Certifications From Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional
Skill Level: End User       Status: Active
For individuals who want to demonstrate professional proficiency in Microsoft Dynamics and show they have passed a set of required and elective certification exams. The exams focus on one of three knowledge areas—applications, developer, or installation and configuration—for one Microsoft Dynamics product. There are currently five Professional-level certification paths for Microsoft Dynamics.

Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist
Skill Level: End User       Status: Active
For individuals who want to demonstrate proficiency in one module of a Microsoft Dynamics or related business product. Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialists must pass a single certification exam. There are currently seven tracks to choose from.
Training is available but not required.

Microsoft Office Specialist/Expert/Master
Skill Level: End User       Status: Active
For individuals who wish to demonstrate expertise in using specific Microsoft products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and Microsoft Project. Available at Core and Expert levels. This program is administered by CertiPort. The program addresses Office products through Office 2003.

Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS)
Skill Level: Basic       Status: Active
For individuals who want to validate their skills with using the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista. The Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) credential, part of the Microsoft Business Certification program, identifies specific skills covering the most in-demand 2007 Microsoft Office system products—Microsoft Office Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Access 2007, and Outlook 2007—as well as the Windows Vista operating system. Candidates must pass a certification exam in order to earn the MCAS credential.

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
Skill Level: Basic       Status: Active
For individuals who support end users and troubleshoot desktop environments running on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Skill Level: Basic       Status: Active
For individuals who would like to demonstrate their expertise with a particular Microsoft product, including Windows, SQL Server, Exchange Server, FrontPage, Visual Basic, Visual FoxPro, Visual C, and .NET.

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
Skill Level: Basic       Status: Active
For individuals who target specific technologies and want to distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in Microsoft specialized technologies. An MCTS is consistently capable of implementing, building, troubleshooting, and debugging a particular Microsoft technology.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD)
Skill Level: Intermediate       Status: Being phased out
For professional developers who build powerful applications by using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Web services on the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 and Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 and want industry recognition. Necessary exams for this certification have been retired and this designation can no longer be achieved. MCAD certifications that have already been earned will remain valid.

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
Skill Level: Intermediate       Status: Active
For individuals who wish to demonstrate comprehensive skills in planning, deploying, supporting, maintaining, and optimizing IT infrastructures. Earn the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) credential so you can highlight your field of expertise. Now you can distinguish yourself as an IT professional with the current skills and proven job-role capabilities to work effectively with a comprehensive set of Microsoft technologies.

Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)
Skill Level: Intermediate       Status: Active
For individuals who wish to demonstrate comprehensive skills in designing, developing, and deploying applications for a particular job role. These certifications show that you have the skills required to perform the job successfully.

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
Skill Level: Intermediate       Status: Active
For individuals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments environments running on the Windows operating system. You can also choose to specialize in messaging or security on Windows.

Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) is the highest level of Microsoft certification and by far the most rigorous and costly. You'll need a ton of experience just to consider it, and it will set you back at least $10,000 just in program fees, half of which is due up front. The skills assessed include soft skills such as leadership, communication, and organizational strategies as well as technology expertise, which is billed as vendor neutral. There are infrastructure and solutions tracks, as well as a separate MCA Technology program.

Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For individuals who have the skills that are necessary to lead organizations in the successful design, implementation, and administration of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databases.
Many of the exams in this certification track retire in March 2009.

Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant (MCLC)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For Microsoft Certified Trainers whose job roles have grown to include frequent consultative engagements with their customers. Their role is more that of a technology trainer—they diagnose current and desired business performance and design learning solutions to bridge the gap. The MCLC credential clearly identifies your expertise to the Microsoft training community and customers. It validates your experience in building a consultative relationship and recognizes your skills in designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating customized learning solutions.

Microsoft Certified Master (MCM)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For senior-level IT professionals who wish to demonstrate and validate their technical expertise on Microsoft server products and authoritatively differentiate themselves to prospective employers and customers. IT professionals who successfully complete the training program and certification testing validate their skills as product experts who successfully design and implement solutions that meet the most complex business requirements. Qualified Microsoft Certified Master candidates are highly skilled technical experts in their discipline and have several years of experience designing, deploying, and managing solutions by using Microsoft technology.
Master certification is a prerequisite for all Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certifications.

Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) for Microsoft .NET
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Being phased out
For advanced developers who design and develop leading-edge enterprise solutions by using Microsoft development tools and technologies in addition to the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 and Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1. Necessary exams for this certification have been retired and this designation can no longer be achieved. MCSD certifications that have already been earned will remain valid.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For individuals who design and implement the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server platform and Windows Server System. Candidates for the MCSE on Windows Server 2003 certification typically have at least one year of experience implementing and administering both network and client operating systems. They are knowledgeable about the planning, design, and implementation of Microsoft Windows server solutions and architectures in mid-sized to large companies.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Messaging (MCSE:Messaging)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For individuals who plan, implement, and support the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 platform, with an emphasis on messaging use Exchange server.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security (MCSE:Security)
Skill Level: Advanced       Status: Active
For systems engineers who specialize in designing, planning, and implementing security on the Microsoft platform and who focus on creating a secure computing environment.

Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)
Skill Level: Instructor       Status: Active
MCTs are the only individuals that Microsoft authorizes to deliver training that is based on Official Microsoft Learning Products or Microsoft Dynamics Learning Products for the MCT program. Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) are the premier technical and instructional experts in Microsoft products, technologies, and solutions.

Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor
Skill Level: Instructor       Status: Active
For individuals who are, or aspire to be, teachers or trainers of Microsoft Office desktop programs. As a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor you will be recognized for your skill and hands–on ability with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Outlook. This program is administered by CertiPort.