Study Smart, Not Hard. 
Read these Tips on studying for the exam, and you can cut your study time in half.

Know what you are studying for.
Sure, you're studying for a certification exam, but do you really know what's on the exam? Review the "What to Know" page section for a list of the concepts that you are going to be tested on. 

You should have the following items:

• - A PC capable of running SQL 2000. 
  The best way to know the concepts is to do the concepts. Set up a computer running Microsoft SQL server 2000 Enterprise Edition. If you don't have the software, download the 120-day eval version from Microsoft. To run on an XP computer, you may wish to get the SQL Server 2000 developer edition.
• - A Good reference book
  You will encounter questions as you study. You will save time and frustration if you have a good reference book handy. Check the Study Tools page to see the books that we have reviewed and tried. 
• - Test-Prep software
  These certification software companies (below) have a good honest name, offer customer support and have been around for a while. Be wary of those pop-up "cert-me-fast" certification companies professing to have actual exam questions. Go with a software company you can trust!
• - The Internet
  There is a lot of reference material online. Just remember that not all of is correct or relevant. If you can, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base first. A lot of the more difficult questions come right from these articles. 
• - Combine these tools
  Look at the questions that are on the test, and DO them. If there's a question about policy permissions, then set up a policy and assign permissions. Even if there's a GREAT explanation of the test answer, you will only really know the answer by doing what the question is asking about. You will find that most questions can be answered with just a few clicks.

When taking the test:

• Identify what is being asked.
  Each question is based on one or more concepts. Thy to think back to the conceptual study guide and remember the exact concept that refers to the question. Don't read into the question. When you identify what they are asking you (the concept), you will see the answer. 
• Focus on the Question.
  It is easy to loose focus. You're looking at one question, but thinking about whether or not you got the last question wrong. You're hungry, thinking about lunch. You might be worried about failing. None of this matters to this question. Clear your head, take a deep breath, and focus on the question in front of you.
• Write down everything.
  You are given a piece of paper or writing board as you enter the testing center. Use it. Write down key points in long questions, graph networks, make notes on what is in exhibits. Sure, you may be able to do it all in your head, but you will think more clearly if you write it all down. This also helps you to avoid stupid mistakes. 
• Never go back.
  Answer each question to the best of your ability and then move on. don't use the back button, and don't review questions that you already answered. When you second guess yourself, you are setting yourself up for failure.
• Never surrender. 
  The test is not over until it's over. If you suffer through five hard questions, you may feel like you just failed. You have to put it aside and move on. (remember focus?). The passing score percentage on these exams is not high. You can miss a few and still pass.   

So, what about Braindumps?.

Braindumps are what you get when a test candidate finishes an exam, and writes down all of their thoughts from the exam. While these are usually real questions, they are prone to human error. The most effective use for braindumps is to make sure that you're studying the right material. When you look at a braindump, look at the concepts more than the question. 

Warnings about Braindumps:

Not all Braindumps are real, people have been known to dump questions from a Trancender, or from the free software that comes with most books. These are not questions from the exam, and can often be misleading. Verrify your sources. We do.

Even when braindumps contain the correct questions, sometimes they contain the wrong answers, or the right answer is not even listed as a choice. Be careful.

Choose Your Exam Prep carefully:

I think it's cute when you see someone selling a package with 300 or 500 "real-exam-questions". What exactly do they mean? The actual exam question pool is less than 200 questions! Some of the exams have less than 100 questions in their question pool!

If you are studying questions/concepts that are not on the actual exam, then beware. Microsoft/Cisco/CompTIA all have a set of exam concepts. Anything you study outside of those concepts is distracting and wasting your time!


EliteCertify is a company dedicated to developing the best quality training products for the professional IT market. The company was formed in 1999. They guarantee their products and have a free demo download. EliteCertify continues to provide the most realistic study guides for Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, Novell, Oracle, CIW, Sun, etc. certification exams.

Transcender is a well-known name in the IT certification industry. The company is dedicated to helping IT professionals strengthen technical job skills and prepare them for tough certification examinations by developing the highest quality learning and exam preparation products. The original company was formed in 1992, soon after Microsoft Corporation introduced its certification program. Transcender guarantee their products, with passing results, and offers free sample demos!


Examsimulators have taken feedback from 1000's of customers, pinpointed information that you must know for each exam, have compiled questions and explainations easy to understand and guarantees you will pass! Downloading the practice exam right now can save you from hours and hours of wasted study time and frustration!