Certification Question (newbie)

Hi All. This is my first time in this group, so if I'm asking
questions that get asked all the time, my apologies. No trolling
intended I can assure you.

I've been a Windows server support specialist for a federal agency for
about 4 years now and even though there's no monitary or immediate
tangible benefits from my employer I'd still like to go for my MCSA or
MCSE cert just for my own edification. I had the equivolent of an MCSA

on NT 4.0 and that was the last time I attempted to certify in
anything. It may come in handy down the line as the possibility of the

department requiring certifications comes up every once in awhile.


Anyway I had a few questions regarding certifying:


1. This is an opinion poll, actually. IYHO, is it worth at this point

going for a 2003 MCSx cert or would you, if you were in my situation,
just wait for Vista's cert track?


2. How difficult are the individual MCP exams on a scale of 1 to 10
(Network Essentials being a "1" and CCNE being a "10").


3. Are the transcenders as valuable a study tool as they were back in
NT4 days or is there better practice test software out there now?


4. Anybody know if study materials and/or test fees can be claimed as
a tax write-off?


Thanks much.


:Bazooka-Joe

bazooka-joe@comcast.net

Echoed forth from the dank caverns of microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcse,
the plaintive wail of :

In line:

> 1. This is an opinion poll, actually. IYHO, is it worth at this point
>
> going for a 2003 MCSx cert or would you, if you were in my situation,
> just wait for Vista's cert track?
>

Get certified in what you know, that is sort of the point. What are you
working with? If you are going to be taking training in Vista, then I
suppose you will likely want to certify in that when you are done.

>
> 2. How difficult are the individual MCP exams on a scale of 1 to 10
> (Network Essentials being a "1" and CCNE being a "10").
>

Again, depending on how well you know your stuff, prolly about a "5"

>
> 3. Are the transcenders as valuable a study tool as they were back in
> NT4 days or is there better practice test software out there now?
>

Good as any, I suppose.

>
> 4. Anybody know if study materials and/or test fees can be claimed as
> a tax write-off?

Personally, I would not be thinking about doing the certs unless my
employer was paying the tab. As far as tax deductions go, in the US I
believe you may deduct _job related_ training expenses. May vary for
whatever country you are in.

--
JaR
MCNGP 10110
Remove hat to reply
The Meek shall inherit the earth - after we're through with it.

JaR

bazooka- wrote:
>
> Anyway I had a few questions regarding certifying:
>
>
> 1. This is an opinion poll, actually. IYHO, is it worth at this point
>
> going for a 2003 MCSx cert or would you, if you were in my situation,
> just wait for Vista's cert track?

Interesting. Though I have no idea when those new certs are going to be
going live. If Vista scheduled for late 2006, those certs might come out
mid 2007. Lots of things change in 2 years.

>
>
> 2. How difficult are the individual MCP exams on a scale of 1 to 10
> (Network Essentials being a "1" and CCNE being a "10").

FME, MCP exams were harder than CompTIA but easier than some other I
took. They seemed to get harder as you moved up the cert track towards
the much coveted MCSE.

> 3. Are the transcenders as valuable a study tool as they were back in
> NT4 days or is there better practice test software out there now?

bah.... you don't need them. you have to be pretty clueless when it
comes to the windows platform and the MS product (XP, server, e.t.c.) to
fail an MCP exam. (or if you just don't study at all, that will also
fail you!)

>
> 4. Anybody know if study materials and/or test fees can be claimed as
> a tax write-off?

??? my employer paid for all mine. you should get yours to do the same.

>
>
> Thanks much.
>
>
> :Bazooka-Joe
>


--
Rowdy Yates, MCNGP Thug #39
http://www.mcngp.com/
"I pithy in your general direction!"

Rowdy yates

<bazooka-> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Hi All. This is my first time in this group, so if I'm asking
> questions that get asked all the time, my apologies. No trolling
> intended I can assure you.
>
> I've been a Windows server support specialist for a federal agency for
> about 4 years now and even though there's no monitary or immediate
> tangible benefits from my employer I'd still like to go for my MCSA or
> MCSE cert just for my own edification. I had the equivolent of an MCSA
>
> on NT 4.0 and that was the last time I attempted to certify in
> anything. It may come in handy down the line as the possibility of the
>
> department requiring certifications comes up every once in awhile.
>
>
> Anyway I had a few questions regarding certifying:
>
>
> 1. This is an opinion poll, actually. IYHO, is it worth at this point
>
> going for a 2003 MCSx cert or would you, if you were in my situation,
> just wait for Vista's cert track?
>

I'd go ahead a do the 2003 series, you may be waiting
a bit for vista/longhorn.

>
> 2. How difficult are the individual MCP exams on a scale of 1 to 10
> (Network Essentials being a "1" and CCNE being a "10").
>

Each person has individual preferences, I didn't find them to
be all that tough, intense yes, but not too tough.

>
> 3. Are the transcenders as valuable a study tool as they were back in
> NT4 days or is there better practice test software out there now?
>

Hands on and a home test lab using multiple machines or a
single powerful machine running Virtual machine software is
better.

>
> 4. Anybody know if study materials and/or test fees can be claimed as
> a tax write-off?
>

As said before, here in the US you can, if you itemize your
deductions, write of your job-related-training materials if you
pay for them yourself.

>
> Thanks much.
>
>
> :Bazooka-Joe
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Lnkwizard2 MCNGP 2^5

http://www.mcngp.com
"He who does not test himself is worthless indeed"
---------------------------------------------------------------------

LnkWizard

>> 2. How difficult are the individual MCP exams on a scale of 1 to 10
>> (Network Essentials being a "1" and CCNE being a "10").
>>
>
>Again, depending on how well you know your stuff, prolly about a "5"

These 'How difficult are the individual MCP exams' really make me
laugh, I mean one man's tonic is another man's poison....

Kline Sphere (Chalk) MCNGP #3

Kline Sphere

>Lots of things change in 2 years.

yeah, two years ago I was woman

Kline Sphere (Chalk) MCNGP #3

Kline Sphere

>
> These 'How difficult are the individual MCP exams' really make me
> laugh, I mean one man's tonic is another man's poison....
>
> Kline Sphere (Chalk) MCNGP #3

Right....just take the friggin exam then assess it for yourself for ghods sakes.

There are only two grades: Pass and Fail

If you Pass, is was easy.
If you fail, you're an idiot.


--
Bigus Dickus
....in the world

Bigus Dickus