Beta invites have been sent for exam 71-688 Managing and Maintaining Windows 8. We are addressing a delay with publishing the prep-guide on the Microsoft Learning site. For those who have received an invitation in the interim, here is the prep guide:
Target Audience: This exam is intended for IT professionals who work with small businesses and individuals to manage their computers and devices, which are typically set up in a peer-to-peer or remote environment.
Tasks that candidates typically perform include:
Objective Domain
1. Design an Installation and Application Strategy (25%)
1.1. Design an operating system installation strategy.
This objective may include but is not limited to the following design considerations:
Windows To Go
Operating system virtualization
Native VHD boot
Multi boot
Upgrade vs. migration
1.2. Design an application strategy for desktop applications.
Application compatibility using Client Hyper-V, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), and App-V
Application updates
Application co-existence
Application reputation
Internet Explorer 10 management
1.3. Design an application strategy for cloud applications.
Microsoft Office 365
Metro applications
Restricting Windows Store content
AppLocker
Internal content
1.4. Design a solution for user settings.
User profiles
USMT 5.0/WET
Windows Live integration
Folder redirection
User experience virtualization (UE-V)
2. Maintain Resource Access (27%)
2.1. Design for network connectivity.
IPv4 and IPv6
Name resolution
Wireless
Network security
Network settings
2.2. Design for remote access.
Off-network use and management
Metered networks
VPN
RDP
DirectAccess
Remote administration
2.3. Design for authentication and authorization.
Two-factor authentication including certificates, smart cards, picture passwords, and biometrics
Workgroup vs. domain
Trust relationships
Local account vs. Microsoft account
2.4. Manage data storage.
This objective may include but is not limited to:
Resolve data storage issues
Manage pools
Manage data availability using BranchCache
2.5. Manage data security.
Manage share/NTFS permissions for storage spaces
Configure EFS
Configure security for removable media
Manage BitLocker and BitLocker To Go
3. Maintain Windows Clients and Devices (27%)
3.1. Manage hardware and printers.
Resolve hardware and device issues
Sync devices and resolve sync issues
Monitor and manage print servers
3.2. Manage mobile devices.
Resolve mobility issues
Manage mobile device policies including security policies, NFC, secure SIM, and remote access
Manage mobile access
Manage Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync in mobile devices
3.3. Design a recovery solution.
PC refresh/reset
Windows 7 file recovery
Recovery drive
System restore
User files including local files, SkyDrive, and file history
User profile settings
Application settings
3.4. Manage endpoint security.
Resolve endpoint security issues
Manage updates using Windows Update
Manage client security using Windows Defender
Manage client security using the Microsoft System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection client
Configure application reputation
4. Manage Windows 8 Using Cloud Services and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (21%)
4.1. Manage clients by using Windows Intune.
Manage updates and update groups
Configure the company portal
Monitor on-network and off-network machines
Manage asset inventory
4.2. Manage public cloud services.
Manage Windows Live services including Trusted PC, storage, SkyDrive/Live Mesh apps, and groups
Implement Office 365 using the Office 365 Desktop Setup
Manage Office 365
4.3. Monitor and maintain clients by using MDOP.
Remediate startup issues using the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT)
Monitor clients using System Center Desktop Error Monitoring
Manage the App-V client
Manage BitLocker and BitLocker To Go using Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM)
If you have not received an invitation and are interested in participating in future betas, be sure to sign up for our SME database (http://aka.ms/MSLSME). Good luck!
Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCT) are great sources of information and advice about technology, certification and IT career. As such, they often get questions about study tips and certification exam preparation. In the guest blog post below, MCT Bert Wolters shares some solid tips gathered from years of teaching and his own experiences with certification exams. Bert's post was originally written in Dutch here, and we appreciate his careful translation into English for sharing with Born to Learn blog readers. If you'd like to connect with Bert, please see his profile here.
Ask an MCT: How do I prepare for an exam?
As a trainer I’m often asked how I prepare for an exam and how I cope during those exams. Most of the time these are students of mine, preparing for their first exam, or people who failed for their exam the first time. Nerves are also playing tricks on people. On some occasions I’ve had students in my class who did fine on a practice run in a measure-up session. “Fine” in this case means 850 points or more, but froze during the real exam…
In this blog I like to give you some tips and tricks to prepare for all (Microsoft) exams in general, with the cooperation of Microsoft Learning, just to make sure I don’t tell you something illegal. Ok, now we’ve cleared all of that… Here we go, this is how I prepare for an exam.
Take the course, do the mileage
Since I like to work with the newest technology available, courses aren’t always available to me. But whenever I do get a chance to do so, I run through the courseware. These courses are written by experts in the field and will get you started to understand the technology tested in the exams, and used in the real world. I want to emphasize the “get you started” in my last sentence. Is just reading and memorizing the book enough to pass the exam? No. The exams are more and more about using the technology mentioned in the book in day to day situations.
I know we don’t all work in an enterprise environment on a day to day basis and that some of the exam content might seem a bit “over-the-top”, but when you show on your exam you have the insight to use the Microsoft technology in a big environment, with all complexity and dependencies of that environment, we know you can apply that knowledge in smaller environments too.
Don’t understand some things during training? Ask Questions!
This is something I personally had trouble with in the past. “What if people think I’m thick headed?” or “Other people don’t ask questions, so they must understand this way of explaining by the trainer…” or, and this is by far the best one: ”I’ll look it up later...”, trust me, you won’t. You will not even remember what you needed to look up, unless you write it down. Please don’t think in this way! I’ve come to realize over the years, that all trainers love technology and people. So please “bother” us with your questions…. If you don’t understand something when we explain a subject, ask us to clarify it again, or with different examples. That’s what gives us trainers a good feeling,… you understanding the subject matter at the end of the day! Please, never hesitate to ask us. And in the isolated case we don’t know the answer for your question (for sure) from the top of our head, we’ll look it up for you and answer you as soon as possible, when necessary by e-mail. That can happen sometimes, since we’re told by Microsoft that we’re only human. ;-)
Do the labs!
Don’t just consume the theory, but make sure you also know how to apply the technology, know the exceptions. When I read about DHCP, I can picture the console and think of the Powershell cmdlets that are applicable. When you’ve got the time, ask your trainer if you can work beyond the lab-assignment to do some experimenting of your own. More and more computers for home use are virtualization-capable. When you have the time, download an evaluation copy of windows server and set up your own home-lab to dive deeper into the content.
(When under 18, or when someone else is buying the computer for you, please consult them before making a dual-boot system)
Read articles on Technet/MSDN
In my earlier years, I once explained Kerberos authentication at an Active Directory training, based on additional reading I did on sites like Wikipedia. The senior trainer in the room stopped me and had to correct me, since there were some giant holes in the theory on that user-managed website. It’s very easy to assume that everything published on the internet is true, but beware of assumptions, data from specific configurations and features from different versions/service packs. Microsoft Technet and/or MSDN is the place to be for correct and in-depth additional reading material.
Check the Microsoft Learning website
My colleagues and I always check the website of Microsoft Learning for the latest exam-topics. At the “Skills Measured” tab you’ll get a nice overview of what is expected from you. Do you see new topics, such as (for example) “Secure Dynamic DNS”, Goo… ehhh Bing it! ;-)
Unsure? Take a test-exam!
Also mentioned on the Microsoft Learning website, mentioned under preparation materials, we’ve got official Practice exams. You will not find the exact exam questions there, but it will help you to get used to the way of questioning in the exams. The providers are MeasureUp and Selftest.
Don’t over-study…
In High School we still see that students are cramming for a test or exam all night long. We also see students who study up until five minutes before the test starts. Research has shown that all of that time is wasted and people could have been better off, starting in time and having a good sleep the night before the exam.
I hope this blog post has given you some pointers in the right exam direction. Do you have additional tips and tricks? Let me know and I’ll add them! My next blog post will be on exam taking tips. Stay tuned, and good luck on your next exam!
The Microsoft Certification team continually monitors industry trends and then revises exams and certification requirements to keep pace with changes in technology. On a regular basis, new exams are introduced and older exams are revised or retired. Certifications you have earned remain valid even if qualifying exams have been retired. When an exam you passed is retired, your transcript retains the record of the exam and identifies the exam as retired.
Most exams for SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio 2010, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 will be retiring on July 31, 2013. Exams for SharePoint Server 2007 and Project Server 2007 will be retiring on January 31, 2013. New exams for SQL Server 2012, Windows Server 2012, and Visual Studio 2012 are already available.
Planned retirement dates for additional exams have been announced, including exams covering Windows XP and Lync Server 2010, as well as the SharePoint Server 2010 Masters exams. Note that both exams and dates planned for retirement may be subject to change.
Do you test software? Or do you implement and manage Visual Studio Team Foundation Server? Or perhaps you develop Application Lifecycle Management solutions for your organization? If you've answered Yes to any of these questions, we want to hear from you.
We are conducting a survey about the skills and experience of individuals who are involved in software testing and/or applying an integrated process across the application lifecycle. If you use Visual Studio to perform these job functions, great! If you currently use other tools, that's fine too...we'd still like to hear from you! Your responses will help us define certifications that will be relevant and meaningful, not just for those who do software testing or who manage the life cycle of an application, but also for the hiring managers who are looking for qualified job candidates.
We hope that you’ll take the time to participate in this short—but important—survey. Please submit your responses by October 15, 2012. Follow this link to complete the survey: http://microsoftlearning.us.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8iVjnVJOKbhXVEp
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