MCITP Guide

Once you have achieved MCITP status it is definitely not the end of the road. The next thing to do is to specialize in a certain area or application which is in high demand. Lately an area in high demand has been messaging, so if you’re MCITP isn’t specialised to Enterprise Messaging Administrator, that would be a good certification to get next. Another area in increasing demand is virtualization, so you might want to look at attaining something such as MCTS 70-403 which is on configuring System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008.

At the end of the day what path you choose after getting an MCITP all depends on what you want out of your career and what you interests are.

The answer to this question should be pretty obvious if you have been reading on this website for a little while, if you are still not convinced, read on.

Only good things can become from being MCITP Certified, if anything it will increase your self esteem and confidence, which can’t be a bad thing. Earning a MCITP demonstrates your technical skills and job related experience with Windows Server 2008. The MCITP will hold its value until Microsoft stops supporting that technology, which is somewhat a decade or so after release. Windows server 2003 is still being supported 6 years on and most Systems Administrators haven’t even given Server 2008 a look-in yet, I don’t personally know anyone using Windows Server 2008 as of yet!

Gaining a MCITP Certification will be a valuable milestone in your career path and could change it for the better. Having an MCITP credential under your belt demonstrates to your employers that you have the commitment that it takes to advancing your skills and the motivation to follow things though. By having a certification from Microsoft, you automatically gain access to a mountain of valuable resources and benefits given exclusively to certification holders.

What is the best way to study?

There is a plethora of websites on the internet which offer MCITP Practice Exams. These practice tests are more often than not something which you need to pay for and can range from as little as $50 depending on who you get them from. If you are thinking about buying a MCITP Practice Test it pays to shop around, but not too much as although there are some great resources out there, there is also a lot of crap as well.

Some of the websites held in a high regard from MCITP Test takers are Transcender.com, Measureup.com and Preplogic.com. These sites would be an ideal starting ground if you’re in the market for some MCITP Practice Exams. A lot of these sites will guarantee a pass on your exam when your use their preparation tools.

When you earn a MCITP you showcase your particular field of expertise. MCITP Certifications allow you to distinguish yourself from your fellow IT professionals, something older certifications didn’t. MCITP Certification comes in many different flavours as listed below:

Business Intelligence Developer
Business Intelligence Developer 2008
Consumer Support Technician
Database Developer
Database Developer 2008
Database Administrator
Database Administrator 2008
Enterprise Messaging Administrator
Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
Enterprise Support Technician
Enterprise Administrator
Server Administrator

How do I upgrade my MCSE or MCSA?

If you’re currently certified as a MCSA or MCSE on Windows Server 2003, you can shift your skills over to Microsoft’s new generation of certifications and attain new MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) or MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) certifications on Windows Server 2008.With one of these new certifications on your resume, you will stand out as an early adopter of new technologies to future employers. Microsoft has a transition path in place for people with either an MCSA or MCSE to achieve new MCTS and MCITP Certifications without going over all the basics which you already know.

The first step to upgrade your current certification is to sit one MCTS Exam, Exam 70-648 if you currently hold an MCSA or Exam 70-649 if you currently hold a MCSE. These exams each give you two new MCTS credentials if you current hold a MCSA or three if you hold a MCSE.From this point you have two choices depending if you want to go towards the Server Administrator Certification or the Enterprise Administrator Certification. More detailed information on these upgrade paths can be viewed on the Microsoft website.

Upgrade paths to MCITP are only possible from Windows Server 2003 certifications, as the technology gap between 2000 and 2008 is significant. In addition to this there are no upgrade paths if you specialized in security or messaging in your 2003 certifications.

What are the different Flavors of MCITP?

The MCITP Certification has only been introduced due to Microsoft creating new technologies that are helping businesses run more effectively and profitable. This means that there are new IT job opportunities appearing for skilled people who can administer and maintain these advanced applications. The IT industry is one of the lesser affected industries during this recession and there is lots of job demand in organizations all around the world.

Because each different MCITP Certification specialized in a different field and you can choose whatever one tickles your fancy, it helps to break down the broadness of being and Microsoft IT Professional, something the MCSE and MCSA etc didn’t do a good job at. Microsoft says that there should be no problems getting a job in the future as they have developed a scheme which divides the programs depending on its specialization.

Most employers will see a candidate with an MCITP as a good asset and will favour you in front of other candidates. This is because a newer certification means a fresher set of skills and knowledge which can only bring good things to their business.

Where can I get Good MCITP Exam resources?

A successful pass in a MCITP Exam is not difficult to achieve if you have studied to the best of you ability. I have personally sat a number of MCITP Exams myself and have achieved definite passes in all first time. All study for an MCITP Exam should be based around a MCITP self-paced training kit. These kits are made up of study books and are published by Microsoft themselves, so you can be pretty certain that they will cover the entire curriculum which is covered over in the MCITP Exam itself.

These MCITP Self-Paced Training Books are organized in two halves, with the first being “Learn at Your Own Pace” this first part is dedicated to teaching your all the required subject areas. This part is organized in such a way that each specific toping is in its own chapter and are in a logical order for learning. During each chapter the will be practical learning sections, where you actually explore and configure what you have just learnt in a windows operating system. Each chapter has review questions at the end to test your understanding of what was covered in the chapter.

The second halve, “Prepare for the Exam” prepares you for the exam by introducing case studies and asking questions which require you pull all your previously learnt knowledge together and producing an answer. This section of the book is so important as it helps you carefully read questions and think outside of the square in some instances which prepares you for whatever you might encounter in the MCITP Exam.

I suggest using a free piece of software called VMware which allows you to create and virtual computer to install the windows server operating system on for you to do each practical section on. Some MCITP Self-Paced Training Books require to have a few different servers all networked together, VMware makes this job a piece of cake, and it’s free too!

Why should I get MCITP Certified?

To become MCITP certified you need to acquire knowledge and skills in the certain area of IT you are sitting the MCITP Exam for. There are many different ways to gain these skills and knowledge, but by far the best way is to actually get hands on experience working in a job. This experience coupled with study from one of the many self-paced training books should guarantee a successful MCITP Exam result for the majority of people.

If you are the type that learns best with a tutor, or fresh out of school with no job opportunities in the IT industry, enrolling yourself at an educational institute would be your next best bet to be on the road to passing a MCITP Exam. Depending on what courses are available in your area you might be on the road to gaining your MCITP Certification within 6 – 12 months, although some places do run MCITP Boot Camps which claim to be able to cram all the required skills and knowledge into your memory in as little as a fortnight.

The last way some people get MCITP Certified is through MCITP Brain Dumps. MCITP Brain Dumps are more or less the questions and answers to the MCITP Exams and are certainly not an ethical way to earn a MCITP Certification. MCITP Certifications definitely have to be coupled with actual theoretical understanding and real life experience as well if possible. MCITP Qualified people with out these two vital things will more than likely have difficulty when they are put to the test.

MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) is Microsoft’s new generation of professional certifications based on Windows Server 2008. By gaining an MCITP Certification, you are backing up your knowledge and skills in working with IT infrastructures, including planning, deployment, maintenance and optimization with a Certification which is a IT industry standard and is recognized all around the world. By attaining a MCITP Certification, such as Enterprise Administrator, Database Developer or Consumer Support Technician, you are showcasing your skills in a specific area of IT. You will be the first choice in a crowd of IT job seekers because you have the latest and most up to date credential from Microsoft, the largest name in the IT Industry today.

The MCITP Enterprise Administrator certification is for system administrators who want to prove their skills and knowledge in relation to infrastructure design and Windows Server 2008 administration. This Certification more or less an MCSE, but on Windows Server 2008, rather than 2003.

If you are looking into attaining a MCITP Enterprise Administrator qualification, future job roles could include any of the following:

• IT systems manager
• Network administrator
• Systems architect
• Enterprise systems or security administrator

To gain a MCITP Enterprise Administrator certification, you must pass four MCTS exams and one MCITP exam. The required exams are as follows:

• 70-640 Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration And
• 70-642 Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration And
• 70-643 Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Configuration And either
• 70-620 Windows Vista Configuration Or
• 70-624 Business Desktop Deployment And then the final MCITP Exam:
• 70-647 Enterprise Administrator on Windows Server 2008

When you have achieved a pass in five of these exams, you will be certified as a MCITP Enterprise Administrator in Windows Server 2008.

If you current hold an MCSE or MCSA in Windows Server 2003, there has been upgrade paths designed to bring your certification up to date with current technologies. These upgrade paths can be as little as one or two exams depending on what your current certification is.

Gaining a MCITP Enterprise Administrator certification will be easiest if you already have experience in certain areas, which I will list below:

• Windows Server infrastructure design
• Evaluating current technology and recommending new technologies
• Infrastructure issues escalation
• Developing best practices in relation to clients and servers, for development, engineering and operation teams.
• Keeping polices for authentication, identity and access up to date
• Reviewing and evaluating security

Some educational institutes offer MCITP Boot Camps which are aimed at advancing your knowledge and skills up to standard in the least amount of time. Enrolling yourself in a MCITP Boot Camp is ideal if you lack the experience listed above. Check out more information here MCITP Boot Camps.

MCITP Guide