What's the best way to earn a MCSE certification?

October 26, 2005 6:53 AM

What's the best way to earn a MCSE certification?

I've been working in IT for about 4 years now, and have decided that even though I don't place a lot of stock in certifications, a MSCE would look good on my resume.

For those who already have a MCSE, how did you go about getting it? Self study? Classroom?

If you went the self study route, do you have any recommendations on which books would be the best to purchase? For the classroom folks, what should I look for in a training center?

posted by Crossbar to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Since you're already employed in IT, I would just buy the books and study at home. Try to apply what you've learned at work.

If you weren't employed in a relevant job I'd recommend taking the courses, even though they cost insane amounts of money.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:47 AM on October 26, 2005

I would never recommend taking the course, since they DO cost insane amounts of money. The certifications just aren't worth it these days. 1999? Sure.

In fact, you'll probably have to pay at least $400-500 in test fees just to take the exams, even if you self study. I would say that the certification is not even worth that much, unless you're trying to get a specific position that requires it.

In any event, I definitely agree with blue_beetle. If you really really want the cert, go with self-study.
posted by agropyron at 9:03 AM on October 26, 2005

Are you a member of the ACM? If not, why not? At under $100 a year you'll get access to a ton of online ebooks (they just added Safari access) as well as online training courses. The Sun Learning Center is also a part of it and includes a multitude of MCSE courses.
posted by phearlez at 9:35 AM on October 26, 2005

I did mine on a bet in '97, and then it wasn't worth much then. I did all self-study, which wasn't too bad, and my company at the time had a relationship with MS so I had free vouchers to do the exams. If I'd had to pay for the material or exams, I wouldn't have done it, and there have only been a few times in the subsequent years that anything I learnt from them was useful.

If your employer will pay for it, go for a course. Otherwise it's really not worth it as you're going to spend your time doing rote-learning.

In answer to your question about what material, I found the Microsoft Press books to be relevant and well written. I also found the Cramsession/TestKing cheatsheets and Transcender tests to be very helpful, as they give you a good idea as to how the questions are asked and what you should be focussing on.

I've checked with a friend who recently did his MCSD, and he agreed that the MS Press books were the most useful.
posted by quiet at 9:38 AM on October 26, 2005

Practice exams for dozens of IT certifications -- including MCSE -- can be found here.
posted by rentalkarma at 9:59 AM on October 26, 2005

I got my MCSE 2003 almost a year ago, and, for me, self-study wasn't enough. The MS Press books are great, but there's just something about hands-on training from an experienced instructor that really cements things in my head.

I went through The Training Camp's 14-day MCSE/Security+ certification. It's studying and practicing for about 16 hours a day, but it was the only way I would be able to do it. Too many distractions otherwise.

Yes, it is expensive. Total cost for everything was about $6000 (airfare, meals, books, hotel). Luckily, when I was being considered for my current job, I had the foresight to stipulate that this be my "signing bonus."

Out of the entire class of about 15 people, I was the only one that passed all seven exams. This is because (I believe) that the 2003 series is MUCH more difficult than previous exams, and you really need to know your stuff.

We had an instructor that helped design the exams, which helped a lot, and let us know what parts of the material were most important. I probably wouldn't have passed if not for expert guidance.
posted by chota at 12:48 PM on October 26, 2005