Time to get an MCP

chmorin

Hi everyone, I have spent most of my time in the cisco forum but I venture now to get a MCP. I have an opportunity in my near future in a desktop support area and it would be a good start at venturing onward and upward into a more specialized (hopefully networking field).

That being said, I have been using windows XP for years and spent the first months at my job doing desktop support part time. I have my A+ certification and am fairly familiar with supporting end users.

Catch is, I am competing against someone who is more slightly technical in desktop support than I am. I am better with people, and will probably do better in the interview IF I can answer all the questions correctly. I figure studying and getting an MCP would help.

I'm rushing through the old CBT nuggets of it and taking some practice tests. I am hoping I could get it in just 2 weeks of heavy study. Any advice?

ipconfig.all

Nothing beats experience no matter how many certifications you have since you have desktop support experience good on you and since you have good people skills thats good too cause in a desktop support role you will mostly be dealing with users and you will need people skills for that. Getting certified in windows XP could help plus 70-270 isn't that hard and you can finish it in 2 weeks if you have previous solid experience in xp and if you study hard. Do tell us how the interview goes.

GOOD LUCK !!!

Devilsbane

If you are just looking for any old MCP, the 271 or 272 is probably the best route. Many people before you have underestimated the 270 as "just xp"

It is much more than just XP. It is implementing an XP enviornment using various technologies, this isn't just stick the disc in the computer and click next a few times. There are group policies, several active directory compoents, and I even seen some practice questions on certificates. Language settins was another thing that surprised me on this test, I don't know about you, but I had only previously configured computers in English.

The 70-271/70-272 is for the MCDST (Microsoft Desktop Support Technician). So not only would that credential sound better for a Desktop Support job, the objectives for that test are just about supporting users. You won't see doing unattended isntallations and group policy settings popping up everywhere.

There are many similarities between the tests though. Disk configurations, device manager, start menu and taskbar settings are just a few that will carry over.

I don't know if you are aware of this, but Techexams has a large practice test. (I believe it is 40 questions). The questions are good because they cut out all of the extra wording that you would normally find on a Microsoft exam. This is good to see if you have the knowledge, this isn't good for an expectation of what sitting in the test will be.

I strongly caution you, don't just think this one is in the bag because you have been using xp for years. I'd hate to hear back in a couple weeks that you failed.