How long to get MCSE or MCITP qualified?

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by Brooksy80, Apr 3, 2009.

  1. Brooksy80

    Brooksy80 Bit Poster

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    Hi all,

    My contract ends at the end of April and I'm determined this time around to get MCSE or MCITP qualified. Muy background is 2nd Line Support.

    1. Which one would you go for? Some of the guys I work with recommend going for 2008, but after reading several posts on here I'm thinking of going down the 2003 route.

    2. How long will it take to get certified in MSCE or MCITP? I can afford to have 2 or 3 months off and was planning on studying 35 hours a week.

    Thanks in advance.

    Mark
     
  2. TheGreenGorilla

    TheGreenGorilla New Member

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    How long it will take to do MCSE is quite a hard question to answer for an 'outsider'.

    Your first one is slighty easier; I would take the route that you have most experience with. Don't be put off MCSA/MCSE because 2003 is older - it will be around for a long time yet.
     
    Certifications: Network+, MCP, MCSA:Messaging
    WIP: still deciding
  3. Boycie
    Honorary Member

    Boycie Senior Beer Tester

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    hi,

    If you are prepared to take time off work, have you thought about classroom training to compliment your knowledge?

    The boot camp I (and SimonV) attended was really good. You will be able to cover a lot of material when working all day in a classroom. Not sure about you, but if i spent all day at home, there would always be some distraction! When I came across a topic I was unsure of my instructor tried different approaches to teaching to help you master it. It's also a good opportunity to meet others in the same field as you.

    Good luck with whatever you choose.

    Simon
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 2, 2015
    Certifications: MCSA 2003, MCDST, A+, N+, CTT+, MCT
  4. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    2003. I always recommend certifying on the oldest version and working forward. If nothing else, it makes you look like you know how to administer more things.

    As long as it takes... everyone's different. Some people can pass without any studying... some people take years to pass.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  5. Triton.Deep

    Triton.Deep Bit Poster

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    I think this deserves more debate than it usually gets. There is a lot of 2003 out there, it is the dominant NOS, it is the expected NOS, you have to be able to deal with whatever comes up on it. However; keep in mind the other facts of life. There are 2.2 Million MCP's in the world. 250,000 MCSE's in the world. By comparison, there are 11,000 Windows 2008 MCITP's EA's in the world. I wonder how many 2003 admins/technicians are out of work right now? How many of them would you be competeing with for jobs? I'm not pushing you one way or the other, I know it's horrible to say it, but both is ideal. 2008 (and 2008 R2 :P) is the future. Be a forward thinker.

    35 hours a week studying is a truck load of studying to be sure. Boson nailed it, everyone is different. Some folks go through exams like a hot knife through melting butter. Some struggle and agonize and take years literally. All depends on you. I just recently decided to start working on certifications again, I did four exams in the last 30 days. One week of study and playing around and practice exams, then an exam. For the record though, I do this stuff all day everyday and for years it's been that way. I'd pick one and give it a higher priority, but try to do both, or do one and get a portion of the other and keep working at it.

    Thats the one thing about certificaiton and learning, it never ends, it never stops, just come to terms with it now and get ready to be doing this all over again at some point in the future.

    Best of luck on it, hopefully you'll share along the way and we can all help out in whatever fashion we can.

    J.
     
    Certifications: MCITP EMA, MCTS, MCSE (x3), CCNA, A+,etc
    WIP: MCM for Exchange probably. Not Sure
  6. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    I agree :)

    That's right, it took me 1 year to gain my MCSA 2000, studying 15-20 hours per week and working as an IT tech doing 1st & 2nd line support (as well as touching a bit of 3rd line), it took approx another year to gain my MCSE 2000 - this time as a senior tech in a much smaller team (from 11 to 2).

    Yet I've know people who have taken 1/2 the time and others who are still studying...

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Yep... always, always, always do both. However, it's far easier to upgrade your MCSE: 2003 certification to the MCITP: 2008... there IS no "downgrade" path to go from the MCITP: 2008 to the MCSE: 2003.

    Good stuff, TD. :)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I took a whole year between my Windows 95 exam and my Windows NT 4.0 Server exam while I gained enough experience to know what I was doing. :D
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!

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