MCSA 70-462 - SQL Server 2012 Administrator

Feature

Mastering the MCSA: My 70-462 SQL Server Journey

A deep dive into database administration and the road to certification.

Chapters

Exam Attempts

810

Passing Score

~75

Days Duration

Section I

Study Plan Overview

I am currently working through the 70-462 SQL Server 2012 Administrator book as part of my MCSA certification path. Having built web apps from scratch and deployed various vendor solutions on SQL Server, I have a solid foundation. This reading feels like second nature and is serving to deepen my existing knowledge. My goal is to finish the text efficiently and sit for the exam.

The Schedule

→1/19 — Chapter 1
→1/20 — Chapter 2
→1/22 — Chapter 3
→1/23 — Chapters 4, 5, 6
→1/24 — Chapters 7, 8, 9
→1/25 — Chapter 10
→1/26 — Chapter 11
→1/27 — Chapter 12
→1/28 - 2/4 — Exam Prep

Tip: If practice questions feel too simple compared to your previous exam experiences, be sure to supplement your study with online resources and community discussions to ensure a deeper mastery.

Section II

Progress Updates

1/23 - Saturday

I am officially on schedule! I completed Chapters 4 through 6 and have set aside time for Chapters 7-9 on Sunday. I also plan to run some case studies on the test system.

1/24 - Sunday

I spent my time at a local coffee shop working through the curriculum. I finished Chapter 7 in about 90 minutes.

Time Slot	Goal
12:00 - 1:30 pm	Chapter 7
2:00 - 3:30 pm	Chapter 8
4:00 - 5:30 pm	Chapter 9
6:00 - 7:30 pm	Chapter 10

1/25 - Chapter 10

Focusing on Indexes today. Since much of this overlaps with previous studies, I am skimming the familiar territory and focusing on the newer concepts.

1/26 - Finalizing the Text

I have finished Chapters 11 (Backups) and 12 (Code Case Studies). Chapter 11 was particularly insightful, introducing new options beyond standard full/incremental backups.

Section III

Exam Attempt and Reflections

Timeline of Results

Date	Status	Score
2/5	Failed	678/700
3/5	Failed	679/700
4/1	PASSED	810/700

Post-Exam Analysis

My first attempt fell just short. I flagged 19 questions regarding security permissions (specifically "Revoke" vs "Deny") as challenging. Fatigue played a role in my performance, so I have adjusted my strategy.

Revised Strategy

I am currently working through a second pass of the material to solidify my knowledge base:

→Rereading — 12 chapters over 7 days
→Review — Focused exam prep over 3 days
→Methodology — Rereading the book, working through questions, and refining notes based on past exam experiences.

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