Delurk and life story

Paperclip

Hey guys,

I'm a noob to the forum but not to taking Microsoft exams. Or actually, I guess I'm kind of a re-noob as it has been so long.

Here's the history. I certified as MCSE on the NT 4.0 products in 2000. Then I also took 70-028 [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Administering Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 in 2001 for no particular reason that I recall, except that I wanted to know the material anyway. I may have been considering going for MCDBA and never finished it, I honestly can't remember.

Also in 2001, I completed 70-240, thus upgrading to MCSE on the 2000 products.

Which brings us to now. If I didn't miss the failboat, I should have taken the two 2003 upgrade exams over a year ago before they were retired, but alas I did not. I will now have to do at least five tests or something, I think.

My thinking at the time was "Duh, 2003 server is the same as 2000 server anyway." Which I still kind of think, but what has changed is that I now find myself with access to the CBT Nuggets and think it would be ridiculous not to take advantage of them to the fullest extent possible.

So I'm currently studying 70-290, and I've scheduled it for May 7. After that, I was kind of planning on doing all the core exams in order. The client requirement is I believe still covered by the 70-240, since it covered Windows 2000 Workstation. I'm not completely for sure on this though. The Microsoft certification site is a bit of a tangled web. I know I'm doing 298 rather than 297, since "Server in the Enterprise" or whatever they used to call it was my most hated exam. I had thirty users, I don't know or need to know anything about having thousands of domain trusts. I think that was the one I passed with exactly 700.

For the elective, I will probably do 70-431, since now I have gotten more interested in the database admin path again. And hey from there it's only two more tests to MCITP: Database Administrator.

I guess I pretty much know what I want to do, but I find myself so confused by the Microsoft certification site that I hope I'm not missing something obvious. Can you all see any problems with what I want to do? I'd love suggestions such as "Don't take x exam, because if you take y instead you'll then be able to do ________."

Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any tips!
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undomiel

Looks like a good plan so far, though you'll also need one more elective. One recommendation would be the Vista exam 70-620 as that would also knock down one step towards the MCITP:EA if you were wanting to do that upgrade after completing the MCSE.

Paperclip

Oh hey thanks for the reply.

I admit I am slightly confused on the client requirement. It looks like 70-240 still fills the client requirement as it encompassed Windows 2000 Professional. But I notice a lot of inconsistencies in the certification site. There is information and links pertaining to upgrade paths which are now retired, and things like that.

If I do need a client exam, I'd much rather knock out XP, however you make an excellent point about biting the bullet and doing the Vista one.

I'll probably end up emailing MCP support at some point and just asking them. They were very helpful after I lost my MCP number for 8 years.

TopTech

I too was confused by the Microsoft cert site, so I emailed them (should be a contact address there somewhere) and told them what I had and what I wanted to do and they replied straight back with exactly what I needed. Glad I did because I found out I needed one exam less than I thought I did. A few days later someone even phoned me up at work as a follow up.
They should have a 'certification wizard' on their site, as they're so keen on wizards in their applications.

dynamik

I think you mean 70-210, not 70-240, for the 2000 client exam. The exam is no longer offered, but if you have it, you can apply it towards your MCSE.

An NT4/2000 MCSE also counts as an elective, so you'll need the four core exams, a design exam (297 or 298 ), and an elective (70-431 or any of the others).

http://www.microsoft.com/LEARNING/MCP/MCSE/WINDOWS2003/default.mspx

Paperclip

Well, I mean a little of both I guess. I took 70-240 and not 70-210. On the page you just linked to, you will see two tiny footnotes next to the 70-210 requirement. The second footnote is this:

Candidates who passed Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Exams 70-067, 70-068, and 70-073 had the option of taking the comprehensive Exam 70-240: Microsoft Windows 2000 Accelerated Exam for MCPs Certified on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. By passing this exam, candidates met the following exam requirements: Exam 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, and 70-217. Exam 70-240 is no longer available.

So I met the requirements of 70-210 by taking 70-240, I guess. Who knows if that information is still up to date though.

Thanks for all the replies, I will definitely double check by asking MCPhelp. Since I know I have to do all the core exams, I have a while before I have to take anything I'm not certain I really need.

If the 70-240/70-210/whatever still works toward MCSE 2003 for now, then I'll probably just leave it until I get ready to upgrade to MCITP. Partially in the hopes that by then, Windows 7 will be out and I can do that instead of Vista. If I have to do a client now (and by "now" I mean in a few months after I do the other exams I need), I guess I will probably do Vista since it applies to MCITP, even though I like XP more. But if I can I will hold out until I've done all the other 2008 exams I need.

TopTech

"If I have to do a client now (and by "now" I mean in a few months after I do the other exams I need), I guess I will probably do Vista . . ."

As Windows 7 is based on Vista core components, I don't think taking a Vista exam now would be wasted effort. It's also a quick easy exam.

Paperclip

Yeah, if I do take a client soonish I've come to the conclusion it will be Vista. I think I don't need one to be MCSE on 2003, though I will still double check this. But at least I know I'm not taking XP, because if I were, it would probably be best to do it right after 70-290 as they cover a lot of the same stuff. Vista probably has enough new ground that it doesn't really matter when (within the order of the 2003 material) I do it, so I can put it off for now and proceed with the 2003 MCSE core in order.

Paperclip

Sorry to reply to myself, but I have an update which I thought I would post for posterity.

I heard back from MCPHelp.

MCSE NT4 + 70-240 upgrade exam to 2000 apparently satisfies both the client and the elective, but not the design. There was no design exam on the NT4 track, and the 70-240 was, I suppose, not design-heavy enough to fill the design requirement.

So I must take the four core plus one design. I'm thinking 298. I may end up doing 270 at some point though it really won't get me anywhere. But I have the CBT Nuggets and the Transcender (got it in a pack with the core) so it's almost like why not.

dynamik

If you're familiar with Windows 7, you may wish to give the beta a shot: http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcts-mcitp-windows-2008-general/42119-71-680-ts-windows-7-configuring.html

It will count towards the MCITP: EA. I'm not sure if it'll work as an elective for the MCSE, like Vista does, but it's free, so you don't have anything to lose.

Paperclip

It is a thought... I'm pretty sure it won't count toward MCSE at all since I don't actually need an elective or a client. But I'll be at the testing center with the day off on May 7 anyway...