MCSE Online Courses Are A Good Investment
Getting your Microsoft certification can be a real boost to your professional career. Whether you are a seasoned IT (Information Technology) professional or are just starting a new computer career, having Microsoft credentials will help you by affirming your skills and knowledge of Microsoft networks and operating systems. The most popular Microsoft certification is the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer). Many employers seek the MCSE and require this certification for many of their new hires. In order to achieve your MCSE, you must pass a total of seven Microsoft exams. In order to prepare for the exams, there are several ways to study. One of them is through MCSE online courses that you can study from your own computer. One advantage to online courses is that there is no set schedule and you can study at your own pace and when you have the time to study.
Passing the Exams
MCSE candidates are required to pass three core operating system exams (one of the which must be exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment or 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure;) and four elective exams, and is designed to test your ability to manage and troubleshoot a Windows 2003 network or Exchange Infrastructure. These exams are tough! In the past, you could study online courses or read reference manuals and still be able to pass the exams. But the new exams are tougher and require some real-world experience working with Microsoft products in order to pass the test.
Working Online
The MCSE online courses are typically web-based and allow you to login to your account whenever it is convenient for you to do so. You can spend as little or as much time as you want studying each topic. And, if there is a topic that you are extremely familiar with, you can skip it altogether. Conversely, if there is a topic that is giving you trouble, you can repeat it multiple times until you fully understand the topic. For example, let's say that you are responsible for maintaining your network's DHCP server and you work in DHCP Manager every day. You may choose to spend little time in this module when studying online. However, you may never spend anytime configuring DNS services. In this case, you may want to study the DNS module online several times until you are sure you can pass that part of the exam.
Practice Exams
Another advantage to studying online for your MCSE is that you can take practice exams. These exams are very close to the real exams so you can see how well you do and what areas need further study. You will also get familiar with the time constraints of the exams. Also, the new Microsoft exams feature two different types of exams. The one is the "scenario" type of exam. You are presented with a scenario which is a long description of a networking problem that you must solve. You are then asked a large number of questions about this scenario that builds upon how you answered the previous question. Get one question wrong and you may create an entirely wrong scenario.
The other type of exam is the simulation exam question. In this type of question, you are presented with a task to accomplish such as "create a domain security policy that does not allow laptops to connect to the wireless network in the office but does allow them to use wireless when they are on the road." You are presented with a Windows 2003 Server desktop and you must perform all the steps required, in the correct order. Your answer is recorded and analyzed and you are scored on how well you completed the required steps in the correct order.
Cost Savings With Online Courses for Your MCSE
If you are serious about obtaining your MCSE, you know that it is expensive to study for all the exams. If you were to attend school, it would take months and many thousands of dollars to complete the required courses. Boot camps are expensive as well, and require you to be off from work for two weeks or more. This is just not workable for many employers. Online courses allow you to study on your own time and at your own pace. And they are priced much below either attending school or an MCSE boot camp.
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