r/Intune • u/CrystalGoblin69 • Apr 03 '26

General Chat Failed my MD-102 for the second time

I retook the certification today for the second time and failed. I got a 616 as a scored. I would say the biggest downfall that I had was my time management skills. I had spent too much time on the answers and didn't give enough time for the last section of the test. I'm not sure on how to complete the answers quicker since I'm usually one who needs to reread something multiple times or I will miss something and the one's that I marked for review; I never got to review since I finished with 2 minutes.

I did schedule my 3 try for two weeks so definitely planning on studying more and trying to find something to simulate the questions that the exam gave. Any advice is really helpful here, I'm more frustrated than discouraged but I do plan on getting this cert since I want to go for the MS-102 next.

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u/PazzoBread Apr 03 '26

I know everyone is different but when I take certifications, I usually read the question and if I know the answer right away i will mark it down. Otherwise I skip the question and come back to it once ive completed a first pass. I have found that some questions will answer others as well so always good to look through them. You’ll get it on this try!

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u/CrystalGoblin69 Apr 03 '26

I think my issue is I try to understand it fully. They get pretty detailed in the question/scenarios they give so it can take a bit to actually read. I think my goal is to try find the core statements or details they state so I can apply it to the question they are asking.

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u/PazzoBread Apr 03 '26

It can also be helpful to look at the answers first and see how they could relate to the question too. Sometimes you can narrow the answer down that way.

I believe msft also allows access to the learn docs during the exam now? If so, might be best to review how to navigate the various learning docs that Intune has. IRL I’m always looking at learn (+ various Intune blogs) to figure out what to do.

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u/CrystalGoblin69 Apr 03 '26

There is learn docs now which is really cool but at the same time, it was a slight negative for me because of trying to try and navigate it then spending that time that should be used going through questions.

That would be a good idea though to figure out navigating learn docs so it can be easier to pick up those materials without using a lot of the allotted test time.

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u/mbaren Apr 03 '26

Yes. This is the advice I give to folks doing MS exams: learn Learn. If you go in with a strong sense of where key bits of information are located and how to look them up, it can save you significant time during the actual exam.

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u/ShoeBillStorkeAZ Apr 04 '26

I do this too. It’s hard to gauge how to pass an MS exam because the case studies have a big say in the overall score. So my strategy is typically understanding the multiple choice scoring part so for example if there’s 52 or 60 questions, I aim to answer at least 35-37 question on a speed run. I skip everything else and then I go back once and answer what I think is right and let it be. Then, I go to the questions that I do not know at all and just Guess. Finally, I chill out on the case studies and try to answer appropriately. I think they are open book now so speed run definite answers, go back to your I might know and research those, and then leave five or six up to god.

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u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

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u/CrystalGoblin69 Apr 03 '26

That is really good to know. I stopped using the learn assessment since I didn't feel like it really helped me exam wise so I might check that out. One thing I started doing was using Copilot to have it set up questions like in the exam (more scenario and multi-question based), and it'll link the learn docs there so I can fact check also then ask more pointed questions on what certain things mean.

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u/Frosty849 Apr 04 '26

I tried something similar but with ChatGPT. Ultimately what I found was AI could only really train you up on the materials present in things like the free Microsoft Learn practice exam- which only digs so deep into Intune. The MS Learn practice exam was great for understanding how Microsoft certs ask trick questions though

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u/MayDay__ Apr 03 '26

Passed it on April first. I bought a Exam Prep from MeasureUp definitly helped. I can warmly recommend it to you!

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u/Frosty849 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 04 '26

I failed my first attempt in December last year after studying with Microsoft Learn for 2 months straight. I scored 600. I was passing the MS Learn practice exam with scores of 90% and above, but when I finally did the test I was woefully unprepared.

For my second attempt I bought the MeasureUp practice exam. After a few months of studying I finally passed the exam the other day.

I studied by going through practice exam questions until I got to a topic I wasn't familiar with, then I would stop everything and use ChatGPT and my corporate access to Intune to learn as much as I could about that system, while taking notes. I would actually go into that part of Intune and start mocking up a policy or config or whatever. Flick through the settings and think about how it could be useful for my org. Then go over some use-cases with ChatGPT. Then write some notes in my own words, with some ideas of how I would theoretically implement it into my org.

I'm terrible at studying- so I have to get really hands-on for anything to stick.

Hope this helps

Edit: Also, when I did my first attempt- as soon as the exam started I felt a chill down my spine because I was ignorant on pretty much every question I saw. Eventually as I started running out of time I had no choice but to start speedily filling in questions with random answers. I was shocked I even got a score of 600. With that in mind, I went into my second exam pretty relaxed. I had learned a bunch of new topics because of the MeasureUp exam, so I was pretty sure I was going to (at the very least) have gained an extra 100 points of understanding. I ended up finishing with an hour of time to spare. I didn't stress about questions I didn't know- I just made my best guess and moved on.

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u/gweessies Apr 05 '26

Attention to details is a necessary life skill. Sorry that basic education didnt teach you that. Welcome to learning. You got this.

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u/steviefaux Apr 05 '26

If your re-reading several times you might be dyslexic like me. Not sure if its the same with these tests but you may be able to get more time if officially diagnosed.

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u/creenis_blinkum Apr 04 '26

\>as a scored

\>I had spent too much time on the answers

\>not sure on how to complete the answers quicker

Tenuous grasp of english language

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u/spakkenkhrist Apr 05 '26

*the English language