Mcse-certification Bandwagon

By Author: Mike Jones
Total Articles: 256
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"A lot of people jumped onto the certification bandwagon in hopes of finishing the Microsoft exam MCSE certification (mcse training)within six to nine months or a year," says Matt Pierce, a network administrator at Saferent Inc., a Denver-based company that provides applicant-screening services for apartment communities. But when Microsoft announced it would retire the NT 4.0 exams, some IT workers abandoned the idea of getting certified in a technology that's on its way out, he says.
Then, when Microsoft reversed its decision and said it wouldn't retire NT 4.0, IT professionals lost valuable time that they could have spent preparing for the NT 4.0 exams, Pierce adds.
One compromise Microsoft offered(mcse exam) until the end of last year was an accelerated Windows 2000 track for those who had passed three NT 4.0 exams. If an IT worker were to pass a one-shot examination, he could forgo the normal four core exams -- and become certified in Windows 2000. Three elective exams were also required in either case. But Microsoft stopped offering the 70-680 ...
... exam in December of last year (see timeline).
Garrette Slonacher, a network engineer at Response Computer Group Inc. in Milford, Del., failed the accelerated exam in December. Slonacher says he "doesn't have time to study five hours a night" in addition to working and spending time with his family. His employer spent $10,000 to send him to an MCSE "boot camp" to prepare for the MCSE NT 4.0 exams.
Slonacher says he was shocked when he heard that Microsoft would retire the certifications. "I didn't think I'd lose the certification," he says. "If you get a degree in electronic engineering, you don't lose the engineering degree because of new technology."
Even though Microsoft decided not to retire the MCSE NT 4.0 credential, Slonacher is skeptical as to how long it will be recognized before Microsoft begins pushing newer technologies such as .Net instead of Windows 2000.
"Everybody is still overwhelmed by(mcitp enterprise administrator)Win 2k and Active Directory, even though [they have been] out for a long time," says Pierce. As Microsoft introduces new platforms, such as .Net and XP, it's difficult to keep up MCITP certification with every new technology, he says.