How I Got My MCSE

Lawrence Hughes
I became an MCSE in two bursts. While working in Hong Kong, I took the Windows3.1 and DOS 6.2, Networking with Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11, WindowsNT Workstation, and Windows NT Server exams. About six months later,I returned to the US and finished the MCSE sequence by taking the TCP/IP onWindows NT and Microsoft Mail-Enterprise exams.

Because I had worked with Windows NT since the early beta releases andimplemented one of the first NT-based networks in Asia, I passed the examswithout any formal training. I prepared for the exams by applying my on-the-jobexperience with the products, carefully reading the resource kits and relevantarticles in the Microsoft Technical Support Network (TechNet) and the MicrosoftDeveloper Network (MSDN), and, in the case of NT (Workstation and Server), usingthe Microsoft training kit.

I had minor problems with two exams. Only days before I took theWindows 3.1 and DOS 6.2 exam, Microsoft added the DOS portion. Because I wasunaware of this addition, I wasn't prepared for the test and failed on my firstattempt. Microsoft acknowledged this situation by letting me retake the exam forfree. I then passed. I also struggled with the TCP/IP on Windows NT exambecause of its emphasis on Microsoft-specific issues (e.g., NetBIOS over TCP/IPand NetBIOS name resolution) and Microsoft's subjective questions.

I decided to take the exams for several reasons. First, they forced me tolearn about the technology in more detail than I had learned from just workingwith the products. Second, certification helps ensure my employability, even inuncertain economic times. Because many companies are currently migrating theirnetworks from Novell to Microsoft technology and because MCSEs are in greaterdemand than Enterprise Certified Network Engineers (ECNEs), the MCSEcertification is more valuable to employers than Novell's certification. Third,the certification let me qualify my office as a Microsoft Solution Provider.Finally, it was a fun challenge.

Although I am a strong developer, I haven't pursued the Microsoft CertifiedSolution Developer (MCSD) certification. It places too much emphasis on VisualBasic (VB) and 4GL tools. (Microsoft just started covering Visual C++, MFC, andthe full Win32 APIs.) In addition, this certification doesn't carry the weightwith employers that the MCSE does.

Glenn Morris
I began my MCSE training and certification in October 1993. I attended anAuthorized Technical Education Center (ATEC) class and took the MicrosoftWindows 3.1 NT exam a few weeks later. I've never studied so hard. I readalmost every book on Windows NT at the time and felt I was ready.

What could Microsoft possibly ask that I hadn't studied? The first threequestions, that's what. Things went smoothly after I began recognizing some ofthe other questions. When I returned to the first three questions, they weremore familiar than I originally thought.

I passed the exam to become an MCP. Cool. Then I remembered I had to passfive more exams to become an MCSE.

Each exam became less intimidating. By the fourth exam, I'd developed goodstudy habits and test-taking methods. I took an exam about every two months andbecame an MCSE within a year of passing that first exam, just in time to startstudying for the Windows NT 3.5 exams.

My best test preparation tip is to print out the exam's topic sheet fromthe Microsoft Certification Roadmap program, and don't stray from studying thetopics. For example, if the topic sheet for a particular exam doesn't includeMacintosh clients, don't study that topic. I can't remember seeing more than onequestion for a topic the exam materials didn't cover.

My best test-taking tip is to make sure the computer you're taking the teston isn't a dinosaur. Because time is of the essence, you don't want to bewaiting for exhibits to display on your monitor. Also, a monitor with a displayresolution of 800*600 is easier on the eyes than a resolution of 640*480.

If you're debating between two answers to a question, flag the "mark"box next to the question, move on, and come back to it. Often, other questionswill shed light on the right choice to a previous question.

Spyros Sakellariadis
I got my MCSE certification in March 1994. I was one of the first 50 or soSEs in the world, and I got a small glass plaque with the words "CharterMember" on it. I worked out some cardinal rules for obtaining the MCPstatus and have more than a dozen certifications as proof of the rules'infallibility.

The first rule is to read every piece of paper in the product's box,including all manuals, marketing literature, and promotional offerings. Howelse, for example, can you get the answer to the Microsoft Mail MCP exam'squestion about whether this product includes a fax gateway? Only by reading thepromotional literature can you learn that you have to pay for the fax gateway.

This rule is so important to me that I don't even mentally commit to takingan exam until I have the shrink-wrapped documentation in my hands. Because I'man employee of a Microsoft Solution Provider (SP) partner, this requirementisn't easy because all the software arrives on CD with no printed documentation.So rule number one quickly became: Buy and read all the documentation.

The second rule is to read the resource kits from beginning to end. I readthese kits with an eye to understanding the concepts without worrying too muchabout the fine details. For example, I don't worry about which Interrupt ReQuest(IRQ) to use for a network card, but I note that I need to configure a networkcard if I expect to connect to other machines in a LAN/WAN.

Rules one and two require so much reading that I have to volunteer forout-of-town assignments. Hotel rooms and airplanes make ideal places for readingdocumentation with few distractions.

Rule number three is to set up the software at home. I don't care that I'mrunning the world's slowest Windows NT box. Without the opportunity totroubleshoot my system, I would never have learned enough to pass the MCP exams.

After going through the process, I definitely recommend that you take aMicrosoft ATEC-certified course before taking the exam. Finally, I recommend themost important rule of all: Don't tell anyone when you plan to take anexam--until after you pass it!

Brian Moran
In April 1992, long before the MCSE program was ever publicized, I took myfirst test, Windows NT Workstation, and passed. When I passed my sixthtest, Networking and Windows, in March 1993, I collected my glass plaqueproving I'm a charter member of the MCSE program. Since then, I've passedseveral more tests to become a charter member of the MCSD program and acertified trainer for NT and SQL Server.

In all that test taking, the most important lesson I've learned is, "justdo it!" I've put off a test for months because I was worried about passing.After I passed the test, I always felt silly for waiting so long. Getting MCSEcertification requires a serious time commitment, but foot-dragging just makesit worse.

If you're serious about getting your MCSE, pick a test to study for, setaside time every week to prepare, take the test, and move on to the next one.Prepping for multiple tests at the same time or putting off studying because youjust don't have the time is the best way to ensure failing. After all, you haveonly a year from start to finish to complete four core and two elective tests.

As a consultant for a Microsoft SP Partner, I was able to apply thematerial I studied in my job. The tests are difficult to pass without hands-onpractice, and applying your new knowledge in the real world is the best way toreinforce the learning.

Another learning aid that I recommend is the course material in the ATECtraining classes. The course content follows the test material very closely. Ifyou know the course material, you won't have trouble with the test. Microsoft'sself-study kits mirror the courses and make excellent study guides.

Practice tests are available for most MCP exams. Once you cover the basics,take the free Microsoft practice tests to prepare. A few questions from theseexams usually show up on the real test.

If you're a little more ambitious and don't mind spending a few bucks, Irecommend Transcender's online certification packages. These tests are moreexhaustive than the free Microsoft tests. If you answer a question incorrectly,the in-depth explanation the package provides and references to appropriatemanuals explain the correct answer. This tool makes studying a breeze.