o Online Preparation – I did not like the idea of spending money on studying for any kind of certification test, especially a Microsoft certification test. If I did not prepare for it properly, I might end up giving up on it before it is over. I decided to do my online preparation first, just to be sure that I know what I am doing. However, I have to admit that I didn’t do much better with the online tests than I did with the in-person ones.
o Self-study – This is what I did for this examination. I spent a lot of time looking through the Microsoft product CDs because I wanted to get some practice on what is on the test. I looked for test plan and study guides, which I could easily download from the Microsoft website. It was a good way of preparing for the test because I learned a lot by practicing, which is one way of getting a better score on the test.
o Professional Microsoft Training – Although this might seem like a cheaper alternative, I think that this is the best way of preparing for any exams. When you train yourself, you become more aware of what is on the test and you can better answer the questions. Also, there are many professionals that have experience with Microsoft products and can provide you with valuable tips on how to prepare for your exams. These people are usually paid or affiliated with Microsoft, so it’s very easy to get their training.
o Practice Exams – There are plenty of practice exams online that you can take and they will help you prepare for the exam. You should not only focus on one type of exam. You need to do them all and get a feel for what each type of question is like. This will make your exam experience much smoother and less stressful.
o Exam Solutions – The last thing you need to focus on is using exam solutions. These are books that will walk you through every type of question and help you create answers. Some of these books are online, while others are just printed and you just print them out. There are also books for the practical exam and if you have the CD, you can burn it and use that instead of buying the book.
o Practice Books – There are plenty of practice books available online as well. You don’t need to buy them but if you’re serious about taking the exam, then this is a good option to use. Just make sure you read the book before you start.
If you can follow the above advice, you should be able to create and review documents that are more cohesive and effective than your previous ones. This is just the first step and you will need time and patience to understand how to use the exam solutions effectively. You can’t rush it and you should also make sure that you get plenty of sleep and eat properly before taking the exam.
Once you feel confident enough, you can start looking for exam solutions. Just be sure to use only official AP Exam Solutions so you won’t have any trouble on the test day. You can also find plenty of sample questions and even exam solutions online but never rely solely on these. The book might contain information you find useful but there’s no guarantee that the sample questions will be the same on the real exam.
Once you have found the answers to your problems, create your own work manual or instruction manual. This is where you will begin to learn how to create quality documents. Don’t worry, the examples in the book will help you learn the basics and it will be enough to create an effective guide.
Once you feel confident with your documents, take the practice exams and mark the answers on the appropriate sheets of paper. Then, you can return to the prepared exam page and complete the questions you were asked in the previous section. Remember, practice makes perfect and the more you do it, the better prepared you will be on the day when you take your official exam.
