Dynamics CRM 4.0 exam study guides ready to download from PartnerSource
Certifications, Consulting, CRM 4.0, Downloads May 19th, 2008
NOTE: Due to several requests for the guides, I’ve made them available on SkyDrive.
Lately I’ve figured the new tricky CRM 4.0 exams deserved their own lolcat picture (right). Luckily, I’ve found some study resources that may help for my Second Shot exam.
In a slightly hidden section on the PartnerSource website are links to download the Student Manuals for the CRM 4.0 certification exams. Obviously they don’t give any questions away, but they do provide good guidelines on what to expect. Unfortunately, you will need a PartnerSource login to access these links.
Good luck on your exam!
Links to the downloads in PartnerSource (login required)
- MB2-632: Applications in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 – Student Manual (PDF, 2.3MB)
- MB2-631: Customization and Configuration for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Exam – Student Manual (PDF, 7.3MB)
- MB2-633: Installation and Deployment for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Exam – Student Manual (PDF, 3.6MB)
Tags: Certification, CRM 4.0, download, exams, lolcat, Microsoft, Microsoft Certifications, PartnerSource, study guides
Latest lesson: Don’t underestimate the CRM 4.0 certification exams!
Administrator, Cool tips, CRM 4.0, Microsoft Dynamics May 13th, 2008
The CRM 4.0 certification exams are now available! I admit, I was a bit overconfident before I took the CRM 4.0 Applications exam. I’ve been working with Microsoft CRM for many years now, so I wondered: “Really, how hard could it be?”
I took Exam MB2-632 last Friday and got an unfortunate 60% grade. I needed a minimum of 70% to pass. This new Applications exam, along with the other two CRM exams (Installation and Deployment & Customization and Configuration), can be surprisingly tricky, from what I’ve seen and heard. There are many “gotcha” questions which at first glance seem to have multiple correct answers, but you’ll have to use your best judgment to pick what is deemed as the most efficient answer.
This does make the exam feel incredibly tough, and apparently I’m not the only one. In the comments section of Larry’s MSDN CRM Blog and at Phil’s CRM Blog, some test takers posted negative feedback regarding some exam questions.
So to wrap this up, make sure you revise the Exam Topics, which I’ve included below. For the Applications exam you will need to focus primarily on the newest features in CRM 4.0. You can also safely disregard CRM 3.0 study materials, as most of the questions deal with newer concepts. And you will need to log some practice time with the application, so download the VPC image if you don’t already have it.
Finally, don’t forget to register for a “Second Shot” voucher number, which lets you take the exam again for free in case you have trouble on the first round. Register as soon as you can, this program is valid only until June 30, 2008.
Good luck! Let me know how it went for you. 
Exam Details:
- 50 total questions with a 70% passing grade (you’ll need at least 35 correct to pass)
- 100 minutes to complete the exam
- Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer Questions
Exam Topics for all three Dynamics CRM 4.0 exams are found in the below link.
Tags: Certification, Certifications, CRM 4.0, Exam, Exam Topics, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Second Shot
Great advice for small businesses: Ten ways to implement CRM on a tight budget
Consulting, Cool tips May 12th, 2008
Richard Boardman posted ten insightful points to implementing CRM on a tight budget at his The CRM Consultant blog (homepage). This impartial advice is a good start for small businesses that are looking to maximize the potential of their IT budget. I’ve condensed the major points below, but you can visit the article directly here to get the full analysis.
Feel free to contact me at Emerging Solutions if you’re evaluating Microsoft CRM for your business.
1. Get your requirements carefully mapped out first
2. You don’t need to go for premium brands
3. SAAS is not by definition cheaper
4. Shop around
5. Negotiate well
6. Don’t overload on software
7. Keep it simple to start
8. Take on more yourself
9. Rent a developer
10. Use third parties
Tags: Consulting, CRM, Small Business, Software
Xobni: an intelligent filter for your Outlook Contacts (free beta download)
Downloads, General Users, Interesting Links, Salespeople, Uncategorized May 6th, 2008
Having Xobni in Outlook, I’ve noticed it’s starting to fundamentally change the way I view my Outlook contacts. It’s like a dynamic mini-dashboard for your e-mail contact history and metrics.
The easy way to remember Xobni’s name is that it’s an anagram of the word Inbox. After installation, Xobni takes a few minutes to index your Outlook messages. Once this Outlook plug-in is up and running it feels lightweight, without significantly dragging down your Outlook performance.
Here’s an excerpt from a great review article in The NY Times:
Other programs, like Google Desktop, perform that same basic index-and-search function. But Xobni, which its creators call an “intelligent filter,” adds a few more features. When it scours the inbox, it extracts phone numbers it thinks are associated with the sender. So when a user searches for a person, Xobni presents the number in a side panel to Outlook.
The software also interprets the social relationships between people who are sending messages to each other. For example Xobni recognizes that if an executive sends a copy to someone else on each message he or she sends, it might be to an assistant or another colleague. When someone using Xobni searches for that executive in Outlook, the second person is listed as well.
Relevant Links
- Xobni: homepage
- Xobni: download now
- NYTimes.com article: If You Use Outlook E-Mail, Meet Xobni
- Lifehacker.com: Xobni articles
Tags: beta, contacts, download, email, free software, metrics, Microsoft, Outlook, Xobni
60 reasons why you should upgrade to Dynamics CRM 4.0 (white paper download)
Cool tips, CRM 4.0, Downloads, General Users, Salespeople May 2nd, 2008
If you’re looking for an excuse to implement or upgrade the newest 4.0 version of Dynamics CRM, I now have 60 reasons ready for you. This should be a must read for those evaluating Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 for their business.
Just to list a few:
- Reporting Wizard that allows you to create and run custom reports in minutes; in fact, no report development experience is required. This includes offline and scheduled reporting.
- Easier-than-ever Workflow Wizard to streamline your business processes without custom programming.
- New Data Import Wizard to easily map and drop your new leads, contacts and other records into CRM.
- Internet Facing Deployment for accessing your CRM data securely, without the need for a VPN connection.
- Design, upload and share Mail-Merge Templates across your organization.
- Integration with Microsoft Office Communication Server to see who is online and communicate with them.
- Tighter integration with Microsoft Office software like Word and Excel, where you can import data dynamically from CRM and refresh as needed.
- Advanced Entity Relationship Modeling that allows you to tailor CRM to work the way you do.
If any of these features sound exciting to you, then feel free to download the full white paper below or go directly to the Microsoft Partner download site.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 – Top 60 New Features (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Review the table of contents after clicking the link below.
Tags: Business Solutions, CRM 4.0, download, Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, new features, upgrade, white paper, whitepaper
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