Confusing new MS certification tracks

I have MCSE 2003 certification. Recently I have been visiting Microsoft's certification pages and felt like landed on an alien planet. MS did a major **** up with the acronyms for their new certifications. Anyway, I am trying to decide the best way to get the new MCSE (microsoft certified solution expert) on 2012.

I was planning to upgrade my MCSE:2003 to MCITP: Enterprise Administrator by taking 70-649, 70-647 and 70-680. Now I am not sure If I want to pursue that route. I am more interested in learning and being certified in server 2012 and windows 8. My heart is not there for 2008 and 7 anymore knowing the new certs are just around the corner. I wish there is a direct upgrade path from 2003 to 2012 but seems impossible now.

MCSE:2003 --(70-648 and 70-646) --> MCITP: server administrator 2008 ---??--> MCSE:2012.

or

MCSE:2003 --(70-649, 70-647 and 70-680) --> MCITP: Enterprise Administrator 2008 ---??--> MCSE:2012.

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pumbaa_g

Easy way wil be be MCSE:2003>MCITP:SA 2008>MCSE 2012 plus it will not cost a bomb. You may have to do something later about Win 8 but cant factor that in as of now without having a crystal ball

Slowhand

If you're interested in the shortest path to upgrade from MCSE 2003 to the new MCSE, (most likely you'll want to go the route of Server Infrastructure), the path is relatively easy. Since you mentioned that you have the older MCSE, but not the MCSA, you'd have to take the more difficult upgrade exam.

MCSE Windows Server 2003 --> 70-649 + 70-647 + 70-680 (MCITP: Enterprise Administrator)--> 70-417 (MCSA: Windows Server 2012) --> [Whichever MCSE path you choose after that.]

If you're looking for more info on the 2012 generation MCSE paths, you can have a look at this thread: http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcsa-mcse-windows-2012-general/78297-mcsa-mcse-windows-server-2012-info.html

MeanDrunkR2D2

If you just want the new MCSE, I probably wouldn't even bother upgrading it to the MCSA 2008 as that won't be your end goal. I'd just take the 3 exams for MCSA 2012, the the 2 additional tests for the MCSE. Fewer tests in the long run, although you'll have to wait until those exams are released to start them out.

0xFFFFFF

I also have MCSA:2003 certification. So I can take the 70-648 and 70-646 to MCSA:2008 and the three exams to MCSE:2012. This way I am also getting certified in 2008. Majority of the companies won't migrate to 2012 immediately anyway.

If I skip the 2008 track, then I will have to take three 2012 exams for MCSA:2012 and then two for MCSE:2012.

Are the 70-648 and 70-649 hard?

ptilsen

Slowhand wrote: »

Since you mentioned that you have the older MCSE, but not the MCSA, you'd have to take the more difficult upgrade exam.

I don't think there's any path to obtaining MCSE 2003 that doesn't also meet requirements for MCSA 2003. Unlike with the MCITP options, MCSA was intended to be a subset of MCSE.

0xFFFFFF wrote: »

Are the 70-648 and 70-649 hard?

The 70-648 is not especially difficult, and will probably be easy since you have MCSE and presumably lots of relevant experience. The 70-649 is extraordinarily difficult as it contains the material for 70-643, which is, again, extraordinarily difficult. Additionally, the material in it is more dissimilar to its 2003 equivalent technologies and includes more new technologies (as opposed to changed/upgraded/enhanced technologies).

My opinion is that the best path for current MCSE/A 2003 holders is to upgrade to MCIPT:SA/MCSA 2008 (same certification), then upgrade to MCSA 2012 which can then be used for completing MCSE: Server Infrastructure. This achieves four high-level titles (although this is basically cheating as two of them are literally identical in meaning) in two different Windows platform versions. I provide a specific explanation to this path in this thread.

An alternative approach is to upgrade to MCITP:SA/MCSA 2008, then complete MCSE Private Cloud. This is a shorter path to get a different MCSE title. MCSE Private Cloud is basically MCITP:SA + SCCM, while MCSE Server Infrastructure is largely the 2012 equivalent to MCSE 2003 and MCITP:EA.

While the two MCSE titles have very different intents, I think they will ultimately achieve roughly the same market value as a result of widespread employer and IT professional misunderstanding and the legacy of the MCSE. Only a shop that doesn't use SCCM and has managed to gain clarity of the new certification structure will value Private Cloud less than Server Infrastructure. The Private Cloud path does have an inherent advantage in that unlike Server Infrastructure, you can actually get it right now and the software it's about is already available.

Slowhand

ptilsen wrote: »

I don't think there's any path the obtaining MCSE 2003 that doesn't also meet requirements for MCSA 2003. Unlike with the MCITP options, MCSA was intended to be a subset of MCSE.

That's right. I've been looking at the MCITP paths for so long, I'd completely forgotten that there was no separate MCSA exam back on the 2003 track. I suppose more than half a decade of time passing since I last took a 2003 exam will do that to the ol' gray-matter.

LTParis

I have long postponed modernizing my certificates, and my original goal a couple years ago was MCITP:EA. I take it now the most relevant path would be MCITP:SA/MCSA Server 2008, and then onward with 2012 certs.