3. Microsoft Exams the Inner Mechanics
How to become a Microsoft Certified Professional
3.5. Part 1: How to Pass a Microsoft Exam
This is Part 1 in the final blog series. It brings together everything we’ve covered in previous blogs. Part 1 will cover the exam-taking process. We’ll also discuss how to make sure you get the most out of the preparation time.
3.5.1. 3.5.1.
After months of practice, testing, and studying, you finally take the exam. As you scroll through the pre-exam survey screens, you find yourself in a testing centre. No matter if you’re a beginner or an expert, the butterflies in the stomach will be the same regardless. It’s not a pleasant feeling, I have to admit. It’s clear that you’ve worked hard to reach this point. You’ve read a lot of technical material and spent hours playing with the software. But what if everything you’ve learned is incorrect? What if you haven’t learned something from your studies? What if you don’t know how to answer the questions on the exam? It’s like walking across a fallen tree on a precipice. It might be large enough to camp on and you may have walked it a lot when it was still on the ground. It feels completely different when it is high up in the air. A single mistake can ruin your entire day. If you look down…
That’s the first thing to remember: don’t look at the ground. You need to be able to focus on the exam and not let your anxiety get the best. Adjust your breathing and get rid of any tremors. Then, focus on the screen.
3.5.2. 3.5.2.
The exam’s number, title, and opening page will be displayed. Make sure you have the correct exam! The exam’s title and number, as well as the time it will take to complete them. Divide the number of items by the time it takes to answer them. The ratio is typically about two minutes per item for a non-case-study exam. You might see it take a little longer for easier exams, and a little longer for harder ones. After you have completed your first pass, you should allow 30 seconds for each item. You can spend more time on items that are more difficult by taking an average of one minutes to answer each question. You should read each item carefully so you don’t miss any important information. But don’t go overboard. The upper right corner of your screen has a timer. Take a look at it every now and again to see if you are moving fast enough. You might find yourself falling behind the schedule in the beginning. It may take you four to five items to get used the language, length, and difficulty. It is important to catch up quickly.
If you feel that you are unable to crack an item quickly enough you don’t need to dwell on it. Just choose a better option at the moment and mark the item (the check box is in the upper left corner) so you can return to it later. It is important to follow the suggested schedule (one item per hour), even if you have to leave an item behind or give incorrect answers. Always give an answer. You won’t lose any points if an item is left unanswered. If you happen to encounter a difficult item very early in the game and spend a few extra minutes on it rather than answering it with much thought and thinking, you may spend the next few hours trying to catch up, rushing and missing important details.
