Typically you would need to pay anywhere from USD80 to USD150 for a Microsoft Exam. But this time you can take the exam for FREE! Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. You can be a Microsoft Certified Professional or a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, to be more specific, for FREE, that is if you pass the exam.
Here is a little bit more info Microsoft beta exams…
You can take the beta exam for free if you have the proper promo code which you need to enter when you register online for the beta exam you have chosen to take.
If you pass the beta exam, the exam credit will be added to your transcript and you will not need to take the exam in its released form.
By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. Microsoft depends on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as they continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications.
Please remember that participation in the beta process is completely voluntary and Microsoft makes no promises or guarantees regarding the beta exam process. You can expect to receive your score on the beta exam within 12 weeks of taking the exam, although in some instances, beta exams may take longer to score and your results may be delayed.
Testing is held at Prometric testing centers worldwide. Beta exams however are not available in India, Pakistan and China. All testing centers will have the capability to offer this exam in its live version.
Unlike a typical live/non-beta Microsoft certification exam which allots anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours to complete your exam, you are given four (4) hours to complete a beta exam.
Based on my personal experience, having taken several Microsoft beta exams myself, Beta exams tend to have more questions than the live exams. I have taken beta exams which had 95 questions.
There is a catch though. Since you will be taking a Beta exam… you can only choose from two (2) beta Microsoft certification exams which are currently available at the time of this writing and they are:
Beta Exam 71-654: TS: Windows Essential Business Server 2008, Configuring
Registration began: July 22, 2008
Beta exam period runs: July 22, 2008 to August 12, 2008
Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: EBS08Pilot exam 70-113: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
Registration begins: July 29, 2008
Pilot exam period runs: July 31, 2008 to September 12, 2008
Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: H640
In order to facilitate exam availability in as many testing centers as possible for this pilot, registrations must be made 7 days in advance.
The Pilot exam for 70-113 is a new kind of exam as it uses a performance based testing system.
Microsoft Learning is testing a new Performance Based testing system that will be integrated into the existing certification programs in order to better evaluate and validate candidates’ skills using Microsoft products and technologies.
The Performance Based testing method we are piloting is an exam which emulates a Windows Server 2008 infrastructure. In this infrastructure you will be tasked with completing a series of tasks. Once complete, the system will evaluate each tasks end-state to determine if the tasks have been completed and correctly implemented. This process is different from simulations because you will have every tool and path available that you would normally have in a real world scenario. Simulations restrict you to a small number of expected paths, whereas emulations allow for any path, as long as the end result is correct.
This pilot exam will not provide you with a score as with normal beta exams. This pilot is a test of the exam experience, delivery system and infrastructure, so only a portion of the final exam will be presented to you during this pilot. This pilot exam will not be added to your transcript and you will need to take the exam in its released form in order to be awarded the credential.
By participating in this pilot exam, you have the unique opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about your exam experience, and exam content, which is vital to the future development of Performance Based exams in their released version. We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals as we continually improve and expand our certification program and testing technologies to grow the value of Microsoft certifications.
Upon completion of this pilot exam, the first 3000 candidates will receive a free exam voucher that can be used to register for any Microsoft Certification exam delivered at a Prometric testing center. The voucher will be distributed electronically 4 weeks after end of Pilot. If you have not received your voucher within this timeframe, then unfortunately, you were not part of the first 3000 candidates.
Please register immediately to ensure your slot for the Beta exam as slots tend to get filled up fast and you won’t be able to register when the quota has been reached.
Register online at http://www.register.prometric.com/ClientInformation.asp.
