Management Information System DSST

This was a really easy and fun exam today because I've worked with information systems on the business side for a long time and just completed 17 credits in IS courses. Still, there were a few challenging questions, simply because you can’t know everything on such a general test. 92 questions, no time limit, paper-and-pencil version, so no score yet.

To review for the MIS DSST, following the exam outline, I used my notes and books from coursework, a little bit of InstantCert (I never finished all the sections) and their feedback forum, Peterson and DSST practice tests, and the powerpoints from the textbook website for the O'Brien textbook recommended by DSST. These were really good.

Know the difference between ASCII and Unicode.
Recognize some common address types used in networking, and what the common networking hardware does -- high-level.
Understand the differences between structured, semi-structured, and unstructured decision-making and what kinds of information systems go with each.

There were relatively few questions where "it depends" would be the best answer, but one question on why management information systems were first developed had two good answers, unless you found the specific reference in the book (an abacus is an information system, as are fingers), you might never reason out which one they are looking for.

The materials I got from the textbook site were invaluable in understanding the specific slant and "feel" of this test. MIS is a broad subject and there are lots of textbooks out there. (any of which would be valuable if you don't have a of experience in IT, and might be had from the library) While SELECT may mean the same everywhere, some of the management topics and other theory stuff can vary in emphasis from book to book. I think if you approach the exam from a management angle the tech stuff is not hard, while if you're coming mostly from a tech angle you may find some of the management jargon and the purposes of and differences between different management information systems worth extra study.

Phillip

 

Study guide I prepared prior to the exam. NB: it's not exhaustive; it leaves out very basic topics (i.e "Which of the following is an input device?") that you will want to have a solid command of before beginning to study for this exam. The references to chapters are from the O'Brien book.

Phillip