 |
|
Home > Microsoft certification exam testing formats |
|
|
|
Microsoft certification exam testing formats |
|
| 30 Jul 2007 | MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment |
|
|
MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment
By Dan Balter and Patrick Regan
MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram offers IT professionals critical information for scoring higher on their 70-290 exams.
Purchase the full book, MCSA/MCSE 70-290 Exam Cram: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment.
The following excerpt is from chapter one entitled "Microsoft Certification Exams."
Microsoft's Testing Formats
Currently, Microsoft uses three different testing formats:
Fixed length
Short form
Case study
Other Microsoft exams employ advanced testing capabilities that might not be
immediately apparent. Although the questions that appear are primarily multiplechoice,
the logic that drives them is more complex than that in older Microsoft
tests, which use a fixed sequence of questions, called a fixed-length test. Some questions
employ a sophisticated user interface, which Microsoft calls a simulation, to test your knowledge of the software and systems under consideration in a more-orless
"live" environment that behaves just like the real thing. You should review the
Microsoft Learning, Reference, and Certification Web pages for more detailed information.
In the future, Microsoft might choose to create exams using a well-known technique
called adaptive testing to establish a test taker's level of knowledge and
product competence. In general, adaptive exams might look the same as fixedlength
exams, but they discover the level of difficulty at which an individual test
taker can correctly answer questions. Test takers with differing levels of knowledge
or ability therefore see different sets of questions; individuals with high levels
of knowledge or ability are presented with a smaller set of more difficult
questions, whereas individuals with lower levels of knowledge are presented
with a larger set of easier questions. Two individuals might answer the same percentage
of questions correctly, but the test taker with a higher knowledge or
ability level will score higher because his or her questions are worth more. Also,
the lower-level test taker will probably answer more questions than his or her
more knowledgeable colleague. This explains why adaptive tests use ranges of
values to define the number of questions and the amount of time it takes to complete
the test.
Note: Microsoft does not offer adaptive exams at the time that this book was published.
Most adaptive tests work by evaluating the test taker's most recent answer. A
correct answer leads to a more difficult question, and the test software's estimate
of the test taker's knowledge and ability level is raised. An incorrect answer leads
to a less difficult question, and the test software's estimate of the test taker's
knowledge and ability level is lowered. This process continues until the test targets
the test taker's true ability level. The exam ends when the test taker's level
of accuracy meets a statistically acceptable value (in other words, when his or her
performance demonstrates an acceptable level of knowledge and ability) or
when the maximum number of items has been presented. (In which case, the test
taker is almost certain to fail.)
Microsoft has also introduced a short-form test for its most popular tests. This
test delivers 25 to 30 questions to its takers, giving them exactly 60 minutes to
complete the exam. This type of exam is similar to a fixed-length test in that it
allows readers to jump ahead or return to earlier questions and to cycle through
the questions until the test is done. Microsoft does not use adaptive logic in
short-form tests, but it claims that statistical analysis of the question pool is such that the 25 to 30 questions delivered during a short-form exam conclusively
measure a test taker's knowledge of the subject matter in much the same way as
an adaptive test. You can think of the short-form test as a kind of "greatest hits
exam" (that is, it covers the most important questions) version of an adaptive
exam on the same topic.
Because you won't know which form the Microsoft exam might take, you should
be prepared for either a fixed-length or short-form exam. The layout is the same
for both fixed-length and short-form tests—you are not penalized for guessing
the correct answer(s) to questions, no matter how many questions you answer
incorrectly.
Coming soon: Part Five: Strategies for different testing formats
Table of contents:
|
| Dan Balter is the chief technology officer for InfoTechnology Partners, Inc., a Microsoft Certified Partner company. He works as an IT consultant and trainer for both corporate and government clients and has worked with several network operating systems throughout his 24-year career. Dan holds the following Microsoft certifications: MCDST, MCSA, and MCSE.
Patrick Regan is a senior design architect/engineer and training coordinator for Miles Consulting Corp (MCC). He holds many certifications, including the Microsoft MCSE, MCSA, and MCT; CompTIA's A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, Security+, and CTT+; Cisco CCNA; and Novell's CNE and CWNP
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of . |
|
| |
All Rights Reserved, , TechTarget |
|
|
|
|
|
