Computers and Microsoft are pretty much one and the same to most individuals! Every time we start our PCs, most of us are greeted with a Microsoft Operating System, and the majority of software that we use originates from their stable. In schools and colleges all over the world, Microsoft educational applications are readily available. Now 35 years old, 'Microsoft' came to prominence in the 80's by dominating the home market for PC operating-systems with early versions of 'Windows'. The Operating Systems that we use these days are as a result of quite a few evolutions of 'Windows' between now & then. We have always been provided with a choice of the 'Windows' Home version & the 'Windows' Professional version, with each and every update being relevant to both operating systems. Windows Server '2000' replaced the original 'Windows' NT Server. Next came Server 2003 and the most up-to-date offering: 'Server 2008'. Instruction on the 'Windows' server Operating-systems has consistently been on offer for the same time that 'Microsoft' have offered professional qualifications.

'Windows' 'NT' Operating-systems are actually very rare, but quite a lot of 'Windows' '2000' still remain. Its still early days yet for Windows server '08, with '2003' continuing it's dominance. Since Server 2003 remains the most prevalent in commercial environments, the company's primary qualifications still centre around this. MS's certifications 'MCSA' and 'MCSE' have supported the various server evolutions over the years. Consistent with business usage, the '2003' versions of these networking qualifications are still the most commonly asked for. It should though be borne in mind that upgrade training to Server 08 is imminent, and desirable where attainable.

There are in addition 2 specialist areas within the 'MCSE' path - security & messaging. These necessitate either 2 more MCP examinations, or one single extra exam where one of the first seven has been appropriately chosen. If you're interested in one of these specialisations then it is smart to think about this from the beginning - as it means just 8 examinations are needed, instead of 9. Microsoft in addition have released a Server 2008 MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) upgrade exam for the MCSA (exam 70/648) & for the MCSE (exam 70/649.) It's sensible to think of including one of these (or maybe an equivalent) asap. Not only should this future-proof you to a extent, it will equally make you qualified to apply for extra jobs.

Though quite often talked about together, the MCSA and MCSE are in reality designed to carry out two different purposes. The MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) is an accreditation made for those who are looking to get into server administration, networking & senior-support work. Mainly the qualification is a superb grounding for a technical systems-administrator, who will work with the issues of operating a small to medium commercial network. You will really enjoy this particular work if you're a highly organised problem solver that loves a proper technical-challenge. There is much variation during the working day, and as the role requires giving support to the network users, there's equally a great deal of connection with other people.

The 'Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer' (MCSE) will prepare you to get a more senior position of management in project-work, design and planning. This certification ought to be considered if you have ambitions to be a manager of a network, a project-manager, a technical or senior administrator, or a Senior I.T. security professional. Personal, creative & leadership skill-sets will also be covered in this training program, as successful 'MCSE' specialists often take care of many staff & resource-management duties.

With the correct quality of training-materials & 24 hr support, plus authorised examination preparation software, an 'MCSA' ought to take around 300 to 350 hrs to finish, and an MCSE about 500 to 550 hrs. For those who have experience you could reasonably study in your free time & get your qualifications in under a year. On the other hand, if you are coming to the industry without prior certification, then your normal starting point is the 'Comptia' 'A+' & 'Network+'. You'll find details of these training tracks on the CompTIA pages of this website. Add-on somewhere around two hundred hrs of training time, which is likely to take a minimum of six months part-time.

As can be seen here, the 'MCSA' and 'MCSE' accreditation tracks aren't entirely easy to understand. It is normally sensible to explore your options with an IT advisor, before you spend your money and buy what may appear to be a bargain course. The simple truth is there are a number of good well-priced training courses to be had, & really some extremely inadequate pricey ones. You simply won't be able to evaluate a training program on the price alone. You need to be considering just how good the course materials are, exactly how effective is the support and how accurate are the exam preparation software?

There are actually 4 'Microsoft Certified Professional' ('MCP') examinations to take in order to qualify at the 'MCSA' grade. Three of these are 'core' examinations which have to be taken, & one is an 'elective'. The CompTIA Security+ is accepted as an elective examination, and has grown to be more and more popular with many students for obvious reasons. To successfully obtain your full MCSE you have seven 'MCP' exams to pass. These specifically emphasise network design, Security and systems planning.

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