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[edit section] All About the Microsoft MCSE 70-431 SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance Exam The Microsoft

MCSE 70-431 SQL Server 2005 exam is one of many Microsoft MCSE track elective exams and is aimed at candidates for MCSE certification who wish to place significant emphasis on database and data services management in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 environment. The exam is an elective exam on the MCSE track, meaning you can choose to take other exams in lieu of the 70-431. It covers most of the topics related to SQL Server 2005 installation, configuration, and management. Most of the topics on the 70-431 exam are best handled by somebody with hands-on experience with SQL Server 2005, so some prior experience is highly recommended.

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[edit section] Difficulty and Scope

The Microsoft MCSE 70-431 exam covers most of the topics related to SQL Server 2005 installation and management, including server installation, clustering, server security, logging, relation database queries and theory, replication, messaging, availability services, database manipulation and mirroring, snapshots, XML schema, database recovery and backup, database objects, and searching. As you can clearly see, there is much information covered on the 70-431, meaning that it is a relatively difficult exam in comparison to other electives. However, it is also very manageable for any candidate with significant preexisting SQL Server experience, especially if the candidate is well versed in SQL language and understands how relational databases work.

[edit section] When and why to take the MCSE 70-431 exam

If you are aiming to take the 70-431 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 exam as the elective exam for the MCSE/MCSA tracks, you should probably wait for a while until you have completed the core requirements of the tracks before studying and taking the 70-431. Core exams require the most study and concentration and in many cases, the elective exams build on the topics covered in the core exams. If you have already completed the core exams and you are ready for the elective exam, or you just are not a candidate for MCSE/MCSA certification, then you should go about taking the 70-431 if you are interested in database server administration and plan to go into systems administration.

[edit section] I’m going to take the 70-431! Now what?

First, you will need to determine if it is really feasible for you to take the certification exam. Not everyone has the time to set aside to study for this exam, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that you should have at least 75 hours available to prepare for this exam, although anywhere from 60 to 125 hours would be a reasonable estimate of time required to prepare. For this reason, we would highly suggest that you have at least a month or two available to really prepare for the exam. Next, once you have set the time aside, you should probably schedule a date to take the exam with VUE or Prometric. Finally, use ProProfs resources in addition to your own study materials to prepare for the exam. We wish you the best of luck in your studies!

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