Reddit reviews Training Kit (Exam 70-461) Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (MCSA) (Microsoft Press Training Kit)
We found 18 Reddit comments about Training Kit (Exam 70-461) Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (MCSA) (Microsoft Press Training Kit). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Microsoft Press
You are getting some good advice from others but I'll give a slightly different take. One of the MS SQL exams is on querying SQL. Now take the exam or not - your call - but the book is a great way to introduce yourself to some advanced concepts like windowing functions.
Now other exam books (looking at you administering sql) are steaming piles of crap but the linked one is readable and you actually use what you've learned. The other issue is the old 'you don't know what you don't know.' The book will give you ideas and terms you can use to get better google results.
You can download all the training kits books and only give all the tests.
70-461
70-462
70-463
Yeah, job-title wise, things were similar. My background is a bit more technical, I did get a degree related to databases, and by the time I was interviewing other places I had passed both the 70-461 and 70-462 MS certificate tests. Certificates are definitely useful, mostly because you will be more confident in answering interview questions.
If you do want to do a cert, I would highly recommend the 70-461 test. The book is really good for that one, and it will set you apart from lots of others in your experience range. You could start by asking your boss if he would pay for the book (https://www.amazon.com/Training-70-461-Querying-Microsoft-Server/dp/0735666059). It will take some time to study it to be ready for the test. I think you should be able to get a new job without having passed the test. From my experience, not too many employers know about/are impressed by me having the 70-461 completed. But they are impressed by the amount of knowledge I have about databases, most of which came from that book.
Start studying, but really, networking is going to be very very valuable. You made it to the final round of interviews, imagine if a buddy was telling them that they HAVE to hire you? You would probably be a shoe-in. How does your network look on LinkedIn right now?
First, RDBMS software has a lot of hugely portable skills and concepts, so regardless of if you choose MySQL or Oracle or M$SQL, you'll be learning approximately 90% of the same skills.
So in regards to actually learning SQL, you would just follow the certification path for one of those 3 and you should be good to go.
http://www.amazon.com/Training-Kit-Exam-70-461-Microsoft/dp/0735666059 would be a good place to start for M$SQL, and there are similar books for getting started on the certifcation paths for other RDBMS products.
The certification paths should diverge into actual database administration and data mining/modelling/business intelligence. The data mining/modelling/business intelligence skills are a tiny bit more portable than the database administration stuff.
http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/sqlguru/
http://www.sybaseteam.com/rdbms-interview-questions-and-answers-t-43.html
Those are good representations of the sort of problems that SQL admins deal with and the questions you'll get asked during an interview.
The reason techies frown when somebody mentions w3schools is because it provides only the basic syntax without any soft of context. It would be like learning the Spanish language but only focusing on 40-50 vocabulary words without regard for advanced composition.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0735666059/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1404265021&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
Check this out for the Querying T SQL 2012 exam.
Are you talking about the CD from here?
Hello!
I've been doing a lot of searching for this answer as well and what seems to be the most common answer is the official book.
Training Kit (Exam 70-461) Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (MCSA) (Microsoft Press Training Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735666059/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FFPuzb4B1KYF5
It's dry but apparently it works
I personally have been using the book and a course on udemy. The course is specifically for the SQL SERVER certification.
Also another common answer seems to be to use multiple resources. Hope this helps some. Good luck
Seconding the video review: they were a complete waste of time for me. to pass 462 I used the MS Prep book (good for a baseline prep), then Trascender for the real studying. As seriously as I can say in text, open transcender tonight, get cranking on the questions and keep on it everyday for at least an hour or 2 (pick # of questions based on time you have, divide time in half so you have time to review what you got wrong. Practice understanding why each of the incorrect options are wrong.
While I hear and appreciate not wanting to just memorize the questions, your back is against the wall, memorize the questions. The secondary benefit of memorization is the information pieces will eventually fall into place, converting to actual knowledge, not just random memorized facts. If you to take the time to review and understand why each incorrect choice is incorrect, you will be fairly prepared for the exam.
FWIW, I would not have passed without Transcender. It prepped me better than anything else.
Edit - added book link
Microsoft Press release books for each exam
See the list of certs https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/sql-certification.aspx
Here's the book for the first exam in the MCSA SQL 2012 http://www.amazon.com/Training-70-461-Querying-Microsoft-Server/dp/0735666059
You can check following blog post which has various topics on SQL Server 2012 categorized at one place: http://sqlwithmanoj.wordpress.com/denali-2012/
Also you can check "Training Kit (Exam 70-461): Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012" book: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Kit-Exam-70-461-Microsoft/dp/0735666059?tag=651998669-20
Itzik wrote the book
It's good.
The training books and transcender tests are your best indicators and study methods. This blog gave a lot of good information, the general consensus is that all three tests are pretty hard.
http://www.cathrinewilhelmsen.net/2015/01/28/preparing-for-and-taking-exam-70-461-querying-microsoft-sql-server-2012/
http://www.cathrinewilhelmsen.net/2015/05/26/preparing-for-and-taking-exam-70-462-administering-microsoft-sql-server-2012-databases/
http://www.cathrinewilhelmsen.net/2015/04/30/preparing-for-and-taking-exam-70-463-implementing-a-data-warehouse-with-microsoft-sql-server-2012/
I've been doing DB work for 6 years, but there's a lot of things I have never done or tried. For example, I don't or have ever used pivot / unpivot and only recently used a combination of STUFF and XML for work.
I also tried the w3 test you linked, the cert tests are exponentially more difficult than that. Still fair and achievable, but you need to know your stuff.
461 I recommend reading through and doing the practices a few times from books:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735658145/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3ADN03F2ABAVW
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735666059/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They are also updating the exams soon to be 2016. There's also a deal you can get for 225 that gives you a practice test, the test try, and 4 re-takes. Exam price is 165. So another 80 gets you at least 4 re-tries and practice test.
I ran into a similar conundrum. If you read the 70-461 or T-SQL Fundamentals, they have practice problems that are related. The 70-761 does not contain practice testing material.
Apart from that, it's recommended to do the more official practice tests if you decide you need one. They are supposed to be more difficult than the real test, but I do not have any experience taking the practice tests. I am thinking of trying the 762 practice test though.
I did use one other resource that was a practice test and I'll list it below, but here's a copy from my site that lists my favorite resources from when I studied for my 761.
My favorite resources:
https://www.cathrinewilhelmsen.net/2015/01/28/preparing-for-and-taking-exam-70-461-querying-microsoft-sql-server-2012/
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4644/sql-server-exam-70761-study-material-for-querying-data-with-transactsql/
https://www.amazon.com/T-SQL-Fundamentals-3rd-Itzik-Ben-Gan/dp/150930200X
https://www.amazon.com/Training-70-461-Querying-Microsoft-Server/dp/0735666059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513628070&sr=8-1&keywords=70%3D461
https://www.amazon.com/Exam-70-761-Querying-Data-Transact-SQL/dp/1509304339/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513628083&sr=1-1&keywords=70-761
http://www.accelerated-ideas.com/70761-practice-test-questions.aspx#.WeeTWVtSypo
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4015/introducing-json-for-sql-server-2016/
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4073/sql-server-2016-advanced-json-techniques--part-1/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/json/json-data-sql-server
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/3680/introduction-to-sql-server-2016-temporal-tables/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/queries/select-group-by-transact-sql
https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1958/sql-server-cross-apply-and-outer-apply/
As far as your queries go they all use T-SQL. There are a lot of differences in layout on disk.
The Developer edition of SQL server 2012 is super cheap ($30) and can be installed on Windows 7 or Windows 8. (http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2012-Developer-Edition-license/2669399.aspx)
You will want to start off with Querying. It's important to know how you're getting information into and out of your database: http://www.amazon.com/Training-70-461-Querying-Microsoft-Server/dp/0735666059/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1426879298&sr=8-6&keywords=sql+server+2012
After that you'll want to get into the actual server management. Maybe even dip into high availability. http://www.amazon.com/Training-70-462-Administering-Microsoft-Databases/dp/0735666075/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1426879298&sr=8-8&keywords=sql+server+2012
If you're going to actually shoot for your MCSA and want to do big data stuff in the future start looking at datawarehousing. This is more of a future thing.
From the querying book know these chapters inside and out: 1-4, 8-10. That will give you enough information to go into the server administration text. In the administration text know chapters 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
Really focus on 11. Backups/restores are critical. I don't want to diminish the value of the other chapters, but a majority of your function as a DBA will be in the chapters I mentioned. I encourage you to learn as much as possible, but if you're going to commit a limited amount of time, or need to ramp up very quickly, the mentioned chapters are the most critical.
This book is designed specifically for the test. It covers everything on the test, and some things that aren't specifically on it but may help for other questions.
It also comes with practice test software that is very useful.
The test goes well beyond writing queries.
Be prepared for (not meant to be comprehensive):
Good luck!
Assuming you mean this book, which is an excellent resource. There are other 'training' videos/classes that can help, but they aren't nearly as thorough.
Live and breath what the book has to offer. The only way to pass the exam is the practice and understand how the system works. You, maybe, could pass the exam by studying alone, but that is taking the hardest route I could think of to do so; not really progressing yourself either.
I'd check out 'Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012', it's said to be one of the best - and it's also an exam prep book for 70-461.
Unfortunately OReilly no longer carries it, as MS apparently took back all of the MS Press rights from them - but if you happen to be in Canada it's ridiculously cheap on Amazon.ca right now, has an exam prep on the CD, and a 10% off coupon for the exam as well.
If you do all the practice examples and download the adventure works db, this book will help you achieve your goal. DO NOT, however, rely on it to pass the 70-461 exam because you will not pass. This book boosted my skill set from advanced beginner to high intermediate, but left me woefully unprepared for the Microsoft certified exam. Good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/Training-70-461-Querying-Microsoft-Server/dp/0735666059?ie=UTF8&keywords=sql%20server%20exam%2070%20461&qid=1462299171&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1