Alexander’s Blog

Microsoft has released the following new Windows Server 2012 courses.

For those new to certification or new to Windows Server 2012:

Course 20410A: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012

Prerequisites:

Before attending this course, students must have:

1. A good understanding of networking fundamentals.
2. An understanding and experience configuring security and administration tasks in an enterprise environment.
3. Experience supporting or configuring Microsoft Windows clients.

For those currently certified or have experience with Windows Server 2008:

Course 20417A: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012

Prerequisites:

Before attending this course, students must have:

1. Two or more years of experience deploying and managing Windows Server 2008
2. Experience with Windows networking technologies and implementation
3. Experience with Active Directory technologies and implementation
4. Experience with Windows Server 2008 server virtualization technologies and implementation

Students attending this course are expected to have passed the following exams, or have equivalent knowledge:

1. Exam 70-640: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
2. Exam 70-642: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
3. Exam 70-646: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator

If you are new to Microsoft certification exams, check out this demo from Microsoft that will help you understand how all exam types work. Watching this video before your first certification exam is highly recommended. You will need Silverlight installed in your browser to watch this demo.

Microsoft Certification: Microsoft Certification Exam Demo
by
Snack Owner

Presentations for developers, IT Pros, SQL, Office, and Personal Development will be given by fellow MCTs and presenters from Microsoft.  This year’s MCT Summit will include sessions to prepare MCTs for teaching Microsoft’s Cloud computing classes.  Another feature of this year’s MCT Summit will be half-day hands on labs.

A Train the Trainer (TTT) session will occur on Tuesday Oct 18. If you are an MCP aspiring to become an MCT, attend the MCT Summit’s TTT session and become a MCT upon successful completion. To learn more about the MCT Certification requirements, visit Microsoft Learning’s MCT Certification page.  You can find more details here.  Fee for the Train the Trainer session is $700 which includes the Train the Trainer class,  MCT Summit conference fee, and your first years MCT fee to Microsoft.

Please Note: This year’s MCT NA Summit is the work of several dedicated MCTs with assistance from Microsoft, sponsors, and the IT professional association Pacific IT Professionals.  The MCT Summit is being offered by MCTs for MCTs; it is not a Microsoft event.

More details are available here.

Thanks to Microsoft, they have not raised their certification prices for a long time, until now. Effective July 1, 2011, the retail price of Microsoft Certifications will increase worldwide, except for India where the increase will be in effect on August 1, 2011.

Although some of the prices for Microsoft Certification exams for students and academic institutions will increase, according to Microsoft, the discount will remain significant. This is because Microsoft wants to help students become more employable for entry jobs in the IT industry. IT Academy members, high school, college, or university students enrolled in a degree or diploma program will continue to receive a discount off the retail price of select Microsoft Certification exams.

One question that I am often asked when I am teaching CompTIA classes is how many questions are there on CompTIA exams. Thanks to my student Dawn, here is the information for CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ exams.

CompTIA  Exams

A+ Essentials

Exam # = 220-701

No. of questions = 100

Allotted time = 90 minutes

Passing score = 675

Exam # = 220-702

No. of questions = 100

Allotted time = 90 minutes

Passing score = 700

Exam # = N10-004

No. of questions = 100

Allotted time = 90 minutes

Passing score = 720

No. of questions = 100

Allotted time = 90 minutes

Passing score = 764