Looks like MS are going in the right direction (finally!) - they are piloting a performance based AD exam that should replace the current multiple-choice tests.
For a long time I have been bashing that the current MCP exams format is useless - too many people without proper knowledge have passed the exams just by using braindumps, the questions in the exams are way too far from the real life experiences, dilemmas and tasks me and many other AD consultants like me, are being faced with on a daily basis. Performance based exams should bring in some balance into the current state of affairs and should sort out those that till now were passing based on their short-term good memory and braindumps.
Read more here: Performance based Microsoft Certification Testing