Your job as a Microsoft Certified Trainer is becoming more difficult. You not only need to quickly acquire exhaustive expertise in one of the most complex operating systems ever released, but MCTs must now maintain their MCSE accreditation.

At the same time, Redmond is significantly increasing the difficulty of earning an MCSE. In an effort to eliminate “Paper MCSEs” from the industry, Microsoft is recommending that IT pros have a minimum of a year’s experience before sitting for the Windows 2000 exams. And, MCTs that have taken the current Win2K betas say the tests themselves are much more difficult.

The challenge doesn’t end there. Candidates also will receive only a single opportunity to pass the accelerated training exam. As you may recall, Microsoft is offering the test for free to eligible MCPs. It’s meant to help them prove their expertise with core Windows 2000 technologies by taking just a single exam.
You can check it out here: “70-240: You get one shot; better make it a good one.
But, no beta will even be made available for the 70-240 exam. Not even for trainers, from what I’m told!

Thus, you’ll have to make a hard decision. Do you give it a go before you’re really ready for it so that you can teach the 70-240 classes from experience? Or, do you wait a year until you’ve had an opportunity to get some Win2K seat time under your belt?

Erik Eckel is editor-in-chief for TechRepublic’s IT Communities. He’s earned MCP+I and MCSE certifications from Microsoft.

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