MCSE CERT. ASAP!!! 4

[tester125]

Hi all,

I have 10 years of experience with windows up to version 2k. Unfortunately no certification. The firm I work for is being merged with another. Thus I need to get my certification asap. Could anyone recommend the fastest way of getting the MCSE certification without doing littlest reading as possible. I need to get this done asap, job depends on it. New firm don't care too much on experience, but certification. Is there good transcenders out that I could study on?
Also I'm not fluent on windows 2003, would you recommend me taking the 2000 MCSE then updating to 2003. Or just take 2003 cert.

Thanks all.

 

[h5n1]

purchase the transcender mcse 2000 package and do them should tell ya your chances of passing the exam without deep digging on books and stuff....and i would say study your weakness as the test are mort the MS way of doing stuff then the real world...so from your background you might figure some question doesn't make any sense to you but you have to understand the objectives and how these questions were composed....i personally liked the transcender questions as they will explain why this particular answer is right or wrong. and yes do the 2k path then study for the 2k3 upgrade exam.

good luck

 

[NickFerrar]

Well the absolute quickest way would probably be a boot camp, you do all 7 exams in 14 days - it will cost you several thousand dollars though.

Other than that it would be Transcenders + mini network environment and a lot of motivation. Even with 10 years experience there will likely be quite a few areas you haven't much experience with, especially not 'the Microsoft way'.

 

[TJRTech]

This once again proves that certification for certification sake is just plain wrong.

Nothing against tester125, but if you have ten solid years of windows experience then you should be able to score almost a passing grade on most MSCE exams just from superficial knowledge. Boning up on the minutia to get a passing grade is what the prep materials are best at, IMHO.

I suggest looking for another company. If the company is using MS Cert as a litmus for its employees than it will constantly be rotating people in and out, and anyone who wants to put three weeks into memorization can get a job there...possibly taking yours at a lower payscale and/or with a more recent cert.

TR

 

[tester125]

Thanks for all the input guys, your thoughts and consideration are greatly appreciated.

MCSE 2000 here I come, I'm taking the workstation and server next week on a fly. The others I will be looking at the transcenders.

 

[NickFerrar]

Hmm I'd do some revision for Workstation and Server to if I were you. I've been using Windows O/S's since v2 and server since NT v3.51, there's a heck of a lot of stuff in the exams you don't typically cover in a day-to-day support role (at least not to the depth required).

Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with certification just for the sake of it, I wouldn't have bothered myself if my employer didn't require me to. Sure I learnt a lot doing the study and exams but I'll forget most of it before I ever come across it again in the real world. Heck even the stuff I do retain I'll still re-read over it before I do something in production or visit a client site.

Employers that are hiring need some way to filter out the applications, I hear some people simply divide the pile of CV's in two and bin one half without even looking at them. I'd far rather they reject non-MCSE's than do it that way even if having an MCSE doesn't necessarily make you more qualified than someone without whose CV just got binned.

At the end of the day though a good Windows support person just needs common sense, a logical mind and to know where to look for information (Technet, Google groups etc).

 

[jtb]

actually, I would tell you that if you get the certs without any hands-on, people will know very quickly... recommend setting up a home lab and practice as you read... good hunting!!

JTB
Have Certs, Will Travel
"A knight without armour in a [cyber] land."

 

[aftertaf]

good luck and let us know