Very well written. I would recommend this series to anyone seriously considering getting their certificates.

read the books

friends...reading this.

I have one WORD?

J2EE

thats it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I must have read at least 3 of the books in a set (spend a chunk of my Caribbean vacation on reading those). I read very thouroughly but when it came to taking a practice test from Testking.com, I could not answer any sample questions at all. Also when reading the questions and trying to find an answer using one of the books in this set, I couldn't because a lot of important concepts are simply not there (for example Web Farms).

The first exam I took was 70-305. I passed it the first time with a pretty high score. The book I used to pass and highly recommend is MCAD/MCSD Training Guide (70-305): Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Visual Basic.NET and Visual Studio.NET (Training Guide) by Mike Gunderloy. You can get a used one for under $20. It's worth every cent. Also I would like to recommentd to pair it up with sample questions from Testking.com.

I am displeased with the fact that there was not indication that this series of books is tied to Visual Studio 2003. I am working with Visual Studio 2005 so none of the examples match the version I am working with.

Ok here is the honest truth about this book. The biggest thing wrong with it is the title. The title suggest that after reading this book you will have the knowledge and skills necessary to pass the exam. NO WAY!! Not even close. The title should be "An Introduction to SQL Server" because it introduces alot of the concepts on a very non detailed high level fashion. I am taking a training class at this place called techskills and had it not been for them, i would have flunked the exam. Their practice questions are very very very similar to the real exam. When taking their practice questions i had to go to server books online to figure out the answers. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK AS A STUDY GUIDE FOR THE 70-229 EXAM!!!!!!!!

One of the reasons I bought this expensive set of books for the discount. Later, I found out that voucher expired on 2004. I felt cheated.

This is essential for preparing, but don't think that everything you need to know is in this book, be sure to check out some practice tests too. These books actually make decent reference books too if you are in a pinch. Note that these are not targeting the current Certification available for VS2005.

this product is awesome,but ull need extra help to get cert.
you can get more help in this link
(getcert's POST)

[....]

thanks

It works fine as prep for the certs but it won't make you a hardcore specialist.

Some of the information was new, most i already knew. The books are a great resource, however this kit gives you more then you perhaps need. Unfortunately it does not give you more in each specific subject. Its a good set of books for review but i would not rely soley on them.

I've achieved two certifications by following this training kit...........nice collection to buy

I've bought all these books separately when they were not yet sold as a bundle and I can tell you that is was very frustrating do get through all the errors and typos. I definitely recommend Kalani's books instead of theses ones. Have not really had the chance to read all of the 70-300 one, and since Kalani does not have one on the subject, you can buy it separately.

I buy last year this books, and I have the MCSD only 6 months, if you read and made the lab into the books you have 80% of the tests, you need prcatice and practice, the tests are very similar whit example tests include in the CD, if you need take the tests, whit this books you have practice and made the labs and example tests, some things don't inclue in the book, where I see that is in the windows forms, and web services, for Web applications All of the tests are into the books.

Estos libros sin duda que sirven aun mas para reforzar el estudio para los exámenes.- ya que son oficiales trae unos tips que en otros libros del mismo estilo no lo mencionan.

Solo eso...

Saludos
Victor Gutierrez

I bought these thinking that Microsoft would be in the best position to write a training kit to prepare for the certification tests, since they are, after all, Microsoft tests. Big mistake. If I hadn't used the Transcender practice tests also, I would have gotten a rude awakening at the test center. The MS books have some decent reference information, but they don't prepare you for the tests.

great certification tool!!!
but u will need also transcenders for exam preparation. contact me on my gmail account (certstuff). i will send u a list of transcenders i can sell u, 10$ each one. thnks

Well i just pased my 70-315 and 70-316 what i would say is that these books were a really good help, they contain the exact information for your exam be aware that if you just want to pass an exam you should use these books although if you need more you should get specialized books.

El conjunto de libros y el CD para los laboratorios han sido excelentes para la preparaciýn de la certificaciýn en .NET en la que me preparo.

Of course, there is no question that this book is one of the best references out there for VS2003. However, if you are just starting studying for MCSD 2003, then I say wait! Microsoft has totally redesigned its certification program; The new certifications are coming out in Spring 2006. Now, studying for MCSD is not a 24 hours or 36 hours matter, unless you are vastly experienced in .Net technology and even if you are, there is no guarantee that you 'll pass the exam without following a study guide. My advice to you is to save your money and go for the new certifications. Those certifications are long-term investments, and you'll thank yourself in a year or two!

Ok... I am not going to write a long review on this one since other people have already and they are pretty good... All I will say it that I used *mainly* these books to prepare myself for the exams. I read them and did some of the exercises. I found them very helpful and I passed all of my tests from the first time (on Dec '04). Granted I have been doing .NET development since June 2002 and I am a software engineer since 1999. So I have experience and that obviously helped too.

A piece of advice that can really help you go thru the tests faster is after preparing yourself pretty good (meaning reading, doing the exercises, and the practice tests here) Go to [...] and buy the test simulator for the test you are almost ready to take. This for me was very helpful as well as the questions were more difficult and based on the main topics that came on the exam.

Good Luck!!!

I am really satisfied with my purchase as the product was in a very good condition and i received the shipment way earlier than expected.

Before buying material for my MCSD on amazon.com I read customer reviews .... some said this material rocks, some said this is bad. In my personal opinion this "Self-Paced Training Kit" is good for getting your certification. My advice to all certification wannabe's is to stick to one type of guide and do thorough study, and you will click the exams. I got this material and it worked for me because I am doing a thorough study of this. This is a decent material and you get so many books in so less price. What else you expect.

I'm a long-time .NET developer, since it was in Beta. I love the .NET Framework, and I wanted to get certified to grow professionally.

If you are trying to pass the certs, DO NOT BUY THIS SET.

The practice exams in this set are a joke- I was getting 90+ scores on the practice exams, only to find the real exams covered substantially different materials, kept a totally different time pace (these are timed exams), and were presented in substantially different style.

I bought books from Microsoft Press because I didn't want to mess around with anyone else- I trusted the name. I am furious with Microsoft Press- they've cheated me. Don't let them take you.

Having worked with .NET for almost two years the first three books (305/315, 306/316, 320) where a good guide as to what topics might be covered in the exam. I would certainly recommend them.

The last book for 70-300 was misleading. The sample questions were not even close to the format or question type offered in the exam. The exam covered material not covered in the book where experience really is a must or at least familiarity with MS Products like BizTalk and Host Integration Server. Out of the set, this is the only book I would really recommend a person read for background purposes only and find something else to prepare them for the test. The book is not without merit though as it is a good intro to MSF.

I bought this set for two reasons: 1. I have experience in ASP/PHP and SQL, and I would like to move on to .NET (cause I'm kind of pissed at Java's awful performance). 2. I need to get certified in order to present my skills in a professional manner.

I just passed one of the MCSD tests, namely 70-315, and I would like to provide my opinion and suggestions for future without "WTFs".

There are different types of exam takers, some already know the material, some don't; some learn by doing, some simply cram without a brain.

I read the web application book of this set, I have to say it is perhaps the best introduction/intermediate .NET book there is out there. The chapters are clearly outlined, the book compromises concepts, skills and reference of the .NET platform and is written in a concise manner. If you want to use this set for the exam, I'd say a good 2-3 months for every exam you take. These books do cover all the concepts, skills and references you need for the Exam, but it's organized in a training course fashion - meaning you have to actually read into the chapters, take a look at the exams, and spend some time thinking about the technologies involved in the .NET platform.

The problem for me is...I didn't have 2-3 months, I had 1. I finished this book and looked at the exam questions, I realize that without sufficient time to review the book and do practicals, there is no way that I'm gonna pass this exam.

So...I bought an exam review book: MCAD Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Exam Cram 2 (Exam Cram 70-315)

Exam Cram surely is a great book for taking the exam, it organized the same examples and technical contents in an exam review format, it also emphasizes analytical skills that will increase your chances.

So anyways, It really depends on what kind of test taker you are:

If you are a real scholars, just buy this set, spend quality time reading, doing and thinking, you'll earn the skills you need to be a real solution AND to pass the exams.

If you are a technician/programmer who are used to receiving instructions and learning adaptive skills, the both sets...the Microsoft set to train your development skills, and the exam cram 2 to get you ready for the exam.

If you are a crammer, don't bother buying any of these sets, just spend the money on buying "past exams"...in this case, you should drop the idea of getting certified, cause you're not worthy of the title "solution developer" even if you did pass the exams.

Even said, I read both books on web applications, I did one of the exam cram practice exams (which is....a made up exam), and I passed it...haha I'm pretty proud of myself, cause I spent only 1 month studying it, well... not even, maybe 2 weeks cause I paused quite a bit; and on top of that I did only one practice exam the day before the test....So yeah.

we should all respect the nature of this certification, and because of that, I highly recommend this set to all test takers.

It is hard for me to believe all of the errors in this book. I'm not sure which copy of this text the other reviewers used (mine is the 2nd edition, just purchased) or if they did not actually go through any of the examples but it is so full of errors it's ridiculous. I'm not sure how the editing and review process works for a book but I would assume that a technical text that is providing you with examples would take the time to make sure they at least compile and work. I haven't looked at the CD and maybe all the examples work but I doubt it.

Depending on your level of .NET experience you can learn from this book. But there are better books that cover the same material and that the author took the time and energy to review before selling it to the public.

Well... It doesn't come with vouchers anymore, which is a little disappointing. I made my purchase before the comments were updated and I was very disappointed.

But that's not fair to the books. They are very good. I have yet to take an exam, though my co-worker has gone through all 5 and used these books to pass. The 70-300 book he felt was a little shy, and recommended the Exam Cram 2 70-300.

The good thing about buying this collection of books is that it represents a worthwhile investment for someone who wants to get an MCSD or MCAD certification. The savings over buying the hardcover books individually is significant.

I'm in agreement with what seems to be a consensus among reviewers that, while these books contain a lot of good information, you'll need to go to other resources to learn everything you'll need to know to actually pass the tests. MSDN is often a great source of information - if only because it's free - for things that the books don't cover.

In places where these books are good, they present concise explanations of concepts you need to understand to be able to answer test questions. The tests often involve some reasoned problem-solving to arrive at the right answer, rather than simple factual recall. (Some cert test questions, on the other hand, are almost silly - but that's another issue.) Where lots of computer books are padded with pendanticism and lengthy, tedious sample applications, these books can often help you grasp the salient concepts in a few short pages.

Code samples also tend to be concise and illustrative (although they don't always work!). Some of the sample code on the CDs might be the best thing the collection has to offer. You can learn a lot by pasting it into Visual Studio - and then changing stuff around to see what it does. If you're like me and don't type well, the CD is great to have.

In places where they are bad, these books are bloated with fluffy chapter introductions and summaries, that are really only filler, and nearly irrevelant information. They also frequently do not reflect the emphasis that a subject area will have on the exams. If 20% of a book covers a given topic, that doesn't mean that 20% of the test questions will cover that topic. The left hand and the right hand at Microsoft just aren't all that coordinated. In this respect, these books leave much to be desired as "exam preparation" guides.

I personally felt the 70-300 book was by far the worst in these respects while the 70-305 book was quite worthwhile. The other two fit somewhere in the middle.

I went through the practice tests for two of the exams and decided they weren't worth the time it takes to go through them. After that, I gave up on those and bought practices tests instead.

In two cases, I also used Exam Cram books to prepare and agree with those who say that they are better. It really is kind of shabby that a third party can come up with better instructional materials than Microsoft itself.

If there's anything I've learned in my years of programming, it's that you need more than one book to achieve a Microsoft programming certification. Usually MS Press (recently affliated with/purchased by McGraw Hill) books are the gospel, but their theory goes much further than their hands-on, which is far from extensive. In the past I have used Sybex's books, which have much better hands-on examples, allowing you to explore all of the features of the environment.

These books are very helpful to me, but I certified in VB5 and 6, and have been working with .NET since Beta 1. These books will not be helpful to someone who is "new" to Visual Studio languages, or new to programming altogether.

If this is your first MS programming cert, be sure to pick up other books as well to ensure you cover the breadth of material necessary.

This kit is a great way to reinforce what you THINK you know and to learn new things. I'm not concerned like some of the other reviewers that the materials are not great for test cramming--these books helped give me confidence to pass the tests because I know the stuff cold! And I've passed the two Core C# tests, each the first time! Thanks Microsoft Press!

I have QUE books for actual hands-on studying at home. But I wanted books for a quick on-the-go studying. I'm satisfied with the sets for the following reasons:
1) each book is light enough for me to carry in my backpack everyday.
2) Content may not be in-depth but is decent enough.
3) Exam questions are much better than QUE books. This is arguable However I just passed 70-315 and I can tell you that many of the questions were awefully familar thanks to the practice questions that came with the set.

No discount code in my set but I bought the voucher from online companies that offers 10+ % discount.

This books disappoints because the coverage is not in-depth enough. When you take sample exams, there are a lot of uncovered topics. I found Que's books to be much better preparation for the MCAD exams.

(This review is a variation of my review for the individual 70-315 "redbook")

Microsoft approaches certification exams the same way that the Educational Testing Service approaches SAT, GMAT and GRE college entrance exams.

ETS discourages people from using SAT preparation classes and books and, rather, encourages people to just work on their verbal and quantitative skills. They suggest that doing so is enough to do well on the exams. We all know better.

Microsoft takes the approach that, if you have a good mastery of the subject being tested then that is all you need to pass the certs. The Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits (known as the "redbooks") do a reasonable job of teaching you the concepts of ASP.NET (and WinForms and the VB.NET/C# language and other tested topics), but they do a poor job of preparing you for the certs.

It's true that, if you review vocabulary words a lot and practice intermediate algebra and 10th grade geometry problems in the weeks preceding your SATs you may improve your score by 3 or 4%. But if you use that time to review sample test questions and analyze the structure and logic behind SAT questions using Princeton Review or Kaplan etc., then you will improve your score by considerably more than a few percentage points. The same goes for Microsoft certs. If you master the topic being tested (in this case, Web apps, ASP.NET), you may still pass the exam or, at least, slightly increase your score. But knowing the topic is not enough. You must know the exam, as well. This thinking goes against Microsoft's view of their own certification exams. Microsoft's thinking and point-of-view is reflected in their "redbooks."

Therefore, if all you want is to learn ASP.NET using either of the dialects of the VB.NET/C# language, then this book is OK (if a bit pricey compared to other "cert prep" books). But if you are looking for certification preparation (as opposed to just learning the topic), then a combination of one of the cert prep products such as TestKing or Transcender along with a book like Kalani (ISBN: 0789728222) is a much better approach. These tools will help you pass the exam. Kalani, in particualr, will help you master the topic AS WELL AS prepare you for the exam. TestKing and/or Transcender will give you practice with close-to-actual exam questions. No, they don't repeat real questions but they do give you examples of the TYPES of question to expect and give you practice with the nuances, languages and tricks that are part of the cert exam questions.

You can't pass the certs without understanding the topics (and I would never hire anyone who passed the exam by memorizing questions -- believe me, I can tell). But knowing the topics alone is usually not enough. The "redbooks" teach the concepts and prepare you for using the ASP.NET tools, but the "redbooks" do not prepare you for the exams.

If the books were cheaper (or if you can share with 2 or 3 friends), and your goal was just to learn how to program (but not necessarily pass a cert) then I would recommend this book for learning the topic. For cert preparation, however, use something else.
- - - -

NOTES:
(1) I gave the entire set 3 stars even though I gave the individual 70-315 book only 2 stars because if you buy the entire set, not only is the discount price below that of buying all 4 books separately, but also because the test vouchers inside reduce the price even more (if you use all 4). The reduced price makes it more of a bargain. Also, the 70-300 exam book was closer to the actual exam than the other three books.

(2) When you buy the boxed set, the volumes are softbound (paperback). When you buy the books individually, they are hardcover.

(3) For "server" certs, the equivalent to the Microsoft "redbooks" are the "bluebooks." For the 70-229 exam (T-SQL and SQL Server), the "bluebook" is ISBN: 0735619603. 7-229 can be used as the elective on the MCAD or as the required "server" cert on the MCSD exam. In addition to the 4 books in the above Self-training kit, you will need the 70-229 "bluebook" (unless you go for one of the other server certs, such as Biztalk Server or Commerce Server). The 70-229 "bluebook" is closer to the cert exam than the "redbooks" are to their respective exams.

There seemed to be some disagreement here about whether this set still comes with discount coupons for the exams anymore. I just wanted to say I just bought the set (end of March) and mine does have the coupons. They're only good until June 30, 2004, but they're in there. Other than that, the set looks good, I hope to start going through it tonight. (NOTE: the Visual Studio 60 day trial comes on DVD, so if you don't have a DVD ROM and want to use the trial, you're out of luck!)

This set is a great deal when it comes with the vouchers, but still an OK deal otherwise. The books for the Windows, Web, and Web Services exams are good and they were able, with no other material, to allow me to pass those three exams. The book for the Solution Architecture exam (70-300), however, is useful only as a paperweight. That book is so poorly written, I couldn't even finish half of it! Fortunately, Exam Cram 2 has an excellent book for that exam. Not only is this set cheaper than buying the three good books separately, but the paperback editions in the set are lighter and smaller as well.

FYI, I have just received this set (2/6/04). Contrary to what was stated by another reviewer, it DOES NOT PROVIDE 15% discount coupons for the associated exams! That was a temporary Microsoft promotion, which at the time of this writing applies to Windows Server 2003 exams, but not to these MCAD/MCSD tests. As far as the content of the books go, I haven't even begun to read them, but I want to make sure no one else buys them just to get the discount. Next time, check with www.microsoft.com/learning first to see what kinds of promotions are currently being offered.

I have just received a set today, but have not started with it yet, so I can't comment much. All I can be sure is that I had verified the paperback version with the hardback version selling in one of my local bookstore. The total page numbers are exactly the same although the thickness differs. To further verify, I randomly pick a few pages to compare, the contents are exactly the same and of course corresponded with the page number.

As the old saying goes: Never judge a book by its cover (and thickness)!

Three things struck me about this set as soon as I received it and started working through the material. First, these books can be used for both learning and preparing for the certification exams. Second, if you buy the set from Amazon and you intend to take the exams, your cost will be a fraction of the published cost. This is because of the four 15% off exam fee vouchers that are included in the set. In the end, you will get almost 75% off the published price! Be careful when you buy this set as a used set from someone as the vouchers have discount codes that can only be utilized once. Third, these same books can be used whether you are interested in the VB.NET track or VC#.NET track.

This set is best suited for basic and intermediate level users of the .NET technologies. The four books in the set are focused on helping you learn - windows based programming, web based programming, XML web services and server components, and solution architectures. Each book takes a lesson style approach by splitting each chapter into multiple lessons. Each lesson focuses on teaching a unique skill and can be worked through individually. But I found that you need to stay with the sequence of lessons in order to get the maximum benefit.

I am new to taking Microsoft certifications so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the way the material is presented. Each lesson has an estimated time of completion which I found to be a bit too optimistic but not too far off. The relevant concepts are explained first and these are followed by step by step instructions on how to perform a specific task. Example code related to the task being described is included. At the end of each chapter (not lesson), there is a lab section that contains several exercises for the reader to perform to ensure proper learning. The completed labs are on the CD-ROM that comes with the set. This is very helpful in identifying by comparison anything wrong that you might have done on these exercises.

The CD-ROM that comes with the set has the entire set in electronic form, completed labs, practice files, and exam questions. The set also comes with a DVD that has a 60 day trial version of Visual Studio.NET 2003 Professional. The paper is very thin and these are paperbacks and not hardcover editions. I personally like the thinner paper as it is easier to carry the individual books around.

The prerequisites for using this set are a knowledge of controls & events, SQL, and other basic programming concepts. I think this set is aimed at users that are at a beginner or intermediate level. One advanced user I talked to wasn't as impressed with this set as I was.

The only downside to the set that I found was the intermingling of VB.NET and VC#.NET code throughout the books. I found this very annoying as I am interested in only the VB.NET portions. But I guess this could be a positive if you haven't decided which path to take or are planning on mixing the exams that you take.

The best part about these books is that there are so many practice questions for each exam! After researching other preparatory material online, I found that most vendors are not including that many practice questions. So getting these many questions (550 total in the set) for such a low price made it really worthwhile for me.

I would recommend getting the training guides by Mike Gunderloy (Que Certification series) that I am finding to be the best tools for exam preparation. But it doesn't hurt to get this Microsoft set considering the exam fee discount reduces the price of the set and the number of questions included is great!

Overall, don't hesitate to get this set if you are sure that you are going to take the exams. But use the set as a secondary and not a primary preparation tool. Good luck learning .NET and passing the exams!

Update on 5/5/2005: This review is old so please check with Amazon if the kit still comes with the vouchers before purchasing. I remember seeing an expiration date on those vouchers so it's quite possible they don't include the vouchers with the kit anymore.

It is nice to have everything in one box ...great package..