I had another interview with a recruiting company this morning and after the interview I was asked to complete two Windows2000 server tests. Both of them were on the setup and installation of Windows2000. The scores had been marked with an average of all the people across the consulting company who had taken the tests and I was suprised to see that the average was about 55% (I think – it could have been less). Although I found some of the questions hard, some of them were easy and quite a few of them were ambiguous – just like the Microsoft exams really. However I was pleased to get the results of 70 and 71% correct. I think if I had known I’d have been tested on these programs I would have swotted up a bit. I also think that some of the answers were incorrect.
One of the questions was “Which of the following servers can NOT be configured to use dhcp for a network address”. The answers were Dns server, dhcp server, AD controllers, print server, Wins server. I know for a fact (because I’ve done it in the past) that you can use dhcp for all of the above. Not necessarily recommended but it is possible. By setting a dhcp reservation for the mac address of a DNS, AD Controller and DHCP server , it is possible to have it use dhcp to get an address. The answer, according to MS, was that the last 2 were ok as dhcp servers….personally I beg to differ, but you just have to remember that there is the right way, the Microsoft way, the Real World way and the I can’t believe its not butter broken way.
Anyway, with those results, hopefully that will give the recruiter proof that I know what I’m talking about even if I don’t have the certifications to prove it. However the good thing is that they will have online training and also sponser the majority of the costs for accreditation once employed so I will be able to get my certs soon.