This post by David Papkin is about upgrading your MCSA or MCSE 2003 to MCSA Server 2012.
Previously, upgrading your MCSA/MCSE 2003 to 2012 required upgrading to 2008 first with an upgrade exam and then a second upgrade exam 70-417.
Since the 2008 exam has been retired, you can now directly upgrade to MCSA 2012 with 1 upgrade exam 70-417.
Apparently there was some confusion, and some help desk people on the certification hotline were erroneously stating the 70-417 exam is not valid to get an MCSE 2012, that you still had to take separate 411 & 411 & 412 papers in addition to 413 & 414 exams. This is not correct.
The 70-417 exams gives the qualified previous cert hold all the privileges and rights of separate papers. Th 70-417 s a benefit of existing MCSA cert holders.
Upgrade from MCSE 2000/2003 to MCSE 2012:
1) Pass exam 70-417: Upgrading your skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012
2) Pass exam 70-413: Designing and Implementing a Server Infrastructure & 70-414: Implementing an Advanced Server Infrastructure
Upgrade from MCSA 2000/2003 to MCSA 2012:
1) Pass exam 70-417: Upgrading your skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/mcsa-windows-server-certification.aspx 
Good luck! Knowledge is power!
David Papkin
MSBA, CCNP,CEH,F5 LTM,ITIL,MCSE,MCT,RHCE,VCP
This concludes this post by David Papkin about upgrading your MCSA or MCSE 2003 to MCSA Server 2013