PASSED: 70-697: Configuring Windows Devices

Step 2 of 3 completed - I passed the 70-697 exam! I will say this right off the bat - WHEW! This exam is definitely a step up in difficulty from 70-698. Not only did this exam carry over topics from the 698 exam, but in traditional Microsoft fashion there were some out-of-the-blue questions. Between the 698 and 697, I will also say this: Just because the primary topic is Windows 10 or "Windows devices" doesn't mean all questions/sections will be about Windows 10 or Windows devices. Sometimes the only thing Windows has to do with the question is that in the scenario you are using a Windows computer. With that said, with enough hard work and proper studying, no exam is unconquerable. The difficulty of this exam is not the content, but the vast array of topics that it covers. Compared to the 698 exam with three skills areas, the 697 jumps to nine - It is a lot of information to prepare for! So, let's break down what I used to study. For this exam I primarily stuck to Lynda.com, TechNet, and my trusty MeasureUp practice exam. I looked into also using CBTNuggets as was recommended by many users in forums online, however the content covered in their library looked almost identical to what was covered in the Lynda.com video courses I watched. Either path you choose, I am sure will provide similar results. As for me, on Lynda.com I utilized the following courses: 1) Windows 10: Manage Identity 2) Windows 10: Manage Updates and Recovery 3) Windows 10: Networking 4) Windows 10: Configure Storage 5) Windows 10: Configure, Secure, and Manage Data 6) Windows 10: Plan Desktop and Device Deployment 7) Windows 10: Manage Apps 8) Windows 10: Intune Device Management 9) Windows 10: Manage Remote Access In addition to the videos, at Microsoft's recommendation I also purchased the following book: Exam Ref 70-697 Configuring Windows Devices by Andrew Bettany. I am not going to link to this book, and I will be doing a Review post for this book in the coming days, so I won't go into much detail here, but I recommend staying away from this book. The book is poorly written and incredibly out-of-date with no longer applicable information. The book may be better than nothing if your options are limited, but I struggled through the first chapter and eventually found it to impede my studying. Until Microsoft releases an updated version, I cannot recommend this book. Lastly, when you buy your voucher for the test, I highly recommend going with the package that includes the MeasureUp practice test. I found the MeasureUp practice test to be invaluable when preparing for this exam. If you have never taken a Microsoft exam before, their tests are not the general "How do you do this? Pick A, B, C, or D" type format. While most of the questions are multiple choice, each question is a scenario - "You are a Systems Administrator in X-type environment, you have Y-number of computers, and you need to acheive the following. What is the best solution for your situation?" When the exam is 50-60 questions, if you are not prepared for this type of questioning you can easily mismanage your time or be left cross-eyed by the end of the exam. The MeasureUp exams include 145 questions, covering all topics and in all questioning formats. You can set the number of questions you are asked, what types of questions, and many other configurations. The most beneficial part however, is that each question fully explains why each answer(s) is correct and why the other options are not. This will help expand your knowledge in trouble areas tremendously! I personally always opt for the Exam Replay Pro + Practice Test package. This package comes with the practice test and also (if-needed) a "free" exam retake. It's not really free, but much cheaper than paying for a second single-exam voucher. Now, I have luckily never needed to take a retake, I study until I am confident that I will pass, but knowing you have a free retake definitely reduces some of the anxiety when taking a certification test. I don't know about you, but taking a test where I not only have a certification on the line, but one in which I have invested a lot of time in studying for and also having hundreds of dollars at stake, for me it can definitely cause some test-anxiety. As a quick side note, to help save a little bit of money on those exam fees, I recommend GetCertified4Less. They aren't paying me for this plug, just me letting you know where I go to save a little cash. As we just mentioned, becoming certified is not a cheap process between study materials and vouchers - save money where you can! You now have recommended study resources, and information on where to buy discount vouchers, what exactly do you need to know? Unfortunately, I cannot give specifics due to the Non-Disclosure Agreement you agree to when you test. However, I will say this - go to the following link: Exam 70-697 On that page, under "Skills Measured" expand all nine sections. This is the MINIMUM you need to be comfortable with in order to pass the test. You will see all of this on the exam, and you will see things on the exam that are not listed here. In addition to what is listed, and not only for this exam but for all Microsoft exams, I highly suggest you become familiar with Powershell if you are not already. You will see a lot of questions in which the answer requires you to fill in the blank for Powershell or traditional CLI commands. Basically, if something in the list of covered topics is something that can be configured - network interfaces, firewall configurations, configuring drives, etc., then make sure you go over how to do it in Powershell and CLI. Above I mentioned that you will see some topics on the exam not listed. On the 70-697 there was a very large section of the test that had to do with a topic not listed in the skills measured for either the 698 or 697 exams. I cannot go into detail due to the NDA, but make sure you have an understanding of AppLocker. Also, I had mentioned previously that just because it is a Windows 10 or Windows Device exam doesn't mean that is all that is covered, so I offer this - become familiar with managing Android and iOS devices via Intune. If I had to do it all over again, the only thing I would do differently is add in more lab time. Watch the video courses, but also actually do everything you are being shown, especially with Intune. Intune isn't widely adopted, so it likely isn't something you have worked with before. Become familiar with it! Finally, the best advice I can offer is this: Breathe. Many certification exams, not just from Microsoft, will throw in questions meant to fluster you. If you understand that and comprehend that it is part of the test design, you are one-step ahead of the exam already. Deep breaths, take your time, ensure you are thinking clearly. It is not uncommon to feel like you are bombing a test, which in turn can cause you to panic, only at the end to get your score and find out you rocked it. Also, read each question very carefully. There is often a clue, or a slight way they have phrased either the question or the scenario that will change what the appropriate answer should be. Read carefully. That goes for the answers to the question as well, not just the question itself. If you are unsure what the answer is, you can almost always use the process of elimination to get rid of at least two of the answers. That is about the extent of information I can share regarding the exam. If you decide to take it - best of luck! Study hard and be confident in your knowledge of the topics and you will succeed!