70-516 is one of the new Visual Studio 2010 exams covering the .NET Framework 4. Official title is: Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework 4. Exam available from summer of 2010.
The 70-516 exam will test your knowledge and skills on accessing data sources using ADO.NET and the .NET Framework. You'll need to have strong skills in manipulating data using technologies such as LINQ, ADO .NET, XML and stored procedures.
The exam is a prerequisite for the following higher level certifications:
- MCPD: Windows Developer 4
- MCPD: Web Developer 4
As usual, questions that contain code will be presented in either VB or C#. You get the choice to select which language you prefer when you start the exam. Before you take the 70-516 exam, Microsoft recommends that you should have a minimum of two to three years of experience developing application components that interact with a variety of data sources. In addition to this, you should have a solid understanding of relational database concepts and have good experience using a relational database management system (RDMS).
The following core topics are covered by the exam:
- ADO.NET 4 coding techniques and framework components
- ADO.NET Data Services LINQ
- LINQ to SQL
- Entity Framework technologies
- Structured Query Language (SQL)
- stored procedures
- Database Structures/Schemas (Objects) XML
Other topics covered include:
- Entity Data Model
- POCO model
- PCOC templates
- Conceptual Schema Definition Language (CSDL)
- Multiple active result sets (MARS)
- SqlCacheDependency
- DBCommand, DataReader, DataAdapters, DataSets
- DataContexts
- Transactions, rollback and synchronisation
- Logging and traces
When you pass the 70-516 exam (TS: Accessing Data with Microsoft .NET Framework 4) you achieve:
MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Data Access
You'll also get credit towards:
- MCPD: Windows Developer 4
- MCPD: Web Developer 4
ADO .NET Background:
ADO.NET is a set of computer software components that can be used by programmers to access data and data services. It is a part of the base class library that is included with the Microsoft .NET Framework. It is commonly used by programmers to access and modify data stored in relational database systems, though it can also be used to access data in non-relational sources
LINQ Background:
Language Integrated Query (LINQ, pronounced "link") is a Microsoft .NET Framework component that adds native data querying capabilities to .NET languages.
XML
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a set of rules for encoding documents electronically. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C and several other related specifications; all are fee-free open standards.
If you would like to take a free practice exam for the 70-516 exam, then check out our
free practice exams section.