MCSE qualification

Admiral Huddy · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:13

MessiahKhan got me thinking.. I'm wondering if it's actually worth starting the MCSE exam. The certification is based on Windows 2003 server for two reasons:

1. I fail really to how Windows 2003 server fits it with an engineer)

2. Completing these exams may take some time, possibly a couple of years of self study. My concern is what happens if the exams are superseded by a another syllabus half way through which could effectively render any exams passed thus far useless. The course material isn’t cheap either..

MCSE Link

What do you think?

Snow-Munki · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:15

Im' about the start the MCSA.

1.) suppose it's jsut another title to add, I'm currently a systems enginner.

2.) Well in my case the company is paying for everything

... but to answer your question you can do exams / modules to update your skill.

Oh and the MCSE / MSCA last for 2 generations, so 2000 exams are still fine, but NT is not.

thelonecrouton · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:21

From what I hear they are 2 a penny. The fact that you can pay a few grand, do an MCSE boot camp in a fortnight probably says a lot. The Cisco qualifications are better respected (and obviously a lot harder) but nothing beats actual experience. Depends what you want to do I suppose.

Maccy · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:22

Guys, how do you apply to take these courses and where do you apply lol?

JollyGreen · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:24

thelonecrouton said:
From what I hear they are 2 a penny. The fact that you can pay a few grand, do an MCSE boot camp in a fortnight probably says a lot. The Cisco qualifications are better respected (and obviously a lot harder) but nothing beats actual experience. Depends what you want to do I suppose.

Eh? so what by that logic does it mean that you can take the CCNA and the CCDA in a single week?

Indy500 · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:27

thelonecrouton said:
From what I hear they are 2 a penny. The fact that you can pay a few grand, do an MCSE boot camp in a fortnight probably says a lot. The Cisco qualifications are better respected (and obviously a lot harder) but nothing beats actual experience. Depends what you want to do I suppose.

If nobody wants to give you a chance, you don't have much choice...

platypus · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:28

You can get some course material for MCSE online for £130 apparently. How good it is however I don't know.

Also worth knowing that in 2 years, demand for MCSE qualifications has fallen by 10%.

LizardKing · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:28

thelonecrouton said:
From what I hear they are 2 a penny. The fact that you can pay a few grand, do an MCSE boot camp in a fortnight probably says a lot. The Cisco qualifications are better respected (and obviously a lot harder) but nothing beats actual experience. Depends what you want to do I suppose.

CCNE is hopefully the direction im going to take, then maybe go on further onto the intergration side of things, probably have to do the MCSE along the way, its never a bad thing to have on the CV, as a lot of employers are looking for people with experiance on both sides of the biscuit

CCNE is 1k at the local collage, thats a 36week course

Admiral Huddy · 26 Apr 2007 at 16:31

thelonecrouton said:
From what I hear they are 2 a penny. The fact that you can pay a few grand, do an MCSE boot camp in a fortnight probably says a lot. The Cisco qualifications are better respected (and obviously a lot harder) but nothing beats actual experience. Depends what you want to do I suppose.

It's not the experience I'm after.. It's the qualification.. Helps having the MCSE certification in Yellow pages for example.

Maccy said:
Guys, how do you apply to take these courses and where do you apply lol?

Books

MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294

for around £140

Snow-Munki said:
Im' about the start the MCSA.

Oh and the MCSE / MSCA last for 2 generations, so 2000 exams are still fine, but NT is not.

That answers my 2nd question - thanks

Von Luck · 26 Apr 2007 at 17:34

It's worthwhile having, but shouldn't take a couple of years if you know what you're doing.

MS exams have got progressively harder over the years. For the NT4 MCSE I did 3 weeks of training spread over 3 months, with two exams at the end of each week. Did the same with Windows 2000 (full track, not an upgrade) but it was a good bit harder with the design exams.

Both of those were 'boot camp' style with Parity training. Far better for experienced people than the normal training, as it cuts out all the waffle and focuses on what's important. I just did the upgrade exams for 2003.

Cisco exams are harder. I did a 1 week training course with the exam at the end to pass my CCNA.

Stolly · 26 Apr 2007 at 17:39

If you really want to get in on something before it gets really big, do the VMware exams.

VMware is so good, I was speculating with a customer today whether it was voodoo magic, or alien technology.

LordSplodge · 26 Apr 2007 at 17:43

There are lots and lots of "Paper" MCSEs out there, so how does an employer differenciate? Seriously I saw a guy on my course who had just left the Navy and knew FA about computers. Sure he failed 291 (the hardest MCSE exam DNS!!!) a few times but by brain dumping he is now an MCSE.

Oh an a CCNA maybe harder but you can still brain dump it.

Good luck. Do Exchange or SQL as well for the love of god!

kitten_caboodle · 26 Apr 2007 at 19:01

Huddy we have a complete set of the MCSE books from 2004 - and tons of the study stuff including test exams - not sure whether they'd be up to date but you're welcome to them if you want me to dig them out so you can find out.

RDM · 26 Apr 2007 at 19:18

An MCSE is pretty much worthless unless you have the experience to back it up. It is only after working a couple of years in an infrastructure role do I feel ready to start studying for an MCSE (and I mean study rather than brain dumping ActualTests and the like).

kitten_caboodle · 26 Apr 2007 at 19:56

RDM said:
An MCSE is pretty much worthless unless you have the experience to back it up. It is only after working a couple of years in an infrastructure role do I feel ready to start studying for an MCSE (and I mean study rather than brain dumping ActualTests and the like).

I know what you're saying but if you look at how many jobs specify MCSE before you can even send them your CV, then it's hardly worthless. Even if it's just the foot in the door that gets you not-so-great work until you're more experienced and can get something better. Personally I think experience > qualifications but In a market where you often need the qualification to be considered for the experience it can't really be classed as worthless

.

Admiral Huddy · 27 Apr 2007 at 09:48

I need to have the MCSE certified in my adverts in yellow pages etc.. to be more competitive.. simple as really. The A+ provided a good starting block.

KB.. I would be interested.. are they the server 2003 ?

Chronos-X · 27 Apr 2007 at 09:49

Maccy said:
Guys, how do you apply to take these courses and where do you apply lol?

What's funny about it? :confused:

Gilly · 27 Apr 2007 at 09:52

The MCSE exams are easy to pass if you don't want/need to learn the course details. Just braindump/cramsession and then do as many mock exams as you can find, learn it parrot-fashion and you'll breeze it.

Maccy said:
Guys, how do you apply to take these courses and where do you apply lol?

Apply?

Just pay a training company and sit them.

platypus said:
Also worth knowing that in 2 years, demand for MCSE qualifications has fallen by 10%.

And before that they were looked down upon already.

Messiah Khan · 27 Apr 2007 at 09:58

The though is still in the back of my mind, but I recon im unlikely to go on to do a MCSA/MCSE or any other pure IT course tbh. Thats one thing that can be said for the A+, it has shown me that I don't want to do pure IT, and how boring it can be.

mcast123 · 27 Apr 2007 at 10:04

I've spent 10 years as an MCSE, don't waste the cash on the courses unless your company is paying. Buy the books and use google to find some sample tests. CCNE is ******* rough but you will ultimately get paid more. When I interview people I attach much more importance to experience than having an MCSE.

Also, listen to Stolly, he knows...

Third time you've been suspended for the same thing. Take the hint or get banned for good.

Gilly.