Thinking of doing an MCSE course – information needed.

slipd

slipd

slipd

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Hey guys,

I know there are loads of 'msce threads' already (I did have a little search) but I thought I'd start my own all the same :)

I basically want to find out where I'd start if I wanted to get myself on an msce course – I'm just finishing off a separate course now, so I'd be available from the end of June if that's any help?

Are the courses all based around 'distance learning' or are some traditionally taught? I live in the countryside, so distance learning would be better for me, but I'm prepared to travel for resources/examinations etc… I've checked at my local college and they don't offer any Microsoft qualifications.

Who should I get in contact with? Are some providers better than others etc?

I'd really like to hear from people who have done the course recently or are currently doing the course – I know nothing specific about any of the MS qualifications so I'd really like to know what's involved and what the workload is like? Ideally I'd only like to spend a year on gaining any certification. I also intend to do a cnna in conjunction with any ms course that I can sign up to.

Finally, what is the overall cost of such a qualification? I've heard lots of different things

Cheers,

SW.
 
I will be doing one in the future, but I cant give any advice on it as such, all I can say is that I thought they were changing the qualification to an MCPT or something like that? Might be an idea to investigate if they are changing the course and maybe wait for it? Be interested to know the details on this.

- Pea0n
 
Hi,

I am an MCSE 2003, however, I never did any of the courses (I learnt from books, on the job, etc.)

Basically, according to Microsoft, the MCSE 2003 is going to be the pinnacle exam (by that I mean once you have it, you have it for live, no one can take it away from you, etc.).

The new qualification that has just come in is the MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) with this exam you need to repeat it every three years and if you don't then it gets removed from your transcript.

Personally I'd start reading up on books, creating a virtual PC lab and work in the industry. It's much better to have real life exposure than read from all the books - though Microsoft do have a lot of book questions and answers which you'd never use in the real world.

Costs of the exam is £103.40 with Prometric - you can become an MCSE off 7 exams so £723.80 is, theoretically, the least you can get the exam for. To do the course you'll looking at around £3,000.



M.
 
Yeah I saw in a few of the posts I read that there were changes on the horizon? I'd love to do a bit more investigating - but I haven't got a clue where to start!

Google just seems to chuck up loads of generic info on the MSCE program; I just want to know who I can get in touch with (institutions etc) for further advice and to confirm details about the courses?

SW.
 
Not sure if I would bother with courses, to be honest. I'm currently priming for the 70-290 exam (Server 2k3) using the Microsoft Training Kit and a lab of virtual machines under VMWare. Messing around with things this way should get you a far better understanding of the software as a whole instead of some extortionate training course which simply drills the basic "essentials" for the exam into your head.

Paper qualification is worth nothing against experience, and there are too many people wandering about with an MCSA/MCSE who have very little actual experience managing servers.
 
Pestilence said:
Paper qualification is worth nothing against experience, and there are too many people wandering about with an MCSA/MCSE who have very little actual experience managing servers.
Click to expand...

I agree to a point (I have no IT quals yet and have only been working for 5 or so years in IT) but nowadays a lot of job descriptions are asking for MCSEs along with the experience.
 
not quite the same but i've just recently done an MCDST. I only did it because the organisation that run a host of private schools (includin the one i work at) want all their IT Techies to be at around the same level qualification wise.

I spent a week down in Coventry at Global Knowledge on the training (3 days for the Troubleshooting XP one and 2 days for the Troubleshooting Apps running on XP one) then went to New Horizons in Birmingham to do my exams.

I have to say, although I was pretty happy and capable before hand, since doing the MCDST I have learnt quite a few new things I didnt know :)

Not sure if I would have gone out my way to do it though if it wasnt being paid for cos they are quite pricey, but I guess it depends what line of work you are interested in and whether any positions your looking at apply to require you to have the MS qualification(s)
 
I've heard a few more tales about people doing these qualifications at home, using a 'virtual environment' but no one has any information about how to get on the actual course/s :mad:

It would also be quite nice to speak/email someone first just to clarify.

SW.
 
Hmm. I thought about doing it too. My mate is doing his, god knows how he's paying for it. Wage wise though, i see that Cisco qualifications (CCNP?,etc) offer much higher wages/career prospects and are harder to come by. Would be interesting to hear information on those. I have an I.T. degree so the two together wouldn't look to shabby on my C.V i reckon.
 
Pestilence said:
Not sure if I would bother with courses, to be honest. I'm currently priming for the 70-290 exam (Server 2k3) using the Microsoft Training Kit and a lab of virtual machines under VMWare. Messing around with things this way should get you a far better understanding of the software as a whole instead of some extortionate training course which simply drills the basic "essentials" for the exam into your head.

Paper qualification is worth nothing against experience, and there are too many people wandering about with an MCSA/MCSE who have very little actual experience managing servers.
Click to expand...

Completley disagree with this and anyone who says there are too many MCSA/MCSE's doesn't really know the true statistics.

http://mcpmag.com/certbasics/

Basically, at the moment, there are around 20,000 people WORLDWIDE with the MCSA/MCSE qualification. At the moment the only MCSE qualification that is valid is the 2003 one as they have pulled the MCSE 2000 in most countries (you can still get it in Australia if I recall correctly).

Experience and an MCSE will get you further than just experience. An MCSE without experience though will probably get you a lower job until you can prove what you are capable off.

I've done MCDST, MCSA and then MCSE. I'm looking to do the +S and then +M later this year (I've just gone through 4 exams in 4 months so I needed a break).

For training I'd highly recommend one in Cardiff which I appreciate may be too far. I can't remember the name but it was really good. It's past the magic roundabout opposite a travel inn then up the industrial road. Sure someone passing will remind me of there name.



M.
 
And for all the knowledge and training in the world, you often have to deal with 'clients' who don't know how to open a zip file; must be disheartening, like Gordon Ramsey trying to show monkies how to boil an egg :)
 
V3g3tto said:
And for all the knowledge and training in the world, you often have to deal with 'clients' who don't know how to open a zip file; must be disheartening, like Gordon Ramsey trying to show monkies how to boil an egg :)
Click to expand...

Surely if you have decent experience and an MCSE and work in a decent sized company you wouldn't be doing this though - would be the 1st line guys.
 
Sadly that's part of the job though having two support lines in front of you should cut that down. Most people who have been in the industry a while and have an MCSE normally get the Senior positions.



M.
 
The MCSE 'course' i'm on simply sent the MS Press books through the post...of which i already own! Glad i didnt pay for it anyway :p
 
Yeah with the courses you do get the books and usually an evaluation version of the product you are using (i.e. Windows 2003 / Vista / XP) which is useful to go back/work with and check out all the fun things you've learnt.

Just realised that I have the place I was on about earlier on my exam results sheet so I'll post a link to the place in Cardiff tonight.



M.
 
I don't think i could ever so support, i can't stand people who can't research information themselves, it's not hard, so an I.T. career for me was never a possibilty unless purely technical. Though i did like network installation, no need to deal with people, hard work though.
 
My dad's been using a PC for about 10 years and it seems almsot daily he asks me, when downloading a file; "Where does it go? On my desktop?". I find myself almost breathless when i say "it goes where you saved it to go..."

An extreme example, but dealing with people like that daily would merely expand my vulgar vocabulary.
 
We've had them accessing Exchange via OWA for years at work, then of recent times we've gotten them over to proper Outlook so they can read email offline & eventually access it 24x7 via RPC over HTTPS n such.
'Why would we want to use this? whats the difference? do i need a different password?!'
plus lots of other Q's
'erm...its just a more cushy version of what you've been used to'
'ooo ok then!'
*end of conversation*
:)
 
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