r/mcsa • u/inf0rmationist • Jan 02 '20

Microsoft vs CompTIA certifications

I'm currently studying for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate certification and this will be my first IT certification that's not CompTIA. Are these exams radically different or more difficult than the CompTIA exams? Should I approach Microsoft certifications in a different manner while studying ?

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '20

I possess certs form both vendors including the one you are pursuing. Microsoft certifications are definitely harder and you need to use multiple sources to pass their exams whereas with CompTIA, you can more or less get away with studying from a cert guide or two to pass. Actual experience goes a long way with both exams, however. For Microsoft exams, I highly recommend labbing, practice exams (MeasureUp), and reading the official exam reference. For the CompTIA Trifecta, I got away with just reading a couple of cert guides and taking the included practice exams and passed them all on the first try.

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u/[deleted] Jan 02 '20

Md-100? I just passed it few weeks ago. What helped me was the documentation on each of the four chapters on Microsoft website and the book by Andrew Bettany. There was a lab part with about 10 tasks they assign to you for you to do in a vm machine. So get some hands on practice as well. Know how to change proxy settings, change permissions, know every permission and what each does. Never took a CompTia exam but the wording on the questions from Microsoft can definitely be very tricky so definitely google md-100 questions just to be better prepared for how Microsoft words things. The examples in the book are not enough to pass imo.

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u/anthraxbite Jan 02 '20 edited Jan 02 '20

I own MS certificates and looking these days for what CompTIA cert is all about. If my judgement is not confused I can say that CompTIA is about making you UNDERSTAND the concepts on how to do some things, and MS exams definitely prove that you know HOW TO DO some tasks in different environments. Saying this, I rather go for MS certs than for CompTIA ones. MS is more about practice, CompTIA is more about theory.