Upgrades to VS2005

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Last week we had a Live Meeting for MCAD/MCSDs about the new VS2005 certifications. Here's the recording. It was great, mostly because we got so many good questions that had obviously not been well answered before (sorry about that...!).

These are the questions you asked most... they are in the PowerPoint deck from the meeting - it is being posted to the upgrade info page as we speak... https://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/upgrade.

If I upgrade to MCPD do I lose my MCAD or MCSD? Do I have to upgrade? No, you will keep both your current credential and your new credential. You do not have to upgrade. Your MCAD and MCSD certifications will continue to be recognized and supported by Microsoft—and valued in the marketplace—for as long as Microsoft supports Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Is Howard old enough to drive? Yes. More information here. Watch the LM recording to know what we're talking about.

In the MCPD path, is there anything similar to 70-300 (design and analysis skills)? There is no 1:1 match for 70-300 in the VS2005 certification exams. The new certifications cover design, but do not cover analysis because there is no longer one “standard” Microsoft methodology (i.e. MSF). Look down the road for specific methodology exams as they related to Visual Studio Team System.

How long will the upgrade exams be available to take? The upgrade exams will be offered for as long as the associated direct exams (i.e. MCTS and MCPD exams for Visual Studio 2005) are available. We do not have a scheduled retire date for these exams.

Is there an upgrade path from the old MCSD VB6 to VS2005 certifications? No.

Is MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer a “higher level” certification than MCPD: Web or MCPD: Windows? It is not a different “tier” of certification; it is still within the professional series credentials of MCPD. So, in the case of the partner program, for example, it is not worth additional “points” than the other two MCPD certifications. However, it does cover a larger set of skills and requires additional exams; we anticipate that employers and the marketplace will value the certification accordingly.

If I upgrade from MCSD to MCPD: Enterprise Apps with 553 and 554, do I also earn MCPD: Web and MCPD: Windows? No. By upgrading from MCSD .NET to MCPD: Enterprise Applications, you DO earn all three MCTS certifications (Web, Windows, and Distributed Applications), but you do NOT earn MCPD: Web or MCPD: Windows. After upgrading with 553 and 554, you need to take 547 and 548 to earn the other two MCPD certifications.

How do I earn all three MCTS and all three MCPD certifications?

As an MCAD, you can earn all six by passing 551, 552, 529, and 549. As an MCSD, you have two options: you can pass 551, 552, 529 and 549 (the same path followed by MCAD). Or, you can take 553 and 554 plus 547 and 548.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2006
    Can exam 554 be taken without 553 having already being taken and passed? If so would that mean that an MCSD.NET can obtain all MCTS and MCPD certs by passing just three exams 551, 552 & 554? After 551 and 552 an MCAD requries the Distributed TS (529) and the Enterprise PRO certification (549) but these two are obtained when passing 554 are they not?

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2006
    Just to clarify the above an MCAD can't take 554 hence they have to take 529 and 549 but an MCSD can take 554 - unless this can't be taken without 553? :)

  • Anonymous
    November 15, 2006
    Hey, Matthew. I am double checking the 3-exam option. It makes sense and there's discussion of this elsewhere - but 554 has to equate to 529+549 explicitly in our systems for you to get credit toward the cert... so let me make sure that's what will happen!

  • Anonymous
    November 16, 2006
    Thanks I look forward to the reply. I recently wrote up a guide for other developers here so I'll have to eat my words if its incorrect. Doh!

  • Anonymous
    December 17, 2006
    This is ridiculous that I haven't responded to this yet. ONE MONTH LATER. I'll follow up with the guys in charge this week and respond...

  • Anonymous
    December 17, 2006
    lol No worries I keep checking back periodically so I'll pick it up when you've posted it. Have a good Christmas. Matthew

  • Anonymous
    December 27, 2006
    MATTHEW ASKED: Can exam 554 be taken without 553 having already being taken and passed? MSL FINALLY RESPONDS: YES, 554 CAN BE TAKEN WITHOUT 553 (BUT ONLY MCSDs WILL GET CREDIT FOR 553 OR 554). MATTHEW ASKED: If so would that mean that an MCSD.NET can obtain all MCTS and MCPD certs by passing just three exams 551, 552 & 554? MSL FINALLY RESPONDS: YES, AFTER AN MCSD EARNS THE MCPD: WEB AND MCPD: WINDOWS (AND IN DOING SO, BOTH MCTS WEB AND WINDOWS), HE OR SHE CAN TAKE 554 TO EARN MCPD: ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS (AND MCTS: DISTRIBUTED). THE DEVELOPER UPGRADE PAGE (http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/upgrade/default.mspx) DOESN'T EXPLAIN THIS RIGHT; WE'LL GET THAT UPDATED. SEND ME A MAIL IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS!

  • Anonymous
    December 27, 2006
    On the developer upgrade landing page , we talked about a four-exam upgrade path for MCSDs to earn all

  • Anonymous
    January 03, 2007
    Thanks for the feedback