Once upon a time, Microsoft used a pretty simple formula to map certification exams for upcoming technology to older certification tracks. The formula was known in MCP training circles as "add 60." Add 60 was a simple arithmetic rule that explained how older exams like 70-210 for Windows 2000 Professional mapped to newer or upcoming versions -- in this case, to 70-270 Windows XP Professional.
Similarly, when the rule was applied to existing Windows 2000 server exams -- 70-215 (Windows 2000 Server), 70-216 (Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure), and 70-217 (Windows 2000 Directory Services) -- they were all supposed to map to 2003-generation exams 70-275, 70-276, 70-277, and so forth. For the purpose of discussion, let's call these would-be 2003-generation exams 70-27x plus 60 exams.
As of the week of February 10, all this changed. Some time that week, nearly all mention of all as-yet-unreleased 70-27x plus 60 exams vanished from Microsoft's Web site. I found this both mysterious and intriguing, and was therefore not terr
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ibly surprised when Microsoft announced a new replacement slate of exams for the MCSA and MCSE on Windows Server 2003 the following week.
Here's what's new as of February 17:
And what does it all mean for MCSA and MCSE candidates, both now and in the future? New certification and upgrade requirements are as follows:
As for the big picture, I'm still pondering the implications of these changes. So far, I have come to three conclusions:
Of course we know nothing about the question types, lengths, and difficulty ratings for these exams. After MCSA exams go beta in June and MCSE exams in July/August we'll know more -- and I'll report further. If you want more details, exam objectives (except 70-298) appear in an "Upcoming exams" list on Microsoft's new exams Web page.
Ed Tittel runs a content development company in Austin, Texas, and is the series editor of the Que Exam Cram 2 and Training Guide series. He's worked on many books on Microsoft, CompTIA, CIW, Sun/Java, and security certifications.
