STUDYING - The 70-216 will be the hardest of MCSE Core exams that you will face, so it is important that students realise this from the start and prepare accordingly. The good news is that the knowledge learned from all of the 7 preceding certification's WILL count, including the CCNA. It is better to deal with this examination at this stage, rather than leaving it to last, as it is more likely to help in the passing of the remaining exams rather then those help in the passing of this one.

Networking - In one word this is what you will be tested on, all aspects of networking from routing to DNS to TCP/IP and more.

The key to passing this exam is to know more than you need to know, and with that in mind Certz.com recommends the MCSE Training Kit-Premium Edition: Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure Administration (Exam 70-216) (With CD-ROM) . At just $9 (70% Discount) represents excellant value for money. This Premium Edition MCSE TRAINING KIT with 4 companion CDs offers an all-in-one package including in-depth self-paced training in both book and electronic formats, along with a CD-based assessment tool and other valuable resources. The heart of the kit is the official Microsoft study guide for Exam 70-216, an integrated system of self-paced lessons and skill-building practice exercises. For students who want to learn by doing, MCSE eLearning on CD-ROM delivers in-depth exam preparation entirely through a state-of-the-art, simulated Windows 2000 environment. The Readiness Review electronic assessment tool plus companion text provides multiple-use, no-risk test-taking practice. And the kit's Premium Edition CD features the Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking and the Microsoft Resource Kits for Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server in e-book form; sample reference materials from Microsoft TechNet; plus a 120-day evaluation version of the Windows 2000 Server operating system.

The 70-216 exam is probably the hardest in the MCSE 2000 route and defintely it is worth considering the benefits of a good testing engine to test yourself fully before you take the exam. Here Transcender excels, which have consistently shown themselves to offer the best testing products. Download Transcender exam simulations Additionally Transcender are offering downloads of free demo's and a $10 discount

MCSE 70-216 Training Kit-Premium Edition 70% off

EXAMS - Don't under estimate the difficulty of this exam , so prepare accordingly. Make sure you get plenty of rest the night before for this tiring exam. The exam comprises 55 questions with a set time limit of 140 minutes. Results are Pass or Fail with no scores given.

CONCLUSION - You can be well pleased in having passed the hardest that Microsoft can throw at you. The 70-216 marks the 3rd core exam on the MCSE Certz route. Having passed this you can now deal with the remaining 3 MCSE exams with relative ease.

STUDYING - The MS core exam 70-217 adds the knowledge base necessary to administer Microsoft Active Directory Services, which basically means domains and sites, and administering user / access policies. Students are recommended to pay extra attention to DNS study and revision sections.

Certz.com recommends Mike Meyers' MCSE Win 2000 Directory Services Administration Certification Passport (Exam 70-217)(With CD-ROM) Don't be put off by the low price of $3.50 (85% discount), this concise, affordable, and portable study tool for the MCSE Windows 2000 Directory Services Administration certification exam. With an intensive focus on only what you need to know to pass exam 70-217 plus practice exam software on CD. This has an easy, concise reading style. Meyers knows how to get the point across and includes some useful graphics and diagrams.

Mike Meyers' Win 2000 Directory Services Administration Certification Passport (Exam 70-217)

EXAMS - The exam comprises approx. 60 questions with a set time limit of 110 minutes. Results are pass or fail, previously the pass score was 66%.

CONCLUSION - The 70-217 marks the last core exam on the MCSE Certz route.

STUDYING - This elective core exam 70-226 measures your ability to design Web solutions that incorporate Microsoft Windows 2000 Server technologies. In a nutshell you need to learn about enterprise environments where many thousands of users are likely to be active in a Web-based application or services at any given moment. Its not going to easy, given much of it will be new to what's gone before, but it will be well worth the effort.

Out of all the books available we think Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies (With CD-ROM) will serve the purpose, at $2 (95% discount),This official MCSE TRAINING KIT balances high-level conceptual information with practical application: students learn through an integrated system of skill-building tutorials, case study examples, and self-assessment tools. Topics map directly to the objectives measured by the exam, including planning and designing cluster and server architectures, network infrastructure, capacity requirements, security strategies, and application and service infrastructures. Business scenario examples help students apply the concepts they learn to real-world work situations. An economical alternative to classroom instruction, this MCSE TRAINING KIT enables students to set their own pace and learn by doing.

Even with the CD-ROM, we think that additional practice tests are a necessity.

Designing Highly Available Web Solutions with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Technologies (With CD-ROM)

EXAMS - The exam comprises approx. 60 questions with a set time limit of 110 minutes. Results are pass or fail, previously the pass score was 66%. This is a hard exam. You need to know your stuff inside and out. Be sure to get a good overview of Component Services and COM.

CONCLUSION - The 70-226 is a valuable addition to your repertoire of skills, a good eye opener to a different type of network technologies especially where e-commerce development is concerned. Its a must have certification if for nothing more than the skills your going to learn, and after all skills should be the main reason why your following the MCSE route with the actually certification a bonus !

STUDYING - Its time for databases. At the heart of any business network / web-servers are the database's, and the ability to manage and create database's is now a key requirement of any networking professional. You will need to focus on the following areas :

• Installing and Configuring SQL Server 2000
• Creating SQL Server 2000 Databases
• Managing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting SQL Server 2000 Databases
• Extracting and Transforming Data with SQL Server 2000
• Managing and Monitoring SQL Server 2000 Security
• Managing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting SQL Server 2000

Osborne's MCDBA Administering SQL Server 2000 Study Guide (With CD-ROM) provides coverage of all official Microsoft exam objectives for exam 70-228. The book (736 pages) contains hundreds of practice exam questions and hands-on exercises. The CD-ROM features full CertTrainer CBT software with interactive tutorials and lab simulations, plus the new ExamSim adaptive test engine.

The topics are discussed logically and in a fair amount of detail. Real world situations are provided, procedure demonstrations providing actual screen shots, exam watch tips, and certification objectives. The two-minute drills at the end of each chapter are a good review, a help reinforce the material to memory.

The CD contains practice exams with explanations which are useful for exam preparation. There are also review sessions, which are just the 'two-minute' drills from the book provided in a 'flash-card' format. The full text is also on the CD for easy electronic searching.

MCDBA Administering SQL Server 2000 Study Guide(With CD-ROM)

EXAMS - The exam exam is adaptive. Results are pass or fail, previously the pass score was 70%.

CONCLUSION - Your MCSE is now complete !! - Probably not the easiest route, but one of the most valuable from both an employers and knowledge base point of view. You now want to go off and create SQL databases for websites, but just one more test to go before you can take a break and this last one on the current path will teach all about designing databases.

STUDYING - Its time for designing databases. The 70-229 continues on from where the 70-228 left off. This exam expects you to take databases to a higher level by understanding the technology behind them. You are required to understand all aspects of SQL Server 2000 database design and implementation. One of the most challenging skills required is programming business logic. This exam also covers:

• All aspects of configuring SQL Server business logic, including error handling, input and output parameters, triggers, stored procedures, and user-defined functions
• SQL Profiler and Index Tuning Wizard more extensively than
  any of Microsoft’s earlier exams
• Data Transformation Services (DTS)
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
  

Exam Gear's MCSE Training Guide (70-229): SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation is organized according to the exam objectives, including:Introducing SQL Server 2000 Database design grouping and normalizing, data access and modification , programming, views, constraints, defaults and triggers stored. The book also features several learning tools, including Exam Tips, Study Strategies, Step-by-Step Exercises, Case Studies, Summaries & Review Breaks, Review Questions, Exam Questions, Hands-On Exercises, and Fast Facts.

Avoid - If you opt for a different book then avoid the MCSE Training Kit : Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation (Exam 70-229) - The author assume's so much on the part of the reader that even an IT pro has difficulty following him. I found this book quite incomprehensible.

MCAD/MCSD/ MCSE Training Guide (70-229): SQL Server 2000 Database Design and Implementation 40% discount on original price

EXAMS - The exam comprises approx. 55 questions with a set time limit of 110 minutes. Results are pass or fail, previously the pass score was 70%. Expect many of the questions to be lengthy paragraphs of extended problem descriptions, making it hard to remember what the question is about when you finish reading it! It helps to make notes on each question as you read it, noting tables to create or requirements.

CONCLUSION - You have completed the MCDBA certification track in 1 exam. The other 3 required were 70-215 - MCSA, 70-216 MCSE, and 70-228 MCSE. Time to take a break from certifications and develop networks / websites / databases. I.e. get some real hands on experience and $$$'s in the pocket, before embarking on the Linux / Cisco routes.