Is it too late to get my Windows 8 MCSA?

d0ntreadthis

I've just visited this website for the first time and seen that Microsoft is retiring the windows 8 exams. I got my resources and started studying for the 70-687 last week. I haven't done any Microsoft certs previously. I only have my CompTIA A+. Should I just abandon ship and start studying for Windows 10? :-/

Mike7

What do you think of Windows 8 vs 7 and 10? Which is more popular?
Does your place of work uses Windows 8?

Most large organisations just migrated from XP to Win 7. They have no plans for Win 8. They may go for Win 10 before Win 7 EOL in 2020.
Many end-users are just glad to use Win 7, or upgrade from 8 to 10. To them, Win 8 is like another Windows Vista.

d0ntreadthis

At my job about 70% of the customers use Windows 7 and the others use Windows 8.1

What I meant by my question is, do you think it's possible for someone with only CompTIA A+ to get hold of a windows 7 or windows 8 MCSA before the end of November? I have just over 2 years experience if that matters.

culpano

Can I give you some expert advice ? Yes ditch it and wait for Windows 10 or do a standalone Windows 7 exam. You would only need to take one exam to be certified and I don't think the exams will retire for some time yet. I have my 70-687 exam on Thursday and I am not very confident after 2.5 months of full time study. The 70-688 exam is supposed to be a lot harder than that too. I did the old NT4 exams and they were nowhere near as hard as this is. You have to lab practically everything, understand the stuff properly and delve into loads of Technet articles. If you manage to do both by end November then I truly admire you. I have driven myself to the point of nervous exhaustion trying to cram this stuff in since I started in earnest end July. I spent 4 weeks before that just catching up on being out of IT for a few years. At the moment if someone gave me a red shirt and told me it was blue I'd believe them my head is that full of junk. Good luck !

d0ntreadthis

Thanks for your advice. The exams are retiring at the end of November so I guess I'm just going to go with Windows 10. I know ITprotv are working on their windows 10 series. Does anyone know if there are any books or other resources around?

culpano

Nothing out there yet but obviously will be soon. Good choice on waiting for Windows 10 and when you learn it learn it slowly and properly. Understand how it works. Reading about it won't get you there, you need to do it. I'll give you an example. I saw a question on a test exam about how to create and move a virtual hard disk to a PC without an operating system on it and get it to boot into Windows on the new PC (VHD native boot). I couldn't understand a word of what was going on until I sat down and did it. You need to do that with a lot of the material and delve deep into Technet. Good luck. The MCSA Windows 7 certification is retiring end Nov but not th standalone specialist exams so it might be worth doing 70-680. If i really flop the 70-687 on Thurs I may ditch it and spend 4 months on Windows 7 then do Windows 10 when the training material is released.

OctalDump

No, it is not too late. It will be some work to get. If you do study and don't make it in time, then it won't be entirely wasted as a lot of the core knowledge carries over between versions.
Even if you pass just one exam, you will get the MCP designation, which is a bonus.

culpano

OctalDump wrote: »

Even if you pass just one exam, you will get the MCP designation, which is a bonus.

I'm not sure that is true.

TacoRocket

culpano wrote: »

I'm not sure that is true.

The only exams that don't get MCP status are the MTA exams.

culpano

70-687 alone is not a certification. It needs 70-687 and 70-688 to achieve certification as MCSA. They are not standalone specialist exams unlike the Windows 7 exams where if you pass one you are certified. Same with the new Windows 10 exam - this is now a standalone exam and one exam gets specialist certification.

culpano

OctalDump wrote: »

Even if you pass just one exam, you will get the MCP designation, which is a bonus.

I stand corrected. It's sort of taken the edge of trying to cram in another mammoth study session to get 70-688. Might give this a miss now and take more time over Windows 10 and beyond. Hearing quite a few stories of the new Intune interface not matching what's being tested on the exam so it might be too much of a struggle.

anuj_123

Hey I just read this on Microsoft website and thought it might be helpful.

Most of the other websites says that exam is expiring at end of November 2015.
But actual website says it will expire in 31 July 2016
that simply means we do have more time to study

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/retired-certification-exams.aspx

culpano

Yep. As soon as I get 70-680 out of the way I am going to start on 70-688 again. Plenty of time now to get this I hope.

Smilymarco

https://borntolearn.mslearn.net/b/weblog/archive/2015/12/07/certification-update-mcsa-windows-10-released They updated everything on the 14th (Windows 8.1 and 10).

dan101

Hi all:

I need some input regarding the Win 8.1 70-687, I am in the process of studying for this exam? I have studied some Microsoft exams in the past, especially the MS-Vista, which I didn't pass, way too much information. I started some of it back in November 2016, should I still study it or move on to Windows 10, my deadline was for Dec 22 or 23 2016? any suggestions Dan101 (former Aplus101).

OctalDump

At this point, I'd suggest moving to Windows 7 (there's an upgrade exam that might work with your MCDST) or Windows 10 exams, unless Windows 8 is particularly important to you. It's very likely that there won't be another extension on Windows 8 exam lifetime now that Windows 10 exams are all settled.