The chatter about the Windows server 2008 R2 Active Directory exam (MCTS 70-640) reveals the classic Microsoft mentality. That would mean difficult questions across a wide variety of subtopics.

There is no shortage of thoughts about the classic chicken and egg dilemma regarding Microsoft certification. Microsoft exams are intended to weed out candidates that do not have practical experience. Employers have little taste for hiring when a person does not have MCTS 70-640. This creates quite a dichotomy.

It is also true that the teams which do the actual item writing on not allowed to talk to the other Microsoft employees that create the training material.

There is no shortage of material for preparing for this exam. What there seems to be an extreme shortage of is good/current material for this digital witch-hunt.

Is Microsoft’s position that the exam will test on the latest and greatest versions. How that works in reality is dependent on how fast item writers can create new questions and have been verified by the psychometrician.

I can say definitively that the exam covers R2 specific features. For example, the new commands like djoin.exe and AD Recycle Bin.

I first became an MCT in 1997. My experience tells me that brain dump sites are a waste of time money and energy.

In reviewing study materials to break the chicken and egg dilemma created by Microsoft. I was a little surprised and quite delighted to see http://trainsignal.com come up with the top of the list for suggested guidance.

I suspect the reason for this is the training is video-based. Most of us can absorb new material faster by seeing than reading.

Further, since the exam is based on the assumption of Active Directory servers being in separate physical locations, the magic of video is like instant teleportation. And certainly without the expense of setting up different physical servers.

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