Microsoft Extends NT 4.0 Certification Testing Period and Introduces New Troubleshooting Certificate

Strategic Insights -

Microsoft has extended the testing period for NT 4.0 certification by two months, citing "scheduling difficulties caused by limited capacity at testing centers." The original deadline for NT 4.0 MCSE testing was to end at midnight on New Year's Eve, but it will now continue until February 28. This extension is seen as a response to the sudden demand for last-minute tests, with some testing centers planning to give tests until the moment the clock strikes midnight on December 31.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft has extended the testing period for NT 4.0 certification by two months, from the original deadline of December 31 to February 28.
  • The extended testing period is due to "scheduling difficulties caused by limited capacity at testing centers."
  • A new NT 4.0 troubleshooting, maintenance, and 4.0- to-Win2K transition certificate has been introduced to address concerns from Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSEs) who will have their current NT 4.0 certificates expire at the end of 2001.
  • The new certificate will cover new "incremental upgrades" in the Win2K Professional desktop client but will not cover NT 4.0 installation.
  • The new NT 4.0 maintenance MCP certificate will count as an "elective" toward eventual Win2K MCSE certification.
  • Microsoft has anticipated a sudden drop in MCSE numbers once the NT 4.0 certificates expire at the end of 2001.
  • Microsoft acting director of certification skills and assessment Anne Marie McSweeney has stated, "We'll see a dip over the next year as the MCSE NT 4.0 certification disappears."
  • Microsoft has also introduced a "fast track" Win2K certification exam for NT 4.0 MCSEs, to be taken before the expiration of their current certificates on December 31, 2001.
  • The rebel alliance, led by Windows training house Lanop, has prepared an independent NT 4.0 certification program, called the NT Certified Independent Professional (NT-CIP).
  • The NT-CIP program has been recognized by Microsoft, and those who hold NT 4.0 MCSE certificates can get the NT-CIP certificate automatically under a "grandfather" clause.
  • Microsoft is believed to have pressured testing center companies VUE and Sylvan to avoid administrating the NT-CIP tests, but both have now agreed to participate, with VUE planning to start NT-CIP testing this spring.

Statistics:

  • The number of days the testing period was extended: 60
  • The number of testing centers in the US and overseas for the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET) program: 500
  • The number of Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSEs): 350,000
  • The number of years the new NT 4.0 maintenance MCP certificate will be valid for: at least a couple of years
  • The number of tests required for the Win2K MCSE certification: 7
  • The number of tests required for the NT 4.0 MCSE certification: unknown
  • The number of exams required for the new "fast track" Win2K certification exam for NT 4.0 MCSEs: 1

Sources:

  • CSN No 379
  • Lanop president John Goodfriend
  • Microsoft acting director of certification skills and assessment Anne Marie McSweeney
  • The National Electronics Service Dealers Association (NESDA)
  • The International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET) program
  • Sylvan Prometric
  • National Computer Systems Inc subsidiary Virtual University Enterprise (VUE)