Today I went for the CEH v5 exam, EC-Council certification# 312-50, I'd been studying for it for a while. It had no less than 150 questions - and pretty tough ones too - but I managed to pass it (85% which is OK considering US law was part of the Qs).

I can really recommend you to go for this exam - it's somethin' else dude! The questions are short and exact (still multiple choice), but just the process of going there is VERY cool and interesting. Personally I downloaded a lot of spooky tools and guides, created an isolated network with virtual machines and tested, tested, tested. It was fun I can tell you - I can't seem to stop studying this stuff!

I also read 2 books on the journey:
- Michael Gregg: Certified Ethical Hacker Exam Prep (very good)
- Kimberly Graves: Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide (very brief)

If you're a totally cool (and white) hacker dude already, you could probably go for the latter only (it will give you the overall idea of what this exam is

The coach talks about how he loves his job of getting devices ready for Vista certification.

Performance-based items are exam questions in which the tester must perform a task in a simulated version of the technology, rather than answering a finite-result style question (like multiple choice or drag and drop). As you all know, PB means a brain-dump user with no experience on the technology can’t waltz in and cheat their way to a “pass,” you have to be able to get around the software hands-on to get something done.

PB is only in some exams at the moment (a few ‘new gen’ exams and a handful of Windows Server 2003 exams); there are more coming. I know the strategy team has an eye to getting PB items in to many (all?!?) key MCTS exams, that would be amazing. No exams are all PB, there will be other more traditional item types, too.

In case you have run into PB in the past, you should know that scoring for PB items in new generation exams (e.g. for MCTS exams rather than MCP exams) is different than how it has worked before. Here is a little info on what to expect.

Scoring new generation exams with a PB component

• Your score report will include two different sections:

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If you want to hear about certifications that Microsoft are developing to help you validate/show your skills on Systems Center, you can attend this Live Meeting we are having on October 24. Rob Linsky, the certification program manager will give you the scoop on what these certs are all about and how to earn them. Click on these links to register for:

October 24, 2007, at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time
October 24, 2007, at 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time

Microsoft are developing two Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certs and a professional-series (MCITP) certification for Systems Center, all of which will be available in 2008 (January/February for MCTS; later for the MCITP).

News Source: blogs.msdn.com

Get it while its hot. The Microsoft Office Groove 2007 certification exam is now available, in beta, for a limited time. Take the test now, for free, and you’ll get your certificate. Be the first kid on your block with the MS Groove cert tacked up on the fridge.

Some FAQ’s about the Microsoft Groove 2007 exam, #77-555 :

1. Our beta exams are administered at all of Prometric test locations.
   
   For the US, call call 800-755-3926
   For Asia, : http://www.prometric.com/Microsoft/APACIT.htm
   For Europe, Middle East, and Africa: http://www.prometric.com/Microsoft/EMEAIT.htm

2. What is the Exam code? The Microsoft Groove 2007 exam code is 77-555. The Beta promotion code is MOG07

3. How long is the beta exam available? The Microsoft Groove 2007 beta exam will be availble until on or around October 4th .

4. What happens if I pass the exam? If you pass, you will get a certificate stating that you passed the Microsoft Groove 2007 certification.

5. What if I don’t pass the exam? Study. You’ll do fine. But if you don’t pass, you shouldn’t take the exam again until after the beta period is over.

6. Are there any extra credit questions? If you do

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• A short chat with a MSDN Concierge about SP1
  It's sounding like SP1 could be released in September around the TechEd 2007.
  (tags: SP1 Beta )
• CoCreate Announces OneSpace Modeling is Certified for Windows Vista
  CoCreate Software, Inc., a leading provider of 3rd generation PLM software applications for high-tech electronics and machinery, today announced that CoCreate OneSpace Modeling has received the Certified for Windows Vista logo.
  (tags: Software Certification Compatibility )
• 5 Mistakes Microsoft made with Windows Vista
  A sensible list of reasons why Vista is badmouthed more than it should be.
  (tags: PR )
• MSNBC uses Mac to Slam Vista
  Apparently Peter Svensson from MSNBC.com said Vista with 1GB of RAM will barely give you the time of day, while OSX makes good use of memory.
  (tags: Review Apple RAM )
• Hello World! Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 is Going Global!
  The Windows Vista Team Blog reports that this useful tool has been updated with new features and new languages.
  (tags: Software Utility Language )
• Gutmann: ?I?m

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