MCP Program Takes New Road in September

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Info from MCPMag

"BREAKING NEWS:
By Michael Domingo, MCPmag.com Editor

Minneapolis, Minnesota -- Changes are afoot in the Microsoft Certification Program that can be labeled as "evolutionary"; that is, changes to the certification process will be implemented over time, as newer technologies become generally available.

The first of those changes will occur among the SQL Server and Visual Studio products, which are planned for a major launch event in San Francisco on November 7. Certification details for those programs will be posted around September on the Microsoft Certification Program Web site, according to Al Valvano, Microsoft Learning Group Program Manager. Valvano provided details of the revamped certification program plans during a Learning Solutions Workshop at the Worldwide Partner Conference in Minneapolis over the weekend.

According to Valvano, Microsoft will follow tradition, releasing exams for SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 about 45 days after the release of the products to the general public.

Those exams, however, won't fit into the traditional MCP schema that one might be familiar with. Instead, Microsoft will introduce a new framework for certification that will pair up a credential with a skill-identifying certification based on a tiered approach consisting of the following credentials:

- Tier 1: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist will require

simply passing one to three exams based on a Microsoft technology.

As products meet the end of the support lifecycle, its related

exam will be retired (the certification will not retire).



- Tier 2: Microsoft Certified IT Professional or Professional

Developer require a Technology Specialist certification, plus

one to three more exams, based on the requirement for a particular

path. This tier is tied to job role at an organization, such as

Database Developer or Business Intelligence. Recertification will

be required to maintain status at this level.



- Tier 3: Microsoft Certified Architect is a rigorous, board-level

certification that requires recertification. Achieving Technology

Specialist or IT Professional or Professional Developer

certification not a prerequisite to attaining this level of

certification.

Details for the third tier, Microsoft Certified Architect, were released back in April this year. (For more on the architect program, see "Microsoft Previews Board-Level Certification at TechMentor" at

http://mcpmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=789 .)

Microsoft is still hammering away at the details for the first two tiers, but Valvano provided a generous amount of what the group has developed thus far, via a presentation that diagrammed the new framework. It's obvious that the new program differs significantly from the current program.

How changes in the SQL Server and Visual Studio versions of the program will trickle down to the rest of the program, particularly in the MCSA and MCSE credentials, can only be a guess and Valvano didn't offer up any clues through the presentation, only showing that most of the information is 'to be decided.'

To read the rest of the article, go to

http://mcpmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=821 . "


Muff

 

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I wasnt aware they were dropping the MCSE all together, this article seems to indicate they are
interesting read Muff, thanks for posting!!

 

It looks like its going that way....... - scary


Muff

 

Well seems that way doesnt it, although MCSE credentials will remain valid

the second tier also requires renewal it seems, about time!

and the third tier, woot!

 

Whoah whoah WHOAH!! Does this mean I should cancel my MCSE Security Course??????

edit: Just read the whole article and saw this:

"[The MCSE/MCSA/MCDBA titles] are not going away and those continue to remain valid, just like there are people who continue to certify on Windows 2000," says Valvano. He does acknowledge that there will be an upgrade path to the new certification program from the current ones (see Figure 3), but says that development on the preliminary framework hasn't even begun, as much depends on what's in Longhorn. And Longhorn is still more than a year from delivery.

I'm still seriously considering cancelling my whole course, I have a 14 day cancellation period and tomorrow is the 14th day

 

not at all
the changes will not effect most IT Pros till late 2006 early 2007 when longhorn exams are released
u will then be provided an upgrade path


the change starts with the new SQL and VS exams as new software is out this year, not in 2 years time

 

Thanks Phoenix! I'll stick with it... provided the CDL goes through, should do as my credit rating is ok...

 

Does this thread have anything to do with this news item?

http://www.certforums.co.uk/forums/thread5509.html

 

Does seem to be doesnt it