The past few weeks have been busy ones for Microsoft Training and Certification. New exams have been announced or hinted at; numerous old exams have been tapped for discontinuation. Each of these developments helps to show the shape of things to come in the Microsoft certification world.
On the incoming side, there's exam 70-214 "Implementing and Administering Security in a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network", which I wrote about in my last tip. This is the first-ever nuts and bolts Windows security exam, which means it covers operational details involved in locking down Windows networks and systems and maintaining security thereafter.
Also, Microsoft Press let slip recently that it's working on an MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit for exam 70-272 "Migrating to Active Directory". This exam aims to help Microsoft professionals preparing to migrate networks into Active Directory from Windows NT or domain-based Windows 2000 onto Windows 2000 or .NET Server.
Once the wait is over for the .NET Server release date, a flood of new exams -- including 70-275 (Windows .NET Server),70-276 (.NET Networ
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k Infrastructure), and 70-277 (.NET Directory Services Infrastructure) -- will take on more real shape. MS Press already has titles for all these exams in development. See www.microsoft.com/mspress/findabook/list/subject_category_T.asp for more information.
Here's what's out as of June 30, 2003 in keeping with Microsoft's "announce one year in advance" policy:
It's no shock that most of these items were headed for oblivion. Exchange 2000, for example, is now well established and a .NET Server version in the offing. So it's obvious that Microsoft is putting 5.5 out to pasture. Likewise it's inevitable that Exchange 5.5 exams like 70-081 and 70-105 are headed for the MCP dustbin.
Still there are some surprises:
In large part, Microsoft is clearing the deck for a new crop of exams based on BackOffice and Server .NET. Please stay tuned!
Ed Tittel is a principal at a small content development company based in Austin, Texas, and the creator of the Exam Cram series. He has worked on over 60 books on Microsoft, CompTIA, CIW, Sun/Java and various security certifications.
