MCSA Certification

For those of you heading down the MCSA certification track, I hope the following list of links and resources will be of some use to you.

By obtaining the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification, you should be able to demonstrate the skills necessary to successfully implement, manage, and troubleshoot the everyday requirements of a Windows-based operating environment.

The MCSA certification was launched in 2002 and is geared toward those who have about 12 months of experience working within the industry - with exposure to desktop operating systems, network operating systems, as well as the inherent network infrastructure that supports them. As there are no pre-requisites to this exam you can study for, and take, the MCSE however even if you don’t have the required practical experience.

The MCSA certification is best thought of as a mid-level certification, nicely sandwiched between the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) on the entry-level end of things and the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on the expert end. Unfortunately the MCSA hasn't been around long enough for employers to be demanding it but it seems things are changing as the certification gains more acceptance. Anyhow, it's a Microsoft certification, so that must count for something. (Right?)

According to an online survey, the MCSA was last year hottest certification to go for according to those who were actually taking the exams. What you can read into that is debatable, but it certainly seems to be a popular choice.

Perhaps it's because the MCSA offers a stepping-stone certification on the path to the more arduous MCSE, or that the MCSA better reflects the duties and responsibilities that many IT professionals have in their daily jobs than the MCSE does/would.

To gain MCSA certification you will be required to pass three core exams and one elective exam (if you've already passed a CompTIA exam you may wish to look here to see if you can cross-credit, or if you've already headed down the MCP route you may find that you're well on your way to obtaining the MCSA certification).