Microsoft Certified...

I don't see myself a few years down the line as the

• World's nth best Programmer (!?!?!?)
• With software certifications from the world's renouned organizations
• Project Manager (make that ' few years' as 10)
• Or atleast a software techie

Then why the hell did i take Microsoft Certification and registered for a few more certifications??? That includes 3 Microsoft certification and 1 Oracle certification...

One day my team lead calls me and says that i shud co-ordinate with the team to take Microsoft Certifications to become a Microsoft Certified Professional(MCP)(!).. 3 MCPs would make you an MCAD, a Micosoft Applications Developer(!!!)...

i registered for the 1st MCP jus for the heck of it along with my team mates... then i had to choose a date for the exam... i hadn't thought which date wud be convenient for me so that i can prepare enuf(to pass atleast!), or atleast register with others on the same day they have booked(so tat they can 'help' me at the exam ;)).. I did Nothing of it..

i registered on June 7th.. i loved the date June 7th.. don't ask me why.. i do have some days which i love them for no reason at all.. likewise this is one among the list.... :) the date for the exam was registered and then forgotten..

so, forgot all abt the exam until june 5th.. then it struck me tat i shud atleast attempt to prepare.. being in the blessed production support project, things never go my way and i always have issues popping up and me hitting my head all night solving it.. thus go my days.. so, no time to prepare for the exam, cuz i've to start right from the scratch.

i would now like to tell u abt the concept of 'dumps', the word on everyone's lips as soon as they've registered themselves for any certification exam..this 'dump'contains all possible(or even the only) questions that would appear for ur certification exam.. they are sort of open secrets.. i got that dump frm my team mate.. jus 116 qns it has got..

Microsoft conducts a certification exam and i can become a Microsoft Certified Professional by jus cramming these 116 questions.. cool!

the D day came .. June 7th.. Last night i came home at arnd 12 .. Fell fast asleep.. Woke up religiously at 6.30 a.m.. Back to bed by 6.45.. Made up my mind and finally woke up at 7.30.. I've got my exam at 2.00 PM and i've not even had the feel of how will the questions look like.. I picked up all seriousness, took the printed booklet of the 'dump', counted the pages in it.. 163.. my mind calculates now.. 1 page 1 min... so, in abt 3 hrs i'll be able to finish it.. tat's gud! then, i called my team lead that morning and told him that i'll come to office only after my exam.. so all set .. and now ready to study....

i study for the first few hours.. by that time the clock struck 11.. clueless! not even finished half of it.. then i find that no way it's gonna work out studying each and very question line by line with the time i've got.. so, cram the rest of the questions to the fullest.. No second thoughts.. there i go, and when i finish mugging things up, the clock struck 1 .... i've have to have my bath, then my lunch, and also Revise!!!

i can never mend my ways.. right frm my college days, this is my way of living.. very simple..
Fritter your time first. Always rush at the last moment...

Now i run along the length and breadth of my house and in 10 mins i'm ready set to leave.. Check list now:
1. bring a photocopy of ur driving licence/PAN card/ Passport/..... (i've got my licence.. no photocopy) rush rush..
2.ID card

now no time to stop in front of any photocopying shop.. left things to its way and i take my 'Spirit', speed along the roads and when it is ten mins to 2 o clock, i reached the exam center.. that is TCO Cognizant office.. i literally run towards the block where i hope the photocopier will be there.. And thank God it is! took two copies of my driving licence and 2 o clock on the dot there i am at the test center.. phew!

finished the formalities, signed into the test.. Totally 44 questions 160 mins.. There i Go!

Believe me.. i never looked into any question... i jus saw the answers, clicked them, (i remebered the answers pakka while cramming them), kept on moving to the next. there were totally 44 questions and finally after clicking the 44th answer.. i see the time taken.. Hardly 20 mins.. And all the questions were frm the Dump!!! Now i decide to review them.. it is only now that i am looking/reading the questions.. each of the questions run to a paragraph and i lose patience now.. i again review the answers and submit .. The pass percentage is 70.. And, i get my scores online.. it is 86.2%.. isn't that cool!! studying for half a day for a certification exam and making it to 86%!! i am damn sure that i've clicked all answers as provided by the dump.. expected a 100%.. ;) but then, dumps have some wrong answers too.. forgiven!

and i go to my office now.. everyone congratulates me.. i tell my Project Manager(PM) abt my completion of the certification..

me: Srini, i've completed my MCP

PM: Good Congrats Kavitha.. MCP in what?

me: SQL Server, Srini.

PM: Fine.. So, any SQL Server related project work comes in our team, i'll allocate it to u..

me: eh!!??!!??!!

He sends a mail to the entire offshore team and to the onsite team abt my 'success' in this exam.. as usual people ask me for a treat and i deny it :)

But at one corner of my mind, i have this thought..what's the use of a certification when you haven't prepared for it, studied in the real sense, and put that knowledge into use in ur future?

i have no answers for it.. i still have 3 more certification exams to take:)