Currently, the operating systems involved in the courses have been Windows Vista and 7 and their server variants and I have never got any single Microsoft certificate before for real. Previously, there were modules like System Administration, IT Security and Windows 7 to name a few in which I learnt these before. For System Administration, it is how you manage the complete computing environment like servers, networking equipment and other computer stuffs but for that module, it consisted of the various topics of the original Windows Server 2k8. You can use R2 release which is identical but it has more features than the original release and the R2 release of Windows Server 2k8 is what IT Free Training has been using as part of the training. There are features that the original release doesn’t have but they are actually parts of the other Microsoft certified courses.
There are three levels of certifications formed into the pyramid. First, is the Associate level which contains Technology Specialist and Solutions Associate and this is where your foundation for your IT career starts. If I can start with that, so be it. Next is Expert level and from that level onwards, it is not easy for me but your IT standard can be globally recognized for IT excellence. You can choose to be an IT professional, professional developer, solutions expert or solutions developer. Last is Master level and it is the hardest level to get. This is where the distinction for experienced IT professionals starts with Master Certifications or Solutions Master Certifications.
Starting with the future, the MCTS or Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist certification will be retired. Current MCTS exams will be expired when mainstream support ends. For MCTS, this is for those who want to validate their abilities to successfully implement, build on, troubleshoot and debug a particular Microsoft technology. Indeed, I have great skills in using Windows OSes but I still have to improve even more by trying to take some opportunity to learn the Windows Embedded and Server OSes. The first step for me will be to try Windows 7 certified course as learnt from IT Free training videos which is about installing and configuring the operating system for the business environment and I believe that you can install and repair the operating system yourself on your own computers as well.
For MCSA or Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate, there are some changes. First, if you’re new to certification, you can start with Active Directory course, Network Infrastructure and Server Administrator courses to obtain this completion certificate. If you want to update your skills to the future MCSA, you can sit for the 70-417 exam which is available until July 31st two years later. However, if you already have passed the exams for the current MCSA, you can try completing it and upgrading to the future MCSA rather than starting directly with the future MCSA. For the future MCSA, it is aimed at supporting Windows Server 8 which had recently gone RTM at the same time as Windows 8. There are three more courses to learn such as Installing and Configuring, Administering and Configuring Advanced Services of Windows Server 8.
Next is MCITP or Microsoft Certified IT Professional. Unfortunately, it is being retired due to the arrival of the new technology. Currently, almost all MCITP certification have expiry dates of July 31st next year. Some MCITP certification based on technology earlier than four years ago will be retired on September 30 this year. For the next level for me to choose in the future, there will be options like Enterprise Desktop Support Technician or Administrator on Windows 7 but that requires learning 70-685 and 70-686 respectively and I don’t think IT Free Training has already offered those courses to learn. Unfortunately, these will expire next year so what’s the freaking point?
Next is MCSE or Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert. It was previously known as System Engineer which was already retired and replaced with other certifications like MCITP and MCSA. This caused a lot of people to be confused as MCSE was seen as a brand name. Unlike the previous certification, Solutions Expert looks a solution based on the current technology at the time. To keep such a new certification in the future like this, you will need to recertify as the new technology is released. This is different than the old certification which was based on one technology.
Lastly is MCSM and MCP or Microsoft Certified Solutions Master and Certified Professional. They are the hardest certifications to get because you must obtain the certifications you want to get the master certification. Once you have obtained those certifications, you can apply to Microsoft for the master certification. They will review your experience in order to determine if you can achieve this certification. That is for MCSM but for MCP, it can be obtained by passing any certified exam. Once you are an MCP, you can gain access to the MCP website giving you additional information and also tools like viewing your transcript.
You can visit Prometric website to get information about the examination venues so that you can book the exam for the certified courses you’re in.
Indeed, I had already subscribed to IT Free Training YouTube channel so that I can learn even more from those Microsoft certified courses. Right now, it seems that Windows 7 70-680 course list from IT Free Training was already complete this year but then, during the attachment last year, I already issued the questions based on what I learnt from IT Free Training to my juniors when the list was already incomplete at that time.
