MCP

SQL2012 Certification – Personal goal for 2012

Posted by Jens Vestergaard on in Programming 1 Comment

There is a lot of talk around the block about the now not so new certification plan from Microsoft, in regards to SQL2012. The new tracks MCSA, MCSE and MCSM looks real nice in their flashy gift wrappings 🙂

I will, like many others, take the full monty, so to speak. Maybe its just a trick of the mind, but when you keep upgrading certifications, you get the feeling you’re not quite tested in all the corners of the material. Another thing about it is, that the new path includes a track of DBA stuff, not previously encountered on the MCITP:BI program. So my plan for the rest of the year, is to take a new certification at least every two months, which means that by the end of this year, I should be able to achieve the SQL2012 MCSA level. See diagram for clarification of levels:

As I earlier blogged about here, I have been attending the beta exams for 70-461, 70-466 & 70-467. Best case scenario would obviously be that I just need to take the two remaining certifications 70-462 & 70-463, but I doubt my skills in the tabular model will prove adequate for the level required, but at least I now know the scope of the exams.

Other excellent resources for the SQL Server 2012 certifications:
James Serra (blog|twitter): Upgrade info
Alex Rosa (blog|fb): Certification path

Update:
Looks like I passed alle three betas and I’m off to a great start

Today I passed the 70-463 certification, so now I need to face the toughest of them all IMO

SQL Server 2012 Beta Exams

Posted by Jens Vestergaard on in Programming 1 Comment

I’ve signed up for three (3) of the five (5) available beta exams on the new SQL Server 2012 Business Intelligence certification program which Kendra Little (blog|twitter) has written a great post about here.

Since there are numbered seats on these beta exams, I went straight for the BI specific tests. So at friday the 23rd of March I took on [70-467] Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012, followed by a short break of SQLBits, then on to [70-466] Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 on the 3rd of April.

Tomorrow I’m up for [70-461] Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

First of all I’m taking the tests in order to identify my weak spots in regards to the new version of the stack. Secondly it’s a great, and not to forget free, opportunity to achieve the certifications that looks nice on the resume (before the peers @ work).

My first impression with the tests so far, is that Microsoft Learning (blog|twitter) has done a really good job at re-designing the tests. IMHO the tests will go deeper and further than their respective prequels. And maybe it’s just me, but it seems as if there is a more real-world-feel about the questions in the test than I’ve previous expreienced. Good job MSLearning!

 

Sådan kan man jo blive så kåd…

Posted by Jens Vestergaard on in Programming 0 Comment

Var til den famøse certificering i dag, men bestod ikke. Der skulle også have været en god portion hjælp fra opgavestillerne, før det havde rimelige udsigter.

De 53 spørgsmål jeg fik til testen, var tre-delt nogenlunde ligeligt på SSIS, SSAS og SSRS. Dog var der forholdsvis stor fokus på Data Mining og det dertilhørtende DMX. Det er så ikke lige noget jeg har så sulens meget hands on erfaring med. Det gør jo, at syntax spørgsmål pludseligt bliver møg-svære, og umulige at gætte på.

Men hvad… Vi må på den igen en anden dag.

MCTS 70-445

Posted by Jens Vestergaard on in Programming 0 Comment

I morgen skal jeg til den første certificering i år. Der er gået en del tid siden sidste test, som var helt tilbage i december 2006.
Jeg har taget en enkelt prøvetest, fra Measure-Up, hvilket gav mig scoren 60% uden forberedelse, altså ikke bestået. Men jeg ved hvilke fokusområder jeg skal koncentrere mig om, så det er bare at komme ud over stepperne 🙂
I skrivende stund, er der 227 (ref) i hele verden der har bestået testen.

Certificeringerne er ikke kommet helt i den strøm jeg godt har kunne tænke mig. Men der er flere faktorer der har spillet ind i fht. job/fritid. Jeg har skiftet job, hvilket har krævet tilvending til nye rutiner, kolleger osv. Derudover er familien, for første gang, blevet udvidet med en datter pr. d. 30/03/2007. Det kan godt anbefales 😉

MCP 70-316

Posted by Jens Vestergaard on in Programming 0 Comment

Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

Ja, det var så det sidste skud på stammen over de certificeringer jeg har taget i 2006. Det bliver nok ikke til flere i år, men jeg regner stærkt med at der ikke skal været gået meget af det kommende år før MCP 70–300: Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures skal i hus.

Hvad der så skal ske derefter er jeg lidt i tvivl om. Men én af to grene tror jeg jeg vil forfølge. 1. MCPD Microsoft Certified Professional Developer, hvilket svarer til at boppe den snarligt kommende MCSD op til .Net 2.0 platformen. eller 2. MCTS: Business Intelligence. Sidstnævnte tests er endnu ikke på markedet, så derfor vil det måske virke lidt kækt at gå efter noget man ikke ved hvad er…
“Man skal klappe den blinde frø, før hunden har skidt en bjørn”, siger det gamle ordsprog jo 🙂