Gavin Stevens's Blog

I got a request from a blog reader on the details of my certification journey:

1) Top 5 reasons you decided to get certified?
2) What books/resources/courses/web sites/etc.. did you use for your studying?
3) In what order did you take the exams?
4) How much preperation time did you need for the exams?
5) If you had to do it again, what would you do differently, if anything?
6) What level of experience did you have before starting your studying?

So, to answer these questions:

1) Top 5 reasons you decided to get certified?

I think it is important, especially being a contractor to have some backup that I know what I'm doing.  My resume speaks for itself but the certification can only add to it. Also, since I was going to spend the time to get certified, I figured I would pay the extra $375 and take 3 extra tests to get certified in both C# and VB.NET, not just one or the other. Also, unlike other guys in this field, I didnt goto college and get a BS or any degree in CS.  I was already working in the field, so I decided to focus my education on the things I wanted to learn, not the things they wanted my to learn for a degree.

2) What books/resources/courses/web sites/etc.. did you use for your studying?
3) In what order did you take the exams?
4) How much preperation time did you need for the exams?

I went through quite the path to get upto speed on everything .NET.  I came from a VB background, when .NET was in Beta 2 I started reading books about C#, Inside C# I think was the first, the Dan Appleman's Moving to VB.NET, was a good book.  So I started using VB.NET and C#.NET professionally but decided in 2003 to goto night school and fill in the gaps.  I bought a knowIT card from Centriq University in KC in March 2003, the card lets you take unlimited classes for a year, you just have to pay for the courseware. To be honest, and not to bag on Centriq, I was a little disappointed. I set a goal to get my cert by Jan 2004, and wanted to take appropriate classes. Because I worked fulltime I could only attemd classes at night. For the first few months March-June I took 3 or 4 - 2 week classes. After that I could never get the classes I wanted, and centriq didn't have enough people that wanted to take the classes to even schedule them. I did feel like I got my money worth on the classes I took, but in order to meet my goal on Jan, I was going to have to finish this thing on my own.

So, I went and picked up the MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft .NET Core Requirements, Exams 70-305, 70-315, 70-306, 70-316, 70-310, 70-320, and 70-300 which is all the books in one kit needed to study for the exams.

I also purchased the Transcender MCSD.NET Pack, which has sample tests for each of the needed tests.  I like the transcenders because after taking the sample tests, they dont only tell you the right answer, but explain why its the right answer, and why the other choices were not correct. This is the kind of logic you need to learn for the MS tests, Some questions on the tests and for the “best choice“, so not only do you need to know the right answer, but need to know the best answer too.

I took the 70-300 test first, as I had a free voucher to take it by the end of September from my original MCSD certification from back in 2000.

I then, worked on the rest of the tests in sequence taking the C# test, and the VB.NET test for the same subject, back to back

After passing all the core tests, I received the MCAD.NET certification, then I needed one more elective for the MCSD.NET. I picked up the SQL 2000 Test Guide Book, as well as the Transcender sample test for the 70-229. I passed that test on 9/1/2004 to complete my certification. Here is a list of the certifications, tests and dates I took them:

Microsoft Certification Status

Microsoft Certification Exams Completed Successfully

5) If you had to do it again, what would you do differently, if anything?

Not really, I think the path I took was good.

6) What level of experience did you have before starting your studying?

I have a VB background from all the way back to VB3.  So I had quite a bit of experience before I started pursuing the certifications.  I'm sure my experience helped, but I'm not sure how much of it was relevant to get the certs for the .NET group of technologies.

I hope this helps anyone who may be pursuing certification, I think it was well worth the work.  Not only am I certified, but I learned so much along the way.  I can't think of too many things I couldn't do if I needed to.  I think that is one of the most important parts of being a good developer.  You don't need to have a ton of experience with every subject, it is always better to approach a new situation with the full knowledge of what you are capable of doing, and how different aspects of the technology fit different tasks.  You can always figure out the syntax, and technical way to do things later.

Gavin