 | This article needs to be updated.(January 2021) |
Microsoft Certified Professional was a certification program from Microsoft. [1]
| This article needs to be updated.(January 2021) |
Microsoft Certified Professional was a certification program from Microsoft. [1]
Historically, Microsoft offered a number of certifications relating to its product offerings. In the 1990s and well into the early 2000s these offerings were extensive and well received by the IT community. An extensive network of Microsoft Solution Provider organizations offered robust training and formal examinations were provided through other contract testing vendors.
Certifications were earned by passing exams aligned to a specific certification offering. Typically multiple examinations were required to obtain either a hardware centered certification such as the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) or a more software orientated offering such as the MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer). The process of earning certification has changed multiple times since its initial inception.
Into the 2020s the Microsoft announced that it was retiring all existing Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certifications, introducing new pathways, and changing the way individuals earn and maintain those Microsoft certifications. [2]
These certifications were planned to be phased out effective June 30, 2020, in favor of "role-based" certifications focused primarily on Azure and Microsoft 365. [3] However, on March 26, 2020, Microsoft announced that the remaining exams associated with MCSA, MCSE and MCSD would retire on January 31, 2021. [4]
Historically, MCSE and MCSD credentials required the individual to recertify after a period of two to three years in order to keep the credential in the "Active section" of their transcript. Under the new system, the MCSE and MCSD credentials no longer have a recertification requirement, they remain on the "Active transcript" of the holder, once gained. Individuals can now re-earn a certification every year by passing an additional elective exam. [5]
These changes were driven by the increasing cadence of updates to Microsoft products and services. The industry has also moved away from the traditional client-server technology model to current software 'rental' models such as software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and related cloud based IT offerings.
The current list of certifications are: [6]
The Microsoft Certified Application Specialist certification series were the certifications introduced for the Microsoft Office 2007 suite, allowing credential holders to demonstrate expertise in products such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. [7] The tests were 90 minutes in length and featured questions using live demonstration, multiple choice, and order question. The certification was replaced by the Microsoft Office Specialist series. [8]
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications that use post-nominal letters are an acknowledgement of educational achievement, or an agency appointed to safeguard the public interest.
A database administrator (DBA) manages computer databases. The role may include capacity planning, installation, configuration, database design, migration, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well as backup and data recovery.
CISSP is an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as ISC2.
The Project Management Institute is a U.S.-based not-for-profit professional organization for project management.
Project Management Professional (PMP) is an internationally recognized professional designation offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As of 31 July 2020, there are 1,036,368 active PMP-certified individuals and 314 chartered chapters across 214 countries and territories worldwide.
The Oracle Certification Program certifies candidates on skills and knowledge related to Oracle products and technologies.
Nortel Certifications are IT professional certifications for Nortel products and IEEE standard technologies. There were two major levels of certification, Specialist and Expert. Within each level were three sublevels; technology, support, and design. The certification exams were administered at Prometric testing centers. Various training courses were held by Nortel regional training partners, such as Global Knowledge. As Nortel began to exit certain businesses and divest itself, they retired various certification training programs and exams. They retired the GSM-related programs in March 2008, Optical and Carrier VoIP programs in September 2009, and lastly the Enterprise programs in November 2010.
The Certified Internet Web Professional (CIW) education program was created by a community of Web designers and developers in the late 1990s. The company that currently owns CIW, Certification Partners, offers books, on-line learning and high-stakes exams. Third-party companies also sell CIW preparation material.
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), incorporated in June 1975, is an independent nonprofit organization that administers examinations and awards credentials in the areas of diagnostic medical sonography, diagnostic cardiac sonography, vascular technology, physicians’ vascular interpretation, musculoskeletal sonography and midwifery ultrasound. ARDMS has over 90,000 certified individuals in the U.S., Canada and throughout the world. ARDMS provides certifications, resources, and career information to healthcare practitioners and students practicing medical sonography.
Microsoft Azure, or just Azure, is the cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft. It has management, access and development of applications and services to individuals, companies, and governments through its global infrastructure. It also provides capabilities that are usually not included within other cloud platforms, including software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Microsoft Azure supports many programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
The LEED Professional Exams are administered by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) for professionals seeking to earn credentials and certificates. The exams test knowledge based on the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating Systems.
The Computing Technology Industry Association, more commonly known as CompTIA, is an American non-profit trade association that issues professional certifications for the information technology (IT) industry. It is considered one of the IT industry's top trade associations.
The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1960 with the purpose of awarding and maintaining credentialing for Respiratory Therapists in the United States. The NBRC is the only organization in the United States which develops certification examinations for Registered Respiratory Therapists and Certified Respiratory Therapists. The NBRC also offers additional specialization credentialing for respiratory practitioners that hold its certifications. The CRT and RRT designations are the standard credential in respiratory care for licensure requirements in the portions of the United States that have enacted a Respiratory Care Act. States that license respiratory therapists sometimes require the practitioner to maintain their NBRC credentialing to maintain their license to practice. The NBRC is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It has been in the Kansas City metropolitan area since 1974. The NBRC is located at 10801 Mastin St, Suite 300, Overland Park, KS 66210.
The American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) is a nonprofit organization that certifies physicians, PhDs, specialists, and technologists in the specialty of sleep medicine. ABSM shares office space and at least some staff with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) in Darien, Illinois, USA; the two organizations are closely related and serve basically the same constituency.
Marko Ćalasan is a Macedonian computer systems prodigy. He is noted for being the youngest Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator at the age of eight and the youngest certified computer systems engineer at the age of nine.
The Master Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have attained the highest level of arboriculture offered by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and one of the two top levels in the field. There are several paths to the Board Certified Master Arborist, but typically on average each has been an ISA Certified Arborist a minimum of three to five years before qualifying for the exam. The certification began as a result of the need to distinguish the top few arborists and allow others to identify those with superior credentials. The ISA added specialty certifications of Utility Specialist, for those maintaining vegetation around electric utility wires, Municipal Specialist, for those with additional experience managing public urban trees.
College SA is a Distance Learning Private and Business College, located in Tygervalley Bellville, South Africa. College SA offers Business, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to students, both in South Africa and internationally.
Microsoft Power Platform is a collection of low-code development tools that allows users to build custom business applications, automate workflows, and analyze data. It also offers integration with GitHub, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Microsoft Teams, among other Microsoft and third-party applications.
