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.
Proverbs 13:20
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JSCLMEDAVE
Administrator
USA
6116 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/16/2012 : 09:37:13 AM
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Congrats!
Those letters behind your name DO matter. Trust me, I am getting calls everyday while some of my ex co-workers cannot get a single call back.
Main difference is they have always insisted "those cert's don't mean anything, they are a waste of time."
Well,,, I am working make stupid money and they are filling out paperwork for unemployment...
Congrats! Keep it up! |
Tim-
“This too shall pass" |
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jadgate
Major Contributor
USA
918 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 07/16/2012 : 10:07:51 AM
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Stuart-
It's been 10 years since I sat for my MCSE (W2K), but I recall having this problem (or a similar one) as well on one of my Prometric-administered exams (and it was at the end of the exam as well). The system froze up and then failed to record my answers to the last couple of scenarios, so I did not get a passing score.
It was a one of the "AD Design" exam/electives where you had to review scenarios and pick the best one. There's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back. I think it's unconscionable that they would required you fork over a new fee to re-take the exam in such a situation. As I recall, they did comp me on a new exam.
Last exam I took (4 years ago now) was the CISSP, which you are allowed 6 hours to answer 250 multiple choice questions. I've heard that the pass rate is less than 50% in some instances. One advantage of their testing is that you will never encounter computer glitches - the exam is all done on paper and the only "automated" part is the scantron scoring of the ovals . ICS2 is paranoid about the possibility of the systems being compromised and has very strict rules about exam taking to prevent cheating.
Later,
Jim |
James Adgate, CISSP
IT Auditor and Compliance Specialist
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
IT Security Policy and Risk Mitigation for Enterprises
http://linkedin.com/in/jamesadgatech
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Edited by - jadgate on 07/16/2012 10:08:47 AM |
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Topic |
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Passed Windows 7 exam
