So here it starts all over again... :(

Well after several years of casually trying to get my MCSE 2003 (starting out with 270 in 2004, 290 soon after, got disheartened with TCP/IP in 291 which put me off for 3 years) I completed it with a big push in 2008. I cracked it. Life could not get much better.

Anyway, to prove myself further, I then got my MCSA: Messaging 2003, but on completing that, I have not used Exchange much since. Guess it looks good on the CV, just need to use it more in real life, even though it is now out of date by two editions of Exchange.

September saw my workplace shutting down and me being made redundant so I have decided to move from a 'secure' (lol) permanent role into contracting to earn a bit of money and to gain more experience in the 'real world'. Scary when you have a wife, 2 kids and a mortgage.

A lot of contracts were wanting VMware certification so I slogged and achieved my VCP 410 last week (man that was hard exam) but having finally taken the jump from permanent roles to contracting - I am now finding that certifications are the keeper to getting the CV to the employer from the agency.

So to the point of my post. I am now having to bring all my certifications up to date to 2008. It is depressing to know that I have just bought another big box set for 2008 of over £100 and daunting that I am going to have to read them all.

However, as I already have my MCSE, I wondered about doing the upgrade which would roll three possible exams in to one (649) and then 647 and 680 Windows 7. Three exams in total.

But the sensible part of me thinks I should take the exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, then 647 then 680. However there is urgency of achieving these quickly and for the simplicity want to just take the 649, 647 and 680.

I guess I could read all of the core books 640, 642 and 643 and then still take the one exam.

Anyone else in this situation wanting to 'upgrade' their MCSE?

Steve

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gateway

Firstly, congrats on passing the VCP.

Secondly - just take the upgrade exams! I can't see any particular reason for doing the full path. Most of the knowledge you already have from the 2003 series - doing the upgrade will re-query that skillset a little but will primarily concentrate on the new features of 2008.

Depending on what experience you have (sounds like enough

) you should be able to rattle these off quite quickly.

Don't look at starting this as a negative thing. Once you have this in the bag, you won't have anything to worry about for quite a while unless you want to head down a more specific route.

steve77uk

gateway wrote: »

Firstly, congrats on passing the VCP.

Secondly - just take the upgrade exams! I can't see any particular reason for doing the full path. Most of the knowledge you already have from the 2003 series - doing the upgrade will re-query that skillset a little but will primarily concentrate on the new features of 2008.

Depending on what experience you have (sounds like enough ) you should be able to rattle these off quite quickly.

Don't look at starting this as a negative thing. Once you have this in the bag, you won't have anything to worry about for quite a while unless you want to head down a more specific route.

Thanks Gateway, VMware was interesting and different as you had to take an official course, but the course in itself is not enough to pass the exam, you have to do a couple more weeks studying solid and even then the exam was a beast.

Re 2008, it is just a depressing thought because of all the grief and aggro I went through to get my MCSE 2003, but then again, I need to do this as it makes you stand out from the crowd during initial selection.

You are right, I have been pondering this for a while and since I posted this. I have bought the core books for Enterprise Admin so will read the individual books and then take the one upgrade exam.

I have not seen many people on here take the upgrade - anyone who has share to comment on how they studied for it?

(Hope to become a bit more involved in techexams.net so hello - again!)

gateway

Grief and aggro - I know what you mean

It's a time consuming path to say the least - it is if you want to do it properly anyway. I didn't want to read the books as quickly as possible, then pass, then forget everything. I wanted to do it as well as I could and learn and retain and lab as much as possible. No point in having decent certs then in an interview say you have forgotten most of it.

Personally I'm looking forward to finishing the MCSE then starting 2008 - something more relevant to the times will keep things interesting.

I'd also like work to send me on the VCP course but they won't put their hands in their pockets. Damn this recession!

All the best anyway - enjoy it!

za3bour

Good luck for you, I'm currently studying for 70-647 and I have to say it's the hardest exam I study for till now. I can't help you with 649 but I can wish you good luck and make sure to get R2 book like Mastering Windows 2008 R2 or Windows 2008 R2 Unleached (which I have).

steve77uk

za3bour wrote: »

Good luck for you, I'm currently studying for 70-647 and I have to say it's the hardest exam I study for till now. I can't help you with 649 but I can wish you good luck and make sure to get R2 book like Mastering Windows 2008 R2 or Windows 2008 R2 Unleached (which I have).

@za3bour, Yes I will do, I have read that the exams have now changed for R2 stuff. I have just bought the core books from Amazon so no doubt that has been a waste of time - although there is an MS R2 PDF you can download direct from MS.

@Gateway, yeah I feel my MCSE was a bit rushed, but as I don't use all the technologies I studied day in day out, I have mostly forgotten about the stuff such as PKI, Certificates etc.. I think this time around I will use the labs a bit more now I am up on VMware. Then again, I was working with 2003 a lot back then, but only on a Sysadmin level, nothing meaty!

RobertKaucher

steve77uk wrote: »

... It is depressing to know that I have just bought another big box set for 2008 of over £100 and daunting that I am going to have to read them all.

However, as I already have my MCSE, I wondered about doing the upgrade which would roll three possible exams in to one (649) and then 647 and 680 Windows 7. Three exams in total.

But the sensible part of me thinks I should take the exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, then 647 then 680. However there is urgency of achieving these quickly and for the simplicity want to just take the 649, 647 and 680.

I guess I could read all of the core books 640, 642 and 643 and then still take the one exam.

Of course you are going to take the one exam. You are talking about finding it depressing that you spent money on a huge box set of books but then entertain the idea of paying for 2 additional exams!?!?

It only makes sense to do the upgrade. Just keep the focus and make sure you do the lab work and you'll be fine. Anyone with an MCSE 2003 should be able to handle the 2008 exams without much of a problem. I found the questions clearer and actually more relevant. You'll enjoy the process! Trust me!

steve77uk

Yeah, you're right, thanks Robert...

I just couldn't get my head around studying the one 649 book which has the information of 3 and then an exam which is basically 3-in-1...

Time to crack on me thinks...