Announcement: Changes to Microsoft’s certification programme
Robert Chapman is CEO and co-founder of Firebrand Training. The fastest way to learn since 2001.
Microsoft has announced a fundamental change to its certification program, heralding a ‘return’ for the MCSE, MCSA and MCSD certifications.
New certifications
Microsoft has introduced a set of ‘new’ certifications, to meet the growing skills gap in the technology industry. There will be no more MCITP, MCTS and MCPD certs released in the future – but they remain current and relevant in the meantime. These will be replaced with MCSE, MCSA and MCSD certifications. These familiar acronyms are back, but now have a slightly different meaning:
What it meant before |
What it means now |
|
MCSE |
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer |
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert |
MCSA |
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator |
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate |
MCSD |
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer |
Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer |
All future Microsoft exams will be technology- and version-specific, and will lead to the new certifications. The new certs are version-neutral, but they will expire - at least every three years.