MCSE vs CCNA Which is best?

[techyphil]

Im doing the CCNA, but got hold of alot of LearnKey and TestOut DVD's with CCNA, MSCE info anyway.

They have 80% of everything you need to learn plus bits that help out in real life usage.

Whilst doing the CCNA, ive been on 5 day courses learning the different sections of the MCSA anyway. I done 2274 - Managing a Windows Server 2003 Environment. Theres about 5 more to do if I wanted to go for the exams and get that certificate. But at the moment, I learn simply because I want to and to use that in my day to day work. After my CCNA at college then I will have more time to study and go for the MCSA.

Good Luck deciding btw

[FragglePete]

I'd always aimed for MSCA, but my problem was the exams. I just fell to pieces in the exam. Nerves more than anything, and the last one I failed by 6 points! I did a number of Official Microsoft Courses that were fantastic where I learnt a lot but also used it to clarify and re-enforce what I knew already. Also met a lot of a Certification junkies that seemed only focused on getting the bit of paper.

So, I took the decision not to worry so much about these certifications and rely on my experience, and so far that's working out ok.

The MSC* stuff teaches and expects you to do things the Microsoft way, and that is not necessarily the best or most appropriate way of doing things.

Pete

[Grommit]

CISCO is done in most high schools so is looked at as a kiddies cert..

MCP, MCSA, MCSE are more professional..

[cookie_monster]

CISCO is done in most high schools so is looked at as a kiddies cert..

MCP, MCSA, MCSE are more professional..

WHAT??? CCNA is a hard cert to achieve. How exactly do these high school kiddies get a good level of Cisco hardware experience. As an MCSA on 2k and 2k3 i can tell you they're not rocket science 70-292 was pretty damn hard but they aren't looked on any more favourably than Cisco exams, in fact they're very different fields so the question you need to ask is what job am i looking for then decide on the cert.

[j17sparky]

WHAT??? CCNA is a hard cert to achieve. How exactly do these high school kiddies get a good level of Cisco hardware experience. As an MCSA on 2k and 2k3 i can tell you they're not rocket science 70-292 was pretty damn hard but they aren't looked on any more favourably than Cisco exams, in fact they're very different fields so the question you need to ask is what job am i looking for then decide on the cert.

Yep. IMO an IME cisco is looked upon FAR FAR FAR more favourably than a MS.

[cookie_monster]

But only if you're going for the right job i wouldn't hire a CCNA to look after my Exchange server farm. With any certs untill you have experience to back them up they're worthless i'd be very suspicious of any MCSE/CCNA with limited experience.

[Joedetic]

Yeah, same. But it depends very much what field you're going into.

CCNA/CCNP/FNS etc are all a bit more in depth in my opinion.

[bossman]

@Joeditic:
Totally agree with you it's hands on skills that are the best kind of qualifications along with experience but how do you show a prospective employer without the paper?
I have used about 5% of my MCSE knowledge so far in 3 years. Am on last part of module 4 WAN CCNA and will decide whether or not to take the exam as I use very little of CCNA knowledge in my everyday job.

[flashsnaps]

I am not sure how much this applies now but I did CISCO course 3years, in 6form (ccna) - well part of it, and there was loads of cheating going on because the answers were available on the internet - so people could revise the answers and pass the multiple choice exams. Some of these people passed the course and got a ccna, but no f*** all!

[cookie_monster]

A very good reason why i wouldn't hire anyone with certs and no experience. That is the same reason why MS stopped VUE providing their exams.

[CyberNerd]

Some of these people passed the course and got a ccna, but no f*** all!

sounds like some of the MCSEs I've met.

[strawberry]

sounds like some of the MCSEs I've met.

and dare i say it some teachers! there are people out tehre from all walks of life with pieces of paper that are not worthy of such awards

[Grommit]

WHAT??? CCNA is a hard cert to achieve. How exactly do these high school kiddies get a good level of Cisco hardware experience. As an MCSA on 2k and 2k3 i can tell you they're not rocket science 70-292 was pretty damn hard but they aren't looked on any more favourably than Cisco exams, in fact they're very different fields so the question you need to ask is what job am i looking for then decide on the cert.

I'm just talking about the CCNA cert here nothing more..

CCNA is done in a lot of High schools and as well FREE in as local "Computer Centres" around london for the unemployed , as well as "local" non english community.. and single mothers

And we all sat there at the end of each chapter and helped everyone answer the questions..

The problem was.. that most of the people on the courses had never seen a server in their lives and didn't know that the AD was more powerful then the router ACL...

We all sat in a room with a couple of routers in a lab and had fun laughing, chatting, and the rest while we loaded up the router interface and entered the ACL's, daisy chained the routers and the rest.. all the while getting unemployment a travel card and a free lunch..

[cookie_monster]

I love the cheapening and dumbing down of our profession, we really need a professional body to look after our interests. Can you imagine popping down the unemployment centre and someone wheeling a few corpses in "today it's surgery 101 kids", I don’t think so. Hopefully no one will be daft enough to hire any of these people into a network architect role.

[ChrisH]

I have also heard about the CCNA stuff done at colleges. They fail the exam one day then take it again (the exact same one!) on another day after looking up the answers they were not sure about.