I know there are a lot of people wondering about these and other training for the new 3.5 certifications. Our Training Kit Product Planner was nice enough to provide me with a summary of the planned Training Kits and their current expected release dates.
There's quite a few new exams for Visual Studio 2008. Though we'd like to support each one with a Microsoft Press Training Kit, we're only able to cover a subset due to business considerations. Here's a list of the new Training Kits in the plan, along with ISBNs and expected availability dates (dates are subject to change, and if we can come out any earlier with a book, we certainly will):
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-502): Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5—Windows® Presentation Foundation ISBN: 9780735625662
Availability: now
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-503): Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5—Windows® Communication Foundation
ISBN: 9780735625655
Availability: September 2008
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-505): Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5—Windows® Forms Application Development
ISBN: 9780735626379
Availability: January 2009
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-561): Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5 - ADO.NET Application Development
ISBN: 9780735625631
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-562): Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 - ASP.NET Application Development
ISBN: 9780735625624
Availability: April 2009
MCPD Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-564): Designing and Developing ASP.NET Applications Using Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
ISBN: 9780735626560
Availability: May 2009
SQL 2008
We're supporting all three SQL Server 2008 MCTS exams with Microsoft Press Training Kit, and one of the MCITP exams (for the Database Administration certification path). Here's a list of the new Training Kits in the plan, along with ISBNs and expected availability dates (dates are subject to change, and we also like to publish earlier if possible):
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-432): Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 - Implementation and Maintenance ISBN: 9780735626058
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-433): Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 - Database Development
ISBN: 9780735626393
MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-448): Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 - Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
ISBN: 9780735626362
MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-450): Designing, Optimizing and Maintaining a Database Server Infrastructure Using Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008
ISBN: 9780735626577
Gerry
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Hi Gerry,
Now that most of the MCTS level exams are out, when are the MCPD professional level beta exams coming out? specifically, 70-564, Asp.net 3.5 PRO exams?
I remember according to one of the webcast, 70-564 is supposed to go live Nov 3, 2008. So the beta will be starting pretty soon, no ?
Hi Tarique,
Not sure why the webcast gave that date but the beta is currently scheduled for 10/21/2008 and live 1/19/2009.
Perhaps that was early in the planning phase as you don't mention when you viewed that webcast or when it was initially released.
This is very helpful for future planning...
So... if we don't see a corresponding 3.5 kit for the existing 2.0 kits (on this list), are we to assume then that there won't be a new 3.5 one and that the 2.0 one will still be the recommended kit for 3.5 exam prep?
Hi Leigh,
That would be correct. I would suggest using the 2.0 TK and then the What's New section of the MSDN documentation for the are you want to test on. Cross reference that with the Prep Guide for the exam, and you should be good to go.
Hi
I'm currently certified as MCPD (Enterprise) on VS2005 and wish to upgrade to MCP Enterprise 3.5. I assume the best option is to sit 70-568 and 70-569 when these are available.
Up until now I have used the training kits as the preferred method of study. I have not been in the upgrade situation before. Is it best to obtain the kits for the MCTS exams under MCPD 3.5 (70-505, 70-503, 70-561, 70-562) and then use the existing MCPD 2.0 kit? It would be convenient if there are kits or other material specific to the upgrade exams is available?
Additionally it seems a long time to wait for these kits. Another option looks to be to use the preparation guides (will these be available for the upgrade exams?) and then other material such as on Microsoft E-Learning. Are the E-Learning courses that are recommended in the preparation guides suffient to cover the exams?
Any advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Brendon,
You are correct, the upgrade exams are the shortest and lowest cost for you to gain MCPD Enterprise on .NET 3.5.
I use the same preparation methods as you do and I really value the training kits. A couple of times in the past, MS Press has made available, upgrade or core packs. However, due to various business reasons, these were discontinued. Not to say they might no come back, but I don't hear anything specific to that effect yet.
All these packs were, essentially, were the various individual training kits made soft cover and place in a hardshell case. So basically, purchasing the individual books, provides you with the same content.
One thing you have to remember as well is these training kits map directly to the exam objectives and as such, they do not even get started until I provide the MS Press group with the completed exam design. Then, there are many factors affecting start dates such as finding authors, contracting the work, getting the content written, edited.......... This is the main reason why they are not available at exam betas. Of course, they won't be that far behind the exam release dates. (Remember also, there is no beta exam for upgrade versions)
The preparation guides will be available soon for the upgrades. Basically, the hold up on this is me. :-)
What I have to do is take all of the exams that will form a part of the upgrade exam, and select the most important and relevant topics to place on the combined design in order to create the upgrade version. It's a carfeul balance of the right MCTS and MCPD content to ensure adequate coverage of both and to ensure the candidate has knowledge of the right content.
I have to review the blueprint information, which is what a group of industry experts have used to tell us the relevance, importance and difficulty of the content on each exam. This document drives the exam creation in terms of the number of questions that are covered for each topic area.
Once I have reviewed that information, I have to trim down the number of items and or areas that will be used from each TS or Pro exam, and make the design for the upgrade. I know I will never get it 100% correct and to everyone's liking, but I try to get it as close as possible.
The prer guides cannot be created until I have completed that process. I plan to be finished with my portion before the end of this coming week when I can pass it off to our psycometrician for validation. She looks at it from a numbers and statistical point of view to ensure we are testing to the proper standards. That is a very important step in the process.
As for the eLearning courses, these also are intended to map directly to our exam objectives. I'm not certain we have created eLearning that covers the upgrades but like the training kits, you would use the individual components as determined by the prep guide for the upgrade exams.
Concentrate on the exisiting prep guides for an idea of what will be covered but know that everything from each required TS or Pro exam will not be on the upgrade. That would create an exam so large, nobody would want to take it. The MCPD Enterprise already has two exams and I prefer not to increase that any further.
Hope this helps a bit.
Thanks for this info... but what about the TK for Windows Workflow exam? Any news?
Hi Stefano,
As stated in the posting, if it isn't listed there, then MS Press will not create one.
I don't work directly in MS Press so I can't provide the business reasons for the decision unfortunately. As the certification Product Planner I would like to see supporting study material for all my exams but there are many factors that affect that decision.
No Certification Training Kits for Windows Workflow...
hello,
i would like yo know whether the exam 70-562 (in .net 3.5 vs 2008) is released or not. can i take the exam in the any authorised prometric centers listed in microsoft website.In the Microsoft website it has been said that it will be released in august 2008. i don't know whether the exam is released or not
hoping replies
byee take care
seetharaman.k
Hi seetharaman,
Yes, 70-562 is now available for registration on the Prometric website.
I am being asked this question quite often lately, and of course it is a perfectly valid question. 
Am I the only one who thinks the release of these books is really, really slow?
The .NET Framework 4.0 is out in 2009 and I'm sure a new set of certifications will come with that too - but we have not even had the study material for a lot of the .NET 3.5 certs yet! How our we possibly meant to keep up?