Today is the big and exciting day for Microsoft Learning and Microsoft Certification!
Microsoft has reinvented its certification program and aligned it to the latest industry demands.
The word that underlines computing, solutions, applications and pretty much everything these days is CLOUD. Definitely not gray, but very bright is the future and what it brings to us, Information Technology professionals and Developers. New technologies will generate new jobs and new skills are needed, more and more each day.
Microsoft Certification – Reinvented for the Cloud
(Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2012/04-11CloudCertifications.aspx)
But industry does not demand new cloud-related skills already, it demands much broader and deeper set of skills that need to be validated.
That where new Microsoft certifications are headed, that is why Microsoft has reinvented and aligned its certification portfolio.
MCSE and MCSA is BACK!
The biggest change most will notice right away is come back of MCSE and MCSA!
Hold on a second! Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator are NOT coming back. What these new acronyms mean is:
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
Only the acronyms are the same – Everything else is different
Microsoft certification is built on a three-tier model, or simply, it is available at three skill levels:
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
The Associate level is the first level in the model and it is a prerequisite for attaining all other higher-level certifications. It validates core skills in IT industry as how to install and configure a certain product.
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
and
Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD)
The Expert level is the level containing Microsoft’s “main” or flagship set of certifications that validate expertise in the IT Pro or Developer fields. “Main” – because most people will aspire to this level certifications.
Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM)
While most of the people will aim at attaining Expert or Associate levels of certification, the Master level is for ones that want to stand out from the crowd and validate the highest level of skills.
New Certifications Available Now!
Two Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate and three Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert certifications were presented, achievable once associated exams are available:
MCSA: Windows Server 2008 and MCSA: SQL Server 2012;
MCSE: Private Cloud, MCSE: Data Platform and MCSE: Business Intelligence
Other certifications will be introduced later.
You will immediately notice that MCSA certifications are version specific (Windows Server 2008 or SQL Server 2012) while MCSE and MCSD certifications are not. That is because Solutions Experts and Solutions Developers will have to keep their skills current which brings us to recertification. If you want to keep certifications you will have to continue being certified by passing exams that will be prerequisites at the time, regardless of product versions. On the other hand, MCSA prerequisites will remain product specific and will test your knowledge on the technologies that will be current at the time of testing.
As of now, planned recertification period is three years for MCSE and two years for MCSD.
What exams do you need to pass?
MCSA: Windows Server 2008
Already certified as a Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator or MCITP: Server Administrator?
You have already earned the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 certification.
MCSA: SQL Server 2012
New certification
Already certified on SQL Server 2012? Upgrade!
MCSA: SQL Server 2008
Private Cloud Certification – MCSE : Private Cloud
Until January 31, 2013, Exam 70-659 may be taken in place of 70-247 to count towards the Private Cloud certification.
Find out more about new certifications:
Microsoft Certification overview page: http://aka.ms/MSCerts
Microsoft Certification overview video: http://aka.ms/MSCertsVideo
MCSE information page: http://aka.ms/MCSE
MCSE video on YouTube: http://aka.ms/MCSEvideo
MCSE Private Cloud: http://aka.ms/MCSEpvcloud
MCSE Data Platform: http://aka.ms/MCSEDP
MCSE Business Intelligence: http://aka.ms/MCSEBI
To help you acquire new certifications Microsoft has started Two for One offer, valid for a limited time. Read more and request a voucher code on the offer page:
Prometric 2-for-1 offer: http://aka.ms/Prometric241
Good luck!
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