Took the 70-290 earlier today :s

Discussion in 'Windows Server 2003 / 2008 / 2012 / 2016' started by dazza786, Jun 15, 2009.

  1. dazza786

    dazza786 Megabyte Poster

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    Didn't really prepare myself as much as I should have.. in the sense that I didnt even read a book :P
    I went off CBT Nuggets video to take note of the syllabus and have 1.5 years experience managing our network of 50~ users, 70~ machines and 6 servers at work.

    I passed :)
    I got a lowish mark, think it was 79X or something, but I wasnt expecting anything more than that to be honest.

    As I don't have much impressive qualifications from school, I'm planning on doing the MCDST next, maybe both exams in one sitting... I'm guessing I should be fine considering I've done the 270 & 290, and then i'll get onto the 291 :twisted:, Security+ and 70-299.

    Am I silly in getting the MCDST or is it still a worthwhile investment (as it is an elective for the MCSA)?

    Cheers for the all the help guys :):beers2:beers2
     
    Certifications: MCP (271, 272, 270, 290, 291, 621, 681, 685), MCDST, MCTS, MCITP, MCSA, Security+, CCA(XA6.5)
  2. Modey

    Modey Terabyte Poster

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    Congrats on the 290 pass mate. I'd still go for the MCDST if I were you, you'll find it easy and it's an extra cert (plus the elective for the MCSA which is nice).
     
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  3. Notes_Bloke

    Notes_Bloke Terabyte Poster

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    Congrats on the pass:beers2

    NB
     
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  4. craigie

    craigie Terabyte Poster

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    Well done on the pass!

    If you plan on doing the MCSE at some point, I would recommend either the 70-270 (XP) or the 70-620 (Vista) as the client exam.

    The reason for this is that even though the MCDST is a good cert, it does not count towards the MCSE.
     
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  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Congrats!

    I'd suggest doing the MCDST. If you already know the material, it'll be a breeze. If you don't, then that's all the more reason to study for it, right? :thumbleft
     
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  6. UKDarkstar
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    UKDarkstar Terabyte Poster

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    Congrats and well done ! :biggrin
     
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  7. Theprof

    Theprof Petabyte Poster

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    Congrats!
     
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  8. Finkenstein

    Finkenstein Kilobyte Poster

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    Nice Job!
     
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  9. Qs

    Qs Semi-Honorary Member Gold Member

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    Congrats! :)

    Qs
     
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  10. gurusapprentice

    gurusapprentice Nibble Poster

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    Hi my own route to MCSA was 270,290,620 ( 620 because it gives mcts instead of another mcp and also it can be used as an elective for both MCSA and MCSE and is only 1 exam compared to the 2 for MCDST which is going to be retireing) then the 291. As I said in another post I don't know how others feel but for me the 291 is a league apart and if you study for it sorts the men from the boys lol. ( many sleepless nights ) but congrats on your pass. Remember 1000/1000 might look nice on your initial report but all microsoft are interested in is the fact that it was above 700, and all an employer wil be bothered about is can you do the job ? plenty out there with impressive marks who I wouldn't pay to wash the dishes let alone make the tea :ohmy
     
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  11. dazza786

    dazza786 Megabyte Poster

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    Thanks for all of the support guys!

    I think I will do the MCDST just for fun & an extra cert. I don't think I want to do the 620 though as I don't really like working with Vista... I'll probably wait for Windows 7 exam to come out and then when I start using it more and more, take that.

    Long way away though, I'm starting off small, planning for MCDST, MCSA, MCSA:Sec, Sec+ hopefully before 2009 ends. It then means I can get a proper security\network based role starting in 2010. (currently in 1st-3rd line support/network management for a small company)

    I want a networking certification in which I'm sure most people would advise N+, but I think I'm set on CCNA. I've got exposure to cisco routers/switches/firewalls at the moment, not that I deal with them frequently, which all seems fairly straight forward..
    Anybody have any argument to convince me otherwise?

    :biggrin
     
    Certifications: MCP (271, 272, 270, 290, 291, 621, 681, 685), MCDST, MCTS, MCITP, MCSA, Security+, CCA(XA6.5)
  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Remember, certification isn't designed so that you can collect certs that are related to the technologies we like to support... certification is designed so that you can show employers what you can support. You can dislike Vista all you want... but there will be plenty of employers who require techs who can administer it. If you don't mind making yourself less desirable to those employers, go ahead and skip it.

    I sure do. Some companies don't need Cisco techs; most every company needs someone familiar with networks.

    If Network+ seems "too easy" for you, then it should be simple to knock out. If it's not simple to knock out, then that's all the more reason to do it, right?

    In any case, if you have any experience with Cisco devices, the CCNA is a good idea. But I wouldn't do it in lieu of Network+... I'd do it in addition to Network+... with Network+ coming first.
     
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  13. gurusapprentice

    gurusapprentice Nibble Poster

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    Lol just had to scratch my head micheal as I happened across a totally different forum in some far distant part of the fluffy cloud checking about some cisco stuff and there you were pmsl. Now my point is I am about to embark on my ccent/ccna and I will then probably take my ccnp through uni ( if they let me in :blink cos i'm 43 lol ) but will it still be worth getting my N+ and A+? My original idea you see was to get my A+ but I unfortunately in my naievity fell prey to a certain company that has a pic of a fast train in its adverts :x, and because I was fairly competent hardware wise decided had spent enough and with the exams being best part of £130 each for A+, to go mcp route instead. Thankfully with a decent set of trainers so I now have my MCSA and hopefully within the month have my ccna, am not going to do my MSCE for a couple of yrs simply ecause as I said earlier plenty got papers but do not know their bottom from their elbow, so I'd rather get established at this level getting to work on stuff with the knowledge that the last 2 exams can be taken without any problem and thoughts or advice from yourself or other like minded folk will be gratefully received.
     
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  14. JK2447
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    JK2447 Petabyte Poster Administrator Premium Member

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    Well done mate
     
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  15. Kitkatninja
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    Congrats on the pass :)

    -Ken
     
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  16. dazza786

    dazza786 Megabyte Poster

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    I totally understand what you're saying but I didn't think many companies would have deployed Vista; I will take a look at the topics covered and reconsider :)

    Haha I never said it was a case of being 'too easy', it's more the fact that people never stop calling it an 'entry level' cert.. and for the price of the cert, i'd much rather have a CCNA which in reputation appears to be a greater return of investment. Sure, not all companies use cisco equipment, but surely the concepts of IOS and other networking topics covered in the CCNA would still apply for other brands of equipment.. just different syntaxes and such

    Thought it might have been more creditable to have over the N+ that's all :)
     
    Certifications: MCP (271, 272, 270, 290, 291, 621, 681, 685), MCDST, MCTS, MCITP, MCSA, Security+, CCA(XA6.5)
  17. juice142

    juice142 Megabyte Poster

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    Just to chuck my hat in the ring...

    If you don't know your way around supporting Vista, you'll struggle with W7.

    Cheers,

    J.
     
    Certifications: BSc (Hons), A+, Network+
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  18. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Enough have that you shouldn't discard it out of hand. Sure, many companies will likely go from XP to W7... but despite that, Vista will still be around for years to come.

    That's because it is. Still, it covers the essentials of networking, regardless of your experience level.

    No, not really, except for the companies that use networking gear that borrow heavily from Cisco's IOS (Foundry, Juniper, etc.).

    In my opinion, they're two different certifications that are used for two different functions. One covers the theory behind networking without respect to any particular vendor, and the CCNA covers the practical aspect of networking as it relates to Cisco devices... two totally different things.
     
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  19. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Uhh... what? :blink

    Do you have real-world experience? If not, then yes. If so, then they should be quick and easy to get, right? And particularly if you can get your employer to pay for it...

    Well, if you don't yet have experience, you may find that the MCSA and CCNA will actually work AGAINST you when looking for jobs, because you'll be horribly overcertified for your experience level.
     
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