Softpanorama Multiple Choice Test Taking Strategies (using Solaris Certification Exam as an example)

You need to use some strategy for the exam. One of the possible strategies is so called binary strategy that somewhat reminds quicksort algorithm. The key idea that on each stage you split the questions into two more or less equal parts and answer only the "easy half" leaving more difficult questions for later. None of such strategies is infallible but just having one can help.

Initial conditions. There will be 60 questions presented to you: 58 that counts toward the results and two experimental question that don't. The max number of questions that you can answer incorrectly and still pass are 20 for both 014 and 015 exams. You need to remember this number. You have 105 min = 1h 45 min to answer them. It might be beneficial to bring to the exam the watches with timer like Timex, but Sun provides the running timer of the time left on the screen which is good enough...

The first pass. During the first pass you need to preview the test and answer the easiest half of the questions, the questions that you know how to answer for sure. Skip the rest.

Read the question at least twice before answering it. Ensure that you understand it before answering. Note special words like If correct answer is immediately evident answer this question, if not skip it. In such mode for 60 questions it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the first pass (depends on how many times you need to read each question to understand it).
Here the splitting of the test questions into two more or less equal parts occurs naturally as most probably you will be able to answer only approximately half of the questions this way.
Expect that that probably two of them were still answered incorrectly due to your misreading of the question and/or strange ideas about the right answer of test developers [-2]

Note: the number of questions you managed to answer on the first pass is important. Feel lucky if you managed to answer more then 30 -- your level of preparation looks good or there is good the match between the distribution of questions in the test and the topics that you know well (this is somewhat like a poker: you got a good hand ;-) With over 30 questions answered quickly (and let's hope correctly) your chances to pass are improved.
[Break 1] Take a short (one or two minutes) break.
The second pass is the most challenging part of the exam (the first pass that was just warm-up). You task on this pass is correctly answer approximately half of remaining question using one hour of time. Even if you jaw dropped because of the difficulty of those questions you still have a chance. If you gradually separate them into two halves (using for example multiple passes for that, see below) and each time concentrate on the easiest questions you have approximatly 4-5 minutes per question. That permit some (limited) research.
- Split remaining questions into two virtual parts (questions that you have no clue and questions for which you can expect to find the right answer) and answer them during multiple passes. Concentrate on one topic during each pass and ignore the rest. A helpful technique is grouping the questions into the SA-299 topics and finding connections between questions that belong to the same topic
- As you might not be able to come to a certain selection based just on your knowledge, use the elimination strategy as well as contextual clues (some notions like exact names of certain configuration files are repeated in several, often positioned later questions).
- Write relevant fragments of related questions on the pad creating some kind of cross reference.
Look at the number of questions that you managed to answer up to this point and subtract the estimate of errors along the line presented above: that will be your status after the second stage.
With adequate preparation you can expect that only approximately 1/3 of those questions that you managed to answer can be answered incorrectly (if this was exactly 15 questions then you lost five questions on this stage [-5] or total 7 question in our artificial example)
[Break 2] Take a short (one or two minutes) break.
On the third pass you just try to guess correct answer for the rest of the questions, the question about topics/issues that you have almost no clue.
- The key here is to have les then 15 questions left. You chances deteriorate considerably if there are more then 15 questions left.
- If, say 15 questions left you probably have some vague ideas about possible answers for 1/3 of them. Again concentrate on the easiest questions and chose the most plausible answer, but do not spend too much time thinking about it (not much time was left anyway; keep some time cushion of, say, 10 minutes). In fact you already has the background for those questions and your brain was working on those questions for some time. Rely on your brain intuition. Some questions can be just answered based on typical multiple choice question tests heuristics:
  - "All of the above" is often a correct response. If you can verify that more than one of the other responses is probably correct, then it's logical to choose "all of the above."
  - The longest response is often the correct one
- If you are running out of the time then just randomly click, click, click all remaining questions.
Depending on your previous results you probably will be able to guest correctly at least one or two of the questions correctly [ in case of exactly 15 questions left that means you lost 14 questions; that brings us to the total of -19 in our artificial example; still OK for passing the exam, but barely so ]
Use allocated time (usually 105 min = 1h 45 min) fully. If some time left you can just calmly think about the questions and may be some "enlightenment" will come about one of questions already answered (or guessed) based on the info on your pad.
- Remember that theoretically at this point you have only 19 questions or less answered incorrectly and your chances to pass are not bad.
- Correct obvious error if something comes to your mind.
- If you have enough time you can browse the questions again, but do not correct your initial guess unless you are reasonably sure: my impression is that the first guest is usually the best.
- Submit you test less then 5 min before the end of allocated time. Never submit too early unless you are confident that there you lost less then 10 questions (most people are optimists :-). Rush can cost you $150.

After the exam the software printout will tell you whether you've passed or failed. Ask for the printout in case administrator did not print it. It can help you to prepare for another round, if necessary, or to the next round. Certificates are mailed one week after the exam is completed. As stated in Certification - Policies and Agreement

Sun has a 2-week minimum waiting period before a candidate may attempt to re-take any test. In addition, a candidate may not attempt to take a test more than three (3) times within any calendar year without written permission from the Sun Certification Program Manager.

Tips

Do not too much time searching the WEB for magic set of questions (braindump) that will guarantee you to pass exam and be vary of buying the set of questions from third party sites: they might be substantially different from the type of the questions used on actual exam. Buying an old Ultra 5 (400 MHz CPU 256 or 512 memory and 20G drive) on eBay is a much better investment in your exam success and will cost you approximately the same.
Make a plan with deadline for each topic you need to study and try to adhere to it. Even if you cannot it helps to keep you focused.
Prometrics exams can be rescheduled many times. But do not overuse this feature as you can lose the track.
Bring to the exam the watches with timer: that simplifies control of the time.
Schedule exam in such a way that you can make a quick overview of key chapters in the morning before exam: let's say 30 min for 5 key chapters: 2-3 hours. Do not try to learn anything new this day.
Fight anxiety by classifying the questions into the topics when you answer the easiest one them. Never answer the mid-level and difficult questions in the exact order presented on the test. Write mid and most difficult questions for particular topic in columns on the pad given to you and try to see connections between them and then answer the questions in "topic chains".
Stay to the end of exam. Even if you think you've done all you can review some questions again. You will be surprised that you might be able to answer at least one additional question. Still make changes to previous answers if you are certain about them.
Stick to the time allocation of passes you planed.

Etc

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Last modified: February 28, 2008