Whatever Happened to the MCSE? And What’s This MCITP?

What Did Happen to the MCSE Cert?

Today Ken Rosen held a Live Meeting on the topic and although the information wasn’t new, it was presented well and explained in detail.

We’ve attempted to provide some guidance for MCSE candidates and IT Pros ever since the Server 2008 certification changes were announced; here are some of the more popular articles posted:

• Windows Server 2008 Certifications — Death to the MCSE
• Why Getting Your MCSE Now Is Still A Good Idea
• What’s the Next Step for MCSEs?

We even have a video about the new Server 2008 MCITP Certifications.

But what our previous posts did not cover was how old Certifications map to the new MCITP certifications, and Ken was able to explain this with these helpful diagrams:

Interesting side note is that the MCSE Security Cert has been completely eliminated and built into all of the current MCITP certifications.

Ken also pointed out that the MCSE requires a total of 7 exams versus only 5 for the MCITP Enterprise Administrator. The Network Planning and Design exams have been consolidated into a single exam and the elective exam was eliminated.

In the Q & A portion of the presentation, Ken gave the advice of certifying in the technology you currently use. So if your company is still on Server 2003 and they’re not planning on making the switch to 2008 in the next year then go for your MCSE and then take the upgrade path to MCITP when you’re ready (it’s only 3 exams instead of 5). Otherwise go with the newest technology available, in this case Server 2008.

Another great piece of advice from Ken was about training, and in particular bootcamps. Ken’s advice is that accelerated training is good if you’re looking to fill in the gaps in your current knowledge and prepare quickly for the exams. However, if you have no experience with the technology then you will need more time to obtain the skills necessary to learn and pass the exams.

Next Live Meeting: The Truth About Certification Exams

Ken’s next Live Meeting will be on Thursday, February 25 at 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time and will focus on Microsoft Certification Exams. To register for this free event visit this link.

Update 2/4/2010 — Recording Now Available

If you missed this webinar, the recording is now available at Microsoft Learning.

More Related Posts

1. Who Moved My MCSE Cheese? Part 3
2. What’s the difference between MCITP Certified Server Admin and Enterprise Admin?
3. Who Moved My MCSE Cheese? Part 2
4. Who Moved My MCSE Cheese? Part 1
5. MCITP Enterprise Support Beta Exam Opens