Upgrading MCSE: Why doesn't Microsoft try this?

Goldmember

Why doesn't Microsoft just give 1 or 2 exams and test the differences between lets say Server 2003 and Server 2008.

From my understanding the upgrade exams are usually long and difficult, instead they should make upgrading easier and test only differences between the old and new technologies.

Makes sense to me.

dynamik

You can upgrade your MCSE to MCTS: Server 2008 with one exam. If you take the Server Administrator exam in addition to that, you will be MCITP: Server Administrator. Instead (or in addition to Server Administrator) you can take the Enterprise Administrator exam and one of several Vista exams to be MCITP: Enterprise Administrator.

You can do either track in 2-3 exams, or 4 if you decide to do both. You could actually do both in only 3 exams if you did 70-620 for your MCSE.

If you know the previous material, you will essentially only be tested on the new material. If you don't know the old material, then the tests will be more difficult for you. A lot of the old and new technology is going to be intertwined, so it would be impossible to separate most of it.

Slowhand

What you're suggesting is, essentially, what Microsoft has done for both the Server 2000 --> 2003 upgrade path, as well as the Server 2003 --> 2008 path. There were two upgrade exams to go from being an MCSE on Windows Server 2000 to 2003, 70-292 and 70-296. These two exams were meant to test not only the technical differences between the old software and the new, but also network management methodologies and new topics, (things like security, the extended features of AD, etc. come to mind).

In the case of the MCITP upgrade path on Windows Server 2008, there is one upgrade exam to test the differences on the technology, (the upgrade exams earn you two or thee MCTS certifications, depending on if you're upgrading from MCSA or MCSE). Once you've taken either 70-648 or 70-649, then you've got the technical aspect down, and you're looking at either the Server Administrator or the Enterprise Administrator exam, both of which are more geared towards network management and the business of running a Microsoft network. Incidentally, Microsoft plans on making future certifications upgradable by upgrading only your technical knowlege, (the MCTS tests,) and leaving the Admin exams in place.

The idea is that there's more to the newer generation of products than just the software. Because there are different features, the job of administrating the network changes, and Microsoft (or any vendor) wants to make sure that you understand the aspects of that job that are affected by the changes. Incidentally, because the MCITP certifications have the two layers, technology-related tests and business/management-related ones, Microsoft plans on letting people upgrade to future versions of MCITP by taking new MCTS exams only. For now, with the way the current certifications are designed, you have to take these massive upgrade tests that can be very daunting, due to the complexity of how the industry changes and grows.