MCSE TestMaster
PC Age is a relative newcomer to the sample-examination software market. The company offers six programs that you can purchase separately or bundled at a discount price: Networking Essentials, Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Technologies, Internetworking Microsoft TCP/IP on Windows NT, and System Administration for Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 for Windows NT.
Each TestMaster program has hundreds of multiple-choice questions, and this design makes the examination process easy to complete but tasking mentally. The exam software fits on one 3.5" disk, so you can install it on your laptop and test yourself any time--a multimedia powerhouse PC isn't necessary.
I reviewed the Internetworking Microsoft TCP/IP on Windows NT sample
examination. This test prepares you for test #70-59 in the MCSE certification process--an elective examination. Installing the software was simple. I ran setup.exe on the 3.5" disk, answered a few questions, and was ready to launch the program from the Start menu.
The TestMaster program includes the kind of single- and multiple-selection questions that the Microsoft exams contain. TestMaster also includes a Mark box, which I have not seen on other CBT sample-examination software. The Mark box lets you flag questions you're unsure of, so that you can find them easily. Using the Mark box is a good test-taking strategy. You can answer the questions you know how to answer, returning later to the questions you've marked that you need to think about. Screen 3 shows a typical TestMaster multiple-choice question.
An Exhibit button accompanies many of the questions in the TestMaster
programs. Clicking Exhibit opens a window containing information to help you
correctly answer the question. The Microsoft examinations offer this feature, but it's not found in many sample-examination programs. After you complete a TestMaster examination, the software presents a report detailing your performance by section.
I encountered several small annoyances while running the TestMaster
software. First, on the Previous button, P is underlined, which is the typical indication that Alt+P serves as the Previous shortcut. However, whenever I used Alt+P to move to the previous question, an Explain window, containing the correct answer and an explanation of the question, popped up. Clicking Previous did not summon an Explain window. Having to click Previous to move backward between questions requires more mouse action than I prefer. In addition, when I opened Exhibit windows, the contents of some windows would not adjust to my screen resolution. I used TestMaster's "stretch" mode, which shrank the interface but also made it unreadable in some instances.
TestMaster is excellent sample-examination software but offers test packages for only four of the core MCSE certification tests. Another limitation is that, by default, TestMaster quizzes you on 151 questions per exam in a total allotted time of 151 minutes, which doesn't mirror the method of the Microsoft MCSE tests.
MCSE Suite #6
Transcender's MCSE Suite #6 has a reputation for being the best
exam-preparation software available. MCSE Suite #6 is a collection of 15
different programs that highlight the core technologies targeted by the MCSE
certification process, including NT Server 3.51 and 4.0, NT Workstation 3.51 and
4.0, Win95, Windows 3.11, Exchange, Internet Information Server (IIS), and
TCP/IP for NT 3.51 and 4.0. MCSE Suite #6 also highlights the elective
technologies of the MCSE curriculum, such as SQL Server and SMS. Each program
contains several sample examinations that simulate the Microsoft MCSE exams.
(After I completed my review, Transcender released a new version of the
software, MCSE Suite #8, which contains 18 programs.) Transcender claims its
exams are more difficult than Microsoft's exams, because to pass a MCSE Suite #6
exam, you must achieve a higher score than you need to pass a Microsoft
certification exam.
Each MCSE Suite #6 program fits on a 3.5" disk. Installation consists
of running the setup program and selecting the destination directory for the
program files. I didn't like two aspects of the installation. First, I wanted to
install the software into \mcse\trans\programname, but I had to manually
create the \mcse and then \mcse\trans directories--the installation program did
not create them for me. Second, each time I installed a new examination program,
a separate program group would appear on my Start menu, which rapidly became
crowded.
After you launch an MCSE Suite #6 program, you can select among many sample
exams. Each exam contains several question formats. Like the Microsoft
examinations, many questions are vague and require you to make assumptions. MCSE
Suite #6 exams are timed to reflect the testing environment you'll encounter in
the Microsoft certification tests. You can expand the time limits, but if you
stick with the default times, you'll have a good idea of what it feels like to
take the timed Microsoft certification tests.
When you complete a sample examination, MCSE Suite #6 compiles an
Examination Score Report that rates your performance. The product organizes the
report by exam section and shows the percentage of questions you answered
correctly in each section. A bar graph gives you a graphic representation of
your progress. For each exam, you receive an overall and a passing score. If
your overall score exceeds your passing score, you pass the examination. Screen 4 shows the Examination Score Report for someone who did not study very much
before taking the sample exam.
After you take an exam, you can go back and review the questions you
answered incorrectly. When you review questions, the program will display the
answer you gave and the correct answer. You can't review your answers without
also seeing the correct answer. A negative side effect of this kind of review
process is that you will quickly learn the sample exam's correct answers, and as
you do so, the program will become increasingly ineffective in accurately
gauging your knowledge.
The cost of the complete MCSE Suite #6 set of 15 programs is steep for a
product that tests your ability to pass $600 worth of examinations. However, you
can purchase each of the 15 programs separately, concentrating on the specific
exams you feel are necessary to complement your self-study program.
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