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Robert Chapman is CEO and co-founder of Firebrand Training. The fastest way to learn since 2001.
Microsoft has announced a fundamental change to its certification program, heralding a ‘return’ for the MCSE, MCSA and MCSD certifications.
New certifications
Microsoft has introduced a set of ‘new’ certifications, to meet the growing skills gap in the technology industry. There will be no more MCITP, MCTS and MCPD certs released in the future – but they remain current and relevant in the meantime. These will be replaced with MCSE, MCSA and MCSD certifications. These familiar acronyms are back, but now have a slightly different meaning:
What it meant before
What it means now
MCSE
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
MCSA
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
MCSD
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer
All future Microsoft exams will be technology- and version-specific, and will lead to the new certifications. The new certs are version-neutral, but they will expire - at least every three years.