Sweet Certification Savings Available to Microsoft Partner Network Members

Summer is the season where we slow down, kick back, relax, and unplug from the grid while contemplating the complexities of the universe from the shade of a tiny pink umbrella! You gotta love it! Summer is also a great time for IT professionals to not only recharge their batteries, but sharpen their skills, plan for the next step on the certification ladder, and perhaps even pick up a certification or two.

Well, Microsoft Learning just made summer — and certifications — a lot sweeter for IT professionals by serving up their very own tasty summer treat. IT pros, Microsoft is giving you a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) certification sale that promises significant savings on competency exam voucher packs.

The Microsoft Learning team announced the new promotional offer, targeted toward Microsoft Partner Network Members, on July 12, 2015 on the Born to Learn blog. Two separate promotional offers are available, and both are generous, offering big savings to Partner Network Member companies.

The first offer is a straight-up double-down. Partner Network Member companies who purchase 10 competency exam vouchers will receive 20 exam vouchers total. That's 10 exam vouchers for the low, low price of FREE! In today's volatile economy, that's a whole lot of saving going on! (Or as Dr. Lazarus might put it: "By Grabthar's Hammer! What a savings.")

What if your organization is smaller, however, and can't support an additional 20 exams? Don't worry! If 20 competency exam vouchers don't mesh with your current organizational goals, then Microsoft has an alternative. Companies not quite ready to roll out 20 new cert exams can purchase a five-exam voucher pack and receive an additional three exams vouchers for free, making a total of eight vouchers in all.

Ordering the competency exam voucher packs is easy. Simply decide on the right voucher pack for your organization, go to Microsoft's page on Pearson VUE, fill out the Order Form, and click "submit." Orders are processed directly by Pearson and, according to their Web site, vouchers should be issued within two business days. Before ordering, be certain to have your Microsoft Partner number handy, along with payment information and the preferred currency for the payment transaction.

Competency exam voucher packs can be purchased for both Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exams (Server, Desktop, Application, Database and Developer certification paths) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) exams (IT Infrastructure, Database and Development certification paths).

The benefits of the current promotional offering are obvious. Organizations win by building their reputation with customers as well as contributing toward Microsoft's gold or silver competency requirements. IT professionals win by validating skills and furthering their careers. The financial benefits are obvious.

This BOGO sale is only here for a short time. Competency exam voucher packs must be purchased by Aug. 31, after which this promotion goes away. Certification candidates have until Dec. 31 to redeem the voucher and take the exam. If your company is a Microsoft Partner Network Member, be sure to let you manager know about this tasty little opportunity. Don't let it slip through your fingers!