The Microsoft test 70-561 is designed to measure an individual’s ability to design and develop ADO.NET applications by using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. Before taking the 70-561 test, you should practice the following:

  1. Manage connection string and use the ConnectionStringBuilder.
  2. Leverage the ConfigurationManager and protect the connection string.
  3. Use Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI) or SQL Server authentication and address the SQL Server instance.
  4. Manage “User Instance” and AttachDBfilename.
  5. Manage connection objects, connection state, and connection pool.
  6. Implement persistent data connections and Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS).
  7. Encrypt and decrypt data.
  8. Work with data providers such as ODBC, Microsoft OLE Db, SqlClient, etc.
  9. Identify the limitations, behaviors, performance, installation issues, and deployment issues of data providers.
  10. Manage providers, native providers, and third-party providers.

  11. Handle and diagnose database connection exceptions by implementing Try/Catch handlers.
  12. Build command objects and parameters collections.
  13. Use input and output parameters and return values.
  14. Select an appropriate CommandType action and Execute method.
  15. Use the CommandBuilder class and choose an appropriate CommandBehavior.
  16. Query data from data sources.
  17. Write queries to solve assigned problems.
  18. Implement data page; sort, filter, and aggregate data.
  19. Retrieve data using the DataReader.
  20. Retrieve data from SELECT statements.
  21. Retrieve data from stored procedures and work with multiple result sets.
  22. Manage data by using the DataAdapter or the TableAdapter.
  23. Work with multiple result sets and JOIN products.
  24. Create updatable DataAdapters and TableAdapters and modify TableAdapter Fill methods.
  25. Execute an asynchronous query and handle asynchronous events.
  26. Handle special data types such as Binary Large Objects (BLOBs), FileStream, Spatial, Table Value Parameters, etc.
  27. Query data sources using LINQ.
  28. Extend method and use CLR delegate and Lambda expressions.
  29. Work with the classes of the System.LINQ.Expressions namespace.
  30. Manage exceptions when selecting data.
  31. Identify and resolve syntax errors and security exceptions.
  32. Manage transactions and select an appropriate transaction isolation level.
  33. Participate in local transactions and distributed transactions, and use declarative transactions.
  34. Manage data integrity by using cascade updates, cascade deletes, auto number management, server-generated value management, client-side data validation, business rules, and constraints.
  35. Update data using stored procedures.
  36. Update DataSet to data source and manage concurrency.
  37. Manage exceptions when modifying data.
  38. Resolve exceptions from data integrity.
  39. Manage constraints, referential integrity violations, data lock conflicts, and data collision issues.
  40. Transform data using LINQ.
  41. Use aggregation operators, JOIN operator, QUERY operator, LIKE, and other operators.
  42. Monitor event notifications.
  43. Implement notifications by using SqlDependency and SqlNotificationRequest.
  44. Cache data and use the SqlCacheDependency.
  45. Manage update conflicts between online and offline data.
  46. Partition data for synchronization.
  47. Implement Synchronization services such as SyncAgent, SyncTable, ClientSyncProvider, ServerSyncProvider, and SyncAdapter.
  48. Manage occasionally connected data.
  49. Create data objects such as DataTable and DataSet programmatically.
  50. Work with un-typed DataSet and DataTable.
  51. Populate a DataSet and a DataTable.
  52. Expose a DataTableReader using a DataTable and a DataSet.
  53. Work with strongly typed DataSet and DataTable.
  54. Define and implement an Entity Data Model.
  55. Map schemas and storage of metadata.
  56. Query data by using Object Services.
  57. Query data as objects and shape results.
  58. Work with objects and manage the object context.
  59. Map data by using the Entity SQL Language.
  60. Execute an Entity SQL Query by using EntityCommand.
  61. Access entity data by using the EntityClient Provider.
  62. Manage EntityConnection and create EntityCommand.
  63. Execute a query using EntityDataReader and manage EntityTransaction.