Charter Member Certification
Charter members are the pioneering group of individuals who achieve a new certification shortly after it becomes available. A charter member certification symbolizes your interest and ability to stay up to date with the latest technologies from Microsoft.
Availability and eligibility for charter member certification
Charter memberships are issued to people who earn select certifications in the early days of their release. Charter member status is not necessarily offered for all certifications.
Charter member status is available to candidates who achieve the select certification within six months of the exam's release. In the past, the parameters for eligibility varied, from time period to number of people.
Benefits of charter membership
If you are eligible for a charter member certification, you receive the charter version of the certificate, which includes a platinum border and charter member banner, and the bragging rights of an early achiever. You can order your charter member kit for up to six months after the exam availability date by following the standard certificate ordering process on the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Web site; no special registration is required.
| • | Determine whether you are eligible to order a charter member kit (MCP logon is required) |
Frequently asked questions
| Q. | When are charter member opportunities announced? | ||
| A. | Charter member opportunities are announced on a case-by-case basis when (or before) an exam becomes available. Charter member certifications might be announced in MCP communications, such as the monthly MCP Flash newsletter, or on the related certification Web pages.
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| Q. | What is the difference between a charter member and an early adopter? | ||
| A. | Charter members are the first group of individuals to achieve a new certification within six months of its release. Early adopters are those people who achieve a new version of an existing certification (for example, an MCITP: Database Administrator as revised for Microsoft SQL Server 2008) within six months of its release. Early adopters receive the standard certificate of achievement. | ||
| Q. | Will my charter member status appear on my transcript? | ||
| A. | No. The certification appears on your transcript, but the charter member status is not included at this time. | ||
| Q. | If I pass the beta exam for a select certification, am I a charter member? | ||
| A. | If there is a charter membership available for that certification, you will be included in the charter member group. | ||
| Q. | Are charter memberships available for all new certifications? | ||
| A. | No, not all new certifications offer charter membership. Note that the charter member program may be discontinued at any time at the discretion of Microsoft. | ||
