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MCSA 70-462 - SQL Server 2012 Administrator

I'm halfway through the next book in the MCSA SS 2012 certification path; 70-462 SQL Server 2012 Administrator.  Fortunately, I have done quite a bit of what the book discusses already at work when I built a Web App from scratch and also deploying quite a few vendor solutions that run on SQL Server.  Kinda cool and I guess in a way better I read the book 'after' I did the practical hands on.  Makes more sense when reading as if second-nature; or so I hope.  I'll bum rush through the rest of the book and sit for the second exam possibly as early as this coming Friday or next week.  However, a lot of this is geared more towards a DBA, which is not my professional goal, but hey better to learn a bit than none at all?

Study Plan
  • 1/19 - Chapter 1
  • 1/20 - Chapter 2
  • 1/22 - Chapter 3
  • 1/23 - Chapter 4, 5, 6
  • 1/24 - Chapter 7, 8, 9
  • 1/25 - Chapter 10
  • 1/26 - Chapter 11
  • 1/27 - Chapter 12
  • 1/28 - 2/4 - Exam Prep
  • 2/5 - Exam - Failed - 678 / 700
  • 3/5 - Exam - Failed - 679 / 700
  • 4/1 - Exam - PASSED!! 810/700

1/23 -- Saturday -- On Schedule!
Done with 6 and saving 7 - 9 for Sunday. If I can squeeze in more all the better and prep, prep, prep for Exam.  Likely do some case studies on the test system.


1/24/16 - Sunday
Went to McDonald's @ Noon for a coffee and finished Chapter 7 in about 90 minutes.

Sunday Mini Schedule
12 - 1:30 pm -- Chapter 7
2 - 3:30 pm -- Chapter 8
4 - 5:30 pm -- Chapter 9
6 - 7:30 pm -- Chapter 10 (if I'm up for it...)
A bit behind....starting Chapter 9 @ 5 pm...keep going my friend.


1/25 - Chapter 10 - Indexes
This chapter looks a lot like what I covered in the prior book, I'll skim a bit and focus on new topics that pop up.



1/26 - Done Reading
I finished Chapter 11 & 12.  11 was interesting as it discussed Backups and while I did mostly Full/Incremental, it shared some other options and details.  For 12 it's Code Case Studies and not really anything to 'read'.  I did the 1st Code Case Study and answered the 20 questions and for most part understand what its trying to teach.  I went ahead and started the CD exam practice and will drill through those until Exam Time.  But based on what I experienced from the 1st Exam (70-461) the CD questions nowhere near as difficult as the real exam questions so I'll go through the book and online read what people have to say.  For me conceptually, I want to both read and understand the code and general steps taken to perform various tasks.  Wish me luck.

2/5/16
Bummer, failed the exam.  Was close at 678, needed 700!  I recall 19 questions I flagged for review as I was stumped and was stuck on simple things.  Need to review as I was tired and got confused things like Revoke vs Deny for User Security and other concepts.  I'll study some more and try again.  I will go ahead and study for the next exam and take both back to back.  I'll refresh for this one as I know what I missed and will practice at work those steps to grill it into my head.

3/15/16
Been studying ever since.  My game plan is to read the book again, do the questions and review my notes based on what I recall from the exam.

12 chapters - 7 days
Exam prep - 3 days
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