Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)

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The Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification is a new, entry-level certification designed to help individuals take the first step toward a career as an IT professional or developer.

An MTA certification is based on 80 percent knowledge and 20 percent skills. The next step in the Microsoft certification path is Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS), which requires hands-on experience with the Microsoft technology platform.

Students can download and install a complete developer tool set at no cost through the DreamSpark Program.

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If you already have an in-depth understanding of and hands-on experience with Microsoft technologies, you might want to start with a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification or one of our Professional Series tracks, which includes the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) and the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certifications. If you are a student, changing careers, just starting your career, or exploring a technology career, earning an MTA certification will help guide your career planning.

At this time, the MTA certification is only available to students, faculty, and staff of an accredited academic institution that is an approved MTA testing center.

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Millions of people in the world would like to pursue a career in technology, but they lack the foundational knowledge necessary to pursue one of our Specialist Series (MCTS) or Professional Series (MCITP or MCPD) certifications. The MTA certification creates a new entry point to help people jumpstart their career aspirations.

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Each MTA certification exam covers a broad technology area, such as web development or network fundamentals.

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Earning an MTA certification can help you stand out when you are applying to colleges or internships. This certification helps prove your commitment and knowledge of fundamental technology concepts. Having a validated certification from Microsoft can help you launch a successful career.

Earning an MTA certification can be the first step toward becoming a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). When you earn an MTA certification, you become a member of our Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) community. You get access to members-only benefits, such as special offers, a transcript tool, and private newsgroups where you can network, find peer support, and share your accomplishments with millions of MCPs worldwide.

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To earn an MTA certification, you only need to pass one exam.

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You only need to pass one MTA exam in order to earn the certification. However, we recommend that you review the MTA Exam Certification Paths chart and consider earning a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification to help you further your career in the IT industry. Passing more than one exam shows potential employers and college admissions offices that you have a variety of technology skills and are committed to a wide set of abilities.

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The retake policy for MTA exams is the same as for our Technical and Professional Series certifications.

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Yes, MTA certifications expire after five years.

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We appreciate your feedback about the MTA certification and your testing experience, and we work to ensure your satisfaction. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please fill out an Item Challenge form.

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Academic customers are defined as being registered as a student, faculty, or staff member of a qualified educational institution. MTA certification exams are not available through commercial learning institutions at this time.

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At this time, MTA exams are only available to academic institutions that have purchased an MTA campus license.

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Microsoft designed the MTA certification to support academic technology learning goals. To see how MTA exam topics fit into your current course curriculum, review our MTA course mapping.

Institutions that purchase a Campus License will receive MTA certification exam review kits, which include sample activities, lesson plans, and lecture slides.

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After you pass your MTA certification exam, highlight the certification on your college and internship applications to set you apart from your peers. Also, consider becoming a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). You have already validated your fundamental technology knowledge—now it’s time to show the world that you are an expert!

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Each MTA certification exam has a preparation guide that describes all of the subjects that will be covered on the exam.

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The preparation guides are a great tool to help you determine whether you are ready to take an exam. Review the preparation guide and ask yourself whether you have a strong understanding of what is being covered. You can also play "Are You Certifiable?", a game that tests your exam readiness.

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If you are a student:

If you are an educator:
MTA certification exam review kits are complimentary for educators with the purchase of an MTA Campus License.

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If you are a student:

You can access tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio, Windows Server, Microsoft Expression Studio, Microsoft SQL Server, XNA tools, and much more at no cost. You can use these tools to make applications and games for Windows, Xbox 360, the web, Zune, and mobile phones.

If you are an educator:
Educational institutions can access this same software for their lab and classroom computers at a very low cost through the MSDN Academic Alliance program.

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There are no prerequisite training requirements for MTA certification exams. However, you should be comfortable with your knowledge of the skills listed in the preparation guides before you take an exam.

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Yes. If your school has purchased an MTA Campus License, your instructors will have the MTA certification exam review kits and can share them with you.

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No. At this time, the MTA certification exam review kits are available exclusively to institutions that purchase an MTA campus license.

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The exam review kits were created in a modular format so that they can be adapted for a variety of teaching scenarios. Each kit includes 20 lessons based on the topics covered in the associated MTA certification exam. You can select which lessons to use in your classroom based on the curriculum you are already teaching.

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If you are an instructor, visit the Certiport website and use the account credentials you created when you registered to become a proctor. If you are a student and your school has an MTA Campus License, contact your instructor, who will have the review kits available for you.

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Each IT Academy is fully resourced to prepare students for Microsoft technology certifications. Microsoft recommends that you encourage students to earn MTA certifications so that they have a solid foundation before moving on to the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. Each IT Academy receives preferential pricing on MTA Campus Licenses and vouchers.

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Currently, practice exams are not available for the MTA certification. However, you can play "Are You Certifiable?", a game that tests your exam readiness.

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Currently, MTA training material is only available in English. In the near future, training materials will be released in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Korean, Japanese, Spanish, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian.

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No, the exams only cover topics that are discussed in the preparation guides.

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Each kit has 20 lessons based on the topics covered on the seven MTA certification exams. Each lesson includes the following items:

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CCI Learning Solutions, John Wiley and Sons, and Cengage Learning are releasing educational content for the MTA certification.

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Educational institutions can buy a one-year MTA Campus License which allows up to 1,000 exams to be delivered. Additionally, institutions can purchase vouchers valid for a single exam.

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Currently, MTA is only available for purchase by educational institutions and are already priced for the academic market.

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Proctoring fees vary by testing center. Many academic testing centers waive the proctoring fee for students who attend that institution. To learn more about proctoring fees, contact your local testing center.

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Yes, we offer IT Academy members a substantial discount on the MTA Campus License and exam vouchers. For more information, contact Certiport and have your ITA membership number on hand.

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Schools can adopt the MTA certification by purchasing an Campus License or single exam vouchers.

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The MTA Campus License is only valid at a single campus with the same address. To deliver exams at more than one location, you must purchase additional Campus Licenses.

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Your educational institution must be qualified and it must be registered as a Certiport testing center. If your institution is a Microsoft IT Academy, you must have its membership number in order to receive discounts on your MTA purchase.

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One thousand exams can be taken per year by using an MTA campus license.

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An MTA Campus License and exam voucher expire after one year.

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Yes, after purchasing an MTA Campus License or exam voucher, your institution will be able to deliver all seven MTA certification exams.

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For information about purchasing a Campus License, contact Certiport (Certiport.com)

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Only qualified academic institutions can purchase the MTA Campus License and exam vouchers.

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Please follow the policies outlined by the institution where you took your exam.

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MTA certification exams are currently offered only to students, faculty, and staff of academic institutions. If your school is set up as a Certiport testing center and it is signed up to administer MTA certification exams, your teacher or proctor can deliver your exam to you. If your school is not signed up to administer MTA certification exams, an administrator or teacher at your school can contact Certiport.

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First, find out if your school is already a Certiport testing center. If so, contact your testing center and have an administrator walk you through the process of registering as an MTA proctor.

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Offline exams are not currently available.

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MTA certification exams typically contain 30 to 50 questions.

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You have 50 minutes to complete your MTA certification exam. If an exam is not available in your native language and you must take it in English, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete it. You must make this arrangement with your proctor before the exam appointment.

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Visit the Certiport website to start the testing center registration process.

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No, MTA certification exams are only available at Certiport testing centers.

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You can find out your score and exam results immediately after taking the exam.

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Certificates are only available through online download. You can obtain any of your Microsoft certificates by using the Microsoft Certified Professional website.

You will need your Windows Live ID that has been associated with your Microsoft Certified ID in order to access this site.

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Your score report will be shown immediately after completing your exam. It will also be available on the Certiport website.

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You can find a transcript of all your Microsoft certifications on the Microsoft Certified Professional website. You will need your Windows Live ID that has been associated with your Microsoft Certified ID in order to view this transcript.

You can find a transcript of all the exams you have taken through Certiport on the Certiport website.

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After passing your first Microsoft Certification exam, you will receive an email message with your Microsoft Certified ID and detailed instructions on how to associate this with your Windows Live ID. You will need to make this association before accessing the Microsoft Certified Professional website.

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Yes, students will need to allow their results to be available to the proctor. The proctor will then be able to see a report of how their students did.

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Please contact the testing center at your academic institution for more information about special accommodations.

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MTA certification exams are currently only available in English. However, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Korean, Japanese, Spanish, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian will be coming this year. If an exam is not available in your native language, contact the testing center at your academic institution for more information.

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All MTA certification exams are scaled such that the passing score is 70. A common misperception is that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam; however, the actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent. After you complete your exam, the number of items that you answered correctly is compared with the cut score to determine whether the result is pass or fail.

Here is some general information about exam scoring:

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All MTA certification exams are scaled so that a passing score is 70. Any score of 70 or greater is a "pass." Any score below 70 is a "fail." The bars on the score report show your relative performance in the various subject areas covered by the exam—the longer the bar, the stronger your performance in that area.

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The score report details the areas in which a candidate demonstrates technical strength and the areas in which the candidate shows a need for improvement. The report provides a numeric score for overall exam performance as well as a bar graph for each subject area of the exam.

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Microsoft provides numeric scores on all exams, which gives candidates some indication of their level of performance on the exam. For MTA certification exams, Microsoft has created an exam scale that is consistent across all exams. The scale requires a minimum passing score of 70 on all exams. If you receive a score of 70 or above, it means that you are at least minimally qualified; if you receive a score below 70, it means that you are not minimally qualified.

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The bars indicate how strongly an examinee performed on each skills section of the exam. The closer the bar comes to the strong end of the continuum, the higher the score on that skills section. The closer the bar is to the "needs development" end of the continuum, the lower the score in that topic area. These results will help examinees determine areas where they have strengths and where they need improvement. The sections listed on the score report correspond to those listed in the exam preparation guide.

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MTA certification exams do not show a numerical score for each section. The score report provides a numerical score to reflect pass/fail status only. Because we provide scaled scores and each exam section often contains different numbers of questions, combining their numerical results at the section level may not reflect your final exam result. As an alternative to providing a numerical score for each section, we provide score bars to show an overview of areas of strength and weakness relative to overall performance.

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Each section of the exam may contain a different number of questions; therefore, the relative results on individual exam sections might not reflect your final exam result. In other words, there is no one-to-one relationship between the length of the bars and your pass/fail status. Additionally, a common misperception is that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam; however, the actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent, depending on the input provided by the subject-matter experts who helped us set the cut score.

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Each question, task, or simulation is worth the same amount, regardless of what you have to do to answer the question.

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No. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers. If you answer incorrectly, you will simply not earn the point associated with answering correctly.

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Microsoft is committed to continually updating exam content and utilizing innovative testing techniques. Our goal is to increase the relevance of our exams, offer a more comprehensive and valuable certification, and ensure the security of exam content. To gather the data needed to update and improve the quality of exams, we present new content to candidates without counting the results toward their score.

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No, it does not indicate an error. It is not uncommon for candidates to obtain similar or identical scores on multiple attempts of an exam. Receiving the same score on multiple attempts does not indicate that the program computing the results is in error.

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The number of questions that appear for each section is determined by subject matter experts. As a result, some sections have more questions than others. It is not uncommon to score zero when a section contains relatively few questions.

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MTA exams have been designed specifically for use in classrooms at academic institutions. An MTA Campus License allows your registered proctor pool to administer up to 1,000 exams across departments, anywhere on campus. Instead of exams being tied to a lab, exams can be delivered anywhere with Internet access. This flexibility means educators can use MTA certification exams as a course final or mid-term. Additionally, the MTA certification was created to give beginner students a launching point for successful and relevant careers in the IT industry. The MTA certification exams test knowledge, whereas the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification validates skills application.

The Microsoft technology platform is one of the most recognized and broadly used in the world. Today there are over five million Microsoft Certified Professionals working in all areas of the technology industry. An MTA certification is the first step for students on the Microsoft Certification path.

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Cisco only offers an entry-level certification for those interested in becoming a networking technician. This Cisco exam tests professional-level skills for people in their first three years of learning and job experience instead of evaluating fundamental concepts. The Cisco exam is not platform-agnostic and only focuses on Cisco networking devices. In addition, Cisco does not offer an academic Campus License for their exams. Instead, students must take the exam at a Pearson VUE test center. Cisco exams are also substantially more expensive than MTA certification exams, especially when compared with the value of an MTA Campus License.

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Cisco only offers an entry-level certification for those interested in becoming a networking technician. This Cisco exam tests professional-level skills for people in their first three years of learning and job experience instead of evaluating fundamental concepts. The Cisco exam is not platform-agnostic and only focuses on Cisco networking devices. In addition, Cisco does not offer an academic Campus License for their exams. Instead, students must take the exam at a Pearson VUE test center. Cisco exams are also substantially more expensive than MTA certification exams, especially when compared with the value of an MTA Campus License.

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Oracle does not have a certification comparable to the MTA certification. Instead, Oracle’s entry-level certification is comparable to the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification, which is targeted at people with one to two years of technology experience and validates skills application. Additionally, the exams are not platform-agnostic and only focus on Oracle technologies. The MTA certification validates fundamental knowledge, providing students with confidence and a solid foundation to continue with more advanced technology classes.

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The MTA Exams 98-365: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals; 98-366: Networking Fundamentals; and 98-367: Security Fundamentals cover similar topics and difficulty levels as CompTIA’s Server+, Network+, and Security+ certifications. A key difference is that CompTIA’s Server+ is vendor-agnostic, while the MTA exam on Windows Server Administration Fundamentals presents concepts in the context of Windows Server technology.

In addition to the preceding exams, MTA offers four exams for software developers that do not overlap with CompTIA certifications:

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CompTIA certifications have been endorsed by Microsoft in the past as an elective to help prepare beginners for our legacy Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certifications. However, our academic customers have indicated a need for an entry-level Microsoft certification that serves as a direct stepping stone to our MCTS certifications while putting students in a clear career path. In addition, academic institutions need certifications to be more affordable and accessible in the classroom. This is why Microsoft introduced the MTA certification, which was designed specifically to address the training and certification needs of academic institutions and their students.

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Microsoft will continue to allow candidates to use their CompTIA certifications to count toward our legacy Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certifications. However, CompTIA certifications do not count toward any of the current Microsoft certifications (MCTS, MCITP, and MCPD). MTA is the official entry-level certification by Microsoft that serves as a stepping stone to MCTS and puts students on a clear career path in Microsoft technologies.

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An MTA Campus License allows an institution to deliver up to 1,000 exams per year in any building and room within one campus. Exams can be delivered in any computer lab, classroom, library, or other facility as long as there is a computer connected to the Internet and a faculty proctor who can deliver the exam.

In contrast, most certification site licenses in the market are restricted to a single computer room.