Should I study for MCSA in Windows 8.1 or Server 2012R2?

sferg410

I have a post about studying for Win 8.1 MCSA, so still looking for answers to that. However, should i study for Win 8.1 or Server 2012?
I only have home user experience of Windows and no experience of Server at all, but I am not sure which I should do.. From a gaining employment in the UK, point of view..

Can get books, videos, software etc all from the net, not a problem, but little money for hardware.
Thanks
Stewart

TheProf

I would say that the MCSA on Windows Server 2012 is more beneficial than Windows 8.1... However if you don't have experience, you'll have a hard time finding jobs with Windows Server related work.

I would still study for both, but certification wise, you might have better luck with Windows 8.1... and having Windows Server 2012 knowledge may help you in getting a job. But don't rely on the cert to compensate for experience, it wont help much there, focus on learning if anything to help you get job that will give you this experience.

NetworkNewb

Go for MCSA Windows 7

Good luck finding a company that uses 8.1, and by the time companies start using 8.1. (which will most likely be never and be skipped over to Windows 10) You should have already gotten a job and then have gotten your Server 2012 cert.

kiki162

Why not do Win7 and then Server 2012? So 5 exams in total for both MCSA's, then 2 more for your MCSE on Server 2012. 7 exams in total isn't so bad, and if you commit yourself to it, it's completely doable within a year.

You will get more employers attention with the MCSE for sure. Either way, you'll look at starting out in a Help Desk role. It's a good way to get some familiarity and experience before moving up to a SysAdmin role.

As long as you have a fairly new computer at home running Windows 7, with a good amount of memory, just install Oracle Virtual Box. Then download the trial ISO's for W7 and Server2K12. If you go the MCSE route, I believe you'll be utilizing System Center in some form.

sferg410

Is it not a given that if you are MCSA Win 8.1 then you can clearly admin Win 7 also seeing as 8 is basically based on 7....??
I have Win 8.1 on my laptop but thanks to the little Start8 app it runs and looks exactly the same as my previous Win 7 set-up. I also have a copy of Server 2012R2.
I was looking at doing Win 8.1 MCSA so I could get the free Win 10 upgrade from MS later in the year.

NetworkNewb

There are differences between 7 and 8, they are not huge, I just don't see the advantage of getting a cert in an updated version of an OS that companies don't use. Would probably be just fine with either, just think a company might want you having the cert in the OS version that they actually use though.

And don't see why you would want the Windows 10 cert later either. You should be going for MSCA server and MSCE certs later on. Unless you want to go into Desktop Support Management that is. I know they can make decent money in large companies. (should probably go to Desktop Infrastructure route then though)

I would just get 7 if I had to choose. I guess Windows 8 cert might open you up to the few companies that have updated. Think it might not look "as good" as the Windows 7 cert to others. Probably not a huge deal which one you get though. Just matters whichever you like working on.

Good luck whichever you choose, those tests are a lot harder than the Comptia tests! Took one a few years back and failed it thinking it wouldn't too hard.

sferg410

To be honest my goal is not really to be a Windows admin guy at all, i would much rather be a network engineer, but I am in the UK and there are not thousands of data center's here and i dont plan to move or do massive commutes.
My CV has been getting some interest but few interviews and i think this is because virtually all job ads talk about knowing about active directory and server stuff, which i do not know yet. CCNA is also sought after but when mentioned, virtually always asks for server/AD knowledge also. So I dont know what to do... CCNA... Server 2012 .... The Win 8 idea was just something that i might be able to attain fairly quickly and get a free Win 10 upgrade. Win 10 i think will be a lot more business friendly.

Seeing as most ads seem to mention Server/AD knowledge etc. I keep thinking maybe i should do Server MCSA first, then CCNA... That I might have more chance finding a starting position with server mcsa here in the UK, than just A+, CCNA and little work experience.

discount81

In my opinion the server 2012 MCSA is a better certification to have, a lot of the skills are transferable to the Desktop side of things.

PJ_Sneakers

kiki162 wrote: »

Why not do Win7 and then Server 2012? So 5 exams in total for both MCSA's, then 2 more for your MCSE on Server 2012.

You could feasibly get MCSA: Win7 and MCSA: Server 2012 with three exams.

sferg410

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

You could feasibly get MCSA: Win7 and MCSA: Server 2012 with three exams.

please enlighten me, what 3 exams?

PJ_Sneakers

70-680: Windows 7, Configuring + 70-686: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator + 70-417 Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012

NetworkNewb

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

70-680: Windows 7, Configuring + 70-686: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator + 70-417 Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012

interesting... never heard of that 70-417 before. Three big tests in all-in-one

PJ_Sneakers

Yeah. I didn't try it because I went the 70-685 route instead, which I kick myself for doing. It would have been harder to take the 70-417, but more efficient. Unless I failed the test.

Snow.bros

sferg410 wrote: »

To be honest my goal is not really to be a Windows admin guy at all, i would much rather be a network engineer, but I am in the UK and there are not thousands of data center's here and i dont plan to move or do massive commutes.
My CV has been getting some interest but few interviews and i think this is because virtually all job ads talk about knowing about active directory and server stuff, which i do not know yet. CCNA is also sought after but when mentioned, virtually always asks for server/AD knowledge also. So I don't know what to do... CCNA... Server 2012 .... The Win 8 idea was just something that i might be able to attain fairly quickly and get a free Win 10 upgrade. Win 10 i think will be a lot more business friendly.

Seeing as most ads seem to mention Server/AD knowledge etc. I keep thinking maybe i should do Server MCSA first, then CCNA... That I might have more chance finding a starting position with server mcsa here in the UK, than just A+, CCNA and little work experience.

Judging from the comment above, you are not making it clear whether you are looking for advise with an objective to advance in you career or asking us if it's a good idea to obtain the win: 8.1 cert so that you can get a free win:10 upgrade which I think is your ultimate goal but I think this would be irrelevant and a total waste of time career wise because you mentioned that you don't want to benefit from it.

If you want advise on which certs to obtain next then my question to you would be, which career path are you ultimately interested in sys admin, networking, virtualization, information security, etc? then we will be able to advise on which certs to obtain.

sferg410

Thanks for the replies in answer to the above.. path would be networking, maybe virtualisation.
Have decided not to pursue Windows 7,8 or in future 10 certs, instead I will work towards Sever 2012 R2 MCSA and CCNA R/S
I think Server will have to come first as it is more likely to get me employed here in the UK. Also I have VMware and Server 2012 set up on that, so can follow videos and books etc.

Snow.bros

Sounds great all the best with your journey!!!