Server + VS MCSA

My friend is thinking of taking the server + but his co workers are telling him to take the MCSA. He does not have an account on here but he does enjoy the posts. What would you suggest? He has 4 years of IT experience but only has the Net+. He wants to get into Win system Admin...

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jaso

NetworkNewb wrote: »

For him to make an account

ITSpectre wrote: »

My friend is thinking of taking the server + but his co workers are telling him to take the MCSA. He does not have an account on here but he does enjoy the posts. What would you suggest? He has 4 years of IT experience but only has the Net+. He wants to get into Win system Admin...

Server+ is not vendor specific - your friend will get questions from both Linux and Windows environments. So if he would like to go on with Windows Administration the MCSA will suit him better...

ITSpectre

I will have him make an account ASAP

Cisco Inferno

Don't do the server+. It is the A+ for rackable servers.

Do the MCSA, the difference is night and day for these two certs.

stryder144

I agree with Cisco Inferno. Very few companies are going to look for someone with Server+ yet many, many companies are looking for MCSA/MCSE Windows Server 20xx certifications.

byron66

The difficulty of the two are on a completely different levels from each other. MCSA is the way to go.

gncsmith

stryder144 wrote: »

Very few companies are going to look for someone with Server+ yet many, many companies are looking for MCSA/MCSE Windows Server 20xx certifications.

Bingo! Yes, this.

tmtex

How hard is Server + compared to the others ? Just curious

PJ_Sneakers

It shouldnt be too hard for you if you've got MCSE, CNA, and A+.

netsysllc

Have never taken the Server+ exam but considering most comptia exams are extremely easy for someone with just a few years of experience I would assume it is easy as well. The MCSA exams on the other hand are much more challenging but your friend will learn much more about Windows server on this route, as well as having a relevant certification.

PJ_Sneakers

I agree with netsysllc. MCSA will have a much better ROI than Server+ hands down. I mean, unless your dude really just likes RAID levels and server room terminology.

tmtex

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

It shouldnt be too hard for you if you've got MCSE, CNA, and A+.

Actually did a example test, not to hard

Goteki54

Server+ can't really compare to MCSA. The two are really totally different criteria certifications. MCSA has to do along the lines of being a Network Administrator. Server+ is more inline with being a Server hardware Tech. It's the next step up from an A+. So if you want to repair servers then Server+ is the way to go.

Verities

Server + is an extremely easy certification that only took me a few hours to study for and will allow your friend no noticeable return on investment. I took it a while ago as a filler cert because proctoru had a deal for $50 to take the exam.

As much as I dislike Microsoft and the way they style their exams, I agree with everyone on doing the MCSA instead.

PJ_Sneakers

Verities wrote: »

Server + is an extremely easy certification that only took me a few hours to study for and will allow your friend no noticeable return on investment. I took it a while ago as a filler cert because proctoru had a deal for $50 to take the exam.

LOL me too. That and Project+. I missed out on the Cloud+ though. I should have powered through, but I ran out of time.

Verities

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

LOL me too. That and Project+. I missed out on the Cloud+ though. I should have powered through, but I ran out of time.

The offer was too good to beat to get some resume filler. I skipped on Project + since that's a whole load of boring material and skipped cloud + because I have a VCP.

Goteki54

I'm going to get it simply because it's low hanging fruit that will diversify my resume a bit and also it's a lifetime cert

AndersonSmith

I haven't taken Server+ (yet), but after browsing over the objectives and some training materials it seems relatively simpler than MCSA. Like others have said, MCSA would be more valuable, however I'm going to say that depending on your friend's level of experience with servers and networking he may be better off starting with the Server+ or at least the A+. I just got done with the MCSA last month and I found that having the A+, Net+, and Security+ all helped immensely with my MCSA studies. Of course, it's not just having the certs, but what I learned while studying for them. Most of the MCSA study materials assume that you already have a lot of the fundamental knowledge covered by most of the entry-level CompTIA certs so it's not a bad idea to start there first, or even if you don't want to spend the money to get the actual certifications, at least study some of the objectives for them. It looks like the Server+ is very similar to the A+ and is only one test compared to the 2 that the A+ is so if he doesn't have A+ getting Server+ first might not be a bad idea. Still though, I agree with everyone else that the MCSA will be a ton more valuable in the long run... That's my 2 cents anyway. I'm actually thinking of getting the Server+ in the next few months now that I have the MCSA just simply because I think it'll be something I can grab relatively quickly and it's still a good for life cert and certainly doesn't hurt to have more certs on your resume! Good luck!

Goteki54

Dice came out with their Mid Year Skills and Certification report card basically giving a report on which certs are going up in demand in the market place and which ones are declining in value etc. Server+ has seen an increase in value by 25 to 33% in the market place. That's a pretty good jump.
Mid-Year Skills and Certifications Report Card - Dice Insights

ThePawofRizzo

I agree with those on here that see MCSA as having more value, however, if your friend only has Network+ and some years of experience, I'd say to consider Server+. There is some material on Server+ that would be topics that would be found on the MCSA, and if your friend has N+ and some experience, there is probably 25% of the material on S+ that was covered in N+ -- So, less study time. In a short time, with Server+ he will gain the cert, some knowledge that will be on the MCSA, and some knowledge that will just help his career in general. And Server+ is more hardware oriented, whereas MS will be software and vendor specific.

As Goteki suggests earlier, Server+ will also help "diversify" his resume. I've taken most of CompTIA's exams - Proj+, RFID+, PDI+, N+, etc. - all just to get some basic exposure to many technologies and topics, even ones I don't work in regularly.

LordQarlyn

Honestly, about the only place CompTIA certs have value are for US DoD contracts and other US government agencies. I would go for the MCSA, indeed I am working towards getting the MCSA 2012 since mine is 2003 and not even non-profits use Server 2003 these days.
The only reason I am considering Server+ is to get an IT security position on a DoD contract and I need a "Computer Education" cert and of all the ones listed, the Server+ would be the only one I could get quickly.

Love this! It is perfectly apt!

Cisco Inferno wrote: »

Don't do the server+. It is the A+ for rackable servers.

Do the MCSA, the difference is night and day for these two certs.