98-365 - Server Fundamentals - advice

si20

Hi guys,

I've just spent most of this year doing the Linux+ and wanted to begin the 98-365 Server Administration Fundamentals right after. I have to ask a few questions before I really get stuck in and use all my time to get this cert.

• I heard this cert was going to be retired. The official Microsoft videos say that 2008 is out-dated and 2012 is the next version. So what does that mean? When is the 98-365 going to be updated to Server 2012?
• Is it even worth doing 2008 if it's going to get updated to 2012 soon? Because it will just become a "legacy cert"
• Acclaim is a new thing whereby Microsoft "badges" appear on your profile. When this is retired, I *think* the badge disappears. It'll stay in your Microsoft account but it wont be an active certification which leads me to ask: is this really worth studying, or again, shall I wait for it to get updated?

And finally, can someone point me in the direction of all the best resources i'll need for this? I've got the official Microsoft 98-365 book which I found on Amazon a while back. But in terms of VMs? Video-guides etc? Any resources you can link me to would be a massive help!

Thanks in advance!!

scaredoftests

find out on microsoft.com

si20

scaredoftests wrote: »

find out on microsoft.com

There's always one.. I did look prior to posting..

stryder144

I can't find anything about them retiring or updating the certification. Since it is an MTA, I think it is a good-for-life certification that you can claim forever, unlike MCSA/MCSE certs.

Have you checked out the ITPro.tv? They have about 13 or so hours of video instruction. They are owned by Sybex/Wiley. Microsoft's Virtual Academy has about six hours or so of training available for free, which is where I would recommend starting at.

si20

Thanks Stryder144, I will look at ITPro.tv now. I'm definitely going to use the Microsoft VA as well.

PJ_Sneakers

So, while this cert is based on 2008 it's not a "Windows Server 2008" certification. It's really just server admin fundamentals for Microsoft server products. The topics should be valid all the way to the latest 2016.

None of the core concepts in the class material are drastically different between the versions. File system permissions. Group membership. Group policy. Etc. All of that stuff is basically the same. I really wouldn't stress about the versioning being different.

I don't believe that this MTA is at the level where the differences between 2008, 2012, and 2016 really matter all that much. This test is about the concepts behind Microsoft server products.

Also, Microsoft doesn't expire certifications, they expire the exams and they stop selling and supporting older products. If you have the cert you have the cert. I am still technically certified on Windows NT 4. Nobody can buy it anymore, but by gosh if I find a place that needs an NT4 admin I'm qualified. Heh.

Oh and I have NO IDEA what these Acclaim badges are good for. Should I put them on LinkedIn or something? Microsoft has been blowing up my inbox with these badge things.

si20

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

Oh and I have NO IDEA what these Acclaim badges are good for. Should I put them on LinkedIn or something? Microsoft has been blowing up my inbox with these badge things.

Thanks for the explanation! From what I see, Acclaim is a way of validating your certs. So prospective companies can see your certs and validate they're genuine with very little effort. The downside, is that I have the MCDST which I did in 2010. Seeing as it's now a "legacy" cert, it doesn't appear on my Acclaim account. So if an employer sees my Acclaim account, they will only see my MTA Networking cert. Additionally, Acclaim ONLY does MS certs, so my OSCP, Linux+ etc wont show. It's a fantastic idea and 10x better than Linkedin, but it needs some more work on it before it can take off.

PJ_Sneakers

Ohhh. Huh. I guess I'll wait and see if it takes off because I guess the badges don't go anywhere.

If someone has an issue with the certification claims listed on my LinkedIn or resume I'll be happy to send them a copy of my transcripts or give them an access code to look it up themselves.

G.O.A.T

It retires in june 17

si20

G.O.A.T wrote: »

It retires in june 17

I read that somewhere else on the forum - I wont lie, it's very disappointing to find out but i've not seen any evidence that Microsoft are planning to do an MTA with server 2012. People have asked Microsoft on the official exam forums but get no response.

I think i'll continue with this course but mainly for the knowledge it brings with it rather than the actual paper certification itself.

G.O.A.T

si20 wrote: »

I read that somewhere else on the forum - I wont lie, it's very disappointing to find out but i've not seen any evidence that Microsoft are planning to do an MTA with server 2012. People have asked Microsoft on the official exam forums but get no response.

I think i'll continue with this course but mainly for the knowledge it brings with it rather than the actual paper certification itself.

Why? June is like 6 months away, thats plenty of time to pass.

PJ_Sneakers

I agree, that's plenty of time to pass this one. Plenty.

si20

I will still be going for the cert - I just meant that it's disappointing that Microsoft haven't came out and said: "we're going to be updating this MTA with Server 2012". But i'm 100% still studying and going to take the exam. It's a very enjoyable course, as was the MTA Networking Fundamentals I did 2 years ago.

SoftwareGuy

What retired was the Operating Systems Fundamentals MTA

NotHackingYou

I took this exam, this book has what you need. https://www.amazon.com/98-365-Windows-Server-Administration-Fundamentals/dp/0470901829/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484025124&sr=8-1&keywords=98-365+book

bailey808

I have recently passed this exam (28/09/2017) and I used Microsoft VA (free videos) and MeasureUp Practice exams. I have been working with Windows Server 2008 and 2012 for the past 4 years, which is where I gained most of my knowledge to pass the exam. 4 years is not necessary, but enough time to know main server functions and what AD/GP can do will help massively. The Microsoft VA does not go into anywhere near enough detail to pass the exams without any prior server experience. The MeasureUp exams are good as they closely match the type of exam questions in the actual exam (multiple choice, true or false, drag and drop and build lists). The book (mentioned above) will definitely help as well if you prefer to read dry material. Providing you have done most of the above, you will be well on your way to passing the exam.

Hope that helps...

jaredvw4

** I am new here so it won't let me post links, so I wrote out the links phonetically so it would let me make this post. **

I used anything and everything I could to study for this exam. The most helpful free website I found was discovered from the Study Group forum at the bottom of the Microsoft 98-365 exam page. The site is https colon slash slash w w w dot exam-labs.com/exam/98-365#tutorial

You could easily pass this exam by watching the Microsoft Virtual Academy video on "Windows Server Administration Fundamentals" and then by knowing all the answers from the aforementioned website.

I also found this ebook link from another forum and although it is for Windows Server 2012, 99.9% of the info is still accurate for Windows Server 2016.  https colon slash slash docentinrete.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/manuale-2008-98-365-windowsserver.pdf

TL;DR  - Use the pdf (second link) to understand the exam questions (first link) and watch the MVA on Windows Server (hopefully they don't take it down!) and you will be golden!

ahardinjr

I'm pretty late to this conversation, but if you want to find out about retired/soon-to-be retired Microsoft exams, here is the list:

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