Delurk and life story
Paperclip
Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
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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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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Comments
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.
They should have a 'certification wizard' on their site, as they're so keen on wizards in their applications.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.