Microsoft 70-487 Self Test Training: Realistic Questions to Pass the ExamPassing Microsoft Exam 70-487 (“Developing Windows Azure and Web Services”) requires not only knowledge of web application architecture and Azure services but also practice with realistic, exam-style questions that mimic the format, depth, and time pressure of the real test. This article gives a structured study plan, sample question types with explanations, practical tips for test-day success, and resources to simulate realistic self-test training so you can enter the exam confident and prepared.
Why realistic self-test training matters
- Exam format familiarity reduces anxiety and prevents time-management mistakes.
- Identifying knowledge gaps is faster when questions mirror the exam’s focus on applied problem solving rather than memorization.
- Pattern recognition for common scenario types (security, async programming, Azure integration) speeds up reasoning during the test.
Exam topics and weight (overview)
Microsoft 70-487 covers a range of areas you must be comfortable with. Focus your self-tests around these domains:
- Designing and implementing web applications (ASP.NET MVC/Web API)
- Implementing authentication and authorization (claims, OAuth, OpenID)
- Data access, state management, caching, and performance tuning
- Deploying and managing applications in Microsoft Azure (Web Apps, Cloud Services, Storage, SQL Azure)
- Integrating services (WCF, RESTful services, message-based architectures)
- Debugging, monitoring, and troubleshooting web apps
Concentrate practice questions on scenario-based problems that combine multiple domains—for example, an authentication flow that includes token refreshes, caching strategies, and database concurrency.
How to structure self-test training
- Baseline diagnostic
- Start with a full-length timed practice exam to establish a baseline score and identify weak areas.
- Topic-focused drills
- Create short question banks for each major domain (20–40 questions). Focused practice builds confidence fast.
- Mixed timed sims
- Every 4–7 days, take a timed mixed simulation (50–100 questions) to practice switching contexts and pacing.
- Review and remediation
- For every incorrect answer, write a 1-paragraph note explaining why the correct answer is right and why yours was wrong.
- Final polish
- In the last week, prioritize review of weak topics, re-run mixed sims, and practice exam-day routines (breaks, timing).
Sample realistic questions with explanations
Below are representative questions that match the style and reasoning required for 70-487. After each question, you’ll find concise explanation notes you should use for review.
Question 1 — Authentication flow (multiple choice) You are building an ASP.NET Web API that will be consumed by a single-page application (SPA). The API must accept secure requests and use tokens that expire after 60 minutes. You also need a secure way to refresh tokens without requiring the user to log in again. Which combination of approaches is best?
A. Use cookie-based authentication with HttpOnly cookies
B. Use OAuth2 access tokens with short lifetime and refresh tokens stored securely on the client
C. Use OAuth2 access tokens with short lifetime and refresh tokens kept by the server using a reference token pattern
D. Use basic authentication over HTTPS
Explanation:
- Cookie-based auth (A) is not ideal for SPAs calling APIs cross-origin.
- Basic auth (D) is insecure and does not support token refresh patterns.
- C is preferred: use short-lived access tokens and keep refresh tokens on the server as reference tokens or use a secure refresh token endpoint; this reduces exposure of long-lived secrets on the client while still supporting refresh. Option B is acceptable only if refresh tokens are stored securely (native apps with secure storage); for browser-based SPAs, server-side refresh handling is safer.
Question 2 — Caching and performance (scenario) Your web application reads product data that rarely changes and must support heavy read traffic. You want to minimize database load while ensuring users see fresh data when product updates occur. Which architecture should you use?
Answer (short):
- Use a distributed cache (e.g., Azure Redis Cache) for reads with cache-aside pattern; invalidate or update cache when the product is updated (via event or direct cache update).
Explanation:
- Cache-aside lets the application check cache first, fall back to DB, then populate cache. Use publish/subscribe or messaging (Service Bus/Event Grid) to push invalidation/update events when data changes.
Question 3 — Azure deployment (choose two) You need zero-downtime deployments for a critical web service hosted in Azure. Which two techniques should you use?
A. Azure Deployment Slots with warm swap
B. Scale up the VM before deployment
C. Blue-green deployment using slots or separate App Services
D. Stop the app, deploy, then start it
Correct: A and C
Explanation:
- Deployment slots and blue-green approaches enable testing and swapping without downtime. Stopping the app causes downtime; scaling up alone doesn’t prevent downtime.
Question 4 — Asynchronous programming (code analysis) Examine the following C# async code snippet. It performs two independent I/O-bound operations and returns the combined results.
public async Task<string> GetCombinedAsync() { var a = await GetFirstAsync(); var b = await GetSecondAsync(); return a + b; } How would you improve this to reduce total runtime?
Answer (short):
- Start both tasks before awaiting and await both using Task.WhenAll or await each after starting:
var taskA = GetFirstAsync(); var taskB = GetSecondAsync(); await Task.WhenAll(taskA, taskB); return taskA.Result + taskB.Result;
Explanation:
- Running tasks concurrently removes unnecessary sequential waits.
Question 5 — Data concurrency (scenario) Your application uses Entity Framework with optimistic concurrency and must handle occasional update conflicts gracefully. What pattern should you implement?
Answer (short):
- Use a concurrency token (rowversion/timestamp) and implement a retry/merge strategy: on DbUpdateConcurrencyException, refresh the conflicting values, reconcile changes, and retry or present merge UI to user.
Explanation:
- Optimistic concurrency relies on detecting conflicts then resolving; rowversion is efficient for SQL Server.
Tips for creating realistic exam questions
- Use scenario-based stems that include context: environment, constraints, security requirements, and user impact.
- Mix question types: single choice, multiple choice, code correction, best-effort design, and drag-drop style (map steps to sequence).
- Make distractors plausible by including common developer mistakes (e.g., synchronous blocking of async calls, storing tokens in localStorage for SPAs).
- Include performance/security trade-offs; many exam items test trade-off reasoning.
How to review answers effectively
- Explain each right answer in 2–4 sentences and cite official Microsoft docs or Azure patterns where applicable.
- For each wrong answer, note the failure mode (security risk, scalability bottleneck, maintainability issue).
- Track recurring mistakes and re-run targeted quizzes until your error rate on that topic is under 10%.
Tools and resources to simulate realistic practice
- Official Microsoft docs and Azure architecture center for authoritative patterns.
- Practice exam platforms that offer timed full-length tests and question rationales.
- Set up a small Azure sandbox to practice deployments, slot swaps, Redis cache, Service Bus, and monitoring telemetry. Hands-on labs reveal practical pitfalls often tested on the exam.
Test-day strategy
- Read every question fully before answering; underline constraints.
- Answer easy questions first, mark uncertain ones to revisit.
- Watch time—don’t spend more than 70–80% of your time on the first 50% of questions.
- For scenario questions, map requirements to the cloud design pillars (security, reliability, performance, cost) to eliminate wrong choices quickly.
Example 6-week study plan (compact)
Week 1: Baseline exam + identify weak areas.
Week 2–3: Focus on web app design, ASP.NET MVC/Web API, and async patterns.
Week 4: Azure services, deployment, monitoring, and scaling.
Week 5: Security/authentication, tokens, OAuth/OpenID Connect.
Week 6: Full-length timed sims, targeted remediation, exam logistics.
Final notes
Realistic self-test training combines timed practice, scenario-focused questions, hands-on labs, and disciplined review. Concentrate on understanding trade-offs and the reasoning behind platform patterns—Microsoft exams reward applied knowledge over rote facts. With targeted practice and realistic simulations, you’ll improve pacing, reduce mistakes, and increase your odds of passing 70-487.
Good luck.
Leave a Reply