Good MSCE Books?

[oshelef]

I am trying to find some good MCSE books so that I can prepare and take some of the MCSE exams. I'd love some with practice exams/questions. My job is probably going to pay for them and reuse them as possible. They might pay for classes if I asked, but I don't think I really want to sit through a week long class on some of this stuff.


I'm particularily interested in these exams:
Exam 70-270?Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Exam 70-215?Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server (Or) Exam 70-275?Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows .NET Server (Available 2002)
Exam 70-218?Managing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Environment (Available January 2002) (Or) Exam 70-278?Managing a Microsoft Windows .NET Server Network Environment (Available 2002)
Exam 70-216?Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure
Exam 70-224?Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
Exam 70-227?Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000, Enterprise Edition
Exam 70-228?Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition

Any advice you might have, both one which books to buy, and on taking the exams would be appreciated.

Thanks,


Orie

 

[gentobu]

if they are going to pay for the classes you might as well take them. the classes come with a book and usually the students tend to pass around study guides/practice tests.

 

[CraigRT]

I thought the MCSE was gone after this year, and something else was going to be in place of it. does that mean MCSE books are still the way to go?

I was told not to take MCSE courses at College because they weren't going to be around anymore.. (for some reason i don't know)

 

[oshelef]

Well, they might pay for me to take 1 class, but if I did the books and exams I could do several, and the classes don't seem at all appealing to me.

I haven't heard anything about them cancelling them. Microsoft even lists exams that aren't ready yet on their website, so it doesn't look like they are ending. But I don't really know.

Any book suggestions?

Thanks,

Orie

 

[gentobu]

Mastering Windows 2000 Server really helped me with active directory, group policies, and windows 2k networking. So It should help you on 215, 216, and 218.

 

[bmacd]

i'm interested as well. I've read a handful of MSCE proxy books for fun and considering taking it to the next level.

-=bmacd=-

 

[dakata24]

nothing wrong with taking classes, but the Microsoft Official Cirriculum books that come with classes are crap.. plus the books have no index, so if you need to find some info, be prepared for alot of page flipping..

i like the sybex books.. that alone is not enough to pass any mcp tests. lotsa onhand experience is required..

 

[nitsuj3580]

hands on experience definitely accelerated my learning. Then I just searched and read lots of brain dumps