Rating: 
Summary: Easy to read, but could use a little more detail
Review: I used this book and the Mastering VB6 CD to pass the test - and I did, so this book and the CD get good marks for that. However, the level of detail required on the test is greater than that provided in the book. It's possible to pass using this book, but it needs to be supplemented with lots of trips into the help files included with VB and (probably) real experience using VB. One tip on passing the test is to really look at the aspects of packaging, deploying and maintaining an application!
Rating:
Summary: Good Overview
Review: This book covered all of the topics needed for me to pass 70-176 the first time. Before buying the book, I had a very erroneous impression of what was going to be on the test. I supplemented the book with on-line help and the transcender exams (I recommend both very strongly).The book does not go into sufficient depth, but it does point the way. The book received many different ratings. This could be due to the fact that the exams taken by the reviewers may have empasized different topics. For example, there was very little internet on my exam, but a ton of packaging and deployment. Good luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Get Howard Hawhee's book...
Review: I must first admit that I have yet to take the exam. Although this book is very well written and very informative at a junior level, I bought it and within three chapters could tell that it was nowhere close to providing what I would need to know for the test (just download a few sample tests from the web and find out for yourself). I hate to sound as if I am implicating Microsoft of malicious publishing, but it seems that may just be the case (my apologies if not). This book seems to be the direct result of slick marketing rather than concern to help purchasers pass the exam. It and MANY others like it are short and sweet--which appeals to the harried nature of those who want to pass quickly. Microsoft knows that developers don't want to spend the next 6 months studying, so they create books like this one that look palatable, but if you take a close you will find them entirely lacking in what you really need to know. Think about it for a second...does Microsoft really want to certify people who are not experts with their products? Would that not reflect poorly on them? Of course it would! And after this book, unless you have been working with VB for A LONG TIME, you probably won't pass. Therefor, both objectives are satisfied, they get your money and don't have to worry about poorly trained people representing their stuff. Also, consider this, if they had been attempting to write a book that was meant to just give a glance at what to expect on the test, then why is the book aimed at such simple level? So, I recommend MCSD Visual Basic 6 by Howard Hawhee. It's thick (1300) pages, but if you really want to know VB AND pass the test--it's the way to go. I am three chapters into it and lots better off already. So from one developer who got let down (and I do blame myself for this) while looking for the quick grade...good luck with your choice.
Rating:
Summary: Too basic for the exam....
Review: I bought this book a month ago, and I failed. It is too basic for the exam and does not have enough details. Especially, distrubuted applications and deploying an application parts are really insufficient. I would not rely on this book if I were a candidate.
Rating:
Summary: You need more than this to pass the exam
Review: Even though I found that most of the exam questions were covered by the material in this book, it lacks the detail and depth needed to really comprehend the material for the test. I would recommend this as a good place to start learning what is needed for the exam. As far as a training kit, it needs far more examples, practices, and exercises if one means to use it for this purpose.
Rating: 
Summary: For VB Test 70-176????????
Review: This is false advertizing. While the book is well-written, I recognize false advertizing when I see it, and this is blatant. I read many books on VB and have taken the test, so I know what is on it. This book is worthless as a screen door on a submarine, if you are reading with the goal of passing 70-176. In my opinion, you could give 50 people this book, let them study it for as long as they choose, then let them take the test, OPEN-BOOK, and unless they have had very EXTENSIVE work experience with VB (or perhaps studied from Syngress's or Hawhee's book), not one of them would pass. I found the title to be so deceptive that I sent a letter to the FTC regarding this blatant false advetizing. I sincerely wish more people would follow suit. We need more accountability from companies who publish these types of books.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent reference
Review: Of course you would not RELY on this book to help you to pass the exam, but it is an excellent overview of what you will need to know. After passing the test (on the second try ; ), my main suggestion is to make sure you have implemented EVERYTHING that this book touches on, no matter how trivial it might seem. Don't be deceived by the practice exam included with this book - it gives you an idea of the format, but in reality you will have less time to complete each question. You must therefore be intimately familiar with all terminology so you don't have to stop and figure out what each question means (that's another area where this book helps a lot). There were a few typos, and the exercises were not immune! All in all, I recommend this book. Read it, study your tush off, and good luck!
Rating: 
Summary: Expensive, but good
Review: I really enjoyed learning about ADO in this book, it was easy to understand. It also did pretty good at teaching object programming and COM. I didn't really like the practice exam, but I passed the real one anyways.
Rating:
Summary: It does not provide value for the 70-176 exam
Review: This book's contents and the exam questions appear to come from two different worlds, the exam seems to focus on COM and application deployment which are areas that this material barely mentions, with limited samples and exercises, many of the subjects that the exam covered, specially in deployment and help are not covered in this book.. Do yourself a favor, do not rely it on this book to pass the test.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book.
Review: I studied the book and passed the exam. The Activex DLL creation content was excellent.
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