Taking a Certification Exam
After you prepare for your exam, you need to register with a testing center.
In the United States and Canada, tests are administered by Pearson VUE and by Prometric.
Here’s how you can contact them:
. Pearson VUE—You can sign up for a test by calling 800-837-8734 or via
the website at http://www.vue.com/ms.
. Prometric—You can sign up for a test through the company’s websites,
http://www.2test.com or http://www.prometric.com. Within the
United States and Canada, you can register by phone at 800-755-3926. If
you live outside this region, you should check the Prometric website for
the appropriate phone number.
To sign up for a test, you must possess a valid credit card or contact either
Pearson VUE or Prometric for mailing instructions to send a check (in the
United States). Only when payment is verified, or a check has cleared, can you
actually register for a test.
To schedule an exam, you need to call the appropriate phone number or visit one
of the Pearson VUE or Prometric websites at least one day in advance. To cancel
or reschedule an exam in the United States or Canada, you must call before
3 p.m. Eastern time the day before the scheduled test time (or you might be
charged, even if you don’t show up to take the test). When you want to schedule
a test, you should have the following information ready:
. Your name, organization, and mailing address.
. Your Microsoft test ID. (In the United States, this means your Social
Security number; citizens of other countries should call ahead to find out
what type of identification number is required to register for a test.)
. The name and number of the exam you want to take.
. A method of payment. (As mentioned previously, a credit card is the most
convenient method, but alternate means can be arranged in advance, if
necessary.)
After you sign up for a test, you are told when and where the test is scheduled. You
should arrive at least 15 minutes early. You must supply two forms of identification—
one of which must be a photo ID—to be admitted into the testing room.
All exams are completely closed book. In fact, you are not permitted to take anything
with you into the testing area, but you receive a blank sheet of paper and a
pen or, in some cases, an erasable plastic sheet and an erasable pen. We suggest
that you immediately write down on that sheet of paper all the information
you’ve memorized for the test. In 70-294 Exam Cram books, this information appears on
the tear-out sheet (Cram Sheet) inside the front cover of each book. You are given
some time to compose yourself, record this information, and take a sample orientation
exam before you begin the real thing. We suggest that you take the orientation
test before taking your first exam, but because all the certification exams
are more or less identical in layout, behavior, and controls, you probably don’t
need to do so more than once.
When you complete a Microsoft certification exam, the software tells you whether
you’ve passed or failed.
