MCSA certification worth it?

Question

Just wondering as I have been talking to a recruiter and they have recommended doing the below mcsa courses;

Exam 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3

Introduction to Web Development Technologies

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

jQuery

HTML5

CSS3

Course Review

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Exam 70-486: Developing ASP.NET MVC Web Applications

Introduction to Web Development

C Sharp (C#)

HTML and CSS Comprehensive Review

Intro to SQL Server

Java Script A Comprehensive Introduction

Object Based Java Script

Model View and Controller

A Comprehensive Introduction to jQuery

Course Review

Answer 1

Sonic It depends on your job market as to whether or not there is value in these certs. I don't personally place much value in them.

However, it can't hurt to have them. But, the cost isn't cheap, especially if you have to retake a failed test.

Then there's the added cost for those who pay for the various test prep courses and so on.

For me, my company paid for the cost of every test I passed. I ended up taking 4 or 5 tests back-to-back, each a week apart, to get my MCSD back in 2001, then in 2005.

I only studied using the material in MSDN and followed the Skills Measured section for each exam.

In your case, those would be in the following links:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/exam-70-486.aspx

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/exam-70-480.aspx

I did fail the first attempt of my first exam because I studied using a book that had practice questions that were nothing like the real exam. That first exam helped me realize what to expect and how to study.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Mike Hulme Let me know if you ever want to connect to review a concept you are trying to go deeper with. I actually recall struggling with the very thing you described in seeing the real value of interfaces. It just wasn't something that was clear until I was working more with design patterns on larger applications.

I'm sure it's still not as obvious to you as you might think yet.

Anyway, I'd be happy to do a live screen share session reviewing various topics on the fly. 😉

Just DM me if interested.

Answer 3

Let's dig deeper into the "why" interfaces matter...

First, think of interfaces as a binding contract that guarantees a class implements a specific set of strongly typed, public method signatures. ✅

This may seem redundantly unnecessary as the same can be said about abstract and concrete classes as well.

Afterall classes and interfaces define object types.

So... the big question is, why do we care about interfaces at all if we can guarantee the same binding contract for public method signatures directly within a class or any of the base or abstract classes up the inheritance hierarchy?

I'll pause to let Mike Hulme attempt to answer before bringing it all together.

Answer 4

Mike Hulme How many of those 100+ videos have you watched? I cannot believe that guy created so many videos to cover only the very basics.

I think I'm so far removed from recalling the learning curve of these languages that I have no idea how hard it is to learn.

I will say, that you will come to a point where the actual act of coding becomes so easy, it feels like mindless activity that is as natural as writing this response. The fun comes when you're focused on building solutions as fast as your fingers can type. 😉

So... you have that to look forward to. 🤓👌

Answer 5

David Carroll may have an opinion about this.

Answer 6

Ryan Smith I'm doing the exact course now. I've passed the 480, now doing the 483 then onto the 486.

I've very much enjoyed having a structured learning process rather than just learning whatever I need to do at the time.

I'm also trying to change my career into software and my CV has nothing along those lines. So for me the purpose of these certificates is to at least get me into am interview. 🤞

What I would I would do now though is not buy any packages and just follow the criteria on the Microsoft website and use the free tools online.

Then just book the exams myself.

Have a look at www.freecodecamp.org it's a great resource as well as solo learn of course. 👍

Answer 7

David Carroll Thanks David, I haven't forgotten the offer and I'm actually looking forward to it. I would just like to finish this course first. Then I will bombard you with questions. You will probably get sick of me haha.

Your right about the interfaces, I know enough to sound like I know it but as for true use I think I still prefer classes at the minute.

But I can give all the buzz words lol.

Interfaces support multiple inheritance where as classes don't. they are totally abstract classes.

You can only define signitures of mehods and properties and implement them. blablabla. 🤣

Hopefully one day It will hit me the true importance of them.

Answer 8

David Carroll Oooh no pressure then lol. Right ok. I'll try.

Firstly they are described as loosely coupled. Which to my understanding is because they don't implement any logic, just the signitures. So it is much safer to implement an interface as you usually don't need to alter any classes that already exist in the code, so there is less chance of causing bugs.

Also you can have multiple inheritance on a class when you use interfaces.

For example I might have a derived class which inherits from a base class but I also want to be able to use a foreach loop on the derived class and not the base class.

So my derived class can inherit from the base class and also ienumerable interface and whatever other interfaces I would like.

Not sure if I'm totally correct like I said i'm still not 100% on interfaces.

Answer 9

Mike Hulme DOH! I completely lost track of this. I'll try later today. 👌

Answer 10

I ended up paying for course material as well, but I am guaranteed placement or I'll get my money back I think in total including my exam fees it was about £750

I do have 1 years experience as I was an apprentice software developer but we ended up getting messed around, for the past 3 years I've been stuck in a call centre... nice xD

Answer 11

Should be easy enough but I did php in my apprenticeship and this is C#, who did you buy the course through?

I watch mmtuts on YouTube, he's really easy to learn from and he covers pretty much everything from what I know.

and with the material I got there is 18 hours alone that covers HTML, Javascript and CSS.

Answer 12

It was ukmicrosoft.com. I wouldn't recommend them to be honest.

Thanks I will check the channel out.

The coding train on YouTube is great for JavaScript. Very much enjoyed his videos. Lots of fun and very informative. It's a shame he doesn't do C#.

There's is a channel I like for C# and it's https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAC325451207E3105

Breaks things down and explains it very well. Also https://www.youtube.com/user/IAmTimCorey

His videos are long on each subject usually 40-60mins. But he really does break things down well.

Both are great channels. I tend to watch both channels for each subject.

Answer 13

David Carroll Haha. I only watch the ones on the subjects I struggle with. To be honest one of them was interfaces.

I understand what they are and how to use them but for the life of me couldn't work out real life examples of needing them. Everytime I would end up using base classes with abstract methods. What frustrated me was how many times I read how important and useful they are and I just couldn't see it.

I've got it now, just took me a while.

I actually know what you mean. I wrote a simulator of my work control system in c++. And although most of it is just a huge amount of if statements, loops and switch statements. It just flew out. Fingers all over the place haha.

I can't wait to be like that in C#. I always like to be in a position where I can explain something very simply. If I can do that then I understand it totally. At the minute I'm learning so much so fast that I'm loosing little bit of that.

I've actually stopped at the end of this module until I know it all much better.

Answer 14

David Carroll was I close??? The suspense is killing me 😬

Answer 15

Yeah I can see the price, think its costing me £399($493) for a tutor/training materials and I will be put forward to the training companies clients once I have passed(BT, Fujitsu, NCR).

Then ontop I think it was £150($185) per exam, but with the prospect of a job at the end which I swaying me towards doing it.

Answer 16

Ryan Smith It just occurred to me that you wrote MCSA. Did you mean to write MCSD or is MCSA no longer a track just for systems administration?

Kritesh Anand I wonder how many international people sign up for CETPA. That's one heck of a commute from the U.K. 😉

Answer 17

And no the course I'm doing is MCSA web applications, the OP has the full breakdown of the course

Answer 18

I got mine on an offer it was £600 but the materials they provided especially the 480 exam were terrible.

The 483 has been better but still not great. I have to follow each subject up on YouTube etc...

You should find it pretty easy if you have spent a year doing it already.

Good luck and good luck with the job hunt once your done.

Answer 19

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCharmefis

This is the guy I watch alot, mmtuts, he does lists of short videos and explains nicely.

Some though are along like creating a responsive web site 90 mins, when I say short I mean 20 mins or so

Answer 20

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