Get my MCPD Certification

...Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!

I have today booked my 70-536 exam for 6th Feb 2009. That’s just under 6 weeks to go through the Training Kit book and other learning materials to make sure that I will nail this! If I hadn’t booked this today, I don’t think that I would ever have gotten around to it.

It is going to take a lot of work. Been spending a couple of hours every night and last weekend I spent a lot of time on it. 4 chapters down 17 to go, then I take the first test for 70-431.

I did the first chapter and a half in my MCTS 70-431 book but that is it. I was involved in a car accident and have been spending a lot of time dealing with the fallout from that such as getting a new car. Hopefully I can get back to it now.

I realize this goal is not very active and mostly I am talking to myself but that is OK. I’m going to use this as a place to track my progress. Putting it out there for anyone to see is at least some motivation to keep at it.

I have my laptop setup now. It is dual booting Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. I think the Server 2003 is needed for some of the “enterprise” exercises in the book. I’m not sure though the book was a little confusing on that point. I guess I’ll find out. At any rate it is no big loss if I don’t end up needing it. Gives me two different platforms to test/practice on.

I need to become a Microsoft Certified Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/newgen/default.mspx

I want the certified web developer (MCPD) as my main cert and a SQL Server 2005 as technology specialist to show my database background.

I have taken the first step and ordered all the Self-Paced training books suggested at the pages above from Amazon (who has the best prices). The books come with 15% off the exams. The exams will be $125 before discount.

I have been caught up with unexpected pressures for the past two days. Well, I can’t say that as an excuse. But now I changed my study time to mornings, which means I have got more reasons to wake up early.

Completed today :)
Well done, Sony!!!

Completed yesterday.

had plans of doing Section 3 as well… but then felt lazy.

Completed today.

Was distracted a bit… not because the subject was boring… but because the room was cold and I hadn’t slept well last night. But I made it!

I have sort of made plans as to how many hours I need to put into this learning activity.

A minimum of 26.5 hrs is required (including a second revision), based on the study materials I have collated for the various objectives of this exam.

If I spend an hour daily for the next 3 weeks (Staring from 22nd Oct; excluding Sundays), then I should finish going through the material.

On 11th Nov, I’ll book the date for my exam and then I’ll start my revision from 12th Nov, and this should be completed well before 23rd Nov. This way I can write my exam on either 24th or 25th Nov.

I have printed out the study materials for the following week.