Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)

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The MCDST certification covers the skills of Help desk technicians, customer support representatives, computer support specialists, technical support representatives, and technical support specialists as defined by the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies Skill Standards for Information Technology and other research worldwide. The MCDST credential is for IT professionals who are working in the typically complex computing environment of small, medium-sized, or large organizations that use Windows XP. An MCDST candidate should have six to twelve months of experience in supporting Windows XP end users.

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Yes. The MCDST credential is accepted as an alternative to the required elective exam for the MCSA credential.

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The MCDST credential is for IT professionals who have excellent customer service skills and can educate users and solve hardware or software issues on the Windows client system. The MCSA credential is for IT professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot network and system environments based on the Windows Server 2003 operating system. These individuals typically do not directly support end users or troubleshoot desktop issues as part of their job. Unlike an MCSA, an MCDST is not expected to have network administration skills.

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Consider pursuing the MCDST certification if your current technical-support responsibilities include troubleshooting, customer service, hardware and software installation, or configuration and upgrades for Windows XP and Microsoft Office. Adding the MCSDT certification to an MCSA or MCSE certification will broaden your support capabilities and enhance your employability.

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The Microsoft Office Specialist credential is a globally recognized standard for demonstrating desktop skills; it measures competence and productivity when using Microsoft Office programs. The MCDST credential focuses on troubleshooting and maintaining applications.

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While providing a solid base of skills and knowledge, the CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications do not count toward the MCDST credential.

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The A+ Core Hardware and the A+ Operating Systems Technologies (CompTIA) exams cover essential competencies for service technicians working with desktop computers. The MCDST credential focuses specifically on the desktop support technician who works in a service environment. The MCDST exams go beyond the basics and focus on diagnosis and assessment of end-user incident requests on the Microsoft Windows operating system and the applications that run on it.

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Yes. If you are interested in enhancing your soft-skill and hardware credentials, consider these third-party certifications:

Most of the Help desk certifications in the marketplace complement the MCDST certification because it is focused on supporting key technologies on the Windows desktop, specifically Windows XP and Microsoft Office.

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MCDST, MCSA, and MCSE job roles are distinct. These certifications—for desktop support technicians, systems administrators, and systems engineers, respectively—provide hiring managers with an accurate means of identifying qualified individuals for specific job roles in an organization's IT structure. Recent research indicates that a demand gap exists between the number of support technicians that are needed on Windows desktop systems and the number of skilled individuals available to do the job. The MCDST credential will help employers readily identify qualified individuals to close this gap.

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The MCDST certification will not retire. It will continue to hold its value in the marketplace as long as there is a need for IT professionals with these skills.