Dumb question

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Here's a close to dumb question (there are no dumb questions right?)

What exactly do the MS dev certs cover?
I'm teaching myself python, ruby and vb.net at the moment
I love the vs IDE so i'm keen to use it more

I assume the dev certs don't teach you to program, but perhaps teach you where to use appropriate MS tools, librarys, sdks etc?

can anyone shed some light? maybe i'll get a book or something

 

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I haven't taken any of the dev exams since 2005, but back then they were testing on features of the language/framework and features of the IDE. You're correct in that they don't test whether you know how to program, but they do test how well you know how to implement features. FWIW, the MS Press books were fairly light in their coverage (at least back then). I ended up buying several other more general books to help fill in the gaps.

I'd be curious to hear how you compare ruby and python to the .NET framework. I've been interested in dynamic languages for a while, but never seem to find the time to try to learn how to use them.

 

I did them ages ago so I can't really comment on the MCPD series currently out there - although I did a couple of betas.

They were a mixed bag of questions really, mainly along the lines of what MS consider best practice.
I don't recall anything much about the IDE itself, it was mostly about proposing a scenario/requirement and then giving some examples of how to achieve it 'with the least amount of administrative effort' or 'without giving users additional privilidges'.

Although it wasn't really about the code as such, there were plenty of questions which relied on you being able to spot the correct syntax - that is recognise which block of code would achieve the required results, or spot the missing line kind of thing.

I used the preplogic books. They were fairly meaty but went through the curriculum giving worked examples and exercises as you went, which was a real help.

The hardest was 70-300, not sure if there is a current equivalent. It was all about the MS solution framework, i.e. the MS way of approaching a project. And there was very little study material out there on it.