Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)

Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)

Validate your job-relevant skills and mastery of Microsoft development technologies by becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD). This certification provides hiring managers with an unbiased indicator of your capabilities as a developer, while offering you the option to upgrade your credential to support new releases as business needs evolve.

Level:

Two to three years of experience developing solutions by using Visual Studio, the Microsoft .NET Framework, and other Microsoft development technologies

Audience:

Developer

Type:

Microsoft Certification

MCPD Overview

The Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certification validates a comprehensive set of skills that are necessary to develop applications successfully by using Microsoft Visual Studio, the Microsoft .NET Framework, and other development technologies. The MCPD certification is designed to provide hiring managers with a strong indicator of your potential job success. It requires two to three years of relevant experience and a commitment to remaining current in best practices and technologies.

Announcement
Certification exams specific to Visual Studio 2005 were retired on June 30, 2011. Upgrade exams to transition your skills and certifications from Visual Studio 2005 to Visual Studio 2008 are scheduled to retire on July 31, 2012.

Why get certified?
Earning a Microsoft Certification helps validate your proven experience and knowledge in using Microsoft products and solutions. Designed to be relevant in today's rapidly changing IT marketplace, Microsoft Certifications help you utilize evolving technologies, fine-tune your troubleshooting skills, and improve your job satisfaction.

Whether you are new to technology, changing jobs, or a seasoned IT professional, becoming certified demonstrates to customers, peers, and employers that you are committed to advancing your skills and taking on greater challenges. In addition, certification provides you with access to exclusive Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) resources and benefits, including opportunities to connect with a vast, global network of MCPs.

MCPD Certifications

On This Page

MCPD on Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

If you plan to develop applications by using Visual Studio 2010 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0, the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Visual Studio 2010 certifications can help you validate your skills and abilities. You should have two to three years of experience using the technologies covered in the exam. The available certification paths include the following:

MCPD on Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

If you plan to develop applications by using Visual Studio 2008 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Visual Studio 2008 certifications can help you validate your skills and abilities. You should have two to three years of experience using the technologies covered in the exam. The available certification paths include the following:

MCPD on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

The exams required to earn an MCPD on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 have retired, with the exception of Exam 70-536.

The exams required to earn an MCPD on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 have retired, with the exception of Exam 70-536.

  • Windows Developer—for developers who build rich client applications that target the Windows Forms platform, using the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.

    Windows Developer on Visual Studio 2005

    Exam number

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

    Exam 70-536

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Windows-Based Client Development
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-526*

    MCPD requirement: PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-548*

    *This exam retired on June 30, 2011.

  • Web Developer—for developers who build interactive, data-driven web applications that use ASP.NET 2 for both intranet and Internet uses.

    Web Developer on Visual Studio 2005

    Exam number

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

    Exam 70-536

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Web-Based Client Development
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-528*

    MCPD requirement: PRO: Designing and Developing Web-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-547*

    *This exam retired on June 30, 2011.

  • Enterprise Application Developer—for developers who build n-tier solutions that target both web and client user experiences.

    Enterprise Application Developer on Visual Studio 2005

    Exam number

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

    Exam 70-536

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Windows-Based Client Development
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-526*

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Web-Based Client Development
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-528*

    MCTS prerequisite: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Distributed Application Development
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-529*

    MCPD requirement: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
    Note This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

    Exam 70-549*

    *This exam retired on June 30, 2011.

MCPD on Windows Phone

If you develop applications for Windows Phone, the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Windows Phone certification can help you validate your skills and abilities. You should have two to three years of experience using the technologies covered in the exam.

MCPD on Microsoft SharePoint 2010

If you design and develop applications on the Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 platform, consider earning the MCPD: SharePoint Developer 2010 certification.

The MCPD certifications will be retired when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the related technologies.

MCPD on Microsoft Silverlight 4

If you plan to develop applications by using Microsoft Silverlight, the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Silverlight 4 certification can help you validate your skills and abilities. You should have two to three years of experience using the technologies covered in the exam. The available certification paths include the following:

MCPD Upgrade Paths

Upgrade from MCPD on Visual Studio 2008 to MCPD on Visual Studio 2010

If you currently hold an MCPD certification on Visual Studio 2008, you can take advantage of one or more of our streamlined upgrade paths to transition your skills and certifications to Visual Studio 2010.

Current certification

Certification goals

Requirements

MCPD: Windows Developer 3.5 or
MCPD: Enterprise Application
Developer 3.5

MCPD: Windows Developer 4

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Windows Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Service Communication Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Data Access

Exam 70-521: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD .NET Framework 3.5 Windows Developer Skills to MCPD .NET 4 Windows Applications Developer

MCPD: ASP.NET Developer 3.5 or
MCPD Enterprise Application
Developer 3.5

MCPD: Web Developer 4

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Windows Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Service Communication Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 4, Data Access

Exam 70-523: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD .NET Framework 3.5 Web Developer Skills to MCPD .NET Framework 4 Web Developer

Upgrade from MCPD on Visual Studio 2005 to MCPD on Visual Studio 2008

If you hold a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 certification, you can use the following upgrade path to earn your MCPD on Visual Studio 2008.

Current certification

Certification goal

Required exam(s)

MCPD: Windows Developer
(Visual Studio 2005)

MCPD: Windows Developer 3.5
(Visual Studio 2008)

Exam 70-566: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD Windows Developer Skills to MCPD Windows Developer 3.5*

MCPD: Web Developer
(Visual Studio 2005)

MCPD: ASP.NET Developer 3.5
(Visual Studio 2008)

Exam 70-567: Upgrade: Transition your MCPD Web Developer Skills to MCPD ASP.NET Developer 3.5*

MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer
(Visual Studio 2005)

MCPD: Enterprise Application Development 3.5
(Visual Studio 2008)

Exam 70-568: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5, Part 1*

Exam 70-569: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5, Part 2*

*This exam is scheduled to retire on July 31, 2012.

Upgrade from MCAD or MCSD to MCPD on Visual Studio 2005

Upgrade paths from MCAD or MCSD to MCPD on Visual Studio 2005 are no longer available. All exams for these upgrade paths are retired. For information about the paths that were previously available, see the Certification Planner Tool on the MCP Member site, or contact your Regional Service Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

View all answers

Q.  Am I a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) if I earn a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certification?

A.

The term MCP is used both as a general term for all Microsoft Certified Professionals and as the name of a credential. As an MCPD, you become part of the Microsoft Certified Professional community, with access to all related benefits, information, and activities. You do not earn a credential titled "MCP." You should use the MCPD credential on your resume and in business collateral, thereby indicating your specialty and that you are a member of the MCP community at large.

Q.  How long will my certification be valid?

A.

Today, most of our Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) exams retire when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the related technology. The certification will still appear on your transcript but will be listed in an inactive section with an expiration date. In most cases, an upgrade path, which allows candidates to earn the certification with fewer exams (usually one), will be available for individuals who hold the certification on the previous version of the technology.

The legacy Microsoft certifications, such as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), currently do not expire, but some may no longer be awarded because all exams are retired or because Microsoft has ended extended support for the technology. In most cases, individuals who hold the certification on the previous version of the technology can earn the certification on the next version of the technology with one upgrade exam.

To maintain the relevance and value of our certifications and ensure that candidates possess up-to-date skills on technologies that are constantly changing, recertification may be necessary for some certifications. In these cases, the certification will remain valid as long as the candidate continues to recertify at appropriate intervals.

Note that Microsoft reserves the right to retire exams and certifications as well as change our recertification policy at any time.

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