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Microsoft Releases
Details on New Exams for MCSA and MCSE on Windows Server 2003 Track
The company has modified the requirements of its certification programs for the
MCSE and MCSA on Windows Server 2003 and provided an upgrade path for people certified
on Windows 2000.
Microsoft has modified the requirements of its certification programs for the MCSE
and MCSA on Windows Server 2003 and provided an upgrade path for people certified
on Windows 2000.
The new structure,
which will be rolled out through the summer and fall 2003, provides a path for candidates
to move from the MCSA title to the MCSE title.
Candidates who
are part of the first wave of titleholders on the new platform will be recognized
as "early achievers" by Microsoft, though the company declined to provide details.
At the same
time, Microsoft said it would make self-assessment functionality available on its
Web site in March to allow users to check their expertise about certain aspects
of the new operating system platform.
Course
calendar for 2003 / 2004
Download MCAD MCSD MCDBA MCSA & MCSE couses training schedule for 2003/ 2004 as
Word document
IT training form for 2003/ 2004
Download IT training form for 2003/ 2004 as
Word document
The MCSA
Program
The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator credential will still require four
exams, consisting of three core tests and one elective. The core exams consist of
two tests on networking and one on client systems. The networking exams, which are
both new, are 70-290, Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment;
and 70-291, Implementing, Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network
Infrastructure. Candidates must take one of two currently available client OS tests:
70-270, Installing, Configuring and Administering Windows XP Professional; and 70-210,
Installing, Configuring and Administering Windows 2000 Professional.
The requirements
for the MCSA, as well as training that applies to each exam, are listed in table
1.
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Table
1.
MCSA on Windows Server 2003 Requirements
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Core
exams: Networking System (2 exams required)
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Microsoft
courses
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Self-study
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Exam 70-290:
Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
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2274: Managing
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (5 days)
2275: Maintaining
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (3 days)
2208:
Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 (5 days)
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MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced
Training Kit (Exam 70-290): Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 Environment
MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291,
70-293, 70-294
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Exam 70-291:
Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Network Infrastructure
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2276: Implementing
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure: Network Hosts
(2 days)
2277: Implementing,
Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure:
Network Services (5 days)
2208:
Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 (5 days)
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MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced
Training Kit (Exam 70-291): Implementing, Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291,
70-293, 70-294
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However, whereas
the MCSA on Windows 2000 offers a choice of 10 elective exams from Microsoft, the
newer version will offer only three electives, all currently available:
- 70-086: Implementing
and Supporting Systems Management Server 2.0
- 70-227: Installing,
Configuring, and Administering Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server
2000, Enterprise Edition
- 70-228: Installing,
Configuring, and Administering SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
Candidates will
also be able to take a combination of CompTIA exams in place of those electives
(either the A+ and Network+ tests or the A+ and Server+ tests). However, that choice
of elective won't transfer upward to the MCSE credential.
People who already
have or obtain the MCSA on Windows 2000 can upgrade to the newer title by passing
a single exam: 70-292: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment
for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000.
Dan Truax, Director
of Microsoft Certification Business & Product Strategy, said the upgrade exam would
be a "normal length or potentially less." This is in contrast to the behemoth accelerated
test made available to MCSEs on NT 4.0 who chose to upgrade their title to Windows
2000. Also unlike the Accelerated Exam, 70-240, which was available for about a
year, this upgrade exam will exist for as long as the Windows Server 2003 exams
will be around.
Microsoft will
offer a two-day course through its training partners, to prepare candidates: Workshop
2209: Updating Systems Administrator Skills from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Windows
Server 2003.
Is two days
sufficient to learn what's necessary to be proficient on Windows Server 2003? "What
[those candidates] do around supporting users, groups, rights to resources and network
services like DNS, IP-absolutely," said Truax. "That's what our job role task analysis
says." The task analysis, which took six months and involved more than 3,000 "customers,"
according to Truax, helped Microsoft define how to structure the programs for the
new credentials.
Upgrade training
material will appear in a self-study book too. It will apply to the upgrade exams
for the new MCSE as well and possess one of the longer titles among the Microsoft
Press line-up: MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-292 and 70-296): Managing,
Maintaining, Planning, and Implementing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
for MCSAs and MCSEs Certified on Microsoft Windows 2000.
The new certification
will also be a subset of the MCSE credential. "If you are going down the path [of
MCSE],… you will become an MCSA along the way…" said Truax. "The core of the track
is the same, and that is buried inside the MCSE."
The MCSA exams
are expected to appear in the summer, according to Truax.
The MCSE
Program
The
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer title will still consist of seven exams, but
now the set will mandate six core and one elective vs. Windows 2000's five core
and two electives. The core requirements break down like this:
- Four networking system
exams
- One client operating
system exam
- One design exam
Along with 70-290
and 70-291, from the MCSA program, the MCSE also will offer two other networking
exams:
- 70-293: Planning and
Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
- 70-294: Planning, Implementing,
and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
Truax pointed
out that 70-293 integrates the kinds of implementation and administration tasks
that are covered in two separate exams in the Win2K track-70-216 and 70-217, Network
Infrastructure and Directory Services, respectively.
The core design
requirement can be fulfilled by one of two new exams: 70-297, Designing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure; or exam 70-298,
Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network. Either of these
can also be used as an elective in the track, as long as the candidate passes both
of them.
The client OS
exams consist of 70-210 and 70-270, comparable to the MCSA track.
On the elective
front, Microsoft will give credit for one of seven different electives, three that
are also relevant to the new MCSA title (in italics):
- 70-086: Implementing
and Supporting Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
- 70-227: Installing,
Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA)
Server 2000, Enterprise Edition
- 70-228: Installing,
Configuring, and Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
- 70-229: Designing and
Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
- 70-232: Implementing
and Maintaining Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Technologies and Microsoft Application Center 2000
- 70-298: Designing Security
for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
The requirements
for the MCSE, as well as training that applies to each exam, are listed in table
2.
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Table
2.
MCSE on Windows Server 2003 Requirements
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Core
exams: Networking System (4 Exams Required)
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Microsoft
courses
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Self-study
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Exam 70-290:
Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
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2274: Managing
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (5 days)
2275: Maintaining
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (3 days)
2208:
Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 (5 days)
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MCSA/MCSE
Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-290): Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Environment
MCSE
Self-Paced Training Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements,
Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294
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Exam 70-291:
Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Network Infrastructure
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2276: Implementing
a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure: Network Hosts
(2 days)
2277: Implementing,
Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure:
Network Services (5 days)
2208:
Updating Support Skills from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 (5 days)
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MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced
Training Kit (Exam 70-291): Implementing, Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291,
70-293, 70-294
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Exam 70-293:
Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
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2278:
Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
(5 days)
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MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit (Exam 70-293): Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Network Infrastructure
MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291,
70-293, 70-294
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Exam 70-294:
Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Active Directory Infrastructure
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2279:
Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Active Directory Infrastructure (5 days)
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MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit (Exam 70-294): Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
MCSE Self-Paced Training
Kit: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Exams 70-290, 70-291,
70-293, 70-294
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Core
exams: design (1 Exam Required)
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Microsoft
courses
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Self-study
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Exam 70-297:
Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network
Infrastructure
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2282:
Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network
Infrastructure (5 days)
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MCSE
Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-297): Designing a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
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Exam 70-298:
Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
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2830:
Designing Security for Microsoft Networks (3 days)
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MCSE
Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-298): Designing Security for a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network
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Microsoft will
offer two upgrade exams for people who have or intend to earn the MCSE on Windows
2000. One, 70-292, Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment for
an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000, is the same upgrade exam offered for MCSAs on
Windows 2000.
The second is
specific to the MCSE title: Exam 70-296: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining
a Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000. Training
partners will be able to offer a three-day workshop—Updating Systems Engineer Skills
from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003—to help candidates prepare. The
same self-study material applicable to the MCSA upgrade test will apply to these
upgrade exams as well.
The MCSE-specific
exams are expected to appear in the fall, said Truax.
He suggested
that those candidates who have an MCSE on NT 4.0 consider moving to Windows 2000,
since the electives are virtually the same. "[Many of] those electives will carry
over, so you will not need to take another."
What does he
recommend for experienced network professionals who have no certification currently?
Should they wait or should they move now? "I recommend they start down the Windows
2000 path…. When they get to the right milestone, we'll give them a very quick way
to get their [Windows 2003] credential…"
Self-Assessment
Starting
sometime in March, Microsoft will make available on its Web site online individual
assessment to support the launch of Windows 2003, which is expected to happen on
April 24th. "Certification is all about the job role. Assessment is all about projects.
They're smaller, in chunks. It's not high stakes," said Truax. The assessments,
which in some cases will last about 30 minutes, will test a person's knowledge on
specific discrete topics.
"Based on [a
person's] score, we'll recommend resources that Microsoft offers. For training,
it's at the module level; in books it's at the chapter level." Truax explained.
"It's not about telling customers about pass-fail. It's how you scored relative
to your peers. It's about specific areas. 'Here are some things that will help you
prep…' It doesn't certify someone. It's just a good barometer."
For more, go
to Microsoft's Training and Certification Web page:
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