Microsoft's MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) program is a rigorous testing and certification program for Windows NT system and network administrators. To achieve certification, one must pass four required exams and two elective exams. Close to twenty potential elective exams exist, although only nine of them are current electives covering the most recent version of a given product. Microsoft has also just introduced the MCSE+Internet certification, which requires passing seven required exams and two elective exams. There are four current elective exams to choose from to attain this certification.
MCSE: The Core Exams in a Nutshell is a comprehensive study guide that covers the required exams offered in the MCSE certification. The companion book, MCSE: The Electives in a Nutshell, covers the most important and popular elective exams for the MCSE certification and also covers the other required and elective exams for the MCSE+Internet certification.
The required exams covered in this book are:
- Networking Essentials
- Windows NT Workstation
- Windows NT Server
- Windows 95 (you must choose either the NT Workstation or Windows 95 exam)
Each chapter in the book covers one exam. It includes:
- A summary of the key areas covered by the exam
- A description of the format and difficulty of each exam and tips for passing it
- Definitions of key terms
- Sample test questions and answers
MCSE: The Core Exams in a Nutshell is a detailed quick reference designed for the administrator who already has some experience with Windows NT or is currently administering a different platform such as UNIX, and wants to learn what is necessary to pass the required exam portion of the MCSE certification. While no book is a substitute for real-world experience, this book will help you codify your knowledge and prepare for the exams.
Any administrator who is serious about passing the required exams needed to acquire MCSE certification will find this book an invaluable tool.
The MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) qualification is rapidly becoming the popular accreditation sought by networking specialists. To gain MCSE certification you must pass four core examinations and two electives from an ever growing choice.
MCSE: The Core Exams in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition is effectively a study guide (or crib sheet) for the four core examinations, while a companion volume,
MCSE: the Electives in a Nutshell is available for the electives.
The book is divided into five sections: Networking Essentials; Windows NT Workstation; Windows NT Server; NT Server in the Enterprise and Windows 98. Though not profusely illustrated, the book has excellent summaries of information in a readily digestible style, with plenty of panels explaining details such as the emphasis or interpretation of actual examinations.
Each section includes practice tests (primarily multiple choice questions), study hints and a summary of information covered by the pertinent exam. Usefully, all the acronyms used are expanded, and information is most often detailed in point form lists. Though there is an index, it's far from comprehensive, though not too much should be expected of an index to a study guide. It's important to emphasise that this is not a reference book for those hoping to gain expertise in the products appearing in the chapter headings: it is a revision aid only, written for experts who require study and revision help.--Wilf Hey
