This morning I took and passed the MCTS: Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 - Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions Using BizTalk Server 2006 (70-235) exam. The exam was made up of multiple choice and interactive questions, although the interactive questions were not like the ones I faced in the MCTS SQL Server 2005 exam. They were simply moving items from one list box to another and re-odering them in the correct sequence. In the SQL Server 2005 TS exam there was a virtual desktop and you were required to complete actual SQL Server tasks, which I thought was a great way of testing technical knowledge.

Two sections that were heavily tested were:

• Implementation of Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) and
• Implementation of the Business Rules Engine (BRE).

One book that I’ve been reading over the last couple of months came in handy in the exam is BizTalk 2006 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach by Mark Beckner, Ben Goeltz, et al.

Links:
MCTS: Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 - Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions Using BizTalk Server 2006
BizTalk 2006 Recipes: A Problem - Solution Approach

Microsoft, BizTalk Server 2006, Microsoft Certification, 70-235

Today I passed the TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - Implementation and Maintenance exam (70-431). I managed to use my free exam voucher given out at the Visual Studio 2005 launch with just eleven days before it expired. The exam had a good mix of multiple choice and interactive questions. It was the first exam I’ve taken with interactive questions. I found them straight forward providing you know the tool.

There has been a lot of talk between my friends and colleagues about the place for these certifications, especially with so many braindumps available on the net. My feeling is that it’s like many other things in life - what you get from it depends on what you put into it. If you study and practice without cheating, the exams can be a great way of gaining insight and a thorough knowledge about the software.

Microsoft, SQL Server 2005, Microsoft Certification, 70-431