You'll find 4 Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) examinations to sit to pass at the MCSA level. Of these, three examinations are 'core' elements & therefore have to be taken, but the fourth is actually selected from a choice of electives. An increasingly useful and completely recognised 'elective' is the 'CompTIA Security+' , which for understandable purposes is starting to become a lot more favoured by candidates. With the MCSE there is currently greater importance placed upon Security from an organisational perspective, systems planning, and design of networks. There are 7 'MCP' exams in total.

A big contender for the top potential problem in the IT training sector is often the 'in-centre' workshop requirement. A lot of certification companies wax lyrical on the so-called 'benefits' of these classes, it's almost certain though that you'll find them a major problem because of:

- Frequent travelling - hundreds of miles most times.

- Monday to Friday availability to workshops can be usual, and with two or three days required at a time, this can be difficult for the majority of students who work.

- Lost holiday days - the majority of working people get just four weeks holiday each year. If half or more of that is used up by training classes, you haven't got a great deal of holiday time remaining for the student.

- Classes fill up quickly and will likely end up bigger than you'd hoped.

- Class pace - classes can consist of students of different skill, so tension can run high between those that want to go quickly as opposed to the ones who need a little longer.

- Let us not forget the added financial outlay of travelling and accommodation for the duration either. Don't be surprised to find this become 00's or even 000's extra. Take some time to add it all up - you'll be (unpleasantly) surprised.

- Privacy is important to us all. We wouldn't want to run the risk of losing any advancement that could awarded to us because of our studies.

- Raising questions around our class-mates will sometimes make us feel awkward. Have you ever left a question un-asked as you didn't want to look foolish?

- Living away for part of your working week - many trainees find they have to work or live somewhere else for certain parts of the program. Days in-centre are hard to get to, but you've already paid for them with your initial fees.

The most impressive solution comes from viewing a ready-made, videoed lesson - with instructor-led learning available at any time of day. Study at home on your computer or if you've got a laptop, you can go anywhere. Any questions that pop up, just get onto the live 24x7 support (that you should have insisted on for any technical study.) It's never going to matter how many times you want to re-do a section, filmed instructors are never going to run out of patience! Plus, because of this, note-taking is a thing of the past. It's already there for you. Whilst it's impossible to take away every problem, it surely reduces stress and eases things. And you've reduced travel, costs and hassle.

Right now, you'll find hardly any Windows 'NT' Server installations still left, yet there are even now a fair few remaining at server '2000'. Most businesses still work on 'Windows' '2003', although Windows 08 is building-pace. Since Server '2003' continues to be the top dog in commercial environments, the company's key certifications still centre around 2003. The Microsoft MCSE & Microsoft MCSA training-programs have developed over time in line with the Servers. Currently, both 'MCSE' '2003' & MCSA 2003 are Microsoft's most significant network certifications. However it may not be beneficial to disregard '2008' training, as to include this also will future-proof yourself.

Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the traditional routes into the industry - so why is this? The IT sector now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, certified accreditation from companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. The training is effectively done through focusing on the particular skills that are needed (along with a proportionate degree of related knowledge,) as opposed to going into the heightened depths of background non-specific minutiae that degrees in computing are prone to get tied up in - to fill a three or four year course.

The crux of the matter is this: Accredited IT qualifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - everything they need to know is in the title: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. Therefore companies can look at the particular needs they have and which qualifications are required to perform the job.

Be watchful that any exams you're considering doing will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. 'In-house' certificates are usually worthless. You'll find that only recognised examinations from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will open the doors to employers.

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