MCITP vs. MCSA

titantek

I'm sure this has been asked before, but is it worth pursuing MCSA with MCITP being the standard? How much longer would the MCSA be valid?

Slowhand

The MCSA/MCSE track is still the standard, being the more highly-recognized Microsoft certifications. MCITP: Server Administrator and MCITP: Enterprise Adminsitrator are just now up-and-coming, and probably won't be the norm for another year or two. There's nothing wrong with going for the newer certs and skipping over the 2003-generation, but you'll both be on the ground floor of the 2008 certs and be a relative unknown in the industry at the same time.

Count on MCSA/MCSE to be the forerunner for another couple of years, and still be valid and sought-after for another four or five, at least.

titantek

thanks for the quick response, good food for thought. It's tough deciding which route to go since I time is a rare and valuable commodity.

dynamik

You're going to have to know Server 2003 no matter what (unless you get a rare consulting gig or something where you work exclusively work with Server 200. You could either do the MCITP track and then go back and learn the differences (even if you don't go for the certs), or you could just start with the MCSA/E. There are still a respectable number of Server 2000 (as well as some NT4) machines floating around, and 2003 isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Plus, Server 2008 builds on 2003, so the more you learn about 2003, the less you have to learn about 2008.

titantek

I'm currently employed where 2003 is used heavily and the knowledge will be very beneficial to me so I guess it's onward with MCSA/E...