NT4 exams to be extended

Microsoft has been forced to extend the life of its NT4 exams in the face of a boom in demand that analysts think shows a certification strategy at odds with the market.

A list of 18 exams, including those for NT4 that count towards the Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) accreditation, were due to be retired on 31 December 2000 but will now be available until 28 February.

According to Microsoft, training centres were completely booked up for December, despite the retirement being announced in September 1999.

"In a sense, this is Microsoft trying to set the agenda and force people to move to Windows 2000 by withdrawing the NT4 exams, but there's a huge installed base of NT4 out there and that won't change," said eSkills National Training Organisation consultant Chris Morrow.

"Whereas in the past companies almost automatically upgraded to new versions, there is now a groundswell that if things are working there is no need to change," he added.

Microsoft UK's skills manager Sarah Foxall said: "We have had nothing like this demand in the past."

The software giant regularly retires sets of exams and introduces new ones in order to keep up with the latest software versions. The NT4 exams will no longer count towards MCSE certification beyond the end of 2001, requiring re-training in Windows 2000.

Windows 2000 exam volume is also on the increase, but the concentration is mainly among senior IT workers.

First published in Computing