Hello and a quick question

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Hi guys, iv'e just signed up to the board and wanted to say hello and ask a question.

I already have ECDL, A+ and N+ qualifications and want to add MCSE to them. I have a meeting with a guy from a training company next week to discuss doing the MCSE. This is what they are offering:

• MCP 70-210: Implementing, Administering and Troubleshooting information systems that incorporate Windows 2000 Professional
  

• MCP 70-215: Implementing, Administering and Troubleshooting information systems that incorporate Windows 2000 Server.
  

• MCP 70-216: Installing, Managing, Monitoring, Configuring and Troubleshooting the components and features of Network Infrastructure.
  

• MCP 70-217: Installing, Configuring and Troubleshooting the Windows 2000 Active Directory Components.
  

• MCP 70-219: Analysing the business requirements and Designing a directory services architecture which meets these requirements.
  

• MCP 70-220: Analysing the business requirements and Designing a security solution which meets these requirements.
  

• MCP 70-221: Analysing the business requirements and Designing a network infrastructure which meets these requirements.

They are offering this for £3600 with "full" tutor support (8am - 8pm mon-fri, 8am-1pm sat-sun) and all exams included, with free retakes if I fail any.

Should I be looking for an MCSE that includes Windows XP and server 2003? I've read Phoenix's post about MCSE security and wonder if i should be looking for something similar to that.

I have considered studying off my own back but i'm worried about coming across subjects that may need some face to face expaining that I won't be getting from books etc.

Any help will be greatly appreciated as this will be another £3600 on top of the £3500 I paid for MCSA with another company that messed me around so much I had to knock it on the head... but that's another story if anyone's interested.

So, a big hello to you all

 

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Well, for starters, Welcome to Certforums. Glad you made it. You don't say the name of the company. It sounds like you've been lurking a bit so I imagine you've read about the various training companies around along with their various reputations. I can't comment on them since I never used any of them.

As far as whether or not the 2000 MCSE track is any better or worse than the XP/2003 MCSE track, I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference. On the one hand, being certified in XP/2003 does imply that you also are somewhat familiar with 2000 machines since the XP/2003 operating systems are built along the same lines. On the other hand, there are plenty of 2000 systems in the world and plenty of companies that have no plans to upgrade in the near future. I don't think you'd be thrown out the door for being obsolete. 2000 has been around longer with more service packs to its name. XP SP2 is about to be released and SP1 for Windows Server 2003 is slated to be released late this year (or early next...we'll see).

I don't think the operating system choice is as critical as the integrity of the training provider. That would be the first thing I'd investigate. JMHO. Now wait until some of the others arrive to fill in the blanks.

 

its a hell of a lot of money, id really check out the training providor first before commiting to anything, perhaps do an mcp with them?

its alot easier for cisco students i guess
i did my ccna with a company, liked them, did my CCNP and CCDP with them too
your comiting an awful lot up front, see if you can do the Windows XP MCP or something similar and see how they pan out
if its all good, go for broke

oh
and Welcome :P

 

I paid up front for my MCSE and ended up regreting it.

Having coughed up all that dough ($9500AU) I was basically locked into their training and I wasn't at all impressed with watching the instructers (I won't call them tutors) play around downloading joke videos rather than bothering to teach us anything. Also the MOCs do not cover anywhere near enough information to pass the related exams. If I realised there was going to be so much home study, I would have completely gone down the self taught road and saved a bundle.

I was told that the 7 courses and related exams would also cover the same requirement as .Net and XP but after a year or so M$ changed their mind and excluded the .Net (Server 2003), which is annoying to say the least.

Makes no real sense to me to start with W2K at this point. If you manage to attain MCSE status, you would still have two upgrade exams to Server 2003 before you could really state your MCSE was up to date.

I would take it one step at a time. Think about self study for the XP Pro MCP and take it from there.

Who knows, you might find you can't hack it and you will have wasted a fortune

Pete

 

depending on your role (which im guessing is support) id suggest sticking with the 2k track, its widely implemented (although most places use xp workstations and 2000 servers, so getting that mcp would be beneficial
as a support person you will likely be supporting current infrastructure, so the 2k is your best option with the option to upgrade when required
having the most uptodate mcse is really only neccasary when you roll out and design new infrastructure and migrations

 

Thanks for the speedy replies so far guys, the comments have been very useful.

Oops, forgot to mention the company.

It's a company called ITskills-southeast based in my home town.
www.itskills-southeast.com

The previous company I started training with was UKITTraining.

If anyone else has anything to add please feel free.

Thanks

 

Hi Robandpadd,

Looking at the certs you already have , I'd say you might want to consider Phoenix's advice about at least doing an MCP under your own steam (there's plenty of support available online, he humbly mentioned), and that would let you get a feel for the rest of the exams on the MCSE track.

I would deff consider that as an option before shelling out £3,600 (as I did when I began). If I were starting again, I would seriously consider that as an option (although good ol' CertForums wasn't around back then )

Just MHO, and good luck however you proceed.

 

Hi again guys.

After reading all your advice, and thinking seriously about what I know about the training provider, I’ve decided to go it alone as this provider doesn’t do individual certs. I think I would have passed A+ and N+ just as easily without the workshops I attended, so I’m hoping I have what it takes to complete the more challenging Microsoft certs.

I was going to start with Security+ but Phoenix’s advice about getting an MCP under my belt makes me think that that may be more beneficial.

Unless you guys really think it would be a bad move to take the 2003 track, I think I’ll be heading in that direction as I have already been asked by someone, who knew I was doing an MCSA, to set up his new Windows 2003 server (talk about gutted, not only had I not got that far, but Windows server 2000 was on my curriculum not 2003). Is the 2003 track that different to 2000?

Any rough ideas how long each MCP cert should take? I work shifts, 4 on 4 off, so I have plenty of spare time for studying. Talking about studying, can anyone recommend any books or training aids for Exam 70-270 if you guys aren’t going to advise me against it.

Anyway, thanks again guys, you’re making these potentially really hard decisions immeasurably easier to make.

 

I primarily use the QUE Training Guides and accompanying ExamCrams
your best bed would be to get a core four pack, as you cut the costs down a tad (although if you want to do the XP one first you dont get those in the core four pack, and you may not like the books so it gives you some room before you spend 100 quid on a pack of books


time frame is down to your ability and dedication
the QUE books have training scenarios and step by step instructions for tasks, which is handy, so if you have a home lab/vmware running your good with that

id say with dedicated time you could do some of them in 2 - 4 weeks, others in 4 - 6, dont set a time limit though as each exam is different, better bet is to set a time limit on the whole MCSE and try to meet that

6 months seems to be a good number getting thrown around, but you may be faster

 

Hi Roban

Welcome to our bit of the datasphere.

At this time I would start the Windows 2003 track while W2K is currently valid this will be retired one day and that will be sooner than the W2K3 track.

Considering you have your EDLC A+ and N+ I would question your need for the type of support a training company would provide. You clearly have come to grips with studying for these types of exams.

Good luck in your decision and future studies.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm just waiting for my Win XP 70-270 study books to arrive from amazon now, can't wait to get going again

 

Hi Ryan,

Could you provide more details about the cisco studies/company. A PM would be o.k. if you can't say on the forum.

Thanks.