Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Noticias externas — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:19:21 GMT

This exam will also be releasing in beta form shortly.  Again, watch your MCP Flash for the invitation

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Oleg — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:40:32 GMT

What books do you suggest to read for this exam?

ASP.NET and ADO.NET 3.5 Beta Exams

Bryant Likes's Blog — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:08:46 GMT

Gerry just posted some information about the new ADO.NET 3.5 Exam and the new ASP.NET 3.5 Exam , but

Exames Beta de .Net 3.5 para MCTS/MCPD

.Net Unplugged — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:35:28 GMT

Exames Beta de .Net 3.5 para MCTS/MCPD

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:44:21 GMT

Hi Oleg.

A good place to start for books on ASP.NET 3.5 is here, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-5962824-5170267?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ASP.NET.

I never "recommend" a specific book but merely point people to resources. Everybody has different learning styles and even in books, the methods used to teach can vary.

At this time, MSPress hasn't released their titles for 3.5.

Gerry

ASP.NET and ADO.NET 3.5 Beta Exams

Bryant's Avanade Blog — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:38:05 GMT

Gerry just posted some information about the new ADO.NET 3.5 Exam and the new ASP.NET 3.5 Exam, but didn't...

ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Beta Exam

Ryan Garaygay | Blog — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:48:42 GMT

ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Beta Exam

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Tarique — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:12:01 GMT

Gerry,

Hi. I have never given a beta exam before but am planning on giving this one.

Is passing the beta exam the equivalent of passing the live exams? i.e. Do we get certified if we pass them ?

Do we know if we pass or fail the exam as soon it is over (like in a live exam) ?

Is there any other difference in the way beta exams and live exams are conducted ?

Thanks,

Tarique

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:07:52 GMT

Hi Tarique,

Passing the beta exam is equivalent to passing the live exam. Do you get certified? Only when all prerequisites are met. In other words, you must pass 70-536 and this exam to get an actual certification. This exam by itself does not award you the MCTS certification.

For beta exams, you will not know if you pass or fail. The score report will indicate that you have failed but don't worry, the passing score has not been set so you haven't failed it, yet. Beta exam results are not made avaiable until the exam is published live. We don't know the passing score until we finalize the questions after the beta.

The difference between a beta and a live exam is that in the beta, you will typically take 100 or more questions whereas on the live, it can be 40 to 60 questions.

Plan on a maximum of 4 hours for the beta exam.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Tarique — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:24:40 GMT

Thanks Gerry

ASP.NET and ADO.NET Beta Exams Extended

Microsoft Certifications — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:49:49 GMT

So, after giving Bryant a hard time on his blog about posting the beta codes for these two exams, we

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Shaik Rehan — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:26:37 GMT

can u give me a brief introduction of .net as well as its certification details

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

MJ.1 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:03:06 GMT

Gerry,

Will the current MCTS exams aimed at framework 2.0 be replaced with new exams aimed at the 3.5 framework?

Im currently studying for the application development foundation exam (70-536) which is the pre-requsite towards getting my MCTS .Net Framework 2.0 Web Applications. Would it mean that i could have to take new exams once final .NET 3.5 MCTS Exam are released?

Should i carry on or should i hold off until the new exams?

Thanks.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:25:17 GMT

Hi MJ, thanks for posting your question here. I did see your question in my inbox but as I have stated on my blog, I won't answer those requests as all can benefit from the questions and answers when they are posted here.

The .NET 2.0 exams will not be replaced with the 3.5 versions. They will continue to exist as certification for .NET 2.0.

70-536 is a prerequisite for both the MCTS on .NET 2.0 and .NET 3.5, so passing that exam, counts for both platform versions.

If you pass 70-528 which is for web developers on .NET 2.0, but you want to be certified on .NET 3.5, you will have to take a new exam, 70-562 ASP.NET 3.5.

If you want to become certified on ASP.NET 3.5, I suggest you continue to study for 70-536 and pass that. The ASP.NET 3.5 exam is in beta at this time which means that it will release later this summer. You can then take that exam to get certified on 3.5.

Hope that answers your questions.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

MJ.1 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:06:50 GMT

Thanks Gerry...that clears everything up for me.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Shiju — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:30:07 GMT

Why should I pass .Net 2.0 exam 70-536 for a 3.5 exam?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:10:06 GMT

Hi Shiju,

Even though exam 70-536 is listed as for .NET 2.0, it is still valid for .NET 3.5. The reason is quite simple.

You need to understand the core concepts of working with the CLR and the framework to be successful in programming .NET applications. This is the reason there is a foundations exam for .NET 2.0.

It carries over into the .NET 3.5 world as well because the changes in core aspects of the CLR and the foundational concepts were not significant enought to warrant the creation of a new exam. And, the name will be changing for the exam as well to remove the .NET version number.

This has benefits for those who are currently certified as well or who have started on the certification path in .NET 2.0. One foundation exam is sufficient for both platforms.

Will this change for the next version of the .NET Framework? Again, that depends on the changes in the CLR and concepts.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Polan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:47 GMT

do you know if there will be an upgrade path for those who already did the 70-528 exam?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

NetCowboy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:05:25 GMT

simpler explanation, ASP.Net 3.5 is actually still running under .Net 2.0.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:53:12 GMT

Hi Polan,

I'm a little confused by your question. What upgrade are you looking for?

See my previous post in the Microsoft Certifications Series where I talk about all the upgrade paths.

If you are referring to MCTS for 3.5, there are no upgrade paths for MCTS as there is only one exam required for a specialty. Well, one exam plus 70-536, but if you have MCTS on 2.0, then you already have credit for 70-536.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Polan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:37:25 GMT

Hi Gerry

Thanks for your reply.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, for those who already have an MCTS in ASP.NET 2.0 and are aiming for ASP.NET 3.5, an upgrade exam is more appropriate rather than doing a "full" 70-562 exam.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:03:26 GMT

Hi Polan,

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with you on this point. Here is my reason.

An upgrade exam is comprised of portions of all the exams necessary to achieve that certification. So, to create an upgrade exam for an MCTS certification on .NET, you would need components from 70-536 and the MCTS exam for the technology you want.

For those who already have an MCTS on 2.0, they will have already passed the 70-536 exam so to test them again on that would not make sense.

To look at creating an upgrade exam for just the MCTS portion would mean tocreate an exam of around 20 to 30 questions. This would not be an exam that would test the necessary material and would present a proper test of skills or knowledge.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Richard E. Byrd — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:34:07 GMT

How to take the Beta exams on ASP.NET 3.5 and ADO.NET 3.5?

I didn't see anything in the MCP Flash and I'm located in Redmond. I need to take these Beta exams. How do I register (where do I go)?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:47:46 GMT

Hi Richard,

please see this post, http://blogs.msdn.com/gerryo/archive/2008/04/02/asp-net-and-ado-net-beta-exams-extended.aspx

for beta registation instructions and code. Note that they are only available until May 4th so you may have trouble getting a spot at this time.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Richard E. Byrd — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:01:28 GMT

I did not get anything in the MCP Flash.

"[...], if you mean get notification of beta exams, then all you have to do is be an MCP and read your MCP Flash and watch the announcement sections of the MCP sites."

I was lucky enough to spot this in your Blog, but it seems I do not have any way to schedule a test tomorrow (the last day). How might I be able to accomplish this?

Richard

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:13:32 GMT

Richard,

The announcement should have been in an MCP Flash. I do not control the content of those so I can't verify if it was present in one or not. I also cannot guarantee that the announcements make it into every Flash unfortunately.

Watching the MCP sites as well is another avenue. The beta invites do not go out to the public initially but some do.

If none of your local test centers have openings, the only option is to search for other centers that are close enough.

Unfortunately, scheduling this late presents a challenge due to seat availability.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Richard Maxwell — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:59:47 GMT

So now that the exam has ended, we will be getting our results by June 4th?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:21:49 GMT

Hi Richard,

I will make no promises for that. There are too many variables that factor into the publishing of the passing scores.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

sean lohbeck — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:16:09 GMT

Do you know when 70-528 will be retired?

Thanks,

Sean

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Nick Masao — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:03:48 GMT

Dear Gerry,

Will the new certifications for .Net 3.5 expire in 3 years as for the .Net 2.0? eg MCPD etc?Thanks

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:07:17 GMT

Hi Nick,

Neither the 2.0 nor the 3.5 certs will expire in 3 years or 3 years after their release.

The retirement of the MCTS and MCPD exams are tied to mainstream product support from Microsoft. That means simply, when Microsoft ends mainstream product support for .NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005, the certifications will also expire at that time.

We had originally announced that the MCPD would be good for 3 years unless you updated your MCTS skills to refresh your skills. We have reversed that decision now and your MCPD will be version specific like you MCTS.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Nick Masao — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:12:05 GMT

Thanks Gerry.Thats great news.Cheers

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Sanjay — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:16:56 GMT

Gerry,

Can I directly give 70-562 for ASP.Net 3.5 without giving any other exams? I was planning to give 70-528 before but now I am thinking why not to give in latest technology?

Do I 1st need 70-536 as a prerequiste for 70-562?

When I am trying to schedule for 70-562, it doesn't give the option for that exam.

In the following link, it says that this exam is expected to be release on August 8. Can't I register for September or October?

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-562.mspx

Thanks.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:09:43 GMT

Hi Sanjay,

When it comes to Microsoft exams, you can take them in any order that you want. However, to be awarded the credential that you seek, such as MCTS or MCPD, you must meet the requirements set forth on the credential pages found at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/vstudio/2008/default.mspx and http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcpd/vstudio/2008/default.mspx.

For any developer certification on .NET 2.0 or 3.5, exam 70-536 is a prerequisite and you must have successfully completed that exam along with the appropriate MCTS exam, such as 70-562, in order to acquire that credential.

Likewise, you must have the required MCTS credential before you can acquire the MCPD credential.

Again, you can take the exams in any order you want, but will not be awarded a credential unless you meet ALL requirements.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Jonathan Phang — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:41:21 GMT

I'm looking into either the MCTS for 2.0 or 3.5 and wanted to just ask whether or not the structure of the non-common exam is different purely based on the differences between .NET 2.0/3.5 objects.

Basically, is the newer MCTS just an updated version of the 2.0 MCTS or does the content, and the weighting of components within change too?

Thanks in advance for any input

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:21:09 GMT

Hi Jonathan,

The exams for 3.5 were recreated from scratch. We invite subject matter experts from the industry into a focus group and create the exam structure and coverage based on how the product or technology is used in the industry.

We do not base our exams solely on product features. The features come into play as a result of the tasks that are performed based on our SME input and as a result, the exam may or may not include content that is similar in nature to what was on an exam for 2.0.

To prepare for an exam, never assume anything about the content but rather use the prep guides found online to understand the areas that will be covered on the exam and prepare accordingly.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:21:11 GMT

Hi Jonathan,

To prepare for an exam, never assume anything about the content but rather use the prep guides found online to understand the areas that will be covered on the exam and prepare accordingly.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Jonathan Phang — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:52:48 GMT

Thanks for the information Gerry, much appreciated. Personally, as I am torn between the two at the moment, I think that completing the 2.0 MCTS would provide me with a solid grounding to then persue the 3.5 MCTS if necessary.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:02:46 GMT

Hi Jonathan,

You are welcome.

I assume from your reply that you are already part way into your 2.0 certification?

If so, by all means complete that and then look to the MCPD upgrade paths if that is your intention. It will make it easier to upgrade with less exams.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Jay — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:51:51 GMT

i had given 70-552 for upgrade from MCAD to MCPD .

now if i am going to appear for MCTS-3.5 (which include 70662 and 70536), so in that case wheather i have to give 70-536 or not ?

please help me for this.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:14:46 GMT

Hi Jay,

If you hold an MCPD already then you do not need to pass 70-536 to obtain and MCTS for 3.5.

Gerry

help me..

karges — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:10 GMT

plan to take mcts(70-562) asp .net 3.5 i have been working in .net for past 2 years. can i write the exam directly or do i have to take any prerequisite for this despite of my experience..?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

karti — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:10:12 GMT

i would like to get certified in asp. net . what is the procedure to write the asp.net exam . when can i write. how much i will take . from where i can take notes for asp.net exams(via internet).

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:29:08 GMT

Hi Karges,

I do apologize for not responding earlier but I was vacation and did not even look at email or my blog.

To answer your question, there are no prerequisites for the exam itself but you must pass both 70-562 and 70-536 to be awarded the MCTS: ASP.NET developer certification.

Hope that answers your question

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:42:25 GMT

Hi karti,

Glad to hear you want to get certified in ASP.NET. please visit this link for all the exam information as well as links to related training resources.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/vstudio/2008/default.mspx

Gerry

regarding MCTS n MCAD

mohita dubey — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:03:59 GMT

i am .net developer ,have 2 years of experience in .net.i am planning to go for microsoft certification.

Can anybody please explain me what if i go for MCTS n what if i go for MCAD.which one is higher level of certification.I am totally stuck now.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:10:45 GMT

Hi Mohita,

Forget about the MCAD certification. It is legacy and unless you complete the entire certification track by March of 2009, you will not be able to complete it.

I would recommend that you go for the MCTS first, and then look at MCPD if that interests you.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Sriram — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:51:27 GMT

HI Gerry,

I am studying for 70-562 now and want to know about the number of questions in the exam and the difficulty level of the exam. The 3.5 hours time allotted seems quite long. Will it take that much time to finish the exam or can we finish it much earlier? it will be great if u can clarify these doubts.

Thanks.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

balusri — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:55:14 GMT

HI Gerry,

Thanks.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:43:23 GMT

Ok, I'm not sure if you're Sriram or balusri or if you are two different people who asked the exact same question. Either way, I can answer it with one post.

First of all, telling you the number of questions on the exam is a bit of a strange issue. I cannot tell you that nor can anyone who has taken the exam because if is information that is considered a part of the non-disclosure that you sign at the beginning of the exam. It might be 40 questions, it might be 50, it could be 75. You will know when you start the exam.

3.5 hours is the current alotted time for the entire exam which includes the initial NDA time and the comment period at the end of the exam.

To be perfectly honest, I think there is a mixup in that time as we normally set our non-beta exams for a maxiumum duration of 2 hours. I will check that on Monday when I am back in the office.

To answer your question as to whether it will take that long depends on you and how well you know your material, how long it takes you to read and understand the question and whether you go back and review items or not.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 2.0 MCTS Exam

Archana — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:23:07 GMT

Hi,

I am haing 2yrs of experince in asp.net 2.0 i want to give microsoft exam for which exam i should approach 70-536,70-528,70-562,70-547

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:44:37 GMT

Hi Archana,

First of all, you will need to pass 70-536 as a prerequisite for any of the other exams so I would recommend starting with that.

If you want to get a certification on .NET 2.0, then you should look at exam 70-528 next to acquire the MCTS. Then you can take 70-547 to acquire your MCPD on .NET 2.0 ASP.NET.

If you want the latest and greatest, then you still need to pass exam 70-536 first but once that is completed, you would need to pass 70-562 to get an MCTS on ASP.NET 3.5. The MCPD for ASP.NET 3.5 will release in January of 2009 so you have lots of time to take the first two and get prepared.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Lokesh Naik — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:12:52 GMT

Hi Gerry,

I am currently having MCTS in .Net Framework 2.0 Web applications. I want upgrade to MCPD 3.5. For this which exams should I take. Should I need to upgrade first to MCTS 3.5 and then to MCPD 3.5 or First upgrade to MCPD 2.0 and then to MCPD 3.5. Which path will be relatively easy and consists of less number of exams.

Thanks,

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:34:53 GMT

Hi Lokesh,

You can take the MCPD 2.0 exam and then the upgrade exam from MCPD 2.0 to MCPD 3.5. It's only two exams and is the shortest path.

Please visit, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certifications.mspx#TOOLS for your options.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

PauloChinois — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:14:19 GMT

Hi Gerry

Gr8 work there putting ppl in good directions. BTW, i have passed 70-536, and would like to now focus on 70-562. I can't seem to find exam Q&A dumps/study materials for 70-562 (frustrating). I did some syllabus comparison. It seems to me that

70-562 = [ 70-528 + LINQ (new) + AJAX (new) ]. As with all students, i have limited $ resources. So you reckon it will be the second best route to study 70-528 and beef up on new features of v3.5 lik LINQ and AJAX stuff? Your advise will prove to be most appreciated by all who ends up like me..

Thanks in advance,

PNG

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:56:37 GMT

Thanks Paulo,

You are on the right track for studying materials.

Just don't use the word "dump" please. It sounds too much like "brain dump". :-)

Gerry

70-564 vs 71-564

PauloChinois — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:54:29 GMT

Hi Gerry

I read

http://blogs.msdn.com/gerryo/archive/2008/11/04/register-for-beta-exam-71-564-pro-designing-and-developing-asp-net-applications-using-the-microsoft-r-net-framework-3-5.aspx

I got my answer!

I understand now what options are available for me. ~_*

Sorry for initial query i put forth. Thanks!

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:26:47 GMT

Hi Paulo,

No apologies necessary.

If there is anything else I can help with or answer for, don't hesitate to ask.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Suma — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:05:54 GMT

Hi Gerry,

Does MCTS exam depends on the number of years of experience? as i do not have much experience in .net but interested in writing the exams. Please suggest me whether to go for it or not.

Thanks in Advance

Suma

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:00:05 GMT

Hi Suma,

I can't suggest that you take the exam or not, sorry.

What I can do is recommend that you look at the prep guide, guage your experience with the experience listed, look at the items that will be tested on, and ensure you are comfortable with what you see.

You can also look at MeasureUp or Self Test Software practice tests to see how much you know first.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

suma — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:48:48 GMT

Thanks Garry,

Sure i will look into it and can you please tell me where can i find these prep guide and practice test?

Suma

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:09:19 GMT

Hi Suma,

First off, it's Gerry not Garry. :-)

You can find the prep guide here, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-562.mspx, the link to the prep guide was at the top of this post.

The links to practice exams can be found on the prep guide site. They will take you directly to MeasureUp or Self Test and you will need to search for the exams on that site.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

MCPissed — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:08:25 GMT

Microsoft does it again.

No upgrade for those who have an MCTS ASP 2.0.

Yes, Microsoft should have an upgrade exam to MCTS ASP 3.5 testing only the new features.

What kind of an excuse is - upgrade to MCPD 2.0 and take the upgrade to MCPD 3.5.

Microsoft is releasing new versions every few years, and driving us crazy.

The least they can do is provide an upgrade exam.

I think 99% would agree with me.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:02:00 GMT

Dear MCPissed,

Sorry you are dissapointed.

One exam is one exam is one exam. What would you expect the upgrade exam to look like? How many questions would you like to see?

Why is there such an issue with taking an exam that consists of no more than 50 questions to acheive a certification?

Would you expect the upgrade exam to have less questions? Would you expect it to cost less? If so, how much would you charge for it?

How would you explain yet another exam to those who are already saying there are too many exams and the certification landscape is too complicated as it is now? More exams will only add more complexity.

Let's be realistic here, there isn't a "one size fits all" solution that will satisfy everyone. We kept 70-536 the same which meant you didn't need to take a new foundation exam. Not good enough for you? Perhaps not.

My focus must continue to be on the greater market as a whole, not just upgraders but those who are new to certification and those who are certified many generations before. We create upgrade exams where they make sense.

Perhaps we should follow a model similar to CompTIA and Cisco where we just retire your certifications unless you take all new exams. There are no upgrades in their world. We choose not to follow that path but to continue to create our own.

We release new exams every few years to keep pace with the new products. It's just as simple as that. Technology changes, so do the needs of the industry. We follow that trend, although we don't force anyone to upgrade. That is why our certifications have versioning now.

Once again, I am sorry that your needs are not being met by our program but it also doesn't mean that I will change how I create the certifications or exams either.

If there are supporting opinions, I would love to see that 99% reply.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

MCPissed — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:12:43 GMT

Hello Gerry,

Thanks for your reply.

In my opinion, if you have been already tested on the material, why should you have to be tested again on the same material ?

The problem is, without an upgrade exam you have to be tested again, on a big portion of the material, which you have been already tested on.

A lot of people who are working do not have the time to study the entire material again, which is time consuming.

The upgrade exam doesn't necessarily need to contain less questions, it can have the same amount of questions, which will be focusing only on the new features of the product.

The upgrade exam will encourage more people to upgrade because less time and effort will be needed in order to meet the requirements and that way they will stay up to date with the new technologies Microsoft has to offer.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:24:11 GMT

Although I agree that being tested on something you have already been tested on doesn't always make sense, there are a couple of other issues that you need to be aware of.

The first issue is around exam development cost. I am given a set budget each year to create the exams necessary for the certification tracks that I plan. It would cost just as much for me to develop an upgrade exam as it would to create a completely new exam. This means I would have to pull money from other exams that are also needed. Unfortunately, Microsoft and Microsoft Learning do not have the deep pockets that everyone thinks we have. :-)

Point two is that when we create a new exam for a new version of the product, although some of the concepts are the same, the exam design and content are from the perspective of the new version. So, as procedures or ways of doing things change as a result of the new version, the same concepts are tested from that perspective.

In my opinion, and that is what it is, an opinion only, if you have already studied and successfully passed the previous version and you have the requisite experience, you don't need to spend a great deal of time studying. You still need to study the new technology regardless so I don't see any time savings.

Hopefully this makes some sense and helps you understand my position and reasons for the decisions that are made.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

ericmatz — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:18:40 GMT

Interesting points. I had begun typing a big comment about why MCTS upgrades were overkill, but as I was typing I realized there would be one additional advantage. The MCPD upgrade exams were brutal in that you had to pass each of the three sections to pass the exam. Plus the there were never any exam study guides targeted to them. Most of my colleagues opted to just take the 5 exams instead, and many just stopped studying for them altogether because of the amount of prep time. Offering MCTS upgrades would not only address the aforementioned issue, but it would make upgrading your MCPD much easier as well, IMHO. The upgrade exams are already sectioned off by topic - why not split them into individual exams?

Eric

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Disha T. — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:59:50 GMT

Hey Gerry!

First of all, excellent effort at answering confused minds like me :) and Secondly, please excuse me if I am asking you a question that has been asked before - I loved how detailed your replies were, and I went thru all of them, but with work and home, it took me 2 day to do so ;) So please excuse my memory.

I just finished 70-536 and like most others, I am torn between ASP.net 2.0 and 3.5. From the impression I got by reading everything above, it seems I should study for 3.5 since it will cover 2.0 fundamentals and plus teach me LINQ,AJAX etc..My goal of taking this exam is not just so I can get the certification, but so that I understand the material thoroughly and be well-equipped to apply it on my assignments at work. I believe going for 70-562 will allow me to do so. Am I thinking right? or Any other advice that you would like to share?

Thank you in advance!

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:59:21 GMT

Hi Disha,

My recommendation is exactly as you have indicated above. I would suggest you study for the 3.5 version 70-562 exam instead of the 2.0 version. You will find a lot of the same concepts covered but as you mention, you will be tested on some of the newer features and technologies.

The training kit from MS Press is not released yet but you can still use the older training kits to study from, if you have one already, and use MSDN and other resources to prepare for the new material.

Again, remember to use the prep guide, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-562.mspx, to ensure that you are concentrating on all the topics that will be covered by the exam.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Disha T. — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:48:59 GMT

Thank you for your response. When you say 'older training kits' you mean the kit for 70-528? Also, the release date for the 70-562 training kit is April 19th 2009, correct?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:18:11 GMT

Hi Disha,

Yes, sorry about that. I did mean 70-528 for the older one.

Also, the release date for the TK for 562 will be around that date you indicated.

Gerry

Exam guideline

fresher — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:23:16 GMT

hi,

friend could u guide me, which exam should i take first.

I am so confused about all these exams.

I want to build my career in asp.net with c#

Thanks in advance.

my id is http.amit@gmail.com

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:02:27 GMT

Fresher,

If you are looking to get certified on ASP.NET, I suggest you look at taking two exams;

70-536 - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-536.aspx

70-562 - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-562.mspx

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Sekh — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:38:40 GMT

Hi,

The loop was very informative.

But, need an YES answer to my below question. :)

I possess my MCTS 2.0 Web certification by completing

70-536 and 70-528 papers.

I would like to upgrade it to MCTS 3.5.

So, must I take up only 70-562 paper to get the same?

Thanks...

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:29:58 GMT

Hi Sekh,

If all you want is the MCTS certification for ASP.NET 3.5, then YES. :-)

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

pro_kash — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:00:40 GMT

Hi Gerry,

Thank you very much for making this space what it should be - reliable, authentic and above all clear. Kudos to your efforts.

I am new to Microsoft certification, though i have a long professional experience with Microsoft Technologies. Currently, i am working with ASP.Net 2.0 and Sql 2005. Now, i am planning to switch to Framework 3.5, as this is an eventuality!

Gerry, please guide me on what should be my course of action ? which path do you suggest more apt in the present context?

70-536--> MCTS(2.0)--> MCPD(2.0) --> upgd to MCPD 3.5

70-536 --> 70-562 get MCTS 3.5 --> go for MCPD 3.5 ?

Why the learning and certification strategies are made so complex and spaghetti-like in the Microsoft Learning Site? Will it not be better if a graphical representation of the learning/certification paths and options is provided there like the one given at the inner back cover of Microsoft Press Kits? I hope this will drastically reduce the queries made to you!

Once again, thank you for the vision you provide through this blog. I believe any one visiting this blog will agree with me.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:24:21 GMT

Hi pro_kash,

Thanks for the kind words. It's nice to hear that the blog is appreciated.

If you have access to Visual Studio 2008, I would recommend that you take the latter path you listed, 536 -> 562 -> 564. This will take you all the way to the MCPD: Web Developer certification. Unless you have a need to certify on 2.0, it makes more sense to go with the 3.5 track from start to finish.

As for the spaghetti on the web site, I do agree with you and we have a team that is working diligently on cleaning this up and making it more understandable. I know we complicate things a fair bit sometimes. :-)

Thanks for reading the blog and best of luck to you in your certifications.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Pro_Kash — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:26:23 GMT

Hi Gerry

Thanks for that swift reply. It's great to know that you are onto easing things out.

Can you please guide me on some good quality online interactive training on MCTS/MCPD ?

- i am avoiding the word "recommend" as you have already made it clear on the blog by saying that "I never "recommend" a specific book but merely point people to resources" :-)

regards

pro-kash

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:43:23 GMT

Pro_kash,

You are welcome.

Now, you know that I will be pointing you to Microsoft Learning resources right? :-)

If you go here, you can search on our eLearning, which is online and targeted directly at preparation for these certifications, http://learning.microsoft.com/manager/catalog.aspx

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Chirag — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:51:17 GMT

Hi Gerry,

First of all thanks for solving most of our doubts regarding Microsoft certifications.

My doubt was that for 70-562,microsoft has not released the training kit Yet right.

So what resources can i use.

And also i have gone through the guide for 70-528.

So can you please let me know what additional preparations would i need for 70-562. i assume Linq and Ajax.Please add if anything else is required too.

Thanks again and Keep up the great work.

Chirag

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:40:52 GMT

Hi Chirag,

The best place to look for any gaps in your training based on the resources you are currently using is the prep guide found here, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-562.mspx

Use the prep guide as an exam outline. If you see areas on the prep guide that are not covered in your current materials, I would suggest using MSDN online to learn about that other content.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

tinu — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:37:10 GMT

Hello everybody.

I am just going through all microsoft certification stuff and see this blog.

and feel very nice after looking all questions and replies.this is very informative blog.keep it up guyes!!

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Namratha — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:16:17 GMT

Hi Gerry,

I would like to know the exam pattern for 70-536 or 70-562...whether it is multiple choice question or anything like that...

Namratha

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:19:04 GMT

Hi Namratha,

All current developer exams are multiple choice.

Gerry.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Priya — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:51:39 GMT

Hi Gerry,

Nice & systematic way of explaining abt getting certifications on Asp.Net 3.5.My question is i am planning to take Asp.Net 3.5 Certification,i see 70-536 is the first pre requiste.In the Ms site it said that you have to study TS: Microsoft .NET Framework - Application Development Foundation,but in site i can find only self paced training kit of Ms.Net Framework 2.0 by Tony NorthuUp.Is there any new book or guide or study material for this 70-536 exam or just the same one as followed for 2.0.Do I have to prepare based only on 2.0. and use the practice tests of 2.0 available

Thanks Again for the help

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:50:39 GMT

Hi Priya,

The exam itself hasn't changed so the book for 70-536 for .NET 2.0 is still relevant.

I recommend the revised edition though.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Priya — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:38:49 GMT

Hi Gerry.

That was a quick reply..You mean the second edition of the book 2.0 rite.I saw in a previous comment that v can write exams in any order.So is there a time constraint like i have to take 70-562 with in this much time or so after i take exam 70-536.

Thnaks for the help..

Priya

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:02:08 GMT

Hi again Priya,

Yes, the 2nd edition is the one I meant. There were some editorial issues with the first edition.

You can take the exam in any order you wish. There is nothing that states you must take 536 first. Of course you won't achieve a credential until all requirements are met, but any order is fine.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

zico — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:51:39 GMT

Hi gerry ,

Is there MS Training kit for MCTS 70-562 , or any such stated to be released.

And Personally do you feel that any person having an MCTS in dot net 2.0 need to clear this certification exam for dot net 3.5?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:24:34 GMT

Hi Zico,

You should always search Amazon.com first.

http://www.amazon.com/MCTS-Self-Paced-Training-Exam-70-562/dp/073562562X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245201762&sr=8-1

I don't make personal judgements on whether candidates should get certified on different versions. It only gets me in trouble. :-)

What I do is recommend that the candidate take a look at what version they intend to use and determine if they feel it is worthwhile to upgrade. Only the candidate can make that decision.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

noman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:35:18 GMT

can anyone plz tell me that can i get certification in 70-562 exam without giving 70-536 exam

also tell me about 70-528 exam, is it available or expired??

thanks

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:35:16 GMT

Noman,

You MUST pass 536 and 562 before you can achieve the MCTS certification. There is no way around it.

528 is not expired and is still available. All you have to do is to check http://www.prometric.com and look under the exams available for registration.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Azher — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:27:32 GMT

i got the diffrences between 70-528 and 70-562,but i need your suggestion that currently i am working on 2.0 and as you said that latest is greatest,so which paper will you prefer me?70-528 or 70-562.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:07:17 GMT

Azher,

I cannot offer a preference for you. The choice is yours. Look at where you want to be in terms of certification and make your choice based on that.

Gerry

Please guide

Nisha — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:13:52 GMT

Hi Gerry,

I am planning to go for 70-536 exam. I am a fresher. Please guide me about the study material

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:03:32 GMT

Hi Nisha,

The best guide is the prep guide which is found online at, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-536&locale=en-us#tab3.

Using the prep materials listed there, the preparation guide itself and hands-on experience with .NET will prepare you for the exam.

Some have said it is not an easy exam but I believe that if you truly understand the material, you should have no issues passing.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

adbhut — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:16:59 GMT

Hi, Gerry,

I want to know about MCTS 70 -562

please tell me DATE (nearer about) when mcts 70- 562 paper are held . it need not be accurate but only rough .

also tell me fee and registeration process and mode of payment.

waiting soon for your reply.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:56:39 GMT

Adbhut,

The date is whenever you decide you want to sit the exam.

Fee is $125 USD but exchange rates will mean a different price wherever you are.

Registration process - http://www.prometric.com.

Have fun.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Anjana Kesari — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:45:53 GMT

hi,

Gerry.

iam working in a software company with 1 year exp

i want to write mcts exam so first i need to write 70-536 after that exam only iam eligible to write 70-562

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:48:02 GMT

Hi Anjana,

You have the ability to take these exams in any order that you wish. You don't have to take 70-536 first.

You won't get the MCTS certification unless both exams are completed however. Feel free to take them in any order though.

Gerry

Query from fresher

ChandraSekhar.k — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:42:59 GMT

hello sir,

this is chandra.

I am a fresher working in a smal company.

i want to write certification exam.

do i need to go for mcts or mcsd?

Please give me reply

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:11:27 GMT

Hi Chandra,

A couple of points to help clarify for you and to ask for more information;

1) MCSD is no longer achievable so that option is not available.

2) You mention MCTS but you don't tell me which products you are working with, or wanting to work with.

3) I need to know if you are talking about Web development or Windows development.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Kamlesh — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:33:24 GMT

Hi,

Can you tell me the diffrence between MCTS and MCP?

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:53:13 GMT

Hi Kamlesh,

MCP no longer exists form the perspective of a credential. MCP merely stands for Microsoft Certified Professional. When you obtain any certification, such as an MCTS, you are a Microsoft Certified Professional and a part of that community.

You cannot use MCP as a credential as you can MCTS, MCPD or MCITP.

Hope that clears it up.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Ram — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:36:59 GMT

Hi,

i am working in webapplication C# with Asp.net last 2 years. i write MCTS. 70-536, 70-562 which version i select. please tell me.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:12:24 GMT

Hi Ram,

I'm not sure what your question is exactly. Are you asking which version of the .NET Framework do these exams cover?

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Rick — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:48:30 GMT

Gerry,

First of all your blog is really amazing and very informative.

i have a question if i take 70-562 and 70-561 exams are they good enough to get MCTS certified. Please let me know as sson as possible

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:49:47 GMT

Hi Rick, thanks.

561 is the MCTS exam for ADO.NET and 562 is the MCTS exam for ASP.NET, using version 3.5 of the .NET Framework.

Alone or combined, neither will provide you with a credential until you have also passed 70-536. You only need to pass 536 once, and it counts for the prereq across all 2.0 and 3.5 certifications.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

hardik — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:01:01 GMT

Gerry,

I just registered for 70-562,little did i know about 70-536.Evetually I am looking for MCPD certification and to best of my understanding its like Passing 70-562,70-536 and 1 more pro level 70-564. So is it ok for me to give 70-562 and 70-536 in reverse order . If i have an option of canceling 70-562 and give 70-536 1st would you recommend me to take that option.

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:59:15 GMT

Hi Hardik,

You can take the exams in any order you wish, there is no requirement to do 536 first. For that matter, there is no requirement to do an MCTS exam before an MCPD exam.

The only thing to be aware of is that you will not receive a credential until all required exams have been completed. The order is entirely up to you.

Gerry

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

hardik — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:53:30 GMT

Thanks Gerry,

but before I can leave you in peace, I would request you to answer one more question of mine and this might not sound very smart so please bear with my ignorance,

I have worked as software engineer for 2.5 years now(.NET & SQL), I am planning to take up one of the MS certification solely to prove my credentials as accomplished developer to prospective employer, which of the two certification can serve my cause better, MCTS or MCPD.

If the answer happens to be MCPD then just give a brief idea on how to go about it,

thanks a lot, that's all i am gonna bother you for this year..

Enjoy your holidays..

hardik

re: Get Ready for the ASP.NET 3.5 MCTS Exam

Gerry O'Brien — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:22:40 GMT

Hi Hardik,

It really all depends on what you want to show as proof of skills.

The MCTS exams are designed to show hands-on skills with the technology, in other words the implementation of the technology.

The MCPD shows that you have the TS skills above but also that you know when to use a specific aspect of the technology, where it makes sense, or why you choose A over B. It's more of a job role-based certification for a dev lead, lead developer, or team lead.

Hope that helps.

Gerry