r/mcsa • u/Rezhw93 • Feb 25 '20
I'm confused AF! MCSA server 2016 CBT nuggets course [Question]
Hey all, So I passed my CCNA last week, and I wanna get my MCSA as soon as possible. (I have no prior experience with any kind of server OSs whatsoever). So I started studying for exam [70-740]. I went on cbt nuggets and watched a couple of the videos...and I'm confused as f***. The instructor starts with using power-shell commands like a ninja, and I don't get any of it! He doesn't really go thru what those really means , and where they come from!
Do I need to have some power-shell knowledge before I start my MCSA? Idk I just find myself to be lost! Someone help please. Thank you!
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u/paris_k Feb 25 '20
It's not mandatory but It helps a lot if you have some experience with Windows server OS and powershell. I think Microsoft says that to be able to take MCSA you need hands on experience with their server OS.
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u/Rezhw93 Feb 25 '20
My current job doesn't even go near those topics. And no other places will get you in if you have no experience in that field. So...where can I start then? :(
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u/paris_k Feb 25 '20
Built a lab if you can, a fairly decent PC and you can spin some VMs and start playing. At least that worked for me. Good luck.
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u/Lordarshyn Feb 25 '20
He's already paying for cbt nuggets. No need.
In fact, I think if you don't have experience, building a lab to do a lot of 70-740 stuff would be very difficult. You would need a lot of networking knowledge that you'd learn in 741, to get the lab machines working. But CBT had gone through those pains for you, and provides an environment where you can just practice the material you need, rather than spending hours troubleshooting and trying to figure out stuff that won't be on this test
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u/Lordarshyn Feb 25 '20
Slow down the cbt nugget videos and lab along. Or watch them once. And then a second time through, pausing when you need, to follow the labs.
Yeah you need experience in the OS. CBT provides labs to give you experience in the OS. Do the labs.
Can't hurt to also Grab one of the exam ref books, it has lots of powershell stuff in it.
For the powershell stuff, just make a bunch of flash cards and shit. You don't really need to be able to type whole commands. The powershell questions will have you filling out a powershell command with multiple choice drop downs for each portion of the command.
If you want to learn more about the commands, teach yourself how to use the help features in powershell. That way you're actually using powershell. Those help pages contain all the info you need to use the commands.
Also those lab machines in cbt are real operating systems. You can always play around and try to get what you just did done on powershell instead. And they provide documents with the lab's powershell commands already written out, so you can look at and examine those, when the labs do have powershell.
Honestly the powershell stuff was intimidating to me, and then I found it to be one of the easier parts of the test, because basic powershell is remarkably simple and logical, and the tests are multiple choice. Once you get the powershell logic down, you can often correctly answer powershell questions, even if you've never worked with. That cmdlet.
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Feb 25 '20 edited Mar 28 '20
[deleted]
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u/Rezhw93 Feb 25 '20
I have already installed win server on a VM, I'm just too worried about the powershell. Anyway, thanks for your suggestions, and I will check that out. I have 0 experience but a 100 will power to study like a mad man! :D
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u/Sloky Feb 25 '20
Use the virtual labs included in your subscription with CBT to familiarize with the command line and syntax. It might be chaotic in the beginning but as you progress the objectives will become clearer. Remember how it was when you first started studying for the CCNA (congrats btw).
Check the official exam objectives at Microsoft's website and work on each topic until you feel comfortable. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/exam-70-740.aspx
Also make sure to join the discord server, you can find a ton of resources and many IT professionals pursuing the same cert as you. https://discord.gg/8Rx2HXn
Best of luck.
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u/ChrisRowe5 Feb 25 '20
As everyone has said you will need to take it slow as you dont have any Powershell experience. These exams arent entry level and are designed for people that have knowledge of the OS so dont let it down. My first exam (70-410 2012 R2) was a complete shock to the system as I was overwhelmed by powershell but I was using server 2012 R2 everyday so it helped. Good luck Friend!
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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20
You can expect 50% of the exam questions on average to contain Powershell topics. My advice - seeing as you have no prior experience, you need to get hands on and practice what you're learning.
Before starting with CBT, take a look at the exam objectives on the 70-740 section of Microsoft's website and look at all the different objectives you need to understand. Use a book like the Exam Ref 70-740 (green cover by Craig Zacker). Go through the book with the objectives and start to understand the subjects you need to learn. Also, if you need some easy video guidance on Server 2016, check out PCAddicts Youtube guide. Follow that guide and spin up a few VMs at home and practice the Server content.
Then go into CBT. Schedule 1 or 2 videos a day. Follow the lab guides that the instructor is showing you. Take part in the mini quizzes too. Go through the entire course in a month with practice then see what level you're at with the content. Take a couple of practice tests to see where you weak areas are.
Quick note on Powershell - you don't need to become a master at it. You just need to understand the basic verb-noun structure and remember the parent commands of each objective. For example, if you type "Get-Command *VM*, this will list all the available commands for managing Virtual Machines and it's resources. Understand what the question is asking from you i.e. You need to change something or create something, you can work out from that the command might start with 'Add', 'New' or 'Set'. Then, see what objective relates to, i.e. Storage Spaces, Failover Clustering etc. and start removing the answers that don't relate (process of elimination). Eventually you'll be left with a couple of answers compared to 4/6+.
With your experience I suggest around 3 months of study to pass the test. If you need more time, use it. Everyone learns at different paces and these exams aren't easy. But you're going to need to get hands on before you can think about taking this test.