Need help with different server exams

Phillies8607

Hey guys,

This may have already been asked but can anyone explain the difference in all the different Microsoft Server Exams? I hear 2008 may not be worth it to learn as I am just starting out in my Networking career. Right now I'm study for my first exam which is N+. Server 2016 is coming out but I'm being told to stick with Server 2012 since I'm starting out. Also, I see there is SQL Server exams. How diferent is that from a regular Server exam? Are there any other different Server exams or certifications out there for Microsoft?? Thanks in advance

TheFORCE

Think of it as this, every technology has their own specific certification and then also a more broad knowledge certification. In your case, the server 20xx woukd you knowledge and certify you for managing an environment that runs on 20xx servers whereas the SQL server exam is something more specfic and focuses entirely on SQL and the managing of the SQL databases.
Another example would be your N+ which focuses on broad knowledge of networking concepts and is an entry level exam and then you have the Cisco exams like CCNA or CCNP etc which are a bit more advanced and are vendor certifications.
Microsoft has pretty good explanations about their exams and the path someone needs to take in order to get certified. You should visit the Microsoft site for the specific details.

Phillies8607

Ah thank you. That clears it up. Yeah definitely, I'll visit the Microsoft website and see what info they have on their exams.

OctalDump

Microsoft tends to offer certifications in particular products, so MCSA Server 2008 or Windows 7 Specialist or MCSA Windows 10. They change the exam questions, and sometimes update to reflect changes in the product. For their Server products, there is usually one big update with an R2 version. There has been an R2 for 2008 and 2012. There will probably be one for 2016, also.

2008 will still be likely used for another 4+ years, so it wouldn't be a dead end if you completed the MCSA this year, but since you are really just starting out, 2012 might be the better option.

Microsoft also offer a 'delta' exam, which is a single exam to allow you to update from one version to another. So to get MCSA 2008, you would do 70-642, 70-640 and 70-646. The to upgrade to MCSA 2012, you would do the 70-417 exam. To get MCSA 2012 without the upgrade exam, you would need to do 70-410, 70-411 and 70-412.

It is very likely that there will also be a single exam to upgrade from MCSA 2012 to MCSA 2016.

One of the big differences between MCSA 2008 and MCSA 2012 is the extra focus on PowerShell. PowerShell was introduced sometime ago, and has slowly been replacing the mish-mash of command line tools with a much more consistent set of commands and syntax. Good PowerShell people tend to be good administrators, and is one of those skills that is very useful to have. That is another reason why you might prefer to start with 2012, since you can avoid learning a lot of the old commands that 2008 uses, and focus on getting good with PowerShell.

MS SQL is a different beast, since it is an application which runs on top of Windows. It is useful to have by itself, but even more useful in combination with an MCSA Server certification. MS also offers certifications in a few of its other product lines, like Azure, Sharepoint, Exchange and Office 365.

The Microsoft MCSA page is a good starting point for options. Depending on where you are with your skillset, the MTA certifications might also be good options. If you are more interested in development or Azure, then the MCSD is also good.