Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Windows® XP Operating System Exam Cram™ 2 (Exam 70-27)

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Introduction

Welcome to the 70-271 Exam Cram 2! Whether this book is your first or

your twenty-first Exam Cram 2 series book, you’ll find information here that

will help ensure your success as you pursue knowledge, experience, and cer-

tification. This book aims to help you get ready to take—and pass—the 70-

271 exam.

This introduction explains Microsoft’s certification programs in general and

talks about how the Exam Cram 2 series can help you prepare for Microsoft’s

latest MCSE, MCSA, and MCDST certification exams. Chapters 1 through

8 are designed to remind you of everything you need to know to pass the 70-

271 certification exam. The two practice tests at the end of the book should

give you a reasonably accurate assessment of your knowledge—and, yes, we

provided the answers and their explanations for these sample tests. Read the

book, understand the material, and you stand a good chance of passing the

real test.

Exam Cram 2 books help you understand and appreciate the subjects and

materials you need to know to pass Microsoft certification exams. Exam

Cram 2 books are aimed strictly at test preparation and review. They do not

teach you everything you need to know about a subject. Instead, the authors

streamline and highlight the pertinent information by presenting and dis-

secting the questions and problems they discovered that you’re likely to

encounter on a Microsoft test. Exam Cram 2 authors work hard to bring

together as much information as possible about Microsoft certification

exams.

Nevertheless, to completely prepare yourself for any Microsoft test, we rec-

ommend that you begin by taking the “Self-Assessment” that is included in

this book, immediately following this introduction. The self-assessment tool

will help you evaluate your knowledge base against the requirements for

becoming a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), a

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), and a Microsoft

Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) for the Windows 2000 track and for the

Windows Server 2003 track under both ideal and real circumstances.

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Introduction

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Based on what you learn from the “Self-Assessment,” you might decide to

begin your studies with some classroom training or some background read-

ing. On the other hand, you might decide to pick up and read one of the

many study guides available from Microsoft or third-party vendors, includ-

ing the award-winning Training Guide series from Que Publishing. We also

recommend that you supplement your study program with visits to

http://www.examcram2.com to receive additional practice questions, get advice,

and follow the most recent developments for the MCDST, MCSA, and

MCSE programs.

This book includes a MeasureUp test engine, which simulates the Microsoft

testing environment with similar types of questions that you’re likely to see

on the actual Microsoft exam. We also strongly recommend that you install,

configure, and play around with the network operating system software that

you’ll be tested on: nothing beats hands-on experience and familiarity when

it comes to understanding the questions you’re likely to encounter on a cer-

tification test. Book learning is essential, but without a doubt, hands-on

experience is the best teacher of all!

Taking a Certification Exam

After you prepare for your exam, you need to register with a testing center.

Each computer-based MCP exam costs $125, and if you don’t pass, you can

take each again for an additional $125 for each attempt. In the United States

and Canada, tests are administered by Pearson VUE and by Prometric.

Here’s how you can contact them:

➤ Pearson VUE—You can sign up for a test by calling 800-837-8734 or via

the Web site at http://www.vue.com/ms.

➤ Prometric—You can sign up for a test through the company’s Web site,

http://www.2test.com or http://www.prometric.com. Within the United States

and Canada, you can register by phone at 800-755-3926. If you live out-

side this region, you should check the Prometric Web site for the appro-

priate phone number.