What it takes to crack 'MCTS 70-515 : Web Applications Development with Microsoft® .NET Framework 4.0' ?

Hello Folks,

How cool does it sound to have 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' next to your name? I find it awesome and If you want to feel the same just pass the MCTS 70 515 exam.

I am pleased to inform you that I have cleared the exam last week. Probably, you’re having a lot of questions regarding the exam like what the exam is about? How much does it cost to take it up? Why should i take it up in the first place? and so on.. Let me assure you that all your doubts and queries will be cleared once you finish reading this blog.

I am going to make your way easier and help you to get certified. Let me begin with the things that you should know about the exam.

1. What is the MCTS 70-515 exam?

This exam is designed to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge and skills for developing Web applications using ASP.NET and the .NET Framework 4. Questions that contain code will be presented in either VB or C#. Candidates can select one of these languages when they start the exam.

Concepts for both the languages are same. Exam is more intended to test the concepts of ASP.NET, rather than language specifics. Prior to preparation for the 70-515 exam, you need to make sure whether this exam is right for you. The most excellent approach to do that is to match your objectives with that of exams and if both are in a similar way, you require being clear in your mind that 70-515 possibly is the best exam available for you.

2. Why should I become certified? 

Studies have shown that certified individuals realize many benefits. Among them are the following:

• Increased opportunities on the job: These opportunities range from increased salary and bonus to project involvement and promotion.

• Increased breadth of knowledge: Certification is a catalyst for learning new technologies in a structured and comprehensive way. 

• Increased value to the organization: Organizations with 25 percent or more of their staff certified have shown to deploy projects on time and within budget more often, rely less on external support, have less downtime, and have higher user satisfaction with their IT staff.

3. How many questions do I get in the exam?

Number of questions in the exam varies from 45 to 60. Unluckily I had got 70 questions. But as per the Microsoft standards it varies from 45 to 60 only and you will get approximately 2 minutes per question.

4. What is the passing percentage?

 Well, there is no percentage for any of MCTS exams, all we have is points. You need to get 700 points out of 1000 to clear the exam. Calculating the points for the exam is confidential. Each question in the exam is weighted differently and some of the questions aren’t even used in your score!

5. What type of an exam is it? (Adaptive/Linear)

The exam consists of Multiple Choice, Hot Area, Drag and Drop, Build list and reorder, and Build a Tree questions. The test can be adaptive and/or simulation questions might be asked. There are no Case study type questions.

6. What is the exam fee?

The fee for taking test 70-515-CSHARP is US $125. It does not include applicable taxes, vouchers, promotions or membership discounts one might have. The exam is subsidized in India and China. The net fee for taking test 70-515-CSHARP in India and China is US $50.

For more details please check visit Exam Fee Details

7. How to schedule, reschedule, cancel, or confirm the exam?

You can register with Prometric testing centers located in major cities. You can also register online at your local exam center or a regional contact center.  Please visit the following link to schedule, reschedule, cancel, or confirm the exam: Update Personal Information, Viewing Testing History, etc

Hope I have answered most of the questions.

Now let’s begin with the preparation part.

Prerequisites for the 70-515-C# exam: There are no specific prerequisites for this exam, although it is recommended that one should have a minimum of two to three years of experience developing Web-based applications by using Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and .NET 4.0.

Microsoft has specified more than thirty objectives for the 70-515-CSHARP exam, which are grouped under six topics. Following are some important areas in which an individual should possess good knowledge before taking the exam.

Microsoft has provided a wonderful training kit for preparation which covers all necessary topics. You may want to buy the book or get it from a library if it's available. Training kit contains a book and a CD.The CD contains practice examples, eBook and software for practicing the test.

I have divided the preparation into three phases: Watch videos, Read book from training kit and MSDN. Each one these is explained below in detail.

1. Videos

It's human nature that people lose their patience as soon as they open a book of thousand pages. So to circumvent this I have another option: watch videos. Yes that's right, In my opinion watching video is little bit interesting than reading. 

Here are some links to the videos which cover all the topics. There are 20 videos with the total length being six hours.

  Developing Web Forms Pages (19%)

• Introduction
• Page directives, HTML Doc type, Applying Themes, Master Pages.
• Page Life Cycle
• Page Caching and State Management
• Globalization

 Developing and Using Web Forms Controls (18%)

• Web Controls, Validating User Inupt
• Web Controls, Page Lay Out Control
• User Controls and Custom Controls
• Web Controls, Using Code Behind

 Implementing Client-Side Scripting and AJAX (16%)

• Client Side, Dynamic Features Using JavaScript
• Asp.NET Ajax
• Client Side, jQuery Ajax

 Configuring and Extending a Web Application (15%)

• Authentication and Membership
• Extending Web Application

 Displaying and Manipulating Data (19%)

• Data Bound Controls and Data Source Controls
• LINQ
• Dynamic Data Projects

 Developing a Web Application by Using ASP.NET MVC 2 (13%)

• ASP.NET MVC Overview
• Controllers and Actions
• Views

2. Book 
As above videos are divided into six sections, the book is also divided in the same way.

Here I am sharing the eBook

Things to cover from the book are:

•  Read overview of all the lessons.
•  Read exam tips given in the book.
•  Solve all the scenarios after each chapter.

Once you complete both videos and the topics from the book, you need to study some stuff from the MSDN. In the exam you get some of the questions which are not covered in the book.

3. MSDN Check List.

Here you just need to make sure that you have covered all the topics and also that you will come across with new concepts. Check the Microsoft's Skills measured section. Detailed Check list is given below.

• Developing Web Forms Pages (19%)  

• Developing and Using Web Forms Controls (18%)

• Implementing Client-Side Scripting and AJAX (16%)

• Configuring and Extending a Web Application (15%)

• Displaying and Manipulating Data (19%)

• Developing a Web Application by Using ASP.NET MVC 2

Finally, practice some sample tests from Practice Test Software and here are some questions which might appear in the exam, most people call these as DUMPS. I came across a wonderful website where you can take IT certification tests for practice. Here is the link for 70 515.

Hope it helps! All the best.

Please do like it if you find it insightful.

Thanks,
Ram