MCSE - A GREAT "FOOT IN THE DOOR" - GUIDE TO THE MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE))

Member Name: Parsley

Product:	Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE)
Date:	21/09/00 (2046 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent highly sought after qualification, will boost your career in NT4 (or Windows 2000)

Disadvantages: Very expensive, hard work & time consuming - but worth it

About a year ago both my husband and myself embarked on the MCSE - or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer course. We had heard that most employers were asking for this qualification and as we were both trying to break into the IT market, we chose this form of certification.

The MCSE is an exam track for the NT4 system (soon to be upgraded to the Windows 2000 system) and is a suitable qualification for those people who wish to pursue a career as an NT4 (or in future Windows 2000) network administrator.
The course, which is changing soon due to the phasing out of NT4 exams and the introduction of Windows 2000, consists of 4 core units & 2 electives. The core was Workstation, Server, Networking essentials & Server in the Enterprise (sounds like something from Star Trek!), you could choose from a number of electives - most people did TCP/IP and IIS or MS exchange. There are however quite a few different electives to choose from.
My husband completed his MCSE in 4.5 months. I got as far as "Workstation" & "Server" in 3 months which I passed with scores of 933 & 866 while 6.5 months pregnant. Just passing one exam makes you an "MCP" or Microsoft Certified Professional! I will be returning to my studies later this year (if I can keep off Dooyoo long enough!)

When embarking on the MCSE, it's quite hard to decide where to study, what materials to buy and how to fund it. My husband & myself were both lucky enough to receive a re-training grant to pay for our MCSE course. It is worth looking around and asking at your local employment centre, local council and even local charities whether you are eligible for a grant for re-training as you may find that there are funds available to help you. (They will really grill you to make sure that you are serious about it!)
If you have to pay for it yourself and you wish to go on a course, there are plenty available. Obviously the really top ones are the most expensive at ar
ound £4,000-£6,000 and are really intensive. If you can't afford this, try a £1,500-£2,000 course, but do shop around as some places are better than others, check the pass rates of other students and ask to meet your tutor or see a class before you sign up. There are even training companies in London offering you your money back if you don't find a job within a certain time of completing your MCSE. This may be a useful avenue to follow. (Check the back of the Evening Standard on a Wednesday (I.T. adverts day) if you live in London.)

I would say that in-class they run through everything VERY quickly as there is a lot to get through, make plenty of good concise notes. I would say that 99% of the work is done OUTSIDE the classroom - pure slog - these exams are not easy to get, you have to work hard for them. They also cost around £80 a throw, taken at approved testing centres (not your college) so make sure that you are actually ready before you take them. If you can get hold of a piece of software called a "TRANSCENDER" - this can be very useful as it gives you a series of multiple choice questions and tests your knowledge in a similar way to the exams. Also check out www.transcender.com for more on-line exam tests. These are a great help to prepare you for exam testing. The exams themselves are fairly nerve racking - they are multiple choice taken on a computer & at the end when you have finished (you get plenty of time) you have to press the button to see if you passed - this is a very tense moment! (Fortunately I passed both of mine, even with the baby kicking me all the way through!)
As for the course books, some colleges provide these as part of their course materials, but if they don't Waterstones stock a large range of MCSE books - ask yor course tutor for his recommendation. My husband used Microsoft's own TCP/IP book & the Exam Cram IIS book, these were both reasonably useful, but beware that some of the books, even the
Microsoft ones contained mistakes! I know this from checking other internet sites regarding the MCSE. If you look on the net there is plenty of helpful stuff available.
It is possible to do the MCSE without doing a course, but unless you have a very firm foundation in NT 4 administration, the right books and plenty of time on your hands, I wouldn't recommend it.

Once you have your MCSE, it's a prestigious qualification and it does tend to impress employers as they know how hard you have to work. The only problem that you will have with the NT4 MCSE is that at the end of next year your qualification is no longer valid - UNLESS you do the "fast-track" Windows 2000 updating course involving 2 or 3 more exams (£80 each) and more is training, although if you are in employment, your new employer may invest in you to do this. Microsoft have cleverly made it prestigious for companies to have MCSE holders by giving the companies that have them some titles of recognition (I can't quite remember what these are off-hand).
You can also add to your MCSE by taking new exams and you can end up with more titles after your name, by the combination that my husband did he has the MCP, MCP+I (Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet) and the MCSE!
My husband is now working in IT and found the MCSE a very useful foot in the door, but you do need to gain more experience than just the exams, see if you can get a work placement if you were not familiar with NT4 before your MCSE as this will really help you get to grips with its application in the work place. You shouldn't find it too hard to get work with your qualification, but above all if you choose the MCSE, work hard & keep reviewing your exam material as some employers may test you on it before employing you!
Good Luck!

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