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October 08, 1999

Another View on MCSE Certification Track Changes


A Web Exclusive from Windows IT Pro
Steven W. Linthicum
Training and Certification
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No doubt many of you are reeling from the news that you must jump into the world of Windows 2000 (Win2K) if you want to maintain your MCSE certification—news that Microsoft handed down in its new Win2K certification track (http://www.microsoft.com/mcp/certstep/mcse.htm#w2k). Because many of you may be new to the world of Microsoft certification, a brief history lesson might help to explain why we were caught flatfooted by this recent announcement.

Let me start by saying that the new Win2K track contains no real surprises for MCSEs satisfying certification requirements with Windows NT 3.5x exams. Over a year ago, Microsoft warned us that that NT 3.5x MCSEs would lose their certification if they didn't "pass a replacement exam within one year of the retirement date. Replacement exams include MCSE core exams from either the Windows NT 4.0 track or the Windows NT 5.0 track (Windows NT 5.0 exams are in development)"(http://www.pctech2000.com/ retired.htm).

A month ago, I had a canned answer for students wondering when they would have to recertify if their MCSE certifications were based on NT 4.0 exams. When asked, I would say, "If Microsoft follows its existing pattern, you won't have to recertify until about a year after the company releases exams for the network OS that will replace Windows 2000." How wrong I was. History, for Microsoft, doesn't repeat itself.

I pride myself in my ability to understand complex matters, including the development of college programs that lead to degrees. As a college professor, this understanding is especially important. I have studied the new Win2K track, and I can tell you that it's not easy to digest or understand. In essence, Microsoft is providing two primary tracks. The first track is for those who have already passed the exams 70-73: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0, 70-67: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, and 90-68: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise. The other track is for candidates who haven't passed these exams.

The good news (if you can call it that) for those who have taken the three NT 4.0 exams is that Microsoft is offering you the privilege of taking one exam that covers the information contained in the four core exams for Win2K MCSE certification. You must exercise this privilege sometime between the date Microsoft releases this all-in-one exam and December 31, 2001. Microsoft makes no mention of the cost of this all-in-one exam, but if its cost is the same as for the other individual exams, there's obvious benefit in going this route. If it costs more, you might want to take the four exams separately so you can concentrate on specific areas.

Another core requirement is that you take an additional exam from a choice of three (this requirement and the electives requirements apply to both certification tracks). The three choices are exam 70-219: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure, 70-220: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network, and 70-221: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure.

As with the NT 4.0 track, those seeking Win2K MCSE certification must take two elective exams. The current list of Win2K elective exams includes the three exams I mentioned earlier (70-219, 70-220, and 70-221) plus Upgrading from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to Microsoft Windows 2000 (70-222). Additionally, the list of elective exams includes "any MCSE electives current (not scheduled for retirement) when the Windows 2000 exams listed above are released in their live versions."

The exams that apparently won’t qualify as electives because of retirement include:

  • 70-73: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • 70-67: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • 90-68: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise
  • 70-58: Networking Essentials
  • 70-21: Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 Database Implementation
  • 70-22: Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 Database Administration for Microsoft Windows NT
  • 70-42: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • 70-43: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • 70-53: Internetworking Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT (3.5-3.51)
  • 70-77: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0 and Microsoft Index Server 1.1

Exams that might not qualify because they're not included as "electives" in the Window NT 4.0 MCSE track include:

  • 70-64: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows 95
  • 70-98: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows 98

Those that apparently still qualify but are suspect in my opinion because they're "MCSE electives current (not scheduled for retirement) when the Windows 2000 exams listed above are released in their live versions" include:

  • Internetworking Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (70-59)
  • 70-59: Implementing a Database Design on Microsoft SQL Server 6
  • 70-26: System Administration of Microsoft SQL Server 6.5
  • 70-18: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2
  • 70-13: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft SNA Server 3.0
  • 70-78: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Proxy Server 1.0
  • 70-76: Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Exchange Server 5

With all this in mind, there are a couple of critical dates you must remember. For NT 3.5x MCSEs, your death is scheduled for June 30, 2001. For NT 4.0 MCSEs, it looks you have a stay of execution until December 31, 2001.

End of Article

Reader Comments
With all due respect, this doesn't really seem to be much of an opinion on the matter, as one might expect from the title. It is a well organized summary of the publicly available requirements, but it doesn't really state if you think this is good, bad, or otherwise. It would be perhaps more interesting to read an article that really got to the heart of the matter and discussed how the new program changes will benefit (or not) the MCSE community.



Brian Talbert October 10, 1999

Every intelligent MCSE/MCSE2B knows that re-certification is a natural part of life. As you have probably noticed on the various discussion lists, there is mammoth resentment at the manner by which this is being presented. It centers on this: MS is just now retiring the 3.51 track, hasn't released Win2k, and has announed the imminent retirement of the 4.0 track. This is perceived as heavy-handed, particularly by those who pursue this at their own expense. Therein lies Microsoft's problem. And they still don't get it. Perception is 90% of reality. So if the perception is that of heavy-handedness, it becomes the reality, whether it's MCSE tracks or browsers. Microsoft can afford (not necessarily a dollar-related term) to tread more carefully.

Bill Spaulding October 10, 1999

I really would like to know your views. The article seemed like it was missing the important "how I feel about this change is..." paragraph. It went right from "A few months ago MS said this" to "this is what is required for the new tracks." How do you feel? Do you think it's a good jump or bad jump on MS' part?

TK October 10, 1999

I want to thank the author for putting together a succinct and accurate account of the changes in the MCSE track. I participate in many MCSE discussion lists, and am frequently correcting people who think that the NT4 exams expire before the Win2K even come out, that they only have 6 months before the cert expires, and things of that nature. That, and the people that do not understand the exam matrix, who think they have to tak more or less than 2 if they are certified on NT4 with all 3 exams.

Thanks!

David Smith, MCT, MCSE 4.0, A+.

David Smith October 10, 1999

Perception of Microsoft can explain the short life of the NT 4.0 certification track and the rapid adoption of the 2k track. It is incorrect to think of Microsoft as a software company even though software is their medium of exchange. Microsoft is a marketing company.

To use their explanation, the certification program was developed to establish a pool of qualified personnel able to use Microsoft products. By limiting the pool of personnel skilled in products Microsoft wishes to replace with new sales, Microsoft will by default enhance its market position for promoting newer products.

History supports this premise. Each time Microsoft gains control of a portion of the market, they shift their emphasis to another portion at the expense of quality in the controlled sectors. The primary marketing tool of Microsoft is control.

Robert W. Murray, MCSE

Robert W. Murray October 11, 1999

Having received a couple of comments asking for my opinion, I'll provide a short response. It seems to me that those who have (or will be) obtaining their MCSE certification based on tests associated with the Windows NT 4.0 operating system, should be treated the same as those who obtained certification based on tests associated with the Windows NT 3.5x operating system. The "same" effectively means to me that their certification should have a lifetime that is roughly the same. However, I seriously doubt that my opinion will make a difference. Am I right Microsoft?

Steven Linthicum October 11, 1999

well,i'm going to be taking my a+ in january and then onto networking and the msce come march,and hopefully will be finished in october. will i have to upgrade right away at exta expense and time or will the 4 designation be good enough for the workplace? not a great time to change gears.

Gary Prescott October 11, 1999

And suppose there is another track, called "Sensible Corporate I.T. Decisions". As NT4.0 will remain in the corporate environments for at least 2 to 3 years, a shortage of qualified ( sometimes certified) NT4.0 specialists will encourage many system engineers to remain or become uncertified NT4 specialists. Proudly they will hold the title "ex-MCSE but not a marketing tool". Microsoft, aware of the loss of all these cheap marketing instruments, will try to sink NT4 by stopping all support. But who cares, we can all become certified Sun Solaris S.E.'s.

Paul De Vocht October 12, 1999

I agree with some of the other opinions posted about this article:

1) good information but
2) how does this move by M$ strike you?
3) How might this effect the value of the certification(s)

I've heard that the harder the certification and fewer people holding it, the more valuable it would be (like a degree from Stanford or MIT means more than a degree from NosePick Community College.

It seems like the new certification track for Win2K will be harder and more detailed (I remember reading something about security being a whole test or section of a test, etc.) which will mean having the qualification will carry more weight. Not fun when studying maybe, but reallly the best for the industry, employers and employees.

I got my MCSE last week, but feel there will be enough businesses out there not yet migrated from NT4 for a few years yet. I hear there are businesses out there still hapily running NT3.5 so surely NT4 will hang around til bugs are worked out of Win2K and industry confidence is gained. Not every company has the money to completely rip out their old systems and install new ones with enough 'umph to run Win2K immediately.

I come from a Unix back-ground and my comments about the certification process is that it DOES mean I come away with a lot more learned than if I just sat through a class with a meaningless certification at the end. The exam process keeps the concentration and raises the bar--definitely.
But after about a year at this M$ stuff, and trying to keep an open mind, I'm not really convinced that I want to spend my career supporting M$ products and chasing 'round behind Bill's World Domination Machine. ooopss. just lost my objectivity again....

Anyway, the way M$ expired the NT stuff so fast, (fine to retire the 3.5 stuff, but surely it's logical to carry on recognizing the operation one iteration ago) it just made me think they're pushing the IT pro's into Win2K to help push the market and IT directors into Win2K to make more money quicker. Capitalism is all about making money, but surely it is possible to be a little TOO single-minded about it. I think I'll just go back to Unix....

kevin

Kevin October 15, 1999

Recently, I attended a Sun Solaris Fundamentals course at Sun Canada. As an MCSE NT 4.0, I was shocked to discover how much of NT's architecture, and design derives from Unix 5 (Solaris is just a version, like BSD, AIX, etc.) Microsoft innovative? Come on. It's just subset of Unix 5. I credit my MCSE training for helping me understand the concepts easily. Unix is wonderful; it is incredibly exciting to see how much control, that you, as a Sys Admin, have over your environment, right down to device drivers. Yes, you need some basic programming skills, I began to realize, for the first time, how proprietary NT really is. I realized the next step for me, is not handing $$ to M$ for re-certification as an apostle for their less-functioned Unix clone called NT, but rather, to start to learn a whole new, open world called Unix. Sun Solaris is the future, in my opinion now, and I am not going to spend my evenings 're-certifying' in Win2K. I am very sorry I got mixed up with M$. They just want the money. Plain and simple greed. Anyway, since most networks are heterogenous, shouldn't we be learning other systems, not just NT? Just how much spare time does M$ think we have to spend, let alone the money?

Ken Dewar November 29, 1999

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