Pass your Microsoft tests—with a little help from your friends

If you're preparing for a Microsoft exam, I feel your pain. At £100 a pop, no one in a testing center wants to find out that they didn't know as much as they thought. The appropriate time for such enlightenment comes before you take the exam.

Practice tests can be the answer. If you haven't forked out a few bucks for simulations before, now's the time. Even if you've passed your previous exams, practice tests build your confidence and identify areas of weakness you can target for improvement. And, at relatively cheap prices compared to actual tests, they're well worth the investment. Let's meet your test-taking friends.

Who are the leading practice test providers?

Which prep-test is the best?

Having sat through ten months of an academic MCSE program, I've had the chance to sample numerous exam simulations, as well as to discuss with other students the benefits and liabilities of the different practice test engines.

While I believe the Coriolis Group's Exam Cram series of books are some of the finest tools available to certification candidates, my vote for the best review test goes to Prep Technologies' CiCPrep! In addition to posing hundreds of accurate questions, CiCPrep! permits you to add your own and "crunch" specific questions that are giving you trouble. So, you can revisit just those items you wish. CiCPrep! also boasts an added feature that's helped me pass all five Microsoft exams I've tackled. You can select a radio button when you start your practice session that tells the application to immediately correct your incorrect responses.

Others certainly have their benefit. Self-Test Software's offering helps hone in on the basics. Coriolis Group's Exam Cram tests focus on core testable elements, providing another great review tool.

I've had a love/hate relationship with Transcender's software. One could argue that the Transcender simulations are the toughest of the lot. However, the difficulty arises from its selection of sometimes obscure questions and a difficult "grade" required to pass the Transcender test.

One thing is for sure. If you can pass the Transcender tests or the CiCPrep! exams regularly, you're ready to give the real McCoy a go.

Most test software providers mentioned here provide free samples of their products. And almost all their tests provide the ability to adjust practice exam length and testing by topic, such as installation or troubleshooting.

One last reality check

Last, but not least, before you travel to the testing center, take Sylvan's Rapid Assess practice exam. Sylvan also offers full-featured versions of its simulation tests. They're a difficult, but helpful, utility everyone should sample before finally taking mouse in hand and proving their expertise.