www.wiley.com/college/microsoft or
call the MOAC Toll-Free Number: 1+(888) 764-7001 (U.S. & Canada only)
earn an MCSE. These new certifications integrate cloud-related and on-premise skills
validation in order to support organizations and recognize individuals who have the skills
required to be productive using Microsoft technologies.
On-premise or in the cloud, Microsoft training and certification empowers technology
professionals to expand their skills and gain knowledge directly from the source. Securing
these essential skills will allow you to grow your career and make yourself indispensable as the
industry shifts to the cloud. Cloud computing ultimately enables IT to focus on more
mission-critical activities, raising the bar of required expertise for IT professionals and
developers. These reinvented certifications test on a deeper set of skills that map to real-world
business context. Rather than testing only on a feature of a technology, Microsoft
Certifications now validate more advanced skills and a deeper understanding of the platform.
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification is for students preparing to
get their first jobs in Microsoft technology. Whether in the cloud or on-premise, this
certification validates the core platform skills needed in an IT environment. The MCSA
certifications are a requirement to achieve Microsoft’s flagship Microsoft Certified Solutions
Expert (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) certifications.
The MCSA Windows Server 2012 certification shows that you have the primary set of
Windows Server skills that are relevant across multiple solution areas in a business
environment. The MCSA Windows Server 2012 certification is a prerequisite for earning the
MCSE Server Infrastructure certification, the MCSE Desktop Infrastructure certification, or
the MCSE Private Cloud certification.
Exam 70-410, Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 R2, is part one of a series of
three exams that validate the skills and knowledge necessary to implement a core Windows
Server 2012 R2 Infrastructure into an existing enterprise environment. This exam will
validate the initial implementation and configuration of the Windows Server 2012 R2 core
services, such as Active Directory and the networking services. This exam along with the
remaining two exams will collectively validate the skills and knowledge necessary for
implementing, managing, maintaining, and provisioning services and infrastructure in a
Windows Server 2012 R2 environment.
If you are a student new to IT who may not yet be ready for MCSA, the Microsoft
Technology Associate (MTA) certification is an optional starting point that may be available
through your school.
You can learn more about the MCSA certification at the Microsoft Training & Certification
website.
Preparing to Take an Exam
Unless you are a very experienced user, you will need to use test preparation materials to
prepare to complete the test correctly and within the time allowed. The Microsoft Official
Academic Course series is designed to prepare you with a strong knowledge of all exam topics,
and with some additional review and practice on your own, you should feel confident in your
ability to pass the appropriate exam.
After you decide which exam to take, review the list of objectives for the exam. You can easily
identify tasks that are included in the objective list by locating the exam objective overview at
xiv | Student Support Program