MCTS - SQL Server 2005 or 2008 - Exam 70-431 or 70-432?

Sleepy

I've just been made redundant from a position where I was working extensively with SQL Server 2005 (and 2000 before it). While job-hunting I'm thinking of getting the MCTS for SQL Server as my previous job was very much a generalist position and most of the jobs I'm seeing are for specialists (e.g. DBA roles etc).

Any opinions on whether I'd be better off certifying on 2005 or 2008? From what I've seen, there's not too many places making the move to 2008 yet, though having the certification in it could be handy for getting a job with someone who wants to upgrade in that direction...

Secondly, can anyone recommend a one/two week course run by a Dublin-based training company that would be worthwhile for this without costing the earth? If not, can you recommend a good on-line training course or would I be better off with the self-paced learning kit?

Ginger

I would say go with the SQL 2005 MCTS.. You have the experience so a lot of the stuff you will need to know will be very clear in your head.

You can get the training kit from MS but I would say add the Sybex book to your library as well.

I have a post on this here which may help

Once you have the 2005 cert you can look at doing one of the 2008 ones. The main difference in the MCTS 2005 is that the 2005 includes parts from the DBA and DBD tracks whereas the 2008 ones are split into seperate certs.

Sleepy

Thanks for the advice, how do you mean the 2008 one splits where the 2005 doesn't?

From what I can see in the certification side, both have a general MCTS but split into DBA/DBD for the MCITP?

Ginger

What I mean is that the MCTS SQL 2005 includes topics on both the DBD and DBA tracks whereas in the 2008 version of things they are seperate MCTS qualifications

THe reason for the split in the MCTS level at 2008 was because DBA's didnt really have to know the development side of things so it was something they had to learn just for the MCTS exam which is a bit of a no-no in these things

So for the 2008 tracks they split them into seperate MCTS certs

Sleepy

I assume there's still quite an over-lap between the two MCTS courses?

Ginger

Some of it yeah but a lot of stuff is contained in the relevant MCTS in 2008.