BI Certification – Microsoft MCTS 70-448 Exam

Dear friends,

Yesterday I updated my MCTS-BI certification on SQL 2008 version realizing the 70-448 exam with a 972 score. The score and certificate achievement are not important; what is really important for me is to have one more reason to learn new things or to re-learn old things! Take a look at my previous experience doing this exam in the previous SQL version (SQL 2005 – exam 70-445)

How did I study?

I spent one day studying hard through the exams provided by the MS Press Training Kit book (written exclusively for this exam) and through the exams provided by uCertify. Both Microsoft Press book and the software provided by uCertify, have very good resources to study and learn into deep detail the subjects required for this exam. The learning method I’ve followed was to read the book on each failed question included in the book and in the uCertify software.

The well-known dumps not exist here, and I don’t recommend anyone to use it. Using dumps the merit realized on passing on exam does not exist and mainly, you’ll not learn anything! I cannot understand the logic of using dumps and I think Microsoft should do something about it.

Skills Being Measured

Implementing an SSIS Solution (17%)

Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSIS (15%)

Implementing an SSAS Solution (21%)

Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSAS (17%)

Implementing an SSRS Solution (17%)

Configuring, Deploying, and Maintaining SSRS (13%)

Courses associated with this exam

6236A:Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2008 Reporting Services (3 Days)

6235A:Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2008 Integration Services (3 Days)

6234A:Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2008 Analysis Services (3 Days)

Key subjects to focus in

The following list shows some of the key subjects that I remember from my exam and I consider very important for all those persons that want to learn and do the exam:

SSIS Protection Level Options (about 3 questions)

SSIS command-lines DTExec and DTUtil (about 3 questions)

SSRS RSConfig and RSReportServer Configuration File (about 4 questions)

SSRS Encryption Keys and Configuration tool

SSAS Data Mining (about 1-2 questions)

SSAS Processing Options (about 4 questions)

SSAS Deployment Wizard and XMLA (XML for Analysis) scripts

SSAS IsAggregate, Usage and AtributeHierarchyEnabled properties

SSAS Roles (about 2 questions)

SSAS Usage Base Optimization (about 2 questions)

MDX Languages (3-4 questions)

I think the most questions were focused on SSAS and less on Data Mining. The questions I think many persons will have some difficulty during the exam are configuring a SSIS, SSAS and SSRS Servers that are typical tasks more related with SQL Database Administrators (DBA)… Except in small/middle companies, rarely a BI developer needs to administer a SQL database. Although and based on my last experience helping implementing a critical BI system, some DBA’s issues aroused often, and our team needed to do everything including DBA tasks. For that reason, I am planning to take SQL DBA certification next weeks. But before it I’ll take BI exam 70-452 to update MCTIP BI certification for SQL 2008

uCertify Experience

uCertify kindly asked me some weeks ago to try their product on 70-448 exam. I accepted the challenge but in one condition… use it in real for making the exam! The experience was very interesting and I changed my opinion about these kinds of products. The uCertify product has several exams to test your skils but also a study helper. The exams are not Dumps and if you want to pass the exam learning, I truly recommend that you invest on this product. If you fail the exam, at the end you’ll spend more money. Visit the uCertify software for this exam

If you plan to invest on uCertify testing software, I can send you a 10% discount voucher

BI Certification – Microsoft MCTS 70-445 Exam Passed

Yes!!!
One of the goals that I’ve proposed to achieve this year is almost accomplished! Today I made the Microsoft exam 70-445 (MCTS), and next week I will do the exam 70-446 (MCITP).

The exam 70-445 that I done today includes 3 courses:
Course 2791: Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2005 Analysis Services (3 days)
Course 2792: Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2005 Integration Services (3 days)
Course 2793: Implementing and Maintaining SQL 2005 Reporting Services (3 days)
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-445.mspx

The following list includes the topic areas covered on this exam. The percentage indicates the portion of the exam that addresses a particular skill.

Managing SSAS (12 percent)
Developing SSAS Solutions by Using BIDS (18 percent)
Implementing data mining by Using BIDs (12 percent)
Managing SSRS (13 percent)Developing Reporting Solutions by Using SSRS (19 percent)
Developing Business Intelligence Solutions by Using SSIS (16 percent)
Administering SSIS Packages (11 percent)

The exam wasn’t easy, and I confess that during the exam I was a little afraid, because the questions were very specific and it required a lot of attention! Happily I passed with 842 (84,2%) (minimum is 700)
I have some experience in these subjects for that reason I only studied with MCTS Training Kit. This kit has a book, several labs and about 200 exams to train.

My exam had 44 questions and I felt that almost questions were focused on Reporting Services and Data Mining. I suggest that you get this training book and go inside into the properties of each module. (SSIS, SSAS, SSRS and Data Mining) And some subjects that you must study hard:

Report Model and Report Builder
Data mining algorithms and parameters
Data Mining lift and profit chart (Check the accuracy of your DM Model)
SSIS Transactions
SSAS Security issues
SSAS Performance (Usage based optimization / design aggregations)
SSAS MOLAP (automatic and schedule), ROLAP and HOLAP
DMX Syntax (for data mining models)
SSRS Subreports

If you follow the training kit and focus on the tips above, and are familiar with Microsoft tools I think is sufficient to pass. But some visitors will ask... why SQL 2005 and not SQL 2008? Because SQL Exams is not available yet, and it’s a way to prepare to SQL 2008 and learn more about Microsoft tools. Following this, I already made my registration for the new exams that will be available this month.

(If you register now, you will have 40% discount in the exam price)

Register for the "First to Know" Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Exam Offer
Be Among the First to Certify
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/sqlvs/offer/default.mspx

Regards!!

Pedro