Planning to knock out MCSA 2008 / MCITP:SA 2008

It's been a long time since I've seriously given any thought to Microsoft exams, but I think the time is right for me to get updated. The quickest hit for me is going to be upgrading my MCSE 2003. I'll do the 70-648 MCSA 2003 to 2008 upgrade exam, and then the 70-646 to complete the MCITP:SA.

I'm aiming to be done before the MCITP:SA title expires, just so I can have that acronym as a keyword on my resume. I don't think I'm going to bother with the MCITP:EA at this point, but I'll probably upgrade MCSA to Server 2012, and down the road I might look at the MCSE again since I have some experience with System Center.

Off to Technet to brush up on MS network infrastructure!

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Slowhand

Good luck, and don't forget to check out the sticky threads in the Server 2008 forum for the handy links to resources Claymoore already looked up for us.

Devilsbane

Hey Blargoe, same boat different captain. I'm also trying to get back on the bandwagon after a hiatus.

I thought the 70-680 was part of the requirement for moving from 2003 certs to the 2008 (whatever you want to call them now)

blargoe

Devilsbane wrote: »

Hey Blargoe, same boat different captain. I'm also trying to get back on the bandwagon after a hiatus.

I thought the 70-680 was part of the requirement for moving from 2003 certs to the 2008 (whatever you want to call them now)

I'm planning to only go for the MCITP:SA/MCSA and not the MCITP:EA. No client exam required for SA. If I do change my mind to go for the EA, I'll need 70-680, since the last client exam I passed was Windows 2000 Workstation. But I doubt I'll get around to it. That's a lot of tests in a short amount of time.

I just want to validate that I can operate Server 2008 and am familiar with all the updated features, and I wanted to pick the certification acronym that would be sticking round long term (MCSA)

Devilsbane

Nice. So correct me if I'm wrong, but the MCITP cert is being retired in July, but the exams are not. Passing them after July gives you the MCSA title?

blargoe

Just for the MCITP:SA/MCSA duo. I don't think there's an MCSE/MCSA equivalent to MCITP:EA, and associated exams 643 and 647 are not available after July.

Devilsbane

In case you're wondering, I found this: Retired exams

It doesn't show which exams are scheduled to retire, but does list the ones that have. MS updated their site somewhat recently and all my links went to generic pages. I found this to be valuable.

dukedar

Blargoe, any feedback on how the 70-648 is going?

Wrote it today... it was tough, and I didn't pass...

Darren

tbgree00

I'm in this boat too. I went to VMware land for awhile and was studying/deploying SharePoint before I decided I didn't think the test was for me. I sorta want to skip 2008 but I figure it would be a pothole in my resume. People won't really care if I have it but they will notice if I have 2003 and 2012 but not 2008.

The upgrade tests (648/649) and the 647 are retiring as of 7/31/13. At that point you can still do the 640, 642 and the 646 but you won't get the MCITP credential, just MCSA:2008. If you do the upgrades pre 7/31 you get both MCITP and MCSA. They haven't announced if MCITP:EA will be auto upgraded to MCSE:2008 or if they are even making a MCSE:2008.

I'm sitting 649 on 1/28 and think I'm ready for the 640 and maybe 642 sections. I'm not even sure what the third section will really cover yet. I work with 2008 every day and do some obscure things with it. I'm not sure the specifics of Hyper V management and I have heard that some questions cover that. I'm watching the CBT Nuggets for this exam and looking through the Server 2008 R2 Unleashed book for the topics I know I need to brush up on. I have a second shot on it so I'm not trying to fail but I'm interested to use the live exam as a gauge of what I know.

blargoe

dukedar wrote: »

Blargoe, any feedback on how the 70-648 is going?

Wrote it today... it was tough, and I didn't pass...

Darren

Slow going so far. I have been really busy and I haven't had much time to hunker down and study for the past week or so. I'm pretty much going through the exam objectives, piece by piece, and combing through the Technet documentation for each one, and walking through it in my lab (unless it is something that I frequently encounter day-to-day). I am studying the 642 objectives first, then the 640, then I will take the test.

Sorry about your exam today. Better luck next time!

Diminutive

I'm thinking about it too but maybe I don't care - it may not be worth busting my ass to save $150. Usually I just update certs in between jobs or when the writing is on the wall. Got skip the Win2K exams that way. Though I was kind of afraid of the Win2k upgrade exam which was supposed to be brutal.

tbgree00

Diminutive wrote: »

I'm thinking about it too but maybe I don't care - it may not be worth busting my ass to save $150. Usually I just update certs in between jobs or when the writing is on the wall. Got skip the Win2K exams that way. Though I was kind of afraid of the Win2k upgrade exam which was supposed to be brutal.

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I'm studying it because I had to roll out R2 for my job or else I wouldn't have started the upgrade. I realized after I booked the 649 there isn't really a MCSE 2008 coming so I may be rushing it for nothing. At least the 649 also counts toward the MCSE:2008 if I decided to go back and get that after doing 2012 stuff.

MrSharp

tbgree00 wrote: »

I realized after I booked the 649 there isn't really a MCSE 2008 coming so I may be rushing it for nothing. At least the 649 also counts toward the MCSE:2008 if I decided to go back and get that after doing 2012 stuff.

Am confused by these last 2 statements of yours

Just querying the existence of MCSE 2008 either now or in the future?

Stoic Joker

While I currently cannot say what actually will work ... I would like to save people some money by stating unequivocally what will not work. The Transcenders are a complete (ripoff) waste of money that doesn't even get close to nuclear blast range of the materials covered. I will never again waste another thin red cent on their completely useless garbage excuse of a product.

Stoic Joker

blargoe wrote: »

(unless it is something that I frequently encounter day-to-day). I am studying the 642 objectives first, then the 640, then I will take the test.

If you work with this stuff in the field on a daily basis (I do) don't worry to much about the (642) infrastructure stuff (yeah it's hard...but it ain't that hard). The 640 active directory stuff on the other hand...is a complete slaughter. constantly nitpicking intricate details of technologies that will never be used outside of a ultra paranoid global corporate environment.

I've been an admin for a decade, and I've never failed an MS exam before - usually end up in the 900's - but I've managed to bone this &%^$# thing twice.