Reddit reviews MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2 Complete Study Guide: Exams 70-410, 70-411, 70-412

I'd stick with Server 2012 given the amount of materials out there and the fact that companies take awhile to jump to the next server OS. Get your MCSA 2012, then when good materials hit down the road just take the upgrade exams to be MCSA/MCSE 2016.


As for training, I'd check out video training at: CBTnuggets and PluralSight.

For books I'd go with: Mastering Server 2012 R2: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Windows-Server-2012-R2/dp/1118289420/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479126961&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=masterinng+server+2012

and MCSA complete study guide: https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/111885991X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479126991&sr=8-1&keywords=MCSA+2012

> I have my A+ cert
>
>they recommended a segmented network. and I had to google what that even was.
>
>I am the "IT Guy" The previous "IT Guy" got me this job

You need to start reading cbks right now in all your free time. Even if you don't take the cert exams for the cbks below, it is knowledge you need to know asap.

​

I suggest these (in order):

​

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Seventh-N10-007/dp/1260122387/ref=sr_1_3

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Server-Certification-Guide-SK0-004/dp/125983803X/ref=sr_1_1

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/111885991X/ref=sr_1_4

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-PowerShell-Cookbook-Scripting-Microsofts/dp/1449320686/ref=pd_sbs_14_5/143-0552349-3403540

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/1119359147/ref=sr_1_3

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/ref=sr_1_4

I subscribed to CBTnugget couple weeks prior to my test to recap with the videos, and it gives you access to Transcender test which in and of itself is worth it. It's a great practice test. I like how it explains why the wrong answers are wrong. It comes with digital flash cards too.

I got around 50 questions. Besides powershell, make sure you know Hypver-V really well and study up on IPv6 too.

I used Don Poulton's 70-410 book mainly and William Panek's MCSA Complete Study Guide as supplement.

Good luck!

Not an expert but I have read a lot of posts saying that 2016 is still young. Take the 2012 first. I am currently reading from this book and I find it great :

https://www.amazon.com/dp/111885991X/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

You might want to pair it with : Learning Powershell in a month of lunches. It's a bestseller on Amazon and highly recommended.

Edit : what did you use for CCNA ? I have started it in the past but I find the prices exorbitant for seminars !

I squeaked by on the 412 with a score of 720. I studied for 3 months, at least a couple hours a day though I am sure I skipped a day here and there. Are you labbing? Hands on is critical. Were you weak in the same areas on both tests?

These are the books I used: Training Guide by Orin Thomas and the Exam Ref also by Orin Thomas.

I also followed the Pluralsight video series and basically built out his lab. I spent a lot of time reading technet. For practice exams I used Kaplan and Boson; Boson was expensive and kicked my ass but in a good way and their answer explanations are awesome.

Another method I found helpful is to copy out the exam objectives and then use those as an outline for detailed notes. I used OneNote so I could pull them up whenever I wanted, sitting in a drive thru, getting an oil change etc. For final prep make another copy of the objectives and plug in everything I can think of relating to the topic from memory and then compare to my notes.

For the earlier exams I did the CBTNuggets series with the virtual labs but the 412 series didn't have labs so I skipped it, and I think that hurt me. I still did labs on my own but being able to hop on from anywhere and run through stuff was really helpful. I also skipped the Complete Study guide by William Panek which I had used for 410/411. I think I just had exam fatigue and was tired of studying.

Hope that helps!

This one covers all 3 tests pretty well.

Panek's Sybex is pretty good yeah. I helped write some of it. Was fun. Link to the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/111885991X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I'm actually starting this path myself.

I think I'm going to be starting with these books:

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Server-Complete-Study-Guide/dp/111885991X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466108469&sr=8-1&keywords=mcsa+server+2012

Or the individual books if I can find them.

I would recommend if you can afford the $99 for CBT Nuggets to check those out too

The other nice thing is I think that the certs are good as long as the software is used - Server 2012 is valid for support until 2023 so it's a nice long duration cert to have

Thanks!