Should I try to obtain MCSE if I currently have MCSA

willanderson1111

I already failed 70-293 twice now and I am not sure if I should pursue it if is going to expire soon. What would you guys suggest?

RobertKaucher

How many exams have you passed in the MCSE track?

willanderson1111

None. I need 3 exams to get MCSE.

Essendon

willanderson1111 wrote: »

None. I need 3 exams to get MCSE.

If I were you, I'd ditch the MCSE and take the upgrade path to the MCITP : EA or SA. For the EA you'll need 3 assuming the client exam you took to obtain the MCSA also counts towards the EA (the Win 7 and Vista exams do). Why go on doing a cert which has 3 exams that require considerable effort and will be dated in the near future (aka the MCSE), when you can take 3 other exams and get yourself a new cert which is what employers looks for usually now-a-days.

RobertKaucher

Essendon wrote: »

If I were you, I'd ditch the MCSE and take the upgrade path to the MCITP : EA or SA. For the EA you'll need 3 assuming the client exam you took to obtain the MCSA also counts towards the EA (the Win 7 and Vista exams do). Why go on doing a cert which has 3 exams that require considerable effort and will be dated in the near future (aka the MCSE), when you can take 3 other exams and get yourself a new cert which is what employers looks for usually now-a-days.

If you were scoring under 690 on the 293, I agree 100% with Essendon. You will still need to learn these concepts for the Server 2008 exams, though. If you are close for the 293, then I would consider getting the MCSE.

ptilsen

I would recommend you move right into the MCITP:EA track. Complete your 70-648 upgrade, then your client exam if you haven't. Three more MCSE tests could be harder than expected, and you don't want to run out of time.

DirtyWilly

I don't agree.

Employers still highly value those 4 magical letters MCSE. If you're looking to advance, get the MCSE. I failed twice and just recently passed the 293. It was a ***** of a test... Anyone who said the 291 was harder either didn't take the 293 or has interesting study methods.

To add MCITP is a confusing cert. When you have to explain your credentials to employers then something's wrong.

joneno

This is 2012, c'mon man! Add the mcsa to the mcitp and your resume will look better.

DirtyWilly

LOL, I don't disagree, but old habits die hard. There are still a huge majority of organizations barely on XP and 2003...

Nobylspoon

As the majority have said, go with MCITP:EA. Having this in combination with your MCSA will show you are well rounded in both and up to date on current technology.

Also, MCITP was a new and confusing term 4 years ago but any hiring manager worth their weight knows the value of this now.

DirtyWilly

That's funny.

When I type MCSE into any job search engine the results are almost double that of the MCITP for every major city. But what do I know.

ptilsen

DirtyWilly wrote: »

That's funny.

When I type MCSE into any job search engine the results are almost double that of the MCITP for every major city. But what do I know.

Fast forward a year and things will be very different. Besides, I, for one, probably don't want to go for jobs at employers who don't know a thing about my certifications. If they don't value an MCITP:EA properly they probably aren't going to value any Windows engineer as an employee properly.

My point stands that MCSE will be EoL and impossible to attain within 12 months, possibly within 9 months. It's not an easy or quick goal, and after you finish it you are still going to want to get MCITP: EA. EA is a stopping point; you can branch off into something else unrelated. MCSE within the next six months just means you start working on EA within twelve months.

If I already had 293, maybe I'd go for it. But no 293 now, no go. Too high of a risk to too low a reward.

Daniel333

Are you taking the exam for yourself or what MCSA/E are dead. If it's a personal challenge, keep at it! If you on the other hand want to prove your skills for job reasons you might want to stop here and start looking at Windows 8/2012 etc and start prepping for those certs.

phoeneous

ptilsen wrote: »

Fast forward a year and things will be very different.

That's what everyone said a year ago.

TeKniques

I honestly wish Microsoft just stayed with the MCSE acronym ...

Anyways, that 293 is a tough exam so I agree with some of the others -- if you're close to passing then stick with it and finish MCSE and then upgrade with the 70-649. If you bombed the 293 it may be easier to just do the 70-648 upgrade and then go for SA and then EA.

ptilsen

phoeneous wrote: »

That's what everyone said a year ago.

I don't know what people were saying a year ago, but things were very different a year ago. A year ago, MS had only recently done the unexpected switch to R2 on the exams. A year ago, Windows 8 wasn't less than a year away. A year ago, we were a year further from EoL on Server 2003 and its certifications.

MCSE will still be valuable for years to come, but MCITP:EA might still be valuable in a decade.

Something else to consider is what employers think that you can't find by a quick job search. I'll hire an MCSE any day of the week, even if it's an MCSE in Windows 2000. But, one of the first questions that comes up will be "When are you pursuing MCITP:EA?" No one who's paying any attention in the industry is still asking "When are you getting MCSE?". For those few that are, just say "Microsoft has been phasing it out for five years. I won't be getting it at all; I'll be getting the replacement."

DirtyWilly

I see your point ptilsen, because EoL looms around the corner where are your efforts best spent?

I also agree that if you bombed 293 then maybe it's time to look at MCITP. However it did take me three tries and about 4 months of hard work.

Edit: Please message me if you want to know what study materials I used, and how much time each took, though you'll probably wish you didn't.

Here's food for thought though... Will the MCSE, because it is so highly valued, become a unicorn?

RobertKaucher

In my part of the country there are fewer and fewer postings for either one.