Anyone here a WGU student in IT Network Administration???

First off, I apologize for this long post. I'm very close to graduating and I'm just trying to find the path of least resistance.

I'm in the Network Administration path at WGU. There are 2 issues I'm facing right now and I wanted to get some other peoples opinions on my situation:

Issue 1 --

I received a message that Windows 8 certifications are set to be retired this month. I have to take both tests for the MCSA: Windows 8 through WGU so they sent me a message saying they were looking into alternatives for me.

A couple weeks pass and my mentor then tells me they've replaced the 2 Windows 8 classes with MCSA: Windows 7 AND Linux+. Is this what you guys are hearing too? They dropped 2 Windows 8 classes and replaced them with FOUR classes?? That doesn't seem correct to me and I think my mentor might have it wrong. I would think it would be either Windows 7 OR Linux+ but not both.

Then my mentor tells me they've extended the retirement date out to July of 2016 but WGU is still allowing students to take Windows 7 AND Linux+ as alternatives. I would prefer to take Linux+ because I feel it balances out my IT skills more, but I'm not adding on 2 more Microsoft tests if I don't have to. I would like to hear what some other WGU mentors are telling their students.

Issue 2 --

I transferred into WGU with the 70-410 exam. I have completed the 70-411 exam through WGU. I have also completed, not thru WGU, the 74-409 exam. A year or so back (after I was already enrolled at WGU) Microsoft changed things so the 74-409 exam was a substitute for the 70-412 and, viola, I had an MCSA: Windows Server 2012 R2.

My mentor is telling me WGU will not accept the 74-409 and my MCSA and I still need to take the 412 exam. This seems wrong to me because I already have the MCSA, taking the 412 will get me absolutely nothing at this point.

Am I being crazy or should this waive the requirement for the 412 class? I am certain that if I had my MCSA BEFORE applying to WGU, this class would have been waived.

Thanks very much in advance for helping.

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Comments

techfiend

Windows 7 and Linux+ doesn't seem quite right. Just 7 MCSA would be the most appropriate but you are getting a more well-rounded education with both of them. It will either save or cost you money.

As for the 74-409 while attending you should send them a picture of your 2012 MCSA certificate and ask for an evaluation if you haven't already. If WGU documentation states 2012 MCSA meets requirements for the 70-412 course show them. Judging from others experiences you can request evaluations while attending.

GLaD0S11

Thank you for the response. I'm glad you think replacing Win 8 with Win 7 AND Linux is also a bit strange. My issue isn't necessarily money but time. I am just about done and it would be more work to take 4 classes rather than 2.

I will send the MCSA certificate to my mentor today and she what she says.

ImThe0ne

GLaD0S11 wrote: »

Thank you for the response. I'm glad you think replacing Win 8 with Win 7 AND Linux is also a bit strange. My issue isn't necessarily money but time. I am just about done and it would be more work to take 4 classes rather than 2.

I will send the MCSA certificate to my mentor today and she what she says.

I asked a few months back on the Windows 8 MCSA classes being retired, I was told the same thing. Windows 7 and Linux + will replace it. I sucked it up and finished Windows 8, didn't want to add more classes. I think it'd be safe to assume those are the replacement classes.

I am slightly confused on what you think is taking the place of the Server 2012 MCSA. That MCSA is completed by finishing 70-410, 70-411, and 70-412.
The 74-409 exam isn't part of the MCSA, it is simply an MCP cert.

GLaD0S11

Thanks for the response, it's good to hear that someone else was told the same thing I was with regards to replacing Windows 8. I will more than likely take the Windows 8 exams as well because they extended the retirement date out to July.

Back in 2014 Microsoft announced that the 70-412 could be replaced by 3 other exams in order to complete the MCSA: Windows Server 2012. It used to be like you said, 410, 411, 412. Now the 412 is interchangeable with some others.

https://borntolearn.mslearn.net/b/weblog/archive/2014/09/15/electives-for-windows-server-2012-amp-sql-server-2012-mcsa-certifications-now-available

ImThe0ne

GLaD0S11 wrote: »

Thanks for the response, it's good to hear that someone else was told the same thing I was with regards to replacing Windows 8. I will more than likely take the Windows 8 exams as well because they extended the retirement date out to July.

Back in 2014 Microsoft announced that the 70-412 could be replaced by 3 other exams in order to complete the MCSA: Windows Server 2012. It used to be like you said, 410, 411, 412. Now the 412 is interchangeable with some others.

https://borntolearn.mslearn.net/b/weblog/archive/2014/09/15/electives-for-windows-server-2012-amp-sql-server-2012-mcsa-certifications-now-available

Ah, good to know on the exam substitution, I had never seen that before!

And yes, I would highly recommend going ahead and knocking out the Windows 8 classes, they aren't difficult and I imagine way better than 2 linux exams and a windows 7 exam lol

plopbangcrash

the Windows 7 MCSA is retiring as well. The course change from the Windows 8 MCSA requires you to take these 3 classes: Linux 103 , Linux 104 and Windows 70-680. The 2 Linux classes gets you 3 different certs and the windows 7 class is just a standalone test at this point. You can supplement it with the Poulton book and read through the forums here on Windows 7 and knock it out in a couple of weeks depending on your familiarity with stuff like Branch Cache and WAIK, MDT, etc.