MCDST or Network+ first?

nathanamthor · March 2005

It seems like everyone seems to go from A+ to Network+ then to MCP. I was wondering if there's any reason for this general trend. I was thinking about getting my MCDST first since the A+ material didn't cover as much of XP as I would like to learn, then after that going on to Network+ or CCNA. Any feedback is appreciated!

quest_to_learn · March 2005

MCDST has recently been launched so it will take time for sure to become popular like A+/Network+. I would say that A+ and MCDST are pretty much on the same level but Network+ is on the intermediate level.

Network+ is very important for making the fundamentals of Networking strong. It covers alot of material for beginners.

CCNA is another animal altogether. It's alot harder then Network+ and requires alot of practice. It's highly respectable in the IT field though. The pass rate on CCNA is very low and alot of people fail on their first tries.

I think you can get MCDST and then Network+ but don't go to testing center for CCNA exam unless you think you know the routing stuff and have some experience with cisco devices.

Good Luck in whatever you decide.

mikey_b · June 2005

A+ is a good start because some employers won't even talk to you without it. Even with other certs. For example, my job absolutely requires A+. Period. Even if you are a B.Sc and MCSE, you will not get the job because A+ is an absolute requirement. And I work for a very, VERY big IT firm. The reason a lot of people follow with N+ is because it is a great stepping stone, you wil learn plenty in the N+ objectives and it will give you a good grasp of networking concepts and sets you up for Cisco certifications. It also counts as an elective for the MCSA certification track for Windows 2000. Once you have A+ and N+, you do not need to take an elective, just 1 client and 2 server exams. Then one more for the 2K3 upgrade and then you're nice and marketable. Use the networking skills earned and get your CCNA, and then doors will open a little easier. Work towards MCSE and CCNP certifications and you'll be the hot ticket providing you have the attitude, work ethic, and experience to pull it all together. I know of several who've taken this course of action with respect to their careers and they are all abroad, making big money elsewhere in Canada, in the US, or overseas. One of them went to Egypt or some such place to pull in close to six figures for 4 months of work...

D-boy · June 2005

There is no right or wrong order, it's really down to personal choice...

I did 70-210, A+, Net+, MCDST, 70-215 as you can see I did these in no logical order...

I did MCDST before 70-215 because I wanted to 1. get it out of the way and 2. learn a bit more about xp and office/IE 3. I knew it would be hard for me to try an obtain MCDST while studying for MCSE 2000. So I put MCSE on hold to focus on MCDST for a month, because trying to focus on more than 1 os can get frustrating...

well for me anyway....

Anyway I passed MCDST within a month and now i'm back onto MCSE...

If I could do it again I think the most logical order would be A+, net+, MCDST, 70-210, 70-215 etc....

mikey_b is right, A+ is required more and more when I see jobs posted... One of the reasons I obtained it is because I couldn't apply for jobs that said "A+ required" and that fustrated me enough to go study and pass the exams with a month. Then I got a feel for the CompTIA exams and just decided to take Net+ 2 weeks later... CompTIA exams seem to be a little easier in my opinion...

any order or choice you choose is still going to lead you down the IT career path.....

MCDST or Network+ first?

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