Microsoft Cert confusion

PsychoCisco

Hi I'm a CCENT and currently working towards my ICND2 (CCNA) but Most of the jobs I tried to apply for ask for Windows server knowledge as well. So what should I do? I have no clue where to start I mean I searched online and even here they suggest either to do MCITP or MCSA . I know majority of the job listings I looked at were asking Server 2008 knowledge.

Can someone please guide me as to what exam(s) I should take. I'm kind of confused because I heard that they're retiring MCITP and bringing back MCSA this is the problem I'm clueless

Thanks in advance

Ivanjam

Forget about the different flavors of MCITP - it's really confusing! This is what you want to do: MCSA Windows Server 2008. The certification consists of 3 exams - 70-640, 70-642 and 70-646.

Personally, I plan to start from a desktop cert: MCTS Windows 7. Configuring aka Exam 70-680. After that I plan to get the MCSA: Windows 7 by completing exam 70-685. Only then will I tackle the Server 2008 stuff.

PsychoCisco

Thanks mate I really appreciate that. Is there any particular order I have to take these tests from? and also what Study material would you recommend?

Thanks again

Ivanjam

You can take the exams in any order you wish although people with a strong networking background seem to favor the 70-642 exam. Regarding exam material, I can't recommend anything specific as I have not yet taken the exams but the following books seem to crop up often in discussions on TE (make sure they are the R2 editions):

MCITP Windows Server 2008 Server Administrator: Training Kit 3-Pack: Exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-646: Dan Holme, Nelson Ruest, Danielle Ruest, Tony Northrup, J.C. Mackin, Ian McLean, Orin Thomas, Jason Kellington: 9780735663282: Amazon.com: Books
Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed: Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris: 9780672330926: Amazon.com: Books
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Administration Instant Reference: Matthew Hester, Chris Henley: 9780470525395: Amazon.com: Books
Windows Server 2008 Administrators Pocket Consultant: William R. Stanek: 9780735627116: Amazon.com: Books
Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-640): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory (Self-Paced Training Kits): Dan Holme, Nelson Ruest, Danielle Ruest, Jason Kellington: 9780735651937: Amazon.com: Books
MCTS 70-640 Cert Guide: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring: Don Poulton: 9780789747082: Amazon.com: Books
Self-Paced Training Kit Exam 70-642: Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure: Tony Northrup, J.C. Mackin: 9780735651609: Amazon.com: Books

PsychoCisco

Thanks Man I will check them out. I will certainly make sure they're R2

rob_crossley

I did the CCENT and CCNA first then went onto the MS exams, guess i was sucker for punnishment. Cisco Exams i find are far more difficult than the MS 1s. But everyone is different. If i could offer any advice, coming from a CCENT/CCNA background yourself i would do the 70-642 Networking Win srv 2008 exam first. This gives you a gentle ramp up to the 70-640 Win srv 08 AD exam.

Then it's only the 70-646 exam to get your MCSA Server 2008 qualification. Once you have this it's only 1 upgrade exam to get MCSA 2012, Most companies aren't looking for this yet as there arent many windows server 2012's around just yet.

Hope this helps. And happy studying!

KMYost

I just took the 70-680, the exam heavily assumes that you already understand 2008 r2. There were 50 questions, 6 of them were explicit server 2008 R2 questions, basically saying "if you do this on your Windows 7 desktop, what do you do on the server? That and the Powershell script questions and I didn't make it. Starting with the 70-642 now.

DoubleNNs

So are you implying it might be a good idea to do server certs before going into the client Windows certs?

PsychoCisco

rob_crossley wrote: »

I did the CCENT and CCNA first then went onto the MS exams, guess i was sucker for punnishment. Cisco Exams i find are far more difficult than the MS 1s. But everyone is different. If i could offer any advice, coming from a CCENT/CCNA background yourself i would do the 70-642 Networking Win srv 2008 exam first. This gives you a gentle ramp up to the 70-640 Win srv 08 AD exam.

Then it's only the 70-646 exam to get your MCSA Server 2008 qualification. Once you have this it's only 1 upgrade exam to get MCSA 2012, Most companies aren't looking for this yet as there arent many windows server 2012's around just yet.

Hope this helps. And happy studying!

Thanks Rob. I was thinking to do the same 70-646. I still haven't completed my ICND2 but am going to study for MCSA simultaneously.