ccna or mcitp

demonfurbie

which is more difficult over all

ccna or mcitp:sa

i know microsoft questions are quite cryptic, how do cisco questions stack up?

Essendon

Oranges taste better than apples.

We've had this same discussion a million times in the past too, if you work on MS, the SA might be easier. If you work on Cisco, the CCNA might be easier. The CCNA is one exam, the SA is four exams. That might make it harder and more daunting.

networker050184

Depends entierly on the person. You will not get any useful info from this poll.

spicy ahi

CCNA for me. I gave up on the MCITP because I couldn't get past reading the first chapter of 70-680 before my brain went into hibernation.

ptilsen

As roughly twelve other people will tell you, they're very different and people with different experiences and interests will report very different opinions.

You should adjust the title, because people will read the title and vote for which they like better instead of which is harder.

If I had to make an objective pick, I would say MCITP:SA is harder, more difficult, and more time consuming. That is not to say it is a bigger achievement -- just one that I believe will require at least slightly more effort. Keep in mind I have neither certification (although equivalent skill, experience, and knowledge in both subject areas), so my opinion is of limited value.

Slowhand

If you spend the time and effort to earn either (or both) honestly, doing labs and reading the books, then chances are that you'll spend more time on the MCSA/MCITP: SA than on the CCNA path. The only reason I say this is that the infrastructure exam (70-642) recommends the same fundamental networking knowledge that something like the CCENT or Network+ gives you, which means you're looking at more of a comparison between ICND2 and the MCITP: SA exams. If that's the case, it's a matter of learning all of Active Directory and Group Policy - including related technologies such as Certificate Services and Lightweight Directory Services - as well as network infrastructure topics like DNS, DHCP, WSUS, and of course, TCP/IP topics. This doesn't include the fact that, while the CCNA is one or two technology exams, the MCITP: SA cert requires two technology exams and a design/management exam.

Other than that, it's purely subjective. If you've worked with Windows clients extensively, moving to Windows Server is going to be less harrowing than working the command-line on a Cisco router or switch. If you're coming from a Linux background and never worked with Windows in your life, then you're probably not going to have a heart-attack when that green-text-on-black-background CLI pops up at you but you'll probably find the Windows Server interface a bit difficult to get used to. Preference is huge, and often times what we find "difficult" has more to do with feeling out of our element in beginning to learn this new thing than actually spending the time and effort learning it.

And as Essendon and a few others have already said, this kind of discussion is fairly redundant. There are dozens upon dozens of threads just like it all over the forum, and they all boil down to personal preference being the point of contention. Figure out which you prefer, and do that path first, then think about doing the other. Or, do something else entirely, it's completely up to you and your goals.

demonfurbie

im mostly looking at the test style

ms is known for having stuff on the test that was never in any study materials and the way they ask the questions is very cryptic ... i just wanted to see if cisco did the same

Slowhand

The best thing you can do is take some practice tests, maybe from Transcender since they're pretty close to the real thing on most fronts, and see what you think. No matter what answer any of us give, (short of breaking the NDA,) it's still going to be subjective.

TLeTourneau

I've done both and without divulging NDA items I don't believe that any Microsoft exam I've taken has ever had questions that weren't at least touched upon by the Microsoft course material. Same for Cisco, using the Cisco study material. The trick is to read it all and not skim over any of it, no matter how boring it gets.

Also, I didn't vote but the MS cert can take longer as it is more tests covering a (mostly) different type of information. As others have mentioned apples & oranges, personal preference, ect.

ChooseLife

Having done both, I prefer oranges

Roguetadhg

Apple chips for snacks.

rsutton

I found the Cisco questions to be straight forward and easy given a couple months of study. My experience is almost primarily Window AD and I had a harder time passing the MCITP tests.

MickQ

Apples? Oranges? Nonsense, airplanes is the answer!

CCNA, for me, needed more study. Your experience will vary depending on how much you already know.