| What is the best IT certification for you? The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) is the top certification for professionals who will design and analyze their system’s business requirements architecture. MCSE's will also install, configure architecture components, and troubleshoot system problems that may occur. Exams are used to measure the credibility of the candidate and determine if they are up to date on the newest technology. Significant changes have been made to the certification to add validity and value plus meet technical advances that competitive organizations need. Some of these changes include: One year of experience implementing and administering a network operating system is recommended before testing Candidate must have troubleshooting skills acquired through hands-on experience. Exam questions include progressive item types such as select-and-place items and case study–based questions. Knowledge replaces memorization. The reasons for becoming an MCSE are special perks, more authority, significant signing bonuses, promotions to higher salary levels, plus you provide credibility to potential employers. To become an MCSE you must pass four operating system exams and two elective exams. You can choose to become an Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) or an Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Which ever certification you feel is right for you. If you plan to manage a computing environment for a medium to large sized company and have 6–12 months of experience administering client and network operating systems then an MCSA credential is best for you. This position would include information systems administrator, network administrator, network operations analyst, network technician, systems administrator, or technical support specialist. To receive your MCSA certification you must satisfy the following requirements: Core Exams (3 Exams Required):Two networking system exams;Exam 70–290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment Exam 70–291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure One client operating system exam Exam 70–270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional Exam 70-2101: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Elective Exams (1 Exam Required):Exam 70–086: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0Exam 70-227: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000, Enterprise Edition Exam 70-228: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ The elective exams provides a reliable measure of proficiency and expertise to manage and maintain a computing environment of medium to large sized companies. Candidates should have 6–12 months of experience. Upgrade Exam (1 Exam Required):Exam 70-292: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000This upgrade will enable a MCSA on Windows 2000 to earn the Windows Server 2003 credential in a low cost and time efficient manner. If you plan design, and implement Microsoft Windows server solutions and architectures in a medium to large sized companies plus have at least one year of experience administering network and desktop operating systems then the MCSE certification would be best. This position would include network analyst, network engineer, systems analyst, systems engineer, or technical consultant. To receive your MCSE certification you must satisfy the following requirements: Core Exams (6 Exams Required):Four networking system examsExam 70–290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment Exam 70–291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure Exam 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure One client operating system exam Exam 70–270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional Exam 70-2101: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional One design exam Exam 70-2972: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure Exam 70-2982: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Elective Exams (1 Exam Required):Exam 70–0863: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0Exam 70-2273: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000, Enterprise Edition Exam 70-2283: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition Exam 70-2293: Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition Exam 70-232: Implementing and Maintaining Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies and Microsoft Application Center 2000 Exam 70-2972: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure Exam 70-2982: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network The elective exams provides a reliable measure of proficiency and expertise in solution design and implementation. Candidates should have one year of experience implementing and administering desktop and network operating systems. Upgrade Exam (1 Exam Required):Exam 70-292: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000This upgrade will enable a MCSE on Windows 2000 to earn the Windows Server 2003 credential in a low cost and time efficient manner. |