When you become certified as an MCSA or MCSE,
you'll be ready for new challenges, new opportunities, and
advancement and leadership roles within your organization.
MCSA is a Microsoft certification for Windows
2000 and .NET systems support professionals. It is more than
the midpoint to MCSE certification. The MCSA credential is targeted
specifically at those who implement, manage and troubleshoot
existing Windows 2000-based systems, including Windows .NET
Server. MCSA validates the specific experience required for
the systems administrator role. The MCSA certification consists
of three core exams and one elective. Until the MCSA certification
came into being, a Microsoft networking professional would be
MCP after one exam, but had to pass seven qualifying certification
exams before reaching MCSE. Now the MCSA is a good mid-way point
to MCSE, and can serve as an end in itself. To satisfy the MCSA
core exam requirements, the student must take one client operating
system exam and two networking system exams. To satisfy the
elective requirement, you have a choice of many MCP exams. DS-NY
has made the choices for you through our Boot Camp program.
The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
certification is designed for IT professionals working in a
complex computing environment of medium to large organizations.
MCSE candidates on the Windows 2000 track are required to pass
seven exams that include the following:
Five core exams
Four operating system exams
One design exam
Two elective exams
The exams provide a valid, reliable measure
of technical proficiency and expertise in solution design and
implementation. MCSE candidates should have at least one
year of experience implementing and administering a network
operating system, implementing and administering a desktop
operating system, and designing a network infrastructure.
Candidates can complete the core operating system exams
requirement by passing either four Windows 2000 or four Windows
XP Professional/. NET Enterprise Server exams, or a combination
of both.
A student who has been certified as MCSA has
already completed four of seven exams necessary for MCSE. Refer
to MCSA requirements above. Let's assume the student has passed
the following exams leading to MCSA:
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70-210
70-215
70-216, and
70-218
Then 70-210, 70-215, and 70-216 count as three
of five core exams required for MCSE. Although 70-218 is a core
requirement for MCSA, it counts as an elective for MCSE. So what
do we need to complete the MCSE requirements?
The MCSE candidate must take one more Core
Networking Systems exam, such as 70-217: Implementing and
Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services
Infrastructure.
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In addition, the candidate must select a Core
Design Exam from the following:
70-219: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services
Infrastructure
70-220: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network
70-221: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network
Infrastructure
70-226: Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft
Windows 2000 Server Technologies
That leaves just one elective exam, and there
are courses from which to choose. However, in terms of
popularity (and what corporations are looking for) perhaps the
best decision is to choose two of the Core Design Exams listed
above. Either one will count as the second elective. Although
there are many roads to MCSE, the following is a suggested, and
recommended, path to MCSE, and is exactly what the DS-NY Boot
Camp follows:
70-210: Installing, Configuring, and
Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
70-215: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft
Windows 2000 Server
70-216: Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000
Network Infrastructure
70-218: Managing a Windows 2000 Network Environment
70-217: Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000
Directory Services Infrastructure
70-219: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services
Infrastructure
70-220: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network
