To achieve your complete 'MCSA' you must take 4 specific 'MCP' exams ('MCP' stands for Microsoft Certified Professional). There are three required 'core' examinations, & a fourth elective examination. An increasingly important & fully recognised 'elective' is the 'Comptia' Security+ , which for understandable purposes is becoming very favoured by students. With the 'MCSE' there is currently higher emphasis placed upon security from an organisational perspective, systems planning, and network design. There are actually seven 'MCP' exams in all.

A major candidate for the most common difficulty for IT students is often the 'in-centre' workshop requirement. Most training academies extol the virtues of the so-called 'benefits' of these classes, however, they quickly become a thorn in your side due to many reasons:

- Loads of visits to the training centre - usually very long trips.

- If you're working, then Monday to Friday events are hard to attend. Often you're facing at least 2, if not 3 days in a row.

- Annual leave lost - the majority of trainees only have 20 days holiday. If over half of it is swallowed up by study days, vacation time is going to be quite short for most student's families.

- Workshops normally get fully subscribed quite quickly, leaving us with something that we don't really want.

- Tension can be created in many classes as the right pace for one student is not the same as another.

- Most students report that the (not inconsiderable) costs of getting transport to and from the training facility whilst paying for accommodation and food becomes prohibitively expensive.

- It's important to maintain privacy. We should never risk losing any potential advancement that could awarded to us because our employer knows we're retraining.

- It's not unusual to avoid posing questions in a room full of our fellow trainees - so we don't appear ignorant.

- Working and living away - a lot of students find they have to work or live somewhere else for sections of the program. Classes end up being problematic to attend, yet you've already paid for them as part of your fees.

Infinitely more flexible is to make use of videoed classes at the location of your choice - studying at your own pace, when it suits you - not some other person. Training can take place wherever it suits you. If your PC is a laptop, take in some sunshine in your garden as you study. If you have any difficulties then utilise the 24x7 Support. Lessons and modules can be repeated if you need to - memory is aided by repetition. And you'll never have to write notes again - it's already prepared ready. Could it be more straightforward: You avoid travelling and wasting time and money; plus you've got a much more comfortable learning setting.

A subtle way that training providers make a lot more is by charging for exams up-front then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status. This looks like a great idea for the student, but let's just examine it more closely:

Thankfully, today we tend to be a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and the majority of us ought to grasp that it is something we're paying for - they're not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Should you seriously need to qualify first 'go', then the most successful route is to fund each exam as you take it, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.

Don't you think it's more sensible to find the best exam deal or offer when you're ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the training course provider, and to take it closer to home - instead of the remote centre that's convenient only to the trainer? Paying in advance for exams (which also includes interest if you've taken out a loan) is a false economy. Don't line companies bank accounts with your money just to give them a good cash-flow! A lot bank on the fact that you won't get to do them all - then they'll keep the extra money. Most companies will require you to do mock exams and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - making an 'exam guarantee' just about worthless.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE examinations in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it's common sense to fund them one by one. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.

Even though the 'MCSA' and the 'MCSE' are regularly mentioned within the same career-path, they are basically rather different. Preparation to be a 'Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator' ('MCSA') ideal for Networking & senior support jobs and server administration. Mainly this certification is an ideal basis for a technical systems-administrator, who'll deal with all the inner workings of running a fairly small to mid level business network. You'll get a great deal out of this particular role if you are a highly organised problem solver who enjoys a proper technical challenge. It's a really people oriented role with a lot of variety, since the job effectively entails supportive interaction with other network users.

In contrast, the MCSE ('Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer') role provides a position with greater responsibility, where the job revolves a lot more around design, planning & project-management. If senior-administration, management of a network, senior security work or project/technical management is your ultimate aim, then this is definitely the path you should look at taking. Creative, personal & leadership skillsets will also be dealt with within this training program, as good MCSE specialists typically handle an array of personnel and resource-management responsibilities.

A valuable training package will undoubtedly have Microsoft (or key company) exam preparation systems. Don't fall foul of depending on unofficial exam preparation questions. The terminology of their questions can be quite different - and often this creates real issues when the proper exam time arrives. Clearly, it is vital to make sure you are completely prepared for the real exam prior to going for it. Rehearsing simulated tests logs the information in your brain and helps to avoid failed exams.

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