Welcome to the new world of Microsoft certification testing where not only the exam path is changing, but also the way you take the exam. Many test-takers have complained in the past that the exams were to easily mastered by “Paper-MCSE’s”. Paper MCSEs are folks that studied from brain dumps and other materials enabling greenhorns to pass the test without having any real world hands-on skill. Well, all this is changing. New testing technology called emulation technology will be released allowing for hands-on skills evaluation. In essence this means that there will be a real live virtual machine environment connected to the testing center. When you complete given tasks during the exam and submit them, your hands-on tasks will be evaluated and scored based on how many you accomplished. Can you imagine that?  You’ll have to know the interface in order to pass the exam.  Gentlemen, load your virtual machines and get clicking!  

Another change will be the certification program itself, now divided into two branches: technology skills and professional /job role. In a nutshell, one branch is the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Certification which will earn you a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist credential by taking a single exam. In most cases these are for a single technology and will retire when Microsoft discontinues support for that technology. The other branch of certifications, Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), is based on a professional /job role. The MCITP certifications are built on top of the technology specialist exams (MCTS). The MCITPs require one or two exams and are divided by audience—IT Professional or Professional Developer - and will require recertification every three years. All this boils down to five distinct certifications.

Two job-role certifications:  MCITP  

Three technology-specific certifications:  (MCTS)

Should Small Business Specialists be concerned with the changes in the certification path structure? I think not, unless you are of course working towards a specific Professional Series credential. This would require taking several MCTS exams to show that you have skills in several areas. I could see some folks doing this, especially if you are working for a larger IT company that requires several credentials of their staff. But if you are a one-man shop serving Small Business customers most likely you will go for the minimum required credential to attain your Small Business Specialist designation. Once Microsoft has a new certification exam for Small Business Specialists based on Small Business Server 2008 available, it would most likely fall under the technology-specific role unless Microsoft decides to create a special track for SBSCs.

Either way, exam 70-282 should remain available for quite a while and not get retired even with SBS 2008 looming closely over the edge. Windows Server 2003 certifications are not being retired for a while and the same will be for 70-282 for Small Business Server 2003. We should be able to get many more miles out of 70-282 and the current SBSC designation. Once that is about to change, I will be sure to let you know.

Disclaimer: This section is about the new generation of certifications – if you are a SBSC not interested in the new certification paths you can stop reading here and go back to serving your customers now. For all others who have pursued the MCSE or MCSA in the past and would like to know about the changes, please read on.

Microsoft designed the new framework around “organizational relevance” to make it easier for a hiring manager to look at your certification logo and match you up with the company’s needs. Think enterprise.

The three green bottom leaves make up the branch of the MCTS, (Technology Series) which can be obtained by passing a single technology exam. The blue containers building on the MCTS are the Microsoft Certified IT Professional and the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer which are job-role focused exams (Professional Series), and then there is the Microsoft Certified Architect, a new program for Microsoft. With more exams coming on-line with the new generation I am certain we will soon have certification forests and trees.  <grin>

For instance if you want to get a MCTS certification, you would only need to pass one of the exams shown below

Exam 70-640 will be the first exam using emulation technology. To prepare for this exam you can take a full five-day Active Directory in-depth course (Course #6425 available June 10, 2008) or a three-day Windows Server 2008 update course.  Definitely not on the priority list of a Small Business Specialist, but if you aspire to enterprise heights, this would be the path to take.

If you don’t have any certifications at all to upgrade from (like MCSE or MCSA 2003), you would have to start from the ground up to get the MCITP credential (see below). It will take three exams, 70-640, 70-642 and 70-646 (and it is recommended to take them in this order).  Here you will gain two MCTS certifications on your way to becoming a Server Administrator, compared to the previous MCSA credential which required you to pass four exams.  

Oh, you want to be an Enterprise Administrator? No problem, this is a five-exam path compared with seven prior for the MCSE. The Enterprise Administrator requires three MCTS certifications and either Windows Vista Configuring or Deploying exams and the Enterprise Administrator Exam. Note that this exam path allows you to elect one of the Vista exams, which is (currently) not an option on any of the other certification paths.  The good news is that exam 70-620 and 70-624 are already available so you can get started on this today. Also, exam 70-621 (MCDST upgrade) fulfills the requirement for 70-620.

When you pass exam 70-649 you just transitioned all three MCTS exams (70-640, 70-642,70-643) so you don’t have to take these individually. In order to get the Server Administrator credential you will only have to add exam 70-646. Basically you can upgrade your 2003 MCSE by taking two exams, 70-649 and 70-646.

To achieve the Enterprise Administrator credential, pass exam 70-649, one of the Vista exams (70-620 or 70-24) and the PRO exam (70-647).  See the picture below.

MCSAs can transition by passing exam 70-648 earning two of the three MCTS certifications (70-640, 70-642). In order to become a Server Administrator, add exam 70-646, so only a total of two exams!

If you want to take the certification path to Enterprise Administrator, take 70-648  and in addition MCTS exam 70-643, then one of the Vista exams (70-620 or 70-24) and last the PRO exam (70-647).  That should be easy enough J 

Best of all, you are not on your own. Visit the Windows Server 2008 Learning Portal at microsoft.com/learning/windowsserver2008 where you will find a great amount of FREE study material from downloadable books to e-learning clinics and additional information.

Enjoy!