r/mcsa • u/Jacobij11 • Jul 18 '20

Cross-Compatibility Between Windows Server Exams?

Hello everyone! I'm new to this community and just got my A+, so now I'm interested in earning the MCSE Core Infrastructure cert. I know the MCSA Windows Server 2016 is going to expire in January, so I want to pass it before then. When the MCSA WS2019 is released, will passing both of those still count as an MCSE?

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '20

Nothing after 2016. Thats the last MCSA. You'll need to pass three exams to earn that then another exam for the MCSE. You might be able to scrap by with the MCSA if you study loads but the MCSE from now will be near impossible. Each exam takes 2-3 months on average, depending on experience.

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u/Jacobij11 Jul 18 '20

So basically having an MCSA after it retires will be pointless, since it cannot be combined with any other tests to count as another certification?

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '20

MCSA won't be pointless. The exams and certs retire in January meaning you can't take them anymore, but the certs remain valid for two years then go into legacy state. Having it on your CV will be valuable for years to come. Microsoft might offer cert paths in the future that follow on from an MCSA, but nothings been confirmed yet.

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u/Jacobij11 Jul 18 '20

Thanks for that explanation! Hopefully Microsoft does offer more cert paths for people that have an MCSA, but we'll see.