MCSE Certification Course

The MCSE certification course is offered in different levels such as follows

Exam Description

The examination is offered in two certification tracks

• MCSE Windows Server 2003
• MCSE Windows 2000

Six core exams and one elective exam is required for the MCSE Windows Server 2003 track.

Core Exams: Networking System (Four Exams Required)

• Exam 70–290
• Exam 70–291
• Exam 70-293
• Exam 70-294

Core Exams: Client Operating System (One Exam Required)

• Exam 70–270
• Exam 70-210

Core Exams: Design (One Exam Required)

• Exam 70-297
• Exam 70-298
• Elective Exams (One Exam Required)
• Exam 70–089
• Exam 70-227
• Exam 70-228
• Exam 70-229
• Exam 70-232
• Exam 70-281
• Exam 70-282
• Exam 70-284
• Exam 70-285
• Exam 70-297
• Exam 70-298
• Exam 70-299
• Exam 70–301
• Exam 70–350
• Exam 70–431

Specialization

• MCSE: Messaging on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 requires six core exams and two messaging specialization exams. The specialization exams for messaging are Exam 70-284 and Exam 70-285
• MCSE: Security on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 require Five core exams and three security specialization exams. The Core Network Systems and Client Operating systems are the same as that of MCSE Windows Server 2003 where as the Core Exams: Design is Exam 70-298. While the core security exams are two from Exam 70-299, Exam 70-227 and Exam 70-350.

If you are already an MCSE on Windows 2000 then you can upgrade to MCSE Windows Server 2003 with an upgrade exams. The exams you need to take are Exam 70-292 and Exam 70-296

MCSE Windows 2000

Five Core Exam and two elective exams determine the structure of Windows 2000 Microsoft certification program.

Core Exam: Client Operating System (1 Exam Required)

• Exam 70-210
• Exam 70–270

Core Exams: Networking System (Three Exams Required)

• Exam 70-215
• Exam 70-216
• Exam 70-217

Core Exams: Design (One Exam Required)

• Exam 70-219
• Exam 70-220
• Exam 70-221
• Exam 70-226
• Exam 70-297
• Exam 70-298

Elective Exams (Two Exams Required)

• Exam 70-0194
• Exam 70-0283
• Exam 70-029
• Exam 70-086
• Exam 70-214
• Exam 70-218
• Exam 70-219
• Exam 70-220
• Exam 70-221
• Exam 70-222
• Exam 70-223
• Exam 70-224
• Exam 70-225
• Exam 70-226
• Exam 70-227
• Exam 70-228
• Exam 70-229
• Exam 70-230
• Exam 70-232
• Exam 70-234
• Exam 70-244
• Exam 70-284

Specializations

• MCSE: Messaging on Microsoft Windows 2000 requires five core exams and two messaging specialization exams. The elective that must be taken for core messaging are (Exam 70-224 and Exam 70-225) Or (Exam 70-284and Exam 70-285)

MCSE: Security on Microsoft Windows 2000 requires four core exams and three security specialization exams. The core design exam has to be taken which is either Exam 70-220 or Exam 70-298. The security specializations to be taken are two exams from

• Exam 70-214
• Exam 70-227
• Exam 70-299
• Exam 70-350
• CompTIA Security+

Test of Skills

MCSE course helps in the following areas
Depending on the certification track opted the skills generally acquired are

• Installing the operating system (Windows 2000 Professional/Windows XP Professional)
• Implementing and Conducting Administration of Resources
• Implementing, Managing and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers
• Monitoring and Optimizing System Performance and Reliability
• Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment
• Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services

For the Windows Server 2003 environment

• Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices
• Managing Users, Computers, and Groups
• Managing and Maintaining Access to Resources
• Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment
• Managing and Implementing Disaster Recovery
• Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining IP Addressing
• Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Name Resolution
• Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Network Security
• Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Routing and Remote Access
• Maintaining a Network Infrastructure
• Planning and Implementing Server Roles and Server Security
• Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Network Infrastructure
• Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Routing and Remote Access
• Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Server Availability
• Planning and Maintaining Network Security
• Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Security Infrastructure
• Planning and Implementing an Active Directory Infrastructure
• Managing and Maintaining an Active Directory Infrastructure
• Planning and Implementing User, Computer, and Group Strategies
• Planning and Implementing Group Policy
• Managing and Maintaining Group Policy

For Windows 200 Environment

• Installing Windows 2000 Server
• Installing, Configuring and Troubleshooting Access to Resources
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers
• Managing, Monitoring and Optimizing System Performance, Reliability and Availability
• Managing, Configuring and Troubleshooting Storage Use
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Windows 2000 Network Connections
• Implementing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting Security
• Installing, Configuring, Managing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting DNS in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Installing, Configuring, Managing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting DHCP in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Configuring, Manager, Monitoring and Troubleshooting Remote Access in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Installing, Configuring, Manager, Monitoring and Troubleshooting Network Protocols in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Installing, Configuring, Manager, Monitoring and Troubleshooting WINS in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Installing, Configuring, Manager, Monitoring and Troubleshooting IP Routing in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
• Installing, Configuring and Troubleshooting Network Address Translation (NAT)
• Installing, Configuring and Troubleshooting Certificate Services *
• Installing, Configuring, Managing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting Active Directory
• Installing, Configuring, Managing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting DNS for Active Directory
• Installing, Configuring, Managing, Monitoring Optimizing and Troubleshooting Change and Configuration Management
• Managing, Monitoring and Optimizing the Components of Active Directory
• Configuring, Managing, Monitoring and Troubleshooting Active Directory Security Solutions

Registering for the Exam
Microsoft certifications will cost US $125 per exam. You can register for MCSE certification online at Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric in real time. You could also register by phone at any of their contact centers.

Jobs and Salaries

MCSE Certifications are specialized certifications that give you industry recognition. Additional certificates give you an increase of 12% to 15% in salary. The average income for MCSE is $ 60,000. The work profile is Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Network Integrator, Network Analyst, Systems engineers, Technical support engineers and Technical consultants.

Recertification is not required for Microsoft requirements but exams are retired or tracks are redesigned you must pass the replacement exam. So if you have a Microsoft Windows NT certification please look up the Microsoft site to see what exemptions and other offers you can avail.