Microsoft Certifications are information technology professional certifications for Microsoft
products.
Individual certifications are received upon passing one or more exams.
Like Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Red Hat, and Ubuntu programs, the certifications mainly focus
on their product, as opposed to employment aptitude tests designed for programmer trainee
jobs.
The certifications are categorized by function as Server, Desktop, Database, and Developer.
There are three major tiers with the MC prefix, which are: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate,
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert, and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer.
Exams usually take between two and three hours to complete and consist of between 40 and
90 multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and solution-building questions; and simulated content with respect
to which students must perform certain common administrative tasks.
Current certifications
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
certification is the foundation for higher certifications and prerequisite for the Microsoft
Certified Solutions Expert.
This new certification replaces the older Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist.
Despite its name, the MCSA Certification for Windows Server 2008 is "based on Windows Server
2008 R2 technology".
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert The Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert certification
comes after the MCSA.
This level of certification requires recertification every three years.
MCSEs will gradually replace the Microsoft Certified IT Professional.
Server Server infrastructure
Desktop infrastructure Private cloud
Messaging Communication
SharePoint Database
Data platform Business intelligence
Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer
certification is for developers and requires recertification every two years.
To fulfill the requirements of the certification, an individual has to pass a total of up to
four examinations, depending on the chosen track.
Developer Windows Store
Web Applications SharePoint Applications
Application Lifecycle Management Microsoft Specialist
The Microsoft Specialist certification validate your knowledge and skills in a specialized
area of technology.
Some Microsoft Specialist exams are included as requirements for Microsoft Partner Network
competencies, which help distinguish your company from the rest in a particular technical
discipline.
Retired certifications As new associate and expert-level certifications
are released for each technology, old certifications corresponding to that technology are retired.
Certifications to be retired include Microsoft Certified System Engineer, Microsoft Certified
IT Professional, Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, and Microsoft Certified Professional
Developer.
Below are retired and soon-to-be retired certifications: Microsoft Certified Architect
The Microsoft Certified Architect certification is the pinnacle of Microsoft certification.
Eligibility into the program first requires a MCM certification in a relevant product.
Candidates must then be reviewed and approved by Microsoft to be entered into the program.
Accepted candidates must prepare a work history dossier, architectural solution case study,
and a document that demonstrates the relevance of their skills and work experience.
Following that, candidates must attend a four-hour Review Board interview, which consists of
at least two MCAs.
The candidate must make a 30-minute presentation to the board, and then be able to successfully
defend the quality and viability of the case study against questions from the board.
MCA certifications are available for: Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft SQL Server Windows Server: Directory
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 The Microsoft Certified Architect, certification
was retired on October 1, 2013..
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator A previous certification path under Windows
2000, Windows 2003, Windows 2008.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer A previous certification path under Windows
NT, Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Windows 2003.
Microsoft Certified IT Professional The Microsoft Certified IT Professional credential
helps validate that an individual has the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform
a particular job role, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator.
To obtain a MCITP certification, you must first obtain one or more prerequisite MCTS
certifications, and then pass the qualifying "PRO" exam(s).
Most MCITP certifications will be retired by July 31, 2014.
MCITP certifications are available for: Windows Client
Windows Server Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Office Project Server Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft SharePoint Microsoft Lync
Microsoft Office 365 Cloud Services Microsoft Certified Solutions Master
The Microsoft Certified Master, Microsoft Certified Solutions Master, and Microsoft
Certified Architect certifications were retired on January 1, 2014.
Server Messaging
Communication SharePoint
Directory Services Database
Data Platform
MCTS certifications are available for: Exchange Server
Lync Server Project and Project Server
SharePoint and SharePoint Server SQL Server
System Center Virtualization
Visual Studio Windows Client
Windows Embedded Windows Server
Other technologies Microsoft Certified Professional Developer
The Microsoft Certified Professional Developer certifications are gradually being retired,
with MCSD as its successor.
MCPD exists for the following: Microsoft Visual Studio 2010
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Windows Phone
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Microsoft Silverlight 4
Upgrade Paths Microsoft Certified Master
The Microsoft Certified Master certification enables senior-level IT professionals to demonstrate
and validate their technical expertise on Microsoft server products.
It is a prerequisite for the Microsoft Certified Architect.
Eligibility into the program first requires successful completion of specific and related
MCITP certifications.
The MCSM will gradually replace all MCMs.
MCM certifications are available for: Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 R2: Directory
The Microsoft Certified Master, certification was retired on October 1, 2013.
Microsoft Certified Database Administrator The Microsoft Certified Database Administrator
certification program credential is meant for database administrators, who will implement
and administer Microsoft SQL Server databases.
The MCSE in the Database category superseded this certification.
Microsoft Certified Trainer The MCT program is made up of approximately
20,000 Certified Trainers around the world.
This community provides training on Microsoft products and services.
MCTs are Microsoft’s community of technical and instructional experts and are the only
community specifically endorsed to deliver training using Microsoft Official Courseware.
A Microsoft Learning Partner must employ or contract with a MCT to deliver Microsoft Official
Courseware courses they offer, whether to private closed groups or public classes.
A Learning Partner may purchase MOC materials, and while they may sell these on to an independent
MCT for them to run a private class, a MCT may not run public classes using MOC materials
other than for a Learning Partner.
During the Windows 2000 era, the requirement to pass the examinations associated with a
class was relaxed.
This meant that a MCT with MCSE could teach programming classes and a MCDBA could teach
engineering courses.
For the XP/Server 2003 era, even the requirements of premier certifications like MCSE, MCDBA,
MCSD, etc. were removed.
CEC's and training requirements were removed in total.
Only an annual fee was required to be paid to maintain a MCT.
MCDST's could also be certified as a trainer.
Today a MCT can be certified in only office applications and hold the trainer certification
title.
With the 2007/2008 generation of certification programs, MCTS and MCITP, the trainers were
tied to "competencies".
Each Microsoft Official Course requires one or more specialized certifications to be held
in addition to MCT certification so that the delivery of title to be allowed under the
program.
There were 54 different competencies as of March 2010.
For example, to deliver a Course 50213A, the instructor requires the certification title
MCTS: System Center Configuration Manager 2007 certification.
In general a MCT is now required to hold a MCSE / MCITP level certification in a track
and version to teach MOC courses in that subject at a LP.
When a new product version comes out, a MCT has a grace period where they can teach the
new subject based on their qualification in the previous version.
This is to enable the teaching of new subjects.
This period ends 90 days from the release date of the updated exams, during which time
the MCT must pass the new requirements or continue to teach only the older version courses
after this grace period elapses.
Quality control of MOC, LP companies and MCTs is monitored via student evaluations submitted
to Metrics That Matter provided by Knowledge Advisors.
The MCT program agreement includes a requirement of minimum average scores, without which a
MCT may not renew their membership in the program.
Microsoft also publishes "Community Courseware" written by third-party authors in the Microsoft
Learning Courseware Library.
This is not MOC and does not bear Microsoft's branding nor have the same restrictions about
who can deliver these courses or where.
Some consider this to be a loophole which allows unqualified instructors to provide
public classes.
For example, a MCT certified in only Word 2003 can legally deliver an ISA Server 2006
class since that is not a Microsoft Official Course, or could even deliver a private class
in Windows Server 2008 using MS Press books, but could not teach any MOC course to a public
class organized themselves or via a Learning Partner.
Of course, there is nothing stopping any expert teaching a class in their subject area using
their own materials, books or any other training resources they have legally obtained.
They do not need to be a MCT or work for a Learning Partner, unless they wish to deliver
MOC courses, for which they must be qualified.
Third-party certifications Microsoft Office Specialist
The Microsoft Office Specialist, previously known as Microsoft Office User Specialist,
is a certification program for using the Microsoft Office suite for business applications.
Though listed under the Microsoft Certification Programs, it is not officially a Microsoft
certification.
The MOS examinations are managed by third-party companies, rather than Microsoft.
Certifications for Office 2013 were launched on February 28, 2013.
Currently, the following exams are available for the Microsoft Office Specialist:
Microsoft Technology Associate The Microsoft Technology Associate certification
are for those just starting their IT career path.
It covers the fundamentals of IT infrastructure, databases, and development.
Currently, the following exams are available for Microsoft Technology Associate:
Test candidate may choose between Visual Basic or C#
References
External links Microsoft Learning