Is it worth studying???...

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Is it worth me studying for windows server 2003 (for certs and at uni) when vista comes out next year? I know some people will still use server 2003 but vista will be the new thing and it means learning all over again, what do you think?

Also one thing thats a bit stupid of me to ask but i havent seen it on the forum.

Whats a typical exam like? Is it a school job? Table, Pencil and Paper? In silence with a clock ticking? Are there any hands on practicals? And how long does it last?

After taking the advice here Im going for my certs in this order...

A+, Network+, MCDST, Security+ and hopefully MCSE.

 

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Only a business manager with cotton between his ears would immediately migrate their XP/2003 platforms to vista. Experience has taught just about everyone to give a new MS OS at least a year to shake out the biggest bugs and get things more or less stable and secure.

There are still plenty of outfits running Windows 2000 with no plans to upgrade in the near future. Most companies stay with solutions because they still work and there's no reason to change and because money is tight and they can't afford the shear expense of a major OS platform upgrade.

I think you're safe to pursue your XP/2003 certs and expect to be marketable for a few years to come.

 

Yep, and then there's always the upgrade path!

 

It is ALWAYS worth studying.
It doesn't matter what, but you will learn things.
In the future you will need to learn new things.
That's just the way it is.

It's a bit like saying 'Is it worth learning to drive? I hear there will be flying cars in the next ten years.'
Yes, maybe, but how do you get to the shops tomorrow.

IT is all about getting a sound grounding and building on it, forever. Trip is right, Vista may be out next year (server, I mean) but will people switch to it?

The 2000 track MCSE is still available despite the client and server being withdrawn. That is because MS recognise the benefit of people being qualified on that platform (or they just forgot about it...)

Exams are revised in June, and the are supposed to give one years notice of retirements. That means you can still get your MCSE on the 2000 platform before it retires.

We've said before that an MCSE is an MCSE, there is no distinction between 2000 and 2003.

Having said that, the Vista 'MCSE' is likely to be different. It will probably be an MCNS or some such thing (Microsoft Certified Network Specialist) and will have different tracks for various job roles like Network Designer, Network Administrator, Network Engineer etc. I just made that up based on what they seem to be doing.

The point is, you can't wait to see what MIGHT happen. You've just got to go with NOW.

 

Great point guys, shame on me for thinking like that.

Dont mean to keep alive a dead post but no one has answered the second half of my question.

"Whats a typical exam like? Is it a school job? Table, Pencil and Paper? In silence with a clock ticking? Are there any hands on practicals? And how long does it last?

After taking the advice here Im going for my certs in this order...

A+, Network+, MCDST, Security+ and hopefully MCSE."

I have an idea about the A+ exam but does anyone know for any other the above certs, whats the kind of pass percentage needed etc?

Thanks

 

Oh...sorry. All exams are computer driven. When you schedule the exam, the testing center arranges to have a random collection of test questions downloaded from the Microsoft (or whoever administers the test) database. You cannot take any materials in with you but they'll give you something to take notes on during the test.

They log you on to the machine. You familiarize yourself with the testing software and format by taking a brief tutorial and then, when ready, you click the Start button.

Tests are more or less 90 minutes long (it varies) and typically have 35 to 45 questions. They can be multiple choice, drag and drop and a few flash items that simulate actually configuring some aspect of a Windows machine.

The questions aren't easy. Probably few mock exams come close to the degree of difficulty (transcender.com is an exception).

After the exam, you have to take some sort of survey *before* you see your score. Once the survey is over, your test is scored and you know immediately if you passed or failed. The test center prints out the results and you get the hardcopy. If you passed, this is your proof until you get your certificate or whatever from MS.

Whatever writing materials you were given at the start of the exam are taken from you before you leave the room. This is to protect the integrity of the exam and to prevent actual exam questions from making their way onto dodgy braindump sites.

Hope this helped.

 

And don't forget the 'simulation' questions that are apprearing in the MCSE exams.
You are asked to perform a routine administrative task such as scheduling a backup of a certain file at a certain time. When you launch the question you are faced with a server desktop and you have (pretty much) a free reign on how you carry out the task using command line, shortcut keys or whatever.
If you get completly stuck you can reset the question and try again.

How these are scored is a bit of a mystery. Word has it that they are worth a fair few marks. What you don't know is if you are penalized for clicking on the wrong icon, getting lost or resetting the question too often. Or do you just get marked on achieving the final solution?

 

Thanks guys, brilliant answers.

 

LOL. You'll find that's the only kind of answers you will get around here....