Field note / 16 June 2012
Exam 70 667 notes, part four: the final revision pass
The last stage of exam preparation is not about learning more. It is about finding the gaps that practice keeps exposing.
By the final part of a study plan, the temptation is to collect another book or another set of notes. The more useful move is to revisit the areas where recall is slow. The final pass should be a diagnostic exercise, not a fresh tour of the syllabus.
For the SharePoint 2010 configuration exam, that meant returning to the administrative tasks that felt mechanical in a lab but uncertain on paper. Service applications, backup choices and upgrade steps all reward a clear mental model rather than memorised screen positions.
Use practice to reveal uncertainty
Work through scenarios without looking at the answer first. Say the decision out loud, then check it against the documentation. If the explanation is weak, the topic is not finished, even when the answer happens to be correct.
Keep a short error log. Group the mistakes by theme rather than by question. Three questions about the same service usually point to one missing concept. Revise the concept, then return to a different set of questions to see whether the improvement holds.
The short list
Checks worth running
- Revisit only the topics that still produce hesitation.
- Explain each decision in your own words before checking the source.
- Stop adding material once the error log stops producing new themes.
The final revision pass is a confidence check, not a cramming session. A calm review of the weak areas is more valuable than another stack of unread notes.
Outside reading
Reference shelf
Official documentation and independent community reading for the subjects in this note.
- Microsoft Learn: SharePoint documentation (opens in a new tab)The starting point for current SharePoint administration, development and hybrid guidance.
- Microsoft Learn: SharePoint administration (opens in a new tab)Operational guidance for service settings, site management and the modern admin experience.
- Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)Support articles, troubleshooting steps and product help from Microsoft.
- Microsoft Learn: PowerShell documentation (opens in a new tab)Language reference, cmdlet documentation and guidance for repeatable automation.
- Microsoft Learn Q&A (opens in a new tab)A community question and answer space hosted by Microsoft.
- SharePoint Stack Exchange (opens in a new tab)An independent question and answer community for SharePoint practitioners.
- Microsoft Tech Community (opens in a new tab)Community discussion, product announcements and practical posts from Microsoft teams.
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 documentation (opens in a new tab)Product documentation for Microsoft 365 services, administration and adoption.
- Microsoft Download Center (opens in a new tab)Official downloads for Microsoft tools, updates and supporting packages.
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Server documentation (opens in a new tab)Current guidance for Windows Server roles, networking, storage and management.
- Microsoft Learn: SQL Server documentation (opens in a new tab)Official reference material for database engine configuration, performance and recovery.
- Microsoft Learn: SharePoint search (opens in a new tab)Documentation for search architecture, crawling and result management.
- PowerShell Gallery (opens in a new tab)A public repository for PowerShell modules and scripts. Review package provenance before use.
- Microsoft Learn: Server memory configuration (opens in a new tab)How SQL Server allocates memory and how the maximum server memory setting is applied.
- Microsoft Learn: Soft NUMA in SQL Server (opens in a new tab)Background on SQL Server NUMA configuration for large processor layouts.