Does Microsoft Hate All MCSE 2000 ?

Work_IT_out

I just reviewed Microsoft's policies for upgrading from Windows 2000 MCSE to Windows 2008. There is no direct upgrade path. You have to upgrade from Windows 2000 to 2003 MSCE by taking 2 upgrade tests, and then you upgrade to Windows 2008 with at least 2 more upgrade tests.

I looked at the Upgrade tests from 2000 to 2003, and there is a little note that says these test are expiring in March 2008. Given the fact that Windows 2008 was just released to manufacturing in February of 2008, that gives all MCSE 2000 folks about 1 month to pass these 2 tests. With that tight of a time frame, Microsoft's free 2nd shot exam offer won't help.

This is not fair to those who invested their time & money into getting a Windows 2000 MCSE. After all, there is an upgrade path from NT 4.0 to Windows 2003, but none from Windows 2000 to 2008. If there is not going to be a direct upgrade path from 2000 to 2008 (because they are such different technologies, according to Microsoft), do you think Microsoft could at least throw give MCSE 2000 folks a break by extending this deadline, to give folks adequate time to study & pass these tests? I don’t know about you, but some of us spend their time on full time jobs during the day, as well as family at night, in addition to finding time to study for tests.

It seems to me that Microsoft is communicating a callous disregard for the time & money spent on certification by the community that implements their products. If you can't pass these 2 tests in the month of March 2008, I guess you either need to start over again with Windows 2008 certification, or maybe Microsoft wants us to jump ship and get certified in Linux?

What’s your take on this?

Daniel333

I agree, completely. I see no good jusitifcation for this. Microsoft sucks up money, it's what they do.

Nothing wrong with jumping on to Linux either.

Megadeth4168

Microsoft releases information about retiring exams at least 1 year before it happens. IMO there was plenty of notice. I do think however that they should extend upgrade exams beyond the life cycle of the rest of the track.

dynamik

There's no need to double-post: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32155

snadam

Daniel333 wrote:

I agree, completely. I see no good jusitifcation for this. Microsoft sucks up money, it's what they do.

Nothing wrong with jumping on to Linux either.

so does every other company that provides certification; get real. Like others said, its been known for at least a year that the are retiring the 2000 track. Hell, its been out for eight [years] already! Sucks, but there will be a time soon when the MCSA/E will retire altogether.

Technomancer

It is obvious you have not done your homework researching the new generation of certs before deciding to whine in the forums.

Work_IT_out wrote:

I just reviewed Microsoft's policies for upgrading from Windows 2000 MCSE to Windows 2008. There is no direct upgrade path. You have to upgrade from Windows 2000 to 2003 MSCE by taking 2 upgrade tests, and then you upgrade to Windows 2008 with at least 2 more upgrade tests.

You fail to recognize that the paths to certifications for Server 2008 are not upgrades, but instead transitions. There is no MCSE 2008. The MCITP exams are a completely different certification.

If you look at the requirements you will see it only takes 5 exams to obtain MCITP: Enterprise Administrator; 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-647, and 70-620 or 70-624

It takes 3 exams to obtain MCITP: Server Administrator; 70-640, 70-642, and 70-646

You'll notice that on either of these paths there are no elective exams.

From MCSE 2000 to MCITP: Enterprise Administrator, you would need to take the 70-292, 70-296, 70-649, 70-647, and the 70-620 or 70-624. So there are 5 exams total you would need.

If you only want to earn MCITP: Server Administrator you would need the 70-292, 70-296, 70-649, and 70-646. This lowers the exam count to 4.

Assuming you want to become MCITP: Enterprise Administrator you are taking 5 exams either way. There is one less test if you are only aiming for MCITP: Server Administrator. I fail to see the logic in upgrading a certification on a product that is end of lifecycle when it is the same ammount of work just to learn a new product, if not more.

Work_IT_out wrote:

I looked at the Upgrade tests from 2000 to 2003, and there is a little note that says these test are expiring in March 2008. Given the fact that Windows 2008 was just released to manufacturing in February of 2008, that gives all MCSE 2000 folks about 1 month to pass these 2 tests. With that tight of a time frame, Microsoft's free 2nd shot exam offer won't help.

This is not fair to those who invested their time & money into getting a Windows 2000 MCSE. After all, there is an upgrade path from NT 4.0 to Windows 2003, but none from Windows 2000 to 2008. If there is not going to be a direct upgrade path from 2000 to 2008 (because they are such different technologies, according to Microsoft), do you think Microsoft could at least throw give MCSE 2000 folks a break by extending this deadline, to give folks adequate time to study & pass these tests? I don’t know about you, but some of us spend their time on full time jobs during the day, as well as family at night, in addition to finding time to study for tests.

Microsoft announced that the upgrade path for MCSE 2000 to 2k3 was expiring at least a year before the planned date or expiration. Given that Windows Server 2000 went to end of lifecycle status back in 6/30/2005 it is generous that they gave almost 3 years for professionals who held MCSE 2000 to upgrade to 2k3. Waiting till there is only one month left to upgrade is not Microsofts fault or problem.

If you look at the upgrade path for NT 4.0 which is at the following site, you will notice that there are 6 exams required. These are the same exams you would have to take if you were starting fresh on the MCSE 2k3. The only difference is that if you are upgrading from NT 4.0, you do not have to take an elective exam. Microsoft's reasoning for this is the following;

"Elective: Elective exams are required so that candidates prove technical breadth, interoperability skills, or additional technical depth. For an MCSE on Windows NT 4.0, the MCSE credential itself satisfies the elective requirement for Windows Server 2003 because it proves the ability to support another version of the platform; therefore, no further action is required."

I'm sure that if the exams were different than those required to start fresh they would have been retired already, then you would have another upgrade to whine that you didn't have time to take.

As far as spending time during the day at a full time job and a family at night, if you want time to do something it is your responsibility to find the time. Even spending 1 hour extra to study a night will allow you to prepare to take an exam, assuming you have given yourself enough time before the exam goes kaput. Studying for and taking certification exams should not be a herculean effort and if you make it harder than you have to that is your own fault.

Work_IT_out wrote:

It seems to me that Microsoft is communicating a callous disregard for the time & money spent on certification by the community that implements their products. If you can't pass these 2 tests in the month of March 2008, I guess you either need to start over again with Windows 2008 certification, or maybe Microsoft wants us to jump ship and get certified in Linux?

What’s your take on this?

I don't see how Microsoft is showing a callous disregard for anybody. They announced the end of the exam upgrade path with plenty of time for interested professionals to study and take the tests. Everything comes to an end no matter how much time or money you put into obtaining it, that is why we rarely anymore see enterprises running Windows NT 4.0 Server. If you invest in a certification it is your responsibility to make sure that you keep it current. It is your responsibility to be aware of the certifications that are available and how long they are going to be available.

If you want to jump ship and go to linux that's your decision to make. In fact, I hope you do. that means that there is one less admin who could compete with me for the Windows Administration jobs that are out there. Just keep in mind that if you do, all your time and money spend on Microsoft certs is being thrown away. Either way you look at it you're starting from scratch, and that is not Microsofts fault.

Links to MS certification paths:

NT4 Upgrade Path http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcse/windows2003/nt.mspx
2000 Upgrade Path http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcse/windows2003/upgrade.mspx
MCSE 2003 no upgrade path http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcse/windows2003/default.mspx
MCITP: Enterprise Administrator and MCITP: Desktop Administrator transition path http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/windowsserver/2008/transition/default.mspx
MCITP: Server Administrator no transition http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcitp/windowsserver/2008/server/default.mspx
MCITP: Enterprise Administrator no transition http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcitp/windowsserver/2008/enterprise/default.mspx

Slowhand

Dang, Tech. You really shouldn't keep this stuff bottled up. Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

Seriously, though, the 'upgrade path' from MCSE on NT4 to Server 2003 was that the old MCSE counted as your elective for the new cert, and the upgrade from 2000 to 2003 involved two monstrous tests that easily rival the number of bullets you have to sweat to make it through the four core exams. Upgrading, even from one generation of Windows to the next, is no small task. It makes sense that Microsoft (or any other vendor) wouldn't want you leap-frogging two or three versions at a time. The technologies have evolved, and it's practically like learning everything all over again if you're coming from two revisions (and eight years) back.

Megadeth4168

Technomancer: Nice post!

sprkymrk

Megadeth4168 wrote:

Technomancer: Nice post!

+1