A lot of these exams recommend a few years experience in the relevant field - but no one's going to check up on you. I took a SharePoint configuaration exam that advised a couple of years of experience when I'd been out of university for less than a
year!
Familiarity with the technology is essential but no one's going to be timing how long you've used it for. I would recommend creating a virtual environment and having a go at installing and configuring AD from scratch. Once you've had a play with the technology,
figured out how to do things and got a feel for it, go through all the virtual labs and background articles.
It's not going to be the same as real-world experience, but it should be enough hands-on practice to get the exam.
The problem with these things is it's often a Catch 22 situation. You can't get the experience without the certificate and it says you shouldn't get the certificate without the experience!
