CCA in the Real World

More and more people are attaining Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) status, so you can take comfort in knowing that the goal of achieving this certification is definitely not an impossible task. However, it does require serious, dedicated effort to learn the product so that you can earn the certification and be able to do the job as well. At the end of the day, the certification is just a piece of paper that says you passed an exam. In the real world, if you don't know what you are doing, that piece of paper quickly becomes useless, especially in today's competitive marketplace .

The Exam Cram books are designed to make preparing for these exams as easy as possible, but prepare you must!

The same, of course, is true for these other Citrix certifications:

• Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA), the next level up from the CCA certification, is aimed toward administrators, engineers , and architects who administer or build enterprise-scale Citrix environments. Candidates for this certification must have already taken and passed the CCA exam. Five exams, including the CCA, are required to gain CCEA status.

• Citrix Certified Sales Professional (CCSP) is designed to ensure that salespeople have the necessary knowledge to properly present and sell Citrix solutions to prospective clients .

• Citrix Certified Integration Architect (CCIA) is the highest attainable Citrix certification. It is geared toward integrators and architects to test their knowledge of the nuts and bolts of Citrix technologies. To earn this certification, you need to pass the CCA exam in addition to two more Citrix exams, 610 and 611. In addition, you need to pass a Microsoft design exam, and finally, you need to pass a lab exam administered by Citrix. The CCIA is the most respected Citrix certification and is also the hardest to attain.

The Ideal CCA Candidate

Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server 3.0 is an add-on product to Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 Terminal Server, so the first prerequisite is a good working knowledge of the operating system on which you intend to install MPS 3.0. Prospective CCA candidates who have experience administering Windows 2000/2003 networks or candidates with any of the following Microsoft certifications should meet the necessary requirements to tackle the CCA:

• Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) who are certified on Windows 2000/2003 Server

• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), an intermediate Microsoft certification that requires good knowledge of Microsoft networking and emphasizes the server product and technology

• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), an advanced Microsoft certification that requires thorough knowledge of Microsoft networking and in-depth knowledge of the server product and architecture

Although the certification process can be both educational and profitable, there is always a need for hands-on experience. For this reason, the ideal CCA candidate should have working knowledge with the following technologies:

• Windows user profiles

• Group Policy

• Login scripts

• Domain Name System (DNS)

Basically, Windows 2000/2003 administrators with real-world experience have the necessary skills that would position them as ideal candidates for the CCA exam.

Testing Your Exam-Readiness

Whether you attend a formal class on a specific topic to get ready for an exam or use written materials to study on your own, some preparation for the Citrix certification exams is essential. At $100 a try, pass or fail, you should do everything you can to pass on your first attempt. That's where studying comes in.

Included in this book are several practice exam questions for each chapter and two sample tests, so if you don't score well on the chapter questions, you can study more and then tackle the sample tests at the end of each part. If you don't earn a score of at least 75% on the Part I test and 80% on the Part II test, you should investigate the other practice test resources available via the Web. (Locate them by using your favorite search engine.)

For any given subject, consider taking a class if you've tackled self-study materials, taken the test, and failed anyway. If you can afford the privilege, the opportunity to interact with an instructor and fellow students can make all the difference in the world. For information about Citrix classes, visit the Citrix website at http://www.citrix.com for more information.

If you can't afford to take a class, visit the Certification Program page anyway because it also includes free sample questions. Even if you can't afford to spend much at all, you should still invest in some low-cost practice exams from commercial vendors because they can help you assess your readiness to pass a test better than any other tool. Check out Boson on the web at http://www. boson .com or LearnCitrix at http://www.Learncitrix.com. Their practice exams are pretty good and reasonably priced, at least at the time of this publishing.

After you take a practice exam, if you scored 75% or better on Part I and 80% or better on Part IIyou're probably ready to tackle the real thing. If your score isn't above that crucial threshold, keep at it until you break that barrier .

Tip

There is no better way to assess your test-readiness than to take a good-quality practice exam and pass with a score of 75% or better on Part I and 80% or better on Part II. When I'm preparing, I shoot for 85+%, just to leave room for the "weirdness factor" that sometimes shows up on Citrix exams.

Onward, Through the Fog!

After you've assessed your readiness, undertaken the right background studies, obtained the hands-on experience that will help you understand the products and technologies at work, and reviewed the many sources of information to help you prepare for a test, you'll be ready to take a round of practice tests. When your scores come back positive enough to get you through the exam, you're ready to go after the real thing. If you follow my assessment regimen, you'll not only know what you need to study, but also know when you're ready to make a test date at Prometric on the Web at http://www. prometric .com. Good luck!