How Does a MCSE Boot Camp Work?

One of the best methods of securing IT training, and preparing for your MCSE Certification examination is the boot camp. MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified System Engineer. The MSCE boot camp gives you the intensive training that you need to not only pass the examination, but also to handle the work afterwards. The boot camp concept takes its name from military basic training and although it does not resemble that in the discipline area, it certainly earns its name for its intensity.

A typical MCSE boot camp lasts around two weeks. The fee for the camp includes air transportation to the camp site, and lodging during the duration of the course. If air transportation and lodging are not needed, these expenses will be deducted from the cost. Meals are also included in these packages. Students will take up to seven certification examinations during the boot camp. The class room work will be directed toward preparation for each examination. Students will be working also on the actual hardware and software under the guidance of instructors who are experience in all Microsoft platforms. Most boot camps have 24/7 lab access available to the students.

There is a great deal of written material and computer training videos involved with the courses designed to prepare for the various Certification examinations. Many companies offer this material to students for home study. This is given as an alternative to the boot camp, and the advertising stresses the money savings for skipping the actual camp and doing the study and preparation at home. The costs of the boot camps are rather high, especially when they include transportation, lodging, and meals. Even though, in most cases, employers will pay for the cost of the camp, this is not always the case.

The Microsoft Certification boot camp has several benefits over home study and they justify the cost. Most camps offer success guarantees. If you fail an examination, the instructors are right there to correct any mistakes and identify the cause of failure. You will be prepared to retake the examination and get back on schedule. Since most boot camps have small classes and therefore a high instructor to student ratio, this individual attention is the key to successful completion of the Certification exams. Many of the camps have as high as 96% success rates, and many will allow credits to any student who does fail the complete the course. These credits may be used to retake the boot camp at a reduced rate at a later date.

Natalie Aranda writes about training and technology. One of the best methods of securing IT training, and preparing for your MCSE Certification examination is the boot camp. MCSE stands for Microsoft Certified System Engineer. The MSCE boot camp gives you the intensive training that you need to not only pass the examination, but also to handle the work afterwards. The Microsoft Certification boot camp has several benefits over home study and they justify the cost. Most camps offer success guarantees.

Get The Boot - A Birds-Eye Look Into MCSE Boot Camps

MCSE boot camps have its supporters and its detractors. Some people do not understand why you should have to spend money on boot camp when you can get the MCSE study materials yourself at a fraction of the camp price. However, who has the willpower to actually sit through a self-imposed MCSE training? Not too many people! That is what the MCSE boot camps are for.

These boot camps are typically an intense two-week long MCSE training course that prepares you for the MCSE exams. Some companies that conduct boot camps offering Microsoft certification, especially the MCSE, guarantee that you will pass your MCSE exams. If you happen to fail, they will usually issue a voucher to try it again. For many people who attend these MCSE boot camps, it is preferable to have an intense two weeks with little to distract you rather than drawing out the classes for weeks with outside influences like work and family interfering with study time. Sure, being gone for two weeks is a temporary hassle, but you will have your certification in a fraction of the time.

Did you catch the being gone for two weeks bit? You can probably find a boot camp near your home, but most likely you will end up attending an MCSE boot camp away from your home, far enough away where it is not worth it to commute. Two weeks away from home? That doesn?t sound like a picnic! But just think of the rewards you will reap after trudging through all that MCSE training and taking the MCSE exams.

If you are lucky, your company will pick up the tab on your Microsoft certification. Paying on your own is a major investment, usually a few thousand dollars depending on where the location is and if hotel and meals are included in the price. For your money, you will get a tough instructor, an MCSE drill sergeant for lack of a better description. That instructor?s reputation is on the line, so he or she will be motivated to ensure your success. That is why the success rate for these MCSE boot camps is high, in some places as high as 95%!

For your investment, you will have numerous MCSE training sessions in Networking Basics as well as learning about the infrastructure of a network. You will study security design, directories and how to manage Windows network environments. Hands-on training in learning labs with after-hours access for extra practice is the norm. Practice MCSE exams are also given out as a study tool and to also help prepare you for your own test time.

Microsoft certifications are here to stay and the MCSE is a popular avenue to travel. If you have got the time and can swing the cost, MCSE boot camps will definitely give you a boost into a new career.James Croydon, Microsoft Certified Professional and MCSE Online advisor - focusing on MCSE Online Certification and MCSE Courses Online

MCSE v/s MCSA

Certifications, offered by various vendors are a good way for IT professionals to seek validation for their skills. In today's arena, there are lots of vendors offering specialization in particular domains. Professionals often get confused about which certification to go for as some of them have as little as hair thin difference between them. It is best to first identify your job role, the knowledge and skills required and accordingly select to take a particular certification to ensure career success.

Let us in this article try and get some clarity between two major certifications of Microsoft i.e. MCSE and MCSA which are often confused upon.

Why MCSE?

For a MCSE (http://www.whizlabs.com/mcse-exam/mcse-exam.html) candidate, it is preferable that he should have at least two years of experience in implementing and administering desktop and network operating systems, and designing a network infrastructure in the typically complex computing environment of medium-to-large organizations. The candidate should also have at least one year of experience administering Exchange Server environments involving multiple physical locations, mixed connection protocols, and Internet messaging.

MCSE has two tracks Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows 2003. The 2003 track requires 6 Core Exams, 1 Elective Exam and 2 Upgrade Exams to be cleared.

Core Exam include:

Group I: 70-290, 70-291, 70-293;

Group II: 70-270, 70-210; Group III: 70-297, 70-298.

Elective Exams include:

70-086, 70-227, 70-228, 70-229, 70-232, 70-281, 70-282, 70-284, 70-285, 70-297, 70-298, 70-299, and 70-301.

Upgrade Exams include

70-292 or 70-296.

Either CompTIA Security+ or Unisys UNO-101 can be substituted in place of the elective exams.

Why MCSA?

The need for qualified system administrators is very real in today's business market and the excitement for MCSA (http://www.whizlabs.com/mcsa/mcsa.html) is growing daily. A candidate for MCSA should have at least one year of experience working with a desktop operating system, a network operating system, and an existing network infrastructure. As soon as candidates pass their first qualifying exam for the MCSA program, they achieve a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification.

MCSA also has two tracks Microsoft Windows 2000 track and Microsoft Windows 2003 track. MCSA 2003 requires 3 Core Exams, 1 Elective exam and 1 Upgrade exam to be cleared.

Core Exams include:

Group I: 70-290, 70-291

Group II: 70-270, 70-210

Elective Exams include

70-086, 70-227, 70-228, 70-284, and 70-299

Upgrade Exams include

70-292

What's the difference between MCSE & MCSA?

Let us look at a few major differences between the two certifications which will help you get a clearer idea about them:

MCSA (http://www.whizlabs.com/mcsa/mcsa.html) when compared to MCSE (http://www.whizlabs.com/mcse-exam/mcse-exam.html) is a basic level certification. As an MCSA you must know every thing about implementing, managing, and troubleshooting the existing network and system environments based on the Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. However, you will not be responsible to set up new networks and systems as a part of your job function. But as a MCSE knowledge about designing and deploying new networks and systems is necessary.

Being an MCSA professional means that you will be able to implement, manage, and maintain the typically complex computing environment of medium-to large-sized companies. On the other hand, being an MCSE professional you will be able to plan, design, and implement Microsoft Windows server solutions and architectures in medium-to large-sized companies.

The experience that is required for both these certifications is also different. MCSA requires 6-12 months of experience of administering client and network operating systems while MCSE requires at least one year of experience in implementing and administering network operating systems and desktop operating systems.

Jobs for an MCSA include systems administrator, network administrator, information systems administrator, network operations analyst, network technician, or technical support specialist. For an MCSE jobs include systems engineer, network engineer, systems analyst, network analyst, or technical consultant.

MCSA provides you with a credential that represents a set of skills which will be advantageous if you plan to pursue MCSE Certification. Therefore, earning an MCSA will qualify you with the option to use these credentials and acquire MCSE through Upgrade path to MCSE.

If you look carefully, both these exams although similar to each other specialize in different domains. A clear understanding of both the certifications is necessary before you decide which one to opt for. So make the right choice and get going!!

Whizlabs (www.whizlabs.com), an ISO Certified company, is a leading provider of IT skill assessment and certification exam preparation tools. Whizlabs' suite of offerings include "IT Certification Exam simulators and Instructor-led, Online Trainings" for various exams by Sun, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, BEA, Cisco, and other leading IT vendors and "IT skill Assessment Management Solution" for Corporations, Training Institutes

Boost Your Career And Benefit From A Microsoft Certification Or Two Or Three!

You went to college and thought you were prepared for the job market. If you are going for entry-level work, yeah, you are prepared. However, to really get ahead, you need Microsoft certification, whether it is an MCP, MCSA, MCSE or any other string of letters. Quite a few people will go for multiple certifications to broaden their experience and scope of possible job opportunities.

Some of the Microsoft certifications require you have to have at least one year of practical experience in order to pursue a certification, namely an MCSE or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. It is important to have that experience that these certain certifications require because the training, like the MCSE training and the MCSE exams that follow, are very intense. In fact, some people will not only partake of the standard MCSE training, but also MCSE boot camps for more in-depth studies into their certification.

One standard benefit to having a Microsoft certification is that it is a great basic means of analyzing the aptitude of an employee. If you are a manager or owner in a business, you want some way to evaluate that employee?s skills. And if you are the employee, you know that your boss recognizes your abilities.

If you are on the hunt for a new job, then potential hiring managers and employers have a basis in which to assess your qualifications. Without that Microsoft certification on your resume, these employers would have no idea about your skills and most likely would consider someone else, someone with a certification, for the position you were aiming for.

If you do not have much hands-on experience in your field, but you do have the Microsoft certification to prove that you know the material, you would also have a leg up on anyone else applying for the same position that may have more hands-on experience, but no certification. For some reason, that certification, those little string of letters like MCP or MCSE, hold a lot of power.

Yet another benefit to holding a Microsoft certification or two is the money aspect of it all. Sure, you shelled out some major bucks to fund your education in those MCP courses or that MCSE training, but consider it an investment in yourself. With certification, you can bargain a higher salary and even reimbursement for your training!

Many professionals in the IT field or in a company in which you work in an IT department could benefit from Microsoft certification. Do you work as an Administrator for a network, mail or web server? Are you involved in the security of networks and the internet? Any of those positions and much more benefit with additional training and certification. Just think money! It is the biggest motivator. The more you know and can bring to a position, the more money you stand to make.

So think about going for your MCSE or MCP certification or any number of others available. More training; more knowledge; more money ... sounds like a no-brainer! Go nuts and get certified today
James Croydon, Microsoft Certified Professional and MCSE Certification Courses advisor - focusing on MCSE Certification and MCSE Online