Microsoft Certifications — Why and How
Recently passing 70–535 — Architecting azure solutions, I’ve got that achievement feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time. This post is to explain to you what a Microsoft certification has to offer and what would be the steps to take one.
What a Microsoft certification has to offer?
The main benefit, in my opinion, is the guidance, you get exposed to subjects that you never even heard before, the kinda framework functionality that is hidden, that may be useful for you someday, or not at all =D. There are subjects that I’ve never used them outside of the exam, but many times I learned technologies that improved my team productivity.
Clear goal setting you get for yourself. You get a way to measure your study. We are quite visual animals, so having clear goals is essential to keep focus.
Another benefit of the certification is credibility, it may open doors for interviews and code tests.
How to pass a Microsoft certification?
The steps to get certified are as follow:
- Choose the certification or specific path.
- Schedule the exam
- Study
- Pass the exam
Choosing the certification or specific path
Microsoft certifications descriptions: Here
The first thing to decide is which category you want to take, Cloud, app builder, etc. Then you choose which title you want to achieve:
- MTA — Microsoft Technology Associate
- MCSA — Microsoft Certified Solution Associate
- MCSE — Microsoft Certified Solution Engineer
They are in order of difficulty, so sounds reasonable to start low if you are in junior levels. I haven’t done any of the MTA levels so I can’t tell about it. They didn’t exist when I was taking my first ones.
The main thing when choosing the title/exam is looking at the required subjects, as:
Look at the requirements, if you don’t know them, but is the learning path that you want to follow, that’s a match.
Scheduling the exam
Scheduling through Microsoft site is quite simple, the button is on top of the page describing the exam. You can either schedule to take the exam at a specific centre or do it from the comfort of your home.
My tip is to schedule in advance, maybe 2 months in advance, as a way to force yourself to study or lose £100. Most companies would be happy to pay it for you if you pass, so just raise to your manager.
Study
The two techniques I use to study, first and the main one is picking up that required subjects list, and just google them. Many times there are specific resources teaching them, take notes and that’s it. There are also links for studying in the exam preparation material section.
Another way is to take simulation tests, which explain you the questions if you got it wrong, the company that does that is MeasureUp.
Lookout for discounts, promotions and retakes, sometimes you can get very great deals for example here. In the past, I subscribed to Measure Up e-mail feed, because they had 50% off often.
Free Retakes is a great way to start, as you can try again if you failed, this removes that big pressure out of the first time.
Pass the exam
If everything goes OK, you got the 700 out of 1000 points to pass the exam =)
What after?
You get access to the MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) community, which you receive benefits, an exclusive newsletter and a transcript like (Mine). If you achieve a title, you can also print your certificate or buy it printed on a nice paper as:
