About to step into the MCSE cert

razr7

Hi everyone. Like the title, i am planning to complete all the exams for MCSE cert. I already have my A+.

I know to pass the MCSE for desktop infrastructure i need to pass the 410,411,412,415, and 416 exams.

So my questions are:

- How are these exams scored? like what is a passing score out of what?

- Where do I get the study materials? books? Videos?

- Is there a completion timeframe? Im planning to complete all exams by the end of 2015.

poolmanjim

Exam Scoring
Microsoft describes this FAR better than I. https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/certification-exams.aspx

In a nutshell, there are on average around 50 questions per exam. Each question is worth so many points based on a number of factors that are exactly clear to the test taker. A passing score on most Microsoft exams is a 700 / 1000. That does not however mean you must answer 70% correctly as the numbers are skewed by weighting.

Study Materials
Microsoft does have official training courses but they are on the expensive side.

Books can be found online or in most book stores and can range from pretty terrible to pretty good, it just depends on the author and some how you learn. I have found great luck with the Panek book (link) while others would recommend the Mastering Server 2012 R2 (link).

Videos are offered by a number of companies. CBT Nuggets and PluralSight are probably the most popular and both have mixed opinions but are okay for some over views. Microsoft offers some free videos through the Microsoft Virtual Academy (link).

Another useful tool in studying for exams is practice tests. Transcender and MeasureUp tend to be often highly rated resources in this area.


Timeframe
That is a reasonable timeframe for some, others would call it aggressive. How long it should take you to complete all the exams depends on the materials you study with and how well you can grasp the material. If you already have lots of experience, you should be able to move through things somewhat faster. If you are relatively new to Server 2012 R2, then you are likely going to find that your timeframe may stretch your capabilities.

As far as Microsoft's restrictions on timeframe, there aren't any really. There aren't any announcements I have heard of informing us of when Server 2012 R2 exams will be retired so for the foreseeable future the exams will be available.