MCSA Cert

Not, sure if this is the right place to ask so if this thread needs to be moved, that’s fine.

I’m looking to get my MCSA Certification before April (when they realign and re-brand everything). It looks like all I need to do is take 3 test and the 1 elective test. My question is 2-fold: I want to go the cheap route and self –teach. Is there a certain line of books I should look out for? Amazon has a lot of option in this arena; http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=MCSA&x=0&y=0

Secondly, what elective test will cover me for a broader range of jobs? Exchange? Or SQL? As it stands right now I know nothing about SQL except how to install the client version..

Any other tips about this process are completely welcome. No matter how “duh” they might seem. I have no certs atm and this is completely new to me.

I find that the MCSA/E course books by Microsoft Press are actually pretty nice (~$200 for 9 books, all topics required for MCSE). One of the key features of the MS certs that alot of people forget is that they want the microsoft answer, not the correct answer, so learning from the source is often the best route.

Other than that I'd say any of the Sybex books or ExamCram series are decent ( if you're already familiar with the topics). Obviously none of this will help if you don't actually install and play with the materials (which come with the MS books in teh form of 180 day trials for things like server and SQL, blah blah).

As for jobs, I know that most employers are looking for someone that is more than a simple MCSA/E, which means SQL is probably goign to be a big deal for you. When I am hiring, I don't even consider someone that has no experience with SQL.

So, if given a choice between the two, I'd take someone who can manage databases over someone who can manage mail servers. After all, if Exchange becomes a problem in house, it's almost always cheaper to outsource it to a hosting company. SQL DB's and whatnot usually don't go that route, so it's a more common requirement.

Sieravor said:

One of the key features of the MS certs that alot of people forget is that they want the microsoft answer, not the correct answer, so learning from the source is often the best route.

Click to expand...

thats like all formal learning.. lol.

thanks you so much for your input. very helpful.