Windows 7 Certification Practice Tests: A Guide to Different Types and Where to Find Them

Windows 7 Certification Practice Tests: A Guide to Different Types and Where to Find Them
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Types of Tests

When considering Windows 7 certification practice tests, there are essentially two types of exams to keep in mind – fact based exams and scenario or concept based exams. Fact based exams are in some ways the easier of the two. You have to know facts. For example, how many bits are there in one octet, and how many octets are there in an IP address? The answer is eight bits and four octets These are facts about IP addressing. In that one topic one could easily create 100 questions.

The other type of exam is the scenario or concept based exam. In this type of exam, one must know not only the facts, but also how to apply them in the appropriate context. In other words one has to know the facts and the concepts. Typically these exams are harder because it is not enough to know the facts but one must know how and when to apply them.

Comptia exams, like the A+, Network+, and Security+ are fact exams. You have to know the facts. These exams are straightforward. Consequently they are among the “easiest” of the IT certification exams.

Cisco exams on the other hand are typically concept exams. One will be given a scenario and be given an series of choices. In some cases the answer that is correct in one scenario might be incorrect in another.

Microsoft exams are a combination of the two. They have fact type questions but also scenario questions. Furthermore, you double that up with simulation questions; here you have to know the answer, but in simulations you must know how to apply the answer which has certain configuration challenges.

Windows 7 Certifications

For Windows 7, there are two certification tracks, the MCTS, Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist, and the MCITP, Microsoft Certified IT Professional. The first cert has one exam and the second has two exams, but you can use the exam from the MCTS as one of the required exams. To get both certifications requires only two exams. However, the MCITP cert has two sub-tracks which use different exams.

  1. Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7. This sub-track uses the 70-686 exam as the second exam to complete the requirements for the MCITP.

  2. The second sub-track is Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Support Technician, which uses the 70-685 exam.

To repeat, to get both certifications, MCTP and MCITP, requires only two exams. The 70-680 and either the 70-685 or 70-686.

Windows 7 Certification Practice Tests

To prepare for the certification exams you can use the Official Microsoft Curriculum, which has study guides and practice tests. The 70-680 exam for the MCTS has that preparation material available. But for the MCITP, there is no official curriculum available yet. There are courses that you can take to prepare for the exam.

Also keep in mind the difference between braindumps and practice tests. Braindumps usually only provide the question and answer, but leave you in the dark about why the answer is what it is; there is no explanation. Test preps on the other hand will provide you with an explanations about why an answer is right, but also why the wrong answers are wrong.

There are a variety of practice exams available that will help you prep for the 70-680, 70-685, or 70-686 exams.

70-680

PrepLogic – The practice tests have exam-like questions, computer scenario based simulations, custom features, and several exam pools.

CertifySky – This set of practice tests comes with many of the same features as Prep Logic, but they also provide detailed explanations.

Accelerated Ideas – This set of exams is freeware. But it provides many of the features already listed. They focus heavily on the exam objectives.

70-685

Microsoft-Certificate – The name of the exam company is misleading. It is not affiliated with Microsoft, but provides test prep material for the MCITP cert. They also provide simulations and videos connected to the content of the exam.

Visual Exams – This source provides real time testing, plus exam like questions. The practice testing software generates a results summary and report. You can simulate certification mode or use the study mode.

70-686

The last exam here for the MCITP focuses on the administrative duties to be performed on the Windows 7 client. For that reason, this is exam is different than the desktop exam, the 70-685. Here are some practice tests that can be useful.

Examsexpert – They provide an exam selection with detailed explanation, plus they update the exam bank frequently to make it more relevant and timely. There is the exam bank and the question and answer bank with explanations.

PrepDumps – They provide multiple-choice questions with multiple or single answer. Drag and drop simulations are also included.

Summary

The Windows 7 certification involves taking two out of three exams. There are two certs the MCTS and the MCITP. The first has one exam, the second has two exams and two sub-tracks, one for desktop support and one for administrative support.

Windows 7 certification practice tests can come in a variety of flavors which offer no explanation for the answer, usually called braindumps. Or they can provide detailed explanation about the exam questions and answers. To fully realize the test objectives, preparation exams that present detailed explanations are preferred.