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Title: MCSE Windows 2000 Core 4 for Dummies, Boxed Set by Dummies Technology Press ISBN: 0-7645-8263-1 Publisher: For Dummies Pub. Date: 23 March, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 4 List Price(USD): $99.99

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Average Customer Rating: 3.75 (8 reviews)

Rating: 3
Summary: This is not your one stop shop to MCSE
Comment: After reading ... users' reviews, I purchased this set of books to help me prepare for MCSE 2000 tests. I have been a sys admin for three years and W2K admin for more than one. I figured I didn't need the full MS course material or some of the more comprehensive books out there. Now after finishing two books and passed two tests (70-210, 70-215), I can share with you my experience.
I'm somewhat disappointed with the books. The chapters in books were fairly easy to read and understand. One book 70-215 only took me less than ten hours to finish. Just don't think that will be enough for the test. The books didn't cover all the topics in the tests and many of which were covered were not deep enough. I scored between 90-95% in self-test at the end of book, in thirty minutes or less. During the actual tests I used almost all the time allowed (two hours) and barely scored around 800 out of 1000 points. Had I not the experience, I would most certainly fail the tests.
This set of books should not be your only set of MSCE test-prep material. Experience and/or actual lab systems are crucial. I would have given the book 2.5 stars, two star for contents and half star for price.
One tip for readers of these books: You don't need to know where every option is for the test, like the book led you to believe, just know they exist. For example, don't spend your time memorize whether Advanced or General tab that DHCP log option resides. MCSE test almost never ask these kind of interface question.

Rating: 4
Summary: Don't Let Dummies fool you into thinking it has no depth!!!
Comment: I used Transcender and this book in conjuntion for about 1 month and I was able to easily pass the 70-210 test. I am an Administrator and an MCSE but 2000 is completely different(at least what they test the test covers mainly changes between NT and 2000). I work for a company that still uses NT 4.0 and I have never really used 2000 in a large network enviornment like the one I currently handle, however this book really helped meout. It is good to cross reference between Transcender and this book. The way it is written gives you very simple explanations to problems you may find in other texts. It is definately a must have especially for the core 4 price. There were many questions on the exam that were almost worded the same in the practice tests in this book.I will end up spending [less money]instead of $2000 dollars on a crash course to get my MCSA.

Rating: 3
Summary: Mixed Feelings Also
Comment: This set didn't get 5 stars for a couple of reasons. First: the practice tests aren't nearly as nuanced as those on the actual exam. I was getting nearly perfect scores on the practice tests but on the actual exam the score was somewhat lower(though in all fairness I did pass the first try on each), which was a bit of a surprise b/c when I first certified on NT 4.0 I used Transcenders only and the scores more closely matched. Second: 3 different authors wrote the 4 books, resulting in a wide variety of style and content. Personally, I liked Weadock's books (Professional and Infrastructure), and could have done without Simmons'(came across like an instruction manual for a toy, i.e. "insert tab A into slot B," without necessarily including why A needs to go into B and what might happen if that isn't done).

The bottom line is having the actual software available and setup in either a networked or standalone environment is absolutely essential(which the authors merely "recommend" as opposed to stipulate), and the best advice I can give a candidate is to spend some time with the actual software above and beyond the exercises in the books to get a more solid grounding with the various features and scenarios you will be presented with on the actual exams.