News
Microsoft Releases Details on New Exams for 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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/17/2003
As it said it would do, 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,
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.
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.
| Table 1. MCSA
on Windows Server 2003 Requirements |
| Core
exams: Networking System (2 exams required) |
Microsoft
courses |
Self-study |
| Exam
70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Environment |
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)
|
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
|
| Exam
70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure |
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)
|
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
|
|
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.
| Table 2. MCSE
on Windows Server 2003 Requirements |
| Core
exams: Networking System (4 Exams Required) |
Microsoft
courses |
Self-study |
| Exam
70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Environment |
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)
|
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
|
| Exam
70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure |
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)
|
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
|
| Exam
70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Network Infrastructure |
2278: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (5 days) |
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
|
| Exam
70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure |
2279: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure (5 days)
|
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
|
|
| Core
exams: design (1 Exam Required) |
Microsoft
courses |
Self-study |
| Exam
70-297: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active
Directory and Network Infrastructure |
2282: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
and Network Infrastructure (5 days)
|
MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-297): Designing a Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
|
| Exam
70-298: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Network |
2830: Designing Security for Microsoft Networks (3 days)
|
MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-298): Designing Security
for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
|
|
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: