Author Interview: Dan Balter

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Exam 70-290 is a key Microsoft certification exam which is a core exam towards both MCSA and MCSE certification. Authors Dan Balter and Patrick Regan have crafted a carefully-designed study guide for the well-known Exam Cram series that will walk certification candidates through each topic they need to know to conquer this exam. We recently caught up with Dan Balter, who shared with us his views on Microsoft certification in general, and the tricks to aceing the 70-290 exam in particular. Here is what he had to say:

GoCertify: What do you consider to be the most important reasons to earn a Microsoft MCSA or MCSE certification?

Dan Balter: I think that the MCSA and MCSE credentials show potential clients and/or employers that the person who holds one or more of these certifications possesses the associated skill set and competency as outlined in Microsoft’s Exam Objectives for these certifications. Someone who has earned either the MCSA or MCSE credential has achieved at least a baseline level of skill and knowledge in Microsoft technologies such as Windows XP Professional, Active Directory, and Windows Server 2003.

GoCertify: What is the difference between the newer Microsoft MCITP program and the MCSA/MCSE programs?

Dan Balter: The newer MCITP certification programs requires candidates to become proficient in more highly targeted areas. Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists (MCTS) must specialize their expertise in very specific areas, such as Windows Vista Configuration, Exchange Server 2007 Configuration, and SharePoint Server 2007 Configuration, to name just a few of the newer titles. The MCSA and MCSE programs were designed to be more generalized in the knowledge that they tested.

GoCertify: Is there a particular order in which it is best to take the MCSA/MCSE exams, and if so what is it?

Dan Balter: There is no mandatory sequence that a certification candidate must follow to attain either the MCSA or MCSE credential. However, from my own experience, I’d say that I have found that the client exams tend to be less difficult than server-related exams. So I would take a client exam first. If you are already familiar with and have worked with a particular technology upon which one of the elective exams is based, I would consider taking your elective exam next. You must pass the required core exams, of course, so I would suggest tackling these tests after you have passed your client exam and after passing your elective exam. Finally, you can save the “best” for last, the core design exam! In my experience, these exams tend to be among the more challenging certification obstacles – I’d spend the most time studying for your design exam of choice – I suggest taking this exam last.

GoCertify: Is there subject overlap among the exams?

Dan Balter: There is some degree of overlap between a couple of the exams. For example, there is some overlap between Exam 70-291 “Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure” and Exam 70-293 “Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure”. However, the emphasis for Exam 70-293 is more on “planning”, while the emphasis for Exam 70-291 is on “implementing and maintaining”. Overall, however, there is not much overlap between the various MCSA- and MCSE-related exams.

GoCertify: How much work experience and of what kind do you feel is necessary before a person should consider attempting exam 70-290?

Dan Balter: Well, each individual is different and has different learning styles, not to mention different levels of experience in working with Windows Server 2003. If someone has worked with the product on almost a daily basis over a six month period of time, I’d say that that person could be ready to take on the exam – provided that the person has done his/her share of book study and has scored consistently higher than 80% on practice exams.

GoCertify: How far in advance of taking the 70-290 exam should a person start studying?

Dan Balter: Again, it really depends on the individual. Some people have great memories and they can “cram” for a test with great success. Other people need to work harder and longer before they are truly ready to pass an exam. A person who can devote two hours or more per day for studying might be able to prepare himself within a month’s time. Someone with a great deal of work experience on Windows Server 2003 might be able to pass the exam without studying, however, this is usually the exception and not the rule. Someone who is truly starting from scratch in learning about Window Server 2003, should probably allow 2 to 3 months or more to prepare, depending on the time they can devote to studying and depending on their experience with the operating system.

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