MCSA MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional [Hardcover]

It's rare to find a book that covers the exam material so well that you only need to buy one book to pass the test - but this one is an exception. Not only does it cover the material well, it is truly an easy read. The test was relatively difficult because of it's breadth of testing topics but I passed with an 857 (700 required to pass) and I credit it to this guide.

Buy this book + read it AND understand it = pass the test.

Sub-Title: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Second Edition

This is the official guide, published by Microsoft, it contains everything you need to know to pass the MCSA/MCSE (70-270) examination. In addition to the almost fourteen hundred pages of text, there are two CD-ROMs included. One of these is a trial version of XP Professional (updated to include Service Pack 2 with all of its security changes). The other is a Review Suite of practice questions that will test your readiness to pass the test. This CD also contains a complete electronic version of this book, so you can load it on your notebook and use on an airplane or whatever. It also includes two other complete Microsoft books in eBook format: Encyclopedia of Security, and Encyclopedia of Networking.

In short here is everything needed to not only become an expert on XP but to be able to pass the test and prove to a prospective employer that you know the subject. The book contains virtually everything you need to know to install, configure and administer XP. It is the second edition of the book so the input from readers of the previous edition was considered in making the changes to this edition, as well as SP 2 of course.

The 70-270 XP exam requires in depth preparation to pass this exam. It is a 58 question exam, with only 50 being scored.

Having recently took this exam and using this book, you can safely assume I am qualified in reviewing this book.

Firstly, for a book this size, you would want it to contain all areas of the exam. Sadly, it doesn't, and the student is left graping for external sources simply because the book doesn't even touch on them. IIS and vPN material is so scarce, I had to go through the book a few times to see if really was in the book. It wasn't. There may have been a time when this book was all you need, but the exam has been updated so much and changed that is more difficult than its initial release.

Secondly, the book reads like a technical manual at times, as though the help files from XP have been trimmed out and put into the book. Hence, the writing still is not very effective for those who need real life scenarios (which are exactly in the exam) instead of dry step by step instructions.

Where the book does have strong points is that it's errata page has only a few minor errors, so what it says, it says right.

Also, the included practice exams are a VERY BIG help if you are studying for this exam. Created by Measure Up, if you were to buy a Measure Up product directly from them, it would be very expensive. You should then consider buying this book simply because the included exams and questions will help you ALOT more than the book itself to pass the exam.

I recommend the XP Professional FAST PASS in addition to this book for it cover areas where this book falls short, and also the Fast Pass book explains things much easier on the mind than this book, and has great tables and charts for tricky areas.

Finally, I recommend you get hold of another practice exam provider. It is always a good idea to use a different provider than the one your book came with. Why? Because the objective questions will not be worded specifically to the content of the book (meaning that another provider will test you on exam objectives, not on whether you remember what's in the book or not) and also the wording of the questions will be different, so you will extra prepared should anything hit you that aren't familiar with.

I used:

This book

Measure Up practice exams (that came with this book)

XP Pro Fast Pass (Sybex)

Self Test Software practice exams

and passed with much room for error.

My final advice to all of you wanting to take this test is this: Please do not rely on a single source for the Microsoft exams. They are nothing like CompTIA exams or other exams on which you can do this.

Cheers,