Anyone a Microsoft Certified Professional?

[Kelly_]

I'm just about to start it and no one seems to be able to tell me how much time needs to be spent on it! The guy who is organising it has never completed it so I don't know how he can guess at one day a week over a few months....

How much time does it take to complete? Am I looking at staying in every night trying to work through it?

 

[hydeyho]

I thought there were lots of different standards of certified Microsoft professionals? Some people from my old work went on a microsoft course (XP proficiency, can't remember the course code but was useful for IT/NT support) and they were away for any entire week, working with the instructor 8:00 - 18:00 (with only 1/2hr break) and then had to stay up till midnight reading for the next day!!!

 

[Lee]

I was doing the courses a few years back before the company I worked for went under. The first one was 3 days and the rest were all 5 days. I got 5 into the 7 or 8 courses I think.

I did it with Computacenter who were excellent. There was only a few of us on the course and none of the other guys were intending to use the latest stuff like I was, so each lesson was basically based on how I was going to setup the Rage network and AD structure.

You won't need to stay in everynight, the course covers most of during the day. Plus if you are already familiar with using the software it'll be a hell of a lot easier. It's just learning how to use it the MS way that sucks a bit.

 

[Kelly_]

I think they are spreading the course out over a few weeks so hopefully it won't be that bad. Cheers for that, I was panicing that I wouldn't have a life for a couple of weeks!

 

[Lee]

I did one or two a month because they didn't want me out of the office for long periods of time.

 

[H182]

Time differers depending which course your doing. Im doing the managing windows 2003 environment learning it in my own time at home. Microsoft says it takes '21 Hours and 28 Minutes' to learn and complete the course but its taking me longer than that. Maybe im just thick.

 

[dk]

are you talking about doing the MCSE in like a fast track fashion, if so then it is bloody difficult and will ruin your life for the duration, it is not an easy course and has been made even harder recently as MS don't want people doing the fast track course and just passing the exam, they like to put real life situations in now so that you need to have had some experience of using the software other than just the course too. So if it is the MCSE, good luck, if it is just the MCP like th title of the thread then thats just a few of the courses and exams towards the MCSE but its still not easy, you have to put a lot of work in.

 

[Kelly_]

I'll most probably be at the bottom of the class! They are just sending me on it because it's free. At least it's something to do, get me out of the office for a bit.

 

[dk]

Time differers depending which course your doing. Im doing the managing windows 2003 environment learning it in my own time at home. Microsoft says it takes '21 Hours and 28 Minutes' to learn and complete the course but its taking me longer than that. Maybe im just thick.

i did the Managing and Maintaining a windows 2003 environment on a 5 day MS course and it wasn't easy, especially if you aren't used to the whole AD thing! I need to take the exam very soon but I have forgotten most of what was in the course as it was 6 months ago and I don't work on win 2k3 in my job, i am pre-sales, but need the exam for my ProLiant acccreditation.

 

[dk]

I'll most probably be at the bottom of the class! They are just sending me on it because it's free. At least it's something to do, get me out of the office for a bit.

if its free then it won't be anything like the MCSE then, its probably a Win XP users course, so probably nothing to worry about!

 

[Kelly_]

Its definately an MCP. I meant it's free to my company as they have got ICT funding from the government for Cheshire and Warrington so they are just throwing courses at us.

 

[FlamingMonkey]

I have an MSCE, I did a boot camp style thing, I had the whole thing done and dusted in under 3 months, was hard work, but gt me a decent payrise at work

 

[H182]

i did the Managing and Maintaining a windows 2003 environment on a 5 day MS course and it wasn't easy, especially if you aren't used to the whole AD thing! I need to take the exam very soon but I have forgotten most of what was in the course as it was 6 months ago and I don't work on win 2k3 in my job, i am pre-sales, but need the exam for my ProLiant acccreditation.

Yeah its not easy specially if ure not used to it. I use 2003 and AD at work but there still some things I dont do and keep forgetting. I thought about doing a 5 day course but I knew id forget it. As I have the materials at home I can look back at things I've forgotten. Planning to take the exam soon, good luck!

 

[Lee]

I have an MSCE, I did a boot camp style thing, I had the whole thing done and dusted in under 3 months, was hard work, but gt me a decent payrise at work

That's the only reason I was doing it, and to get some letters to put on my CV. I've been doing the job 13 years so it's not like I'm new to I.T. Support lol

 

[FlamingMonkey]

Yeah think that is why I got throught it so quick, I wa already doing the job, it was just a case of brushing up on the theory side of it.

 

[Lee]

Yeah think that is why I got throught it so quick, I wa already doing the job, it was just a case of brushing up on the theory side of it.

Yeah, it's not like the old NT ones where you could read the book, learn the book and pass the exams, since 2000 you have had to have good hands on experience.

Personally I just blag it all still. And they keep giving me more money and nice bonuses.

 

[Pete]

I like to collect Certifications plus work are paying for it so am going on a boot camp to do MCSE 2003 shortly, 7 exams in 2 weeks, I know the stuff already just need to know how MS think you should answer the questions. If you don't know it in the real world then learning it from cold might be a struggle.

What MS is trying to stop is all these people out there with MCSE's and no experience, effectively being useless in the real world, what people call paper MCSE's.

 

[Rasclart]

We are meant to be starting at it at work. Only doing it as the boss is paying for it.

Like Pete says after a quick scan of what is expected if you dont have real world experience then makes it a bit of a pain.

I support about 10-15 customers with a 2k3 AD setup so plenty to fiddle with!

 

[gabby83]

Kelly, you're really lucky you get that stuff for free. I work in IT support for the NHS and there is no funding at all for any training so gotta pay for it ourselves. im currently reading the windows XP MCP guide and doing the practise tests and stuff and then gonna try and take the exam (£100 a time i think??) but it soooooo much motivation to do it on ur own - much better on a course where you're being taught. good luck!

 

[Kelly_]

^^ I came from working for the NHS and they never provided anyone with training! I don't think any of our IT department had any training in the 3 years I was there!

 

[gabby83]

i know it sucks doesnt it!

i been here for 2 yrs now and no ones been on free training. However before i started one of the guys here had his whole mcse paid for back in 2001! I went to ask the training team about their budget for training courses for staff and they said there isnt one! oh well...

 

[_Kenny_]

My work wants me to go on an MCP course too. I want to basically for the same reasons you guys have given above. More cash would be good and it would nice to be able to add more to the CV.

I remember doing an elective course at uni which was for Windows NT - User groups, etc. Wasn't too bad, quite enjoyed learning that way - reading the books, taking notes and then doing the practical side