MCSE vs. MCSA, MCSD & MCAD
Dateline: 04/03/02For years now the MCSE has been considered the premier Microsoft certification. Those who can tack the letters MCSE onto their name demand good salaries and the respect of their peers in the IT industry. To become an MCSE there are a total of seven required exams, which run about $125 each. This, coupled with the costs of training materials and study guides, can run well into the thousands. Although it's a good investment in your career, there is a large gap between the MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional), which requires only one exam, and the MCSE. That gap has recently been filled by the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) certification. Leaving out the analysis and design of infrastructure, the MCSA focuses on managing and troubleshooting system environments. The intent being that you don't always need to know how to build an infrastructure if your job only requires that you maintain it.
In addition to the MCSA there is the other latest addition, the MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer). Exams are still in development but with only three to complete it's a relative bargain in comparison to the MCSE. According to Microsoft, "The MCAD credential is for professionals who develop and maintain department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services." However, according to Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, the MCAD may not be as wonderful as Microsoft claims and due to exam delays you probably won't be able to complete it until 2003. For developers and engineers who are designing entire enterprise solutions from analysis to maintenance, there is the MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) with a five-exam total. For those developers who want to focus on the development, testing, deployment and maintenance there is the three-exam MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer) certification.
Graphic provided by Microsoft.com
If you are looking to get the MCSD you will need to look into Microsoft's new .Net certification path for MCSDs. There is no upgrade from the old MCSD to the new and resources for the new path are quickly coming available. However, the MCSD still does not have the following that the MCSE certification does. According to a Certcities.com editorial, "as of January 2, there were only 28,813 MCSDs, as compared to 436,599 MCSEs."
Overall, despite new certification paths, which are becoming increasingly popular, the MCSE still reigns supreme as Microsoft's top certification.
