MCSE Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Planning Implementation, and Maintenance Study Guide: Exam 70-294

A caveat: I don't care about the test. I was searching through lots of books for some information about creating a Windows server based network and this book really stood out. (I was setting up my first network and was lost trying to figure out some things.) I know many or most of you only care about the test, but I am writing this to tell others that if you need a good book about infrastructure I think you may want to get this one.

Anyone who is seeking a Microsoft Engineering certification should obtain this book. In fact, the entire Sybex series of books are great.

I'm working on my Server 2003 certification and I'm using all of the Sybex study guides. This book follows the traditional Sybex format with lots of screenshots and exercises, as well as thorough background and theoretical information. All of the information in the book is geared towards the exam objectives, which is great. You don't have to sift through too many topics that you won't see on the exam at all. So far I've passed all of the exams that I've taken, so I'd have to say that this book and the entire series are great.

I used this book and some separate practice questions to study for the exam, and I passed on my first try. The practice questions i bought were ok, but they didn't really explain any of the topics very well. This book covers all of the exam objectives very thoroughly, with lots of theory AND practical information. It also includes what they call "real world scenarios" that do a good job of adding some context to the rest of the information in the chapters. The extra CD content could have been better, but I bought the book for the book, not the CD. The chapters are clearly laid out, explaining the exam objective coverage at the beginning of each one. This book has everything you need to pass the exam and actually learn the material. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone studying for the exam.