As an update to my previous post, I finally passed the 70-346 exam! It took much longer than I expected. As an administrator for a similar product already, I thought I could pick up the knowledge very quickly. In reality though, it took me about two months from start to finish to pass the test.
This being my first Microsoft test, here are some things I learned:
- The test is NOT only comprised of simple multiple choice questions. You will have to do a lot of fill in the blank and correct-order questions. This is probably the biggest reason why I couldn’t just breeze through the test. Test taking strategies help, but not as much as when compared to other certification tests. You do have to know your stuff.
- If you buy a book to prepare, be prepared for dealing with outdated information. I purchased the 70-346 exam preparation book one week after it was released, and it was already outdated! Almost every single link you see in the current 70-346 exam book (which was released less than 2.5 months ago!) will redirect you to a Microsoft page saying that the resource is deprecated, or that it has been updated at a new location. This makes it extremely difficult to prepare for the exam! You cannot only use the book to prepare.
- When preparing for this test, you must use the updated tech articles on the Microsoft website to supplement your learning. The Microsoft website (an online articles) is literally the only place where you can get the most up to date information about their products.
- Purchasing the practice exam is worth it. Although the actual test has different questions than the practice exam, the practice exam will test you in an extremely similar fashion. If you study the practice exam questions and answers, and figure out why wrong answers are wrong, you should pass the real exam.
I’m glad that I’ll be able to be a resource for my company to provide Office 365 services if needed. A former manager gave me advice to get this certification, and I’m proud to have achieved it. Will I actually become an Office 365 admin? Who knows. In any case, I can at least prove to my company that I’m continuing my education and keeping up to date with the latest technology.