Microsoft Certification helps you stand out—and it all starts with one exam. Whether you are new to technology or a seasoned IT professional, when you earn a Microsoft Certification, you demonstrate your expertise to customers and employers. Learn more about certification exams, and start your journey to a more fulfilling career today.
When you prepare to take a Microsoft Certification exam, you take the first step toward achieving expertise with a Microsoft technology and earning a Microsoft Certification. Certification validates your expertise with Microsoft products and platforms, reveals your job-related experience, and establishes your technical problem-solving skills.
Certification type
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Microsoft Cloud-built Certifications
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE), and Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM).
For the Microsoft Certification path, you can register at Prometric.
Microsoft Certifications
Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD).
Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Technology Associate certifications
For Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) exams, you can register at Certiport.
After you register for an exam, you receive a confirmation email message. Be sure to review this message carefully for the latest exam policies and procedures.
Before you take a Microsoft Certification exam, you need to prepare. Microsoft offers a variety of preparation materials to help you. We also recommend that you have hands-on experience with the product covered in the certification exam.
Explore training options:
Practice tests help you assess your current level of skill. Many companies sell practice tests, but Microsoft Certified Practice Test Providers (PTPs) offer the highest quality of products and services. Microsoft performs quality reviews on all PTP practice tests, and only approved PTPs bear the Microsoft Certified Practice Test Provider logo. PTP services include exam results reported by objective feedback on each question, and study suggestions. Test items are presented in a wide variety of question-and-answer formats.
Practice tests do not predict your future Microsoft Certification exam score, but the feedback you receive can help you prioritize your areas of study and identify subjects that need additional attention, training, or hands-on work experience. Microsoft Certified PTPs offer free demo versions of their MCP practice tests.
Visit MeasureUp (MeasureUp.com)
Visit Self Test Software (Selftestsoftware.com)
Microsoft Learning Partners deliver classroom and online training throughout the world. Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) provide a superior learning experience by drawing on their in-depth expertise and by using Official Microsoft Learning Products. These products are developed by Microsoft experts and provide an effective, engaging, and integrated online and offline learning experience to help you prepare for Microsoft Certification exams.
Ideal for candidates who already use Microsoft technologies in the workplace and want to enhance their skills, this method of training requires self-discipline and a background in the technology that is featured. Microsoft E-Learning self-paced training offers you the flexibility to learn at a time and place that is convenient for you.
Written by industry and Microsoft technology experts, Microsoft Press books provide accurate and up-to-date information to help you prepare for your exam. Although many books about Microsoft software are available for purchase, we recommend that you use books from Microsoft Press to assure that you receive a consistent level of quality and reliability.
Microsoft self-paced training kits are developed by expert authors to support Microsoft Certification exams for IT professionals and developers. Each training kit features hands-on lab exercises based on real-world scenarios.
Most training kits include:
Official, self-paced study guide
Practice tests with multiple, customizable testing options and a learning roadmap based on your results
More than 200 practice and review questions
Case scenarios, practice exercises, and best practices
A 15 percent exam discount voucher from Microsoft
Learning Plans: Create your own step-by-step study guide in the My Learning section of the Training Catalog.
Training portals: Visit the training portal for the technology covered in your exam to find special offers and additional information on training and certification.
Product information: Visit Microsoft.com, select All Products, and navigate to detailed product information to learn more about a specific product.
TechNet: Designed for IT professionals, this site includes how-to instructions, best practices, downloads, technical resources, newsgroups, and chats.
MSDN: The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) features code samples, technical articles, downloads, newsgroups, and chats for developers.
Microsoft Learning Community: Join newsgroups and community forums to connect with peers and seek advice about training resources and your certification path.
Microsoft Certification testing labs typically have multiple workstations, which may or may not be occupied by other candidates. Test center administrators strive to provide a quiet and comfortable environment for all test takers.
We recommend that you arrive at the test center at least 30 minutes before the test is scheduled to begin.
To take your exam, you must bring the identification (ID) that was specified when you registered for the exam. If you are unclear about which forms of ID are required, contact the exam sponsor identified in your registration information. Although requirements vary, you typically must show two valid forms of ID, one with a photo, both with your signature.
The only item allowed into the testing area is your identification, so leave any backpacks, laptops, briefcases, and other personal items at home. If you have items that cannot be left behind (such as purses), the testing center might have small lockers available for use.
At the testing center, Microsoft requires that you accept the terms of a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) and complete a brief demographic survey before taking your certification exam.
We generally do not identify the format of any given exam at the time of registration because we expect you to understand the exam content, regardless of how it is presented. This practice helps protect exam security and the value of our certifications.
Microsoft Certification exams are presented in a wide variety of formats so that your knowledge and skills can be evaluated accurately. Question formats may include:
Active screen questions
Build list and reorder questions
Case studies
Create-a-tree questions
Drag and drop questions
Hot area questions
Multiple-choice, single-answer questions
Multiple-choice, multiple-answer questions
Multiple-choice, best answer questions
Multiple-choice, extended matching questions
Multiple-choice, repeated scenario questions
Simulations
Microsoft Certification Exam Demo (15 minutes)Before taking an exam, become familiar with how all exam types function. This tutorial provides the opportunity for you to learn how to navigate your way through Microsoft Certification exams. Such insight will allow you to focus your efforts on the exam questions rather than on how to use the tools. Topics include:
Introduction (4:48)
Question Type: Multiple Choice (0:44)
Question Type: Build List Reorder and Drag and Drop (2:10)
Question Type: Active Screen and Simulation (2:54)
Question Type: Case Study (1:02)
Concluding an Exam (2:55)
Microsoft encourages examinees to become familiar with the navigation options and tools, which may prove useful during the actual exam. This tutorial may be particularly helpful to those new to the exam process. The tutorial is not an interactive practice exam. The questions in the tutorial are not representative of the exam content and should not be thought of as a content learning tool.
Microsoft Certification Exam Demo: New Innovative Item Types (5 minutes)
This demonstration provides the opportunity for you to learn about new item types and features in Microsoft exams. This knowledge should enable you to focus your exam-taking efforts on the exam questions rather than the exam interface. Topics include:
Introduction (0:47)
Question Type: Code Case Study (1:38)
Question Type: Multiple Choice Variants (2:09)
Conclusion (0:25)
Microsoft offers performance-based testing built on emulation technologies. This format allows the candidate to use any path or tool within a virtual computing environment, whereas simulation technology restricts the candidate to a small number of expected paths. Regardless of the performance-based item type, the candidate is evaluated on the accuracy of the end result, not the path that he/she took to complete the task.
Offers a real-life, hands-on format that requires individuals to execute tasks
Reproduces work environments that reflect problem-solving in the real world
Mirrors actual job demands to help build confidence on the job
Experience gained through preparation and practice for the exam supports on the job success
