**This is a cross post from Born to Learn .  The permanent link of this post is http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/2009/05/announcing-podcast-1-certifications . **   So… you may have noticed that a new thingy appeared on the left sidebar.  Yes, it’s the Born To Learn Podcast ! The certification...

Even though we always see it coming, this is still an insanely busy time for my team (and for most Microsoft employees, I’d wager). Fresh off the bus and home from TechEd, we plunged immediately into planning for our next fiscal year (we run our business on a calendar that starts on July 1 and ends on...

Remember our article on Dunbar High in Florida? Certification Magazine just published a great update . Dunbar is getting ready to graduate their first students who have completed their four-year technical program, and their 26 graduating seniors have as many as fourteen certifications each! From the...

Certiport (our exam delivery partner for our business certifications) recently announced a new program to bring Office-related e-learning and certification to 500 middle and high-school kids who wouldn’t otherwise have access to technology. If all goes well, the program will be expanded to as many as...

Have you ever noticed that some topics have more questions than others on an MCP exam? Well, we do that on purpose. In your daily work, some tasks are more important or are done more frequently than others. The content of MCP exams reflects these differences. In my post about the exam design process...

I realize we tend to provide more coverage to our IT Pro and Developer certifications here on B2L, but there’s lots of goodness happening around our business certifications too. Our partners offer some great programs around our Office certifications, and there are great community resources as well. Here...

Still catching up from while-we-were-on-the-bus news, so look for a few quick-hit posts today. First up: Computer Weekly reports that 84% of IT Pros believe that certification improves their employability potential. Most frequently mentioned certifications: MCSE, MCSA, and MCT. (I know, hardly surprising...

I honestly thought this would go either unnoticed or unremarked, but judging by the queries we’re getting, you guys are apparently just too eagle-eyed and passionate about your Microsoft certifications. So yes, we’ve made a change to our certificates: Steve Ballmer’s signature now appears in place of...

I wouldn’t have thought it possible to make a Second Shot commercial that I’d probably get spanked for if I linked it here, but one of our Learning Solutions Partners managed to do it. Great concept, but just on the other side of the work-safe line. If you stumble across a video called “Need a second...

We’re pleased to announce the general availability of our first Virtual Lab-based exam, 83-640, Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory . 83-640 is part of the MCTS track, an alternative to taking 70-640. More info here (including some good background info from camera-shy but prolific B2L blogger...

Heads-up: Our wildly popular Second Shot promotion ends June 30th. If you’ve been putting off taking your exam, don’t delay much longer…

Well that didn’t take long… all 4,000 exams are gone, folks; hope you all were among the lucky ones!

“I am a Chemist, and I am taking server classes and considering getting certified.”  Wow.  I was literally speechless for a few seconds when I heard this from a gentleman that attended our “Get On The Bus” session at JCCC.  It is amazing to know that technology touches much deeper into...

Well that's a wrap. Yippee. Our two month series of Live Meeting Certification Coaching session finished on Tuesday. And what a run it was. If you missed any of these, I've included the recording links for each. Check them out and use them to help prepare for your exams. So, what did you think...

The last Live Meeting in our current Microsoft Certification Coaching series takes place tomorrow. Please join Bob Reinsch, Microsoft Certified Trainer, as he reviews key exam topics including installation and configuration of Microsoft Exchange Servers, configuring recipients and public folders, as...

Hurry—the first batch went in an hour, and these will go fast too…

Wow—looks like our Win7 beta exam slots sold out (if you can say that about something that’s free) faster than a Springsteen concert! Just wanted to let you guys know that I’m aware of the situation and have escalated to my team back in Redmond to see if there’s anything we can do—but since they’re probably...

(For MCPs in Asia Pacific Region, India, Greater China Region, and Japan only; North American MCPs, your offer is here ) If you are an MCP but haven’t attained any new credentials since July 1, 2007, you can now upgrade your Microsoft credentials with an exclusive exam voucher for only $25 (USD)! This...

Craig Brown, Microsoft Certified Trainer, is back for a coaching session on Windows Server 2008 exams 70-646 (PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator) and 70-647 (PRO: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator) He’ll review key exam topics including planning for server deployment and management...

Certified, but not lately? Here’s your chance to get back in the game: Watch for e-mail today from Prometric , offering a $25 MCTS, MCPD, or MCITP exam to the first 4,000 MCPs (US and Canada only) who took their most recent exam prior to January 1, 2007. Promo code is in the mail, and you must take your...

Craig Brown, Microsoft Certified Trainer, will be the presenter of the day tomorrow (Tuesday). Why don't you join us for this exam coaching session focused on the Windows Server 2008 exams 70-640 (MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring) and 70-642 (MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure...

I interviewed our GM Lutz about the upcoming bus tour – and learned that one of his assignment actually happened on the beach in Dominic Republic…  hmmm…

A lot of us mainly focus on a certification track or path to support our current or desired job role. Database professionals take MCTS exams for SQL server while developers plow through the MCTS certifications for Microsoft Visual Studio. Office professionals would, of course, take exams for Microsoft...

This week we challenged our bus contenders to an invigorating round of Are you Certifiable? Liberty got to prove to the world that she is a really good Psychometrician because, well, they really couldn’t guess their way through the quiz . J’s former life as an MCP and old school network gamer geek paid...

Desktop IT Pros, start your engines! Exam 71-680 (MCTS: Windows 7, Configuring) is heading for beta, available for first-come-first-served registration beginning April 27th (the exam will be available in beta from May 5 – 18) Full details here . Hey, team: I think we need to schedule time for us to take...