The IT certifications can play a great role when it comes to a breakthrough in the marketplace and can provide you with several opportunities of a well-paid job. Whether you want to launch your career in IT or gain the fundamental experience required to counter the technical problems in today’s world, the Microsoft certificates push you forward in your career. While the idea of attempting an IT certification exam may seem compelling, preparing for it is a demanding task. Therefore, this article is going to tell you everything about Microsoft 70-462, ranging from what the test is about to what’s going to get you through it with an amazing score.
Exam details
The Microsoft 70-462 exam is focused on the tasks related to the databases of Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014. The candidates who pass this test are awarded the certificate, which is meant to prove their knowledge and technical skills useful in the administration of Microsoft SQL Server.
Microsoft doesn’t publish the information about the number of questions. But as a rule, there are 40-60 questions in different formats, such as multiple choice, drag and drop (asking the candidates to match answers with the correct alternatives), case study, interaction with the GUI to select the correct settings and options. The exam duration is about 120 minutes. The 70-462 certification test can be taken in 6 languages, including Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, French, German, and English. It is associated with the MCSA and MCSE credentials.
As published by the official Microsoft website, the 70-462 exam is designed for the database specialists who perform maintenance, installation, and configuration tasks. Other working roles include dealing with database systems and security of data.
The candidates of the Microsoft 70-462 exam should have a basic understanding of the installation, maintenance, and configuration of a database. The individuals interested in taking this certification test should have a decent experience with T-SQL and JavaScript. Having know-how of RDMS will also be assistive for their preparation.
Exam topics
There are the topics and subtopics to be covered while preparing for the Microsoft 70-462 exam. They are:
- Installation and configuration of SQL Server (20-25%). It involves plan installation, installation of SQL Server and related services, implementation of a migration strategy, configuration of additional SQL Server components, management of SQL Server Agent.
- Maintenance of instances and databases. It covers 15-20 % of the exam questions. The topic includes configuration of databases and SQL Server instances, implementation of SQL Server clustered instance, management of SQL Server instances.
- Optimization and troubleshooting (15-20%). The candidates must learn how to resolve and identify concurrency problems, how to analyze and troubleshoot data, audit SQL Server instances.
- Data management includes configuration and maintenance of a back-up strategy, implementation of indexes, import and export of data. It covers 20-25% of the exam content.
- Security implementation (15-20%). The questions cover management of logins and server roles, database permissions, running users and database roles, troubleshooting security.
- Implementation of high availability (5-10%). It includes the implementation of Always On, Database Mirroring, and HADR (High Availability and Disaster Recovery).
Exam Tips
- It is important to cover all the exam topics/objectives through accurate reading and practice.
- Reading one book or attempting a single practice test will not be enough, and the candidates must consult several study resources.
- Time management is the key for a better score, and the timed practice tests are the ultimate support in this regard.
- The individuals appearing for the exam are recommended to formulate a schedule and adhere to it for a disciplined approach towards their preparation.
- Studies need to be carried in a quiet environment. This will improve an individual’s level of understanding of the concepts tested in the certification exam.
- Although the preparation phase followed by the exam day’s pressurecanbe overwhelming, you must believe in your hard work. Eat, drink, and sleep well while also ensuring self-motivation and confidence!
Other details regarding the topics and preparation tools are available on the official Microsoft website.
Exam resources
There are several online courses, practice tests, exam dumps, and video tutorials available on the Internet. However, the following resources are the most recommended ones when it comes to preparing for the Microsoft 70-462 exam. Nevertheless, you must make a choice about selecting the right material for yourself, and you can always do some research for that matter.
Online courses
While learning for an IT certification exam, choose Examsnap because this is a website, which will help you by providing the pertaining material in the form of practice tests, online courses, exam dumps, and etc.You can also try Exam-Labs. The course offered by this website contains the material that is always up-to-date. The content is written by the IT industry specialists and is verified bythe qualified experts. You can change the exam format according to your choice, and for your ease, there is an option for the material’s preview with ten free questions. Have a look at the content and see for yourself!
Books
- Training Kit (Exam 70-462) is an official book for this certification test.
- Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Administration is another one for a decent preparation.
- Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Administrationis good for the beginners and teaches skills to get the MCSA or MCSE certificates.
Online forums
MSDN, or TechNet, is the official Microsoft forum and has the advantage of being in multiple languages. Stack overflow is also a very popular platform for answering your questions. SQLServerCentral is the ultimate choice when it comes to SQL Server, as well as SQLTeam, which is another option to explore.
Conclusion
The most significant factor to be successful in an exam such as Microsoft 70-462 is finding the right study material, and we have helped you with that, right? Moreover, the candidates must take their preparation seriously, as the more you try, the better you prepare. Don’t forget about practice tests from Examsnap. Best of luck!