Going for MCSE

When I started the MCITP in January 2009 I thought by the time I was done it would be well recognized, and while I think it has value I have to agree with the sentiments in this thread:
http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcsa-mcse-windows-2003-general/56980-enduring-value-mcse-2003-a.html
I regret not doing the MCSE first and upgrading to MCITP, but I can't go back and start over. However, since the Student 2nd Shot was extended to September 30, I'm going to try to do the complete MCSE (unfortunately there's no downgrade exam
). The student pricing of $60/exam is too good to pass up. Here's my schedule:
Aug. 12 - 290 - passed with 868
Aug. 21 - 294 - passed with 737
Sep. 11 - 291 - passed with 785
Oct. 30 - 350 - passed with 820
Nov. 05 - 351 - passed with 700
? - 293
? - 298
As long as I don't have to retake more than two exams, I should make it. I actually want to do the MCSE Security, however any more exams seems like too much at this point. I'm not even sure I can do the above, but I want to try and will be satisfied if I can at least finish the core exams.
The 72-290 went well. I went through the Sybex book for it, skimming the stuff I know well while focusing on areas where I wasn't confident. The book is old and didn't cover all of the material on the current exam. The out of date stuff wasn't a major problem, but it turned out there were several exam questions the book didn't cover AT ALL. I don't recommend purchasing it at this point for exam prep (I bought most of the Sybex books years ago, but didn't end up using them until now).
http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcsa-mcse-windows-2003-general/56980-enduring-value-mcse-2003-a.html
I regret not doing the MCSE first and upgrading to MCITP, but I can't go back and start over. However, since the Student 2nd Shot was extended to September 30, I'm going to try to do the complete MCSE (unfortunately there's no downgrade exam

Aug. 12 - 290 - passed with 868
Aug. 21 - 294 - passed with 737
Sep. 11 - 291 - passed with 785
Oct. 30 - 350 - passed with 820
Nov. 05 - 351 - passed with 700
? - 293
? - 298
As long as I don't have to retake more than two exams, I should make it. I actually want to do the MCSE Security, however any more exams seems like too much at this point. I'm not even sure I can do the above, but I want to try and will be satisfied if I can at least finish the core exams.
The 72-290 went well. I went through the Sybex book for it, skimming the stuff I know well while focusing on areas where I wasn't confident. The book is old and didn't cover all of the material on the current exam. The out of date stuff wasn't a major problem, but it turned out there were several exam questions the book didn't cover AT ALL. I don't recommend purchasing it at this point for exam prep (I bought most of the Sybex books years ago, but didn't end up using them until now).
MentholMoose
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
Comments
Just tack on the Security+ later on for your "S." There's no need to rush that.
I'd just to 298 and 299 the same day if I were you. It's the same material in a different format. 299 is really short too, so it shouldn't be too taxing. 298 is the one you have to watch out for.
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
Remember you get it for life if you do it this year; it's a three-year renewal after that. You'll have plenty of time after your MS exams.
IMO this is way to take exams. If you're like me and have experience, slaughtering out these exams back to back is easier then waiting a couple of months between them. The information stays fresh, you're mentally ready, in the zone and the exams get easier as you go down the line. GL!!
And you have plenty of time for MCSE. The March 31, 2011 list came out and none of the MCSE exams are on it.
That's what I'm hoping.
Agreed, I definitely want to crank through the exams. When you pause your studies for too long you will lose some of the knowledge (at least I do), causing more work in the long run. When I was doing the MCITP:EA I tried to do them pretty quickly (a month each), though there were some longer gaps between some exams when I got lazy.
Thanks everyone for the tips, encouragement, and info. It will help me stay motivated. I'll keep this thread updated, hopefully with forward progress!
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
I couldn't either and I already have the MCSA
Haha, he is pretty much going to take all of those tests in the time it would take me to study for one. I have to get mine done within 6 months so I need to ramp it up and knock mine out but nowhere near this pace.
I'm moving at 4-5 weeks/ test. At least thats how I did 270,290,291, and Sec+. 293 and 294 could slow me down.
One problem was that I didn't get enough sleep last night (had to work this morning) or have a chance to eat anything before the exam, which had a noticeable effect... I hit a wall an hour into the exam, and was unable to concentrate at all for about half an hour, though I can't definitely attribute any missed questions to that. Also, maybe the sims were just messed up and not being scored correctly... there was graphical corruption in ALL of them, so perhaps that was a sign of a bigger problem.
I don't know how many more questions I could have missed and still passed... there was one question that I marked wrong at first but figured it out from doing a sim later, so maybe that one question saved me. Good thing, too, since I didn't have a Second Shot on this (no student version of 294, so I bought a voucher on eBay for $62).
I used the Sybex study guide along with some TechNet articles since the Sybex book left off some things I thought would be important. I actually managed to read the entire book except for a few sections that I didn't need (how to use Event Viewer, and perfmon, for example), and did almost all of the labs (I built a multi-site AD environment for labbing). Oh well, on to the next exam!!
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
Do you see the MCSE as having that much of a career benefit for you?
One additional benefit is it's good review. I finished the MCITP about a year ago now, so studying for MCSE should help me keep my MS knowledge sharp. Yeah I could just re-read some 2008 material, but studying for exams helps me get and stay focused.
Now that I've had a chance to reflect on the exam some more, I've identified a couple questions that I missed (one sim and one multiple choice). They were things I know and should have got correctly, so I think I was just not in a good state of mind during the exam due to lack of sleep and food.
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
60 bucks sounds really good. Does that still going?
It is always going on, but not all exams have a student version. I believe the 73 prefix is used for the student version. So 73-270 would be the same as the 70-270, except that it is the student test.
Have you seen the new deal going on? Buy 5 tests at once, save 20% and get second chance's on each. So $100 per test but you can take them again should you fail the first time.
Check this out. http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/57229-career-packs-second-shot-discount-born-learn.html
Thank you a lot!
Student Certification Exams | Special Offers | Microsoft Certification
Anyway I got lazy and slowed down my studying, so I haven't taken 72-291 yet. It's scheduled for next Monday. Interestingly the rep I spoke with when booking the exam actually asked for my student ID details!! They wanted the ID number and institution. I'm curious if the testing center will check my student ID. Nobody has checked or even mentioned it before.
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
--Alexander Graham Bell
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
Based on the link above it does not look like student pricing includes any of the MCSE exams as that certification track is not listed? It only lists: MCITP, MCSA, MCDST, MCAD, and MCTS.
Microsoft Learning: Resources for Students and Educators
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV
MCSA 2003, LFCS, LFCE (expired), VCP6-DCV