Comments on: Getting a Microsoft Certification on your own – a Step by Step list

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:38:39 +0000

Hi Hellana,

First, get your hands on a decent PC. You’ll need it. Quad-Core, Minimum 8GB RAM. Then, install Windows 7 x64 and familiarize yourself with the current technology. Use VirtualBox to setup virtual servers and clients. XP knowledge is still widely useful, so you should try to get up to date on Windows domains, GPOs, etc while also getting your basic XP knowledge ready to work with the current technologies.

The next step is to take your first exam. After a few weeks of playing around with XP/7 and Windows Server 2003/2008R2 you should be ready for the basic exams. Go for 70-680 if you feel progressive, and 70-270 if you don’t feel like new stuff. The 70-270 will become less important very soon, and the 70-680 exam is easier.

By: Hellana

Hellana — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:16:50 +0000

I have been a rpg programmer for 10+ years. cover for IT during vacations. I have a comfortable understand of xp, printers and devices and iseries(old ibm as/400 shop)what should i start with to get certified.

By: Krzysztof Szumny

Krzysztof Szumny — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:58:34 +0000

Hello Lukas

I have got few years of expirience working in network environment running semi-advanced task on both os clients and servers 2003 and I’m going to get certified in this year. I am using 70-290 Traning Kit and Windows Server 2003 Administrator’s Companion both from Microsoft Press.

Do you thing it is good base to take 70-290 exam? Any sugestions are welcome.

Regards, Krzysztof

By: abdulla.pcp

abdulla.pcp — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:24:31 +0000

I’m a mcse student, my MCPID and Access Code lost my mail
What’s happened ?

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:21:25 +0000

Noveen,

No deadline. I did my first MS exam in 2005, and completed my MCSE in 2007.

The MCSE 2003 will never expire, but in general certifications will be deprecated by Microsoft.

By: Noveen

Noveen — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:40:06 +0000

I have been in IT for about two years now and would Like you start my journey to MCSE. I current work on servers (windows 2003) and users machines (XP professional). My question is that is there a time frame to when I have to complete all of my exams? so If I stared took my first exam january 2009 is there a deadline I have to finish all 7 exams by? also does the certification ever expire? would I have to recertify. I understand that I will have to upgrade as new products are released.

By: Chitra

Chitra — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:31:54 +0000

Is experience necessary for doing MCSD?

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:43:10 +0000

Hi Sasha, Thanks! Unfortunately, as you might've already noticed, i'm not a developer, so i haven't really dealt much with developer certifications. Developer certifications are currently moving from Visual Studio 2005 / .NET 2.0 to Visual Studio 2008 / .NET 3.0. In general, it would probably make more sense to get the VS2005 certifications first, and then go for the 2008 exams. Like the MCITP, there are multiple MCPDs you can go for. I'd start out with Exam 70-536. MCPD VS 2008 MCPD VS 2005

By: Sasha M.

Sasha M. — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:04:45 +0000

Hi Lukas,
I like your blog because itÃ¢â¬â¢s very informative and I also like the way you are thinking. Your approach to the certification as a proof of experience and not just as learning capability – is great. I have about 10 years of experience in the programming field, however the language that I’m using is not that popular in IT field – I’m developing in Visual DataFlex. For about 10 months now, I’m learning (successfully) new language – C# (.NET), so I would like to hear your advice on which exam/certificate to take as an entry point into the ‘Microsoft world’; is there anything related to C# and purely OOP?. Thank you in advance for your response.

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:45:48 +0000

Hi Jocelyn,

No, you can complete the exams in any order you want, at any time you want.

There are restrictions regarding the re-taking of failed exams (2nd repeat after 14 days).

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:20:54 +0000

Do you have to complete all exams within a certain period of time? If for example I write 70-270 as the first exam towards earning the MCSA certification on 1 Feb 2008, do I have to write the last exam by 31 Jan 2009? I’ve heard from several sources that exams have to be completed within a year of writing the first exam, but can find no information to support this.

By: renjith

renjith — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:57:02 +0000

issuing a duplicate certificate of mcse, mcp , mcsa

i lost my certificate so pls do the needfulthings to me…

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:56:44 +0000

Bhavin, Just call your Regional Service Center.

By: Bhavin Patel

Bhavin Patel — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:36:32 +0000

Hi, i cleared MCP (70-536) before 15 days, but still i have no mails from MS or not getting certificate…please advice me …

By: chinwe

chinwe — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:37:59 +0000

i need a microsoft certification,particularly MCBDA.Please how do i go about it.

By: swapna

swapna — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:47:44 +0000

i want microsoft certification .but i dont hav job for this only i want certification

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:04:56 +0000

Jim, there is no official document that states this, and there are several contradictions to this. There might be exams with a maximum score of less than 1000.

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:00:09 +0000

Maximum score on MS exams is 1000.

By: Emeka

Emeka — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:57:23 +0000

Iam Interested in your online distance training particularly in cisco and oracle 9i. How can I be trained online and seat for certification exams.
Do you have a centre in Lagos nigeria

By: Lukas Beeler

Lukas Beeler — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:19:07 +0000

Hi Laszlo,

If you don’t have any experience in IT yet, certifications aren’t the way to start with – the problem is that you’ll start cramming for an exam, instead of learning skills you will need on a daily basis when working in the IT industry.

That doesn’t mean that the study books, courses, material, etc. are a bad thing to look at or learn with, just that getting an MCSE shouldn’t be your top goal when starting in the IT industry.

That doesn’t mean that an MCSE certification doesn’t make sense as a mid-term or longterm goal. Start with the 70-270 book, look through it, build an experimental environment with Virtual Server 2005, experiment, etc.

Then start working with customers, solving problems, finding new knowledge, and THEN start learning for the 70-270 exam, and start your path towards the MCSE certification.

Certification implies experience, and experience needs time. Of course it is theoretically possible to pass an MCSE certification without touching a computer once, that’s mostly due to the fact that it’s automated testing with very few real worlds environments. However, a certification that isn’t backed by real world knowledge and real world experience won’t help you – it will just devalue the certification.

Your highest goal should be pleased customers, not a certification.