70 515 Past exams
Question
Answers
-
To continue on Jeff's point.
When you do an exam in college/university there is no guarantee that the quality of the exam is the same as previous years nor is the marking as it depends on the lecturer setting the exam and also the quality of candidates if the exam is being marked on a curve. This means that results vary year on year and that people can be passed in the exam is sufficiently difficult. Also you take the exams at a given time, not on demand.
When two people sit the same exam (as in number) you can take it they will get different questions that will cover the material- Each question is weighted differently and the scoring scheme is never released outside of MS. It could be possible in a room of 10 test takers that the pool of exam questions would be fully utilised and so if you were to release past papers from that, it would be all the questions in the open.
One of the main features that these Microsoft can give is that a person who passed the exam is the same as anyone else who passed the exam regardless of time passed or geographic location. This is not possible in a standard academic environment.
Additionally, to create exams for a global audience of developers requires more than one lecturerer deciding questions. The process involves many SMEs working in partnership with writers, psychometrics and a standardised process for question development. Only recently they have opened it up to community input via the MSL Connect site. It is expensive to develop these questions and a time consuming process. Part of the process boils down to seeing if questions are too complex, did people frequently answer them wrong with the same answer etc.
Past papers work when the target audience is smaller, the cirriculum diverse and single controlled point that sets them. If you accept that when you change lecturers there would be change in questions and style you can understand why past papers would not work.
Blog: http://www.certsandprogs.com
70-515 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-536 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-505 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-562 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-433 Objectives List with MSDN Links- Proposed as answer by Konrad NeitzelEditor Wednesday, February 22, 2012 5:07 PM
- Marked as answer by seanobr416 Wednesday, February 22, 2012 5:34 PM
All replies
-
To continue on Jeff's point.
When you do an exam in college/university there is no guarantee that the quality of the exam is the same as previous years nor is the marking as it depends on the lecturer setting the exam and also the quality of candidates if the exam is being marked on a curve. This means that results vary year on year and that people can be passed in the exam is sufficiently difficult. Also you take the exams at a given time, not on demand.
When two people sit the same exam (as in number) you can take it they will get different questions that will cover the material- Each question is weighted differently and the scoring scheme is never released outside of MS. It could be possible in a room of 10 test takers that the pool of exam questions would be fully utilised and so if you were to release past papers from that, it would be all the questions in the open.
One of the main features that these Microsoft can give is that a person who passed the exam is the same as anyone else who passed the exam regardless of time passed or geographic location. This is not possible in a standard academic environment.
Additionally, to create exams for a global audience of developers requires more than one lecturerer deciding questions. The process involves many SMEs working in partnership with writers, psychometrics and a standardised process for question development. Only recently they have opened it up to community input via the MSL Connect site. It is expensive to develop these questions and a time consuming process. Part of the process boils down to seeing if questions are too complex, did people frequently answer them wrong with the same answer etc.
Past papers work when the target audience is smaller, the cirriculum diverse and single controlled point that sets them. If you accept that when you change lecturers there would be change in questions and style you can understand why past papers would not work.
Blog: http://www.certsandprogs.com
70-515 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-536 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-505 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-562 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-433 Objectives List with MSDN Links- Proposed as answer by Konrad NeitzelEditor Wednesday, February 22, 2012 5:07 PM
- Marked as answer by seanobr416 Wednesday, February 22, 2012 5:34 PM
-
To continue on Jeff's point.
When you do an exam in college/university there is no guarantee that the quality of the exam is the same as previous years nor is the marking as it depends on the lecturer setting the exam and also the quality of candidates if the exam is being marked on a curve. This means that results vary year on year and that people can be passed in the exam is sufficiently difficult. Also you take the exams at a given time, not on demand.
When two people sit the same exam (as in number) you can take it they will get different questions that will cover the material- Each question is weighted differently and the scoring scheme is never released outside of MS. It could be possible in a room of 10 test takers that the pool of exam questions would be fully utilised and so if you were to release past papers from that, it would be all the questions in the open.
One of the main features that these Microsoft can give is that a person who passed the exam is the same as anyone else who passed the exam regardless of time passed or geographic location. This is not possible in a standard academic environment.
Additionally, to create exams for a global audience of developers requires more than one lecturerer deciding questions. The process involves many SMEs working in partnership with writers, psychometrics and a standardised process for question development. Only recently they have opened it up to community input via the MSL Connect site. It is expensive to develop these questions and a time consuming process. Part of the process boils down to seeing if questions are too complex, did people frequently answer them wrong with the same answer etc.
Past papers work when the target audience is smaller, the cirriculum diverse and single controlled point that sets them. If you accept that when you change lecturers there would be change in questions and style you can understand why past papers would not work.
Blog: http://www.certsandprogs.com
70-515 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-536 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-505 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-562 Objectives List with MSDN Links
70-433 Objectives List with MSDN LinksHi Niall,
This is a great reply. Something that should be a sticky :-).
When you see answers and helpful posts, please click Vote As Helpful, Propose As Answer, and/or Mark As Answer
Jeff Wharton
MSysDev (C.Sturt), MDbDsgnMgt (C.Sturt), MCT, MCPD, MCSD, MCITP, MCDBA
Blog: Mr. Wharty's Ramblings
Twitter: @Mr_Wharty
MC ID: Microsoft Transcript
