Microsoft Certified Masters (MCM)

Microsoft masters-level certifications validate the deepest level of product expertise, as well as the ability to design and build the most innovative solutions for complex on-premises, off-premises, and hybrid enterprise environments using Microsoft technologies.

The Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) certification program has evolved into the Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM) certification program to better reflect the broader and deeper skills required to build solutions on-premises or in the cloud. If you’re new to the master-level certification program, we recommend you start by exploring our new MCSM certifications.

Note that the MCM training classes are no longer available. If you have taken a class and need to take or retake the exams for certification, contact the registration team at advcert@microsoft.com. You will have until January 1, 2014 to take or retake your knowledge and lab exams for your MCM Directory, SQL, Exchange, and Lync certifications, and until August 1, 2013 for your MCM SharePoint certification. The MCM SQL and MCM Exchange certifications did not require students to attend a training class before taking the exams. When you are ready to register for an exam go to the Advanced Certification Learning Portal.

If you have earned the most current version of the MCM certification, you will be granted into the MCSM program and awarded the equivalent MCSM Charter certification. All other MCMs must take the MCSM knowledge and lab exams to achieve MCSM certification, but will not be eligible for MCSM Charter status. The MCSM Charter certification will appear on your transcripts in May 2013. The MCSM Charter certification will not expire, just as the MCM certification will not expire. Individuals awarded the MCSM Charter certification will need to recertify by June 30, 2014, in order to obtain the equivalent MCSM certification, which will then remain active for three years. The prerequisite for the MCSM certification will be the MCSM Charter certification. If you are unable to complete the recertification by June 30, 2014, you will be considered a new candidate and must have all lower-level prerequisites active to qualify for the certification.

There are five MCM certifications:

  • Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

  • Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft Lync Server 2010

  • Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

  • Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft SQL Server 2008

  • Microsoft Certified Master: Windows Server 2008 R2: Directory

MCM certification is a prerequisite for all Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certifications.

To achieve the MCM: certification, you do not need to have attended the optional training classes prior to taking the exams.

Required exams:

  • 88-974: MCM: Exchange Server 2010, Knowledge Exam

  • 88-975: MCM: Exchange Server 2010, Lab Exam

The Knowledge Exam is available through Prometric. Microsoft will provide lab exam registration instructions upon successful completion of the Knowledge Exam.

Prerequisite experience:

  • Five or more years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • Three or more years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • One or more years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • Thorough understanding of Microsoft Exchange Server design and architecture

  • Thorough understanding of Active Directory, Domain Name System (DNS), and other core network services related to Exchange Server

  • Ability to speak, understand, and write fluent English

To earn the MCM: Microsoft Lync Server 20120 certification, you must already have attended the training classes for the certification.

Prerequisite certifications and required exams:

  • 70-638: TS: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring

  • 70-664: TS: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Configuring

  • 70-665: PRO: Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Administrator

and one of the following:

  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003

or successful completion of two of the following exams, as indicated:

  • 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure

or

  • 70-640: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

and

  • 70-297: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure

or

  • 70-642: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

Prerequisite experience:

  • Two or more years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • Practical, hands-on experience with Microsoft Lync Server 2010: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting all workloads in multiple deployment scenarios

  • Thorough understanding of Microsoft Lync Server 2010 design and architecture

  • Thorough understanding of Active Directory, Domain Name System (DNS), traditional telephony concepts, Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP), and other core network services related to Office Communications Server

  • Ability to speak, understand, and write fluent English

To achieve the MCM: Microsoft SharePoint Server certification, you must already have attended the training for the certification.

Required exams:

  • 70-667: TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Configuring

  • 70-573: TS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Application Development

  • 70-668: PRO: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Administrator

  • 70-576 : PRO: Designing and Developing Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Applications

Prerequisite experience:

  • Hands-on experience via early adoption programs with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010: installing, configuring, troubleshooting, and custom development

  • Three or more years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: installing, configuring, troubleshooting, and custom development

  • Thorough understanding of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 Server design and architecture

  • Thorough understanding of ASP.NET, Windows Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), and other core technologies upon which SharePoint depends

  • Ability to speak, understand, and write in fluent English

You can take the exams required to achieve the MCM: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 certification with having attended the training classes for the certification.

Required exams

  • 88-970: SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master: Knowledge Exam

  • 88-971: SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master: Lab Exam

Prerequisite experience:

  • Five or more years of experience with SQL Server 7.0 or later: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • One or more years of experience with SQL Server 2005 or later: installing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • Thorough understanding of SQL Server design and architecture

  • Thorough understanding of SQL Server core components and dependencies, such as online transaction processing (OLTP), high availability, disaster recovery, performance-tuning optimization, storage, security, manageability, and data distribution technologies

  • Ability to speak, understand, and write fluent English

To earn the MCM: Windows Server 2008 R2: Directory certification, you must already have attended the training classes for this certification.

Prerequisite certifications and required exams:

One of the following certifications:

  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003

or

  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

and one of the following exams:

  • 70-219: Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure*

or

  • 70-297: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure

or

*This exam is retired, but if you already passed it, you can apply it toward this certification.

Prerequisite experience:

  • Five or more years of hands-on experience with Windows Active Directory: installing, designing, configuring, and troubleshooting

  • Thorough understanding of Windows Active Directory design and architecture

  • 300-level understanding of site component topology, forest operations and topology, the Active Directory distributed file system, file replication services, security, client interactions, and Group Policy

  • Basic understanding of Active Directory Certificate Services, Rights Management Services, Active Directory Federated Services, and ADAM/Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services

  • Functional skills in basic protocol analysis, Hyper-V, scripting, PKI, and IP addressing and routing

  • Ability to speak, understand, and write fluent English

Meet the masters

Microsoft has a significant community of Microsoft Certified Masters (MCMs) and Microsoft Certified Architects (MCAs). Those who hold these industry-leading certifications live and work in many countries and regions, including the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. All have varied backgrounds, interests, and extensive experience.

Consider connecting with these MCMs and MCAs for help with your project. We add names regularly—so check back again for opportunities to connect with someone in your region.

Although Microsoft discontinued offering new review boards for the Infrastructure and Solutions Architect tracks, they remain valid Microsoft Certifications. The individuals who have earned these breadth certifications are listed in the following PDF files:

The following PDF files list individuals who have earned these depth tracks:

Note The lists within the PDF files are sorted by area, country/region, and name. Individuals have agreed to be listed here; therefore, the lists do not represent the complete MCM and MCA communities. The "Country/region," "Name," and "Company" information contained in the files above has been provided by the individuals listed therein and is subject to change. Microsoft makes no guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of any of the information contained in the tables above. In addition, Microsoft does not make any express or implied warranties or endorsements about these individuals or their services.