MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Web Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Edition (Pro-Certification) Review

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MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Web Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Edition (Pro-Certification) ReviewMicrosoft approaches certification exams the same way that the Educational Testing Service approaches SAT, GMAT and GRE college entrance exams.
ETS discourages people from using SAT preparation classes and books and, rather, encourages people to just work on their verbal and quantitative skills. They suggest that doing so is enough to do well on the exams. We all know better.
Microsoft takes the approach that, if you have a good mastery of the subject being tested then that is all you need to pass the certs. The Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits (known as the "redbooks") do a reasonable job of teaching you the concepts of ASP.NET (and WinForms and the VB.NET/C# language and other tested topics), but they do a poor job of preparing you for the certs.
It's true that, if you review vocabulary words a lot and practice intermediate algebra and 10th grade geometry problems in the weeks preceding your SATs you may improve your score by 3 or 4%. But if you use that time to review sample test questions and analyze the structure and logic behind SAT questions using Princeton Review or Kaplan etc., then you will improve your score by considerably more than a few percentage points. The same goes for Microsoft certs. If you master the topic being tested (in this case, Web apps, ASP.NET), you may still pass the exam or, at least, slightly increase your score. But knowing the topic is not enough. You must know the exam, as well. This thinking goes against Microsoft's view of their own certification exams. Microsoft's thinking and point-of-view is reflected in their "redbooks."
Therefore, if all you want is to learn ASP.NET using either of the dialects of the VB.NET/C# language, then this book is OK (if a bit pricey compared to other "cert prep" books). But if you are looking for certification preparation (as opposed to just learning the topic), then a combination of one of the cert prep products such as TestKing or Transcender along with a book like Kalani (ISBN: 0789728222) is a much better approach. These tools will help you pass the exam. Kalani, in particualr, will help you master the topic AS WELL AS prepare you for the exam. TestKing and/or Transcender will give you practice with close-to-actual exam questions. No, they don't repeat real questions but they do give you examples of the TYPES of question to expect and give you practice with the nuances, languages and tricks that are part of the cert exam questions.
You can't pass the certs without understanding the topics (and I would never hire anyone who passed the exam by memorizing questions -- believe me, I can tell). But knowing the topics alone is usually not enough. The "redbooks" teach the concepts and prepare you for using the ASP.NET tools, but the "redbooks" do not prepare you for the exams.
If the books were cheaper (or if you can share with 2 or 3 friends), and your goal was just to learn how to program (but not necessarily pass a cert) then I would recommend this book for learning the topic. For cert preparation, however, use something else.MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing Web Applications with Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET, Second Edition (Pro-Certification) Overview
Build real-world programming skills—and prepare for MCP Exams 70-305 and 70-315—with this official Microsoft study guide. Work at your own pace through the lessons and hands-on exercises to learn how to build Web applications using Visual Basic .NET and Visual C# .NET. Then extend your expertise through additional skill-building exercises. As you gain practical experience with essential Web development tasks, you're also preparing for MCAD or MCSD certification for Microsoft .NET.

Learn how to:

Use Microsoft ASP.NET to build Web Forms applications
Create user services, including user input, localization features, and online help
Access and modify data with Microsoft ADO.NET
Build and reuse custom Web controls
Manage application appearance and behavior with style sheets and XML
Configure security features for Web applications, including authentication and authorization
Test and debug coding errors
Deploy applications to your server or hosting service
Maintain and optimize applications

Your kit includes:

NEW—60-day evaluation version of Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET 2003 Professional Edition on DVD
Comprehensive self-paced study guide that maps to the objectives of the final exams
NEW—Expanded coverage on delegates, events, unmanaged code, COM, and installation programs, plus a new chapter on caching
NEW—150 challenging practice questions on CD. Test yourself by exam (70-305 or 70-315) or by individual objective(s). Choose the number of questions and timed or untimed mode. You get automated scoring and detailed explanation for both correct and incorrect answers.
NEW—20-question interactive game
NEW—300+ revised and tested code samples and labs for Visual C# .NET and Visual Basic .NET
Learn-by-doing exercises for skills you can apply to the job
Fully searchable eBook

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to booktech@oreilly.com.


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