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You were ignorant of the fact that one can create n-tier applications using only native VFP and its "native" XML functions to pass data between the tiers.
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No, I WAS not...

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Had you spent more time researching the newer features of VFP (like one might do in "preparing for an exam"), you would have become aware of this and would have known that using VFP and SQL Server (or Oracle, ...) were not the only way to create n-tier applications.
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Except that all those new features are not part of the exam.....right???? The exam covers VFP 6 - and not specific new features of VFP 7 and/or 8 right??? I understand there are general topics on COM, ADO, XML, etc. These items were adopted from the existing VB exam.

I understand how my knowledge base may be limited...after all I was part of the team that wrote the exam....< s >.... Nonetheless, SPECIFIC features of VFP 7 and/or 8 are nowhere to be found on the exam...

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I dare say this would have made you a "better" developer ... unless you now want to argue that a "more knowledgable" developer is NOT necessarily a "better" developer ...
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That is an easy argument to make.. Developer A might have more knowledge about a product than Developer B. But in the grand scheme of things, Developer B could indeed be the better developer. S/He may be able to meet deadlines better, have a better track-record, etc. You see, when evaluating a developer, probably the LAST thing I would look at or inquire about is what MS exams they took. In fact, I likely would not bother with the inquiry. What I am usually more interested in a developer's critical thinking skills and responses to various hypos. That sort of thing cannot be measured by an MS exam.

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But then again, I imagine you would always see the SQL Server based solution as the "better" solution ... making you the "better" developer ... and blah, blah ...
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For data, SQL Server or Oracle over DBF's any day of the week...take your pick...