TS or Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist exam also known as Exam 70-561: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development earns you a certification on Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Applications.

Requirements to qualify for the exam

For this exam, examinees will be using Microsoft Vision Studio for the development of data-access parts of the applications. There is a requirement of two up to three years of experience in the development of distribution applications, Windows, and Web with the use of Microsoft .Net Framework in order to qualify for this exam. A comprehensive understanding of relational database concepts is also a qualification for this. In addition, there is also a requirement of two years worth of experience using Microsoft SQL Server and also other relational database management systems like MySQL, DB2 and Oracle. It is also important that candidates must have knowledge of Data-bound controls, Stored Procedures and SQL or Structured Query Language.

Topics of the Exam

A high percentage of the exam will cover topics on modifying data; this is on managing transactions, managing data integrity, update of date, managing exceptions when modifying data and transform data with the use of LINQ. The same goes with selecting and querying data; subtopics include building of command objects query of data from data source, retrieving data source via the DataReader, managing of data by using the TableAdapter or the DataAdapter, how to execute a asynchronous query, handling special data types, query of data sources with the use of LINQ and managing exceptions when selecting data. With these two topics, both of them having the higher percentage of the exam, it is good for examinees to focus on them.

Another topic included is synchronizing of data; this topic may cover monitoring of event notification, cache data, managing of update conflicts with offline and online data, partition data for synchronization and implementation of synchronization services. Working with disconnected data is also included; programmatically creating data object, working with untyped DataSets and DataTable, Exposing DataTableReader from a DataTable or from a DataSet and working with strongly typed DataSets and DataTables.

A portion of the exam will be focused on modifying data; this is on managing transactions, managing data integrity; update of data, managing exceptions when modifying data and transforming data with the use of LINQ.

Lastly, the exam also cover topics on object relational mapping by using the entity framework; defining and implementing an entity data model, query of data by using Object Services, mapping data via Entity SQL Language and accessing entity data by using the EntityClient Provider.