Exams Scheduled for Discontinuation
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Microsoft is committed to a program of Microsoft Certifications that are relevant, valued, and respected indicators of IT professional and developer technology skills. To fulfill this commitment, the Microsoft Certification team continually monitors current industry trends and evolves accordingly, developing new exams and discontinuing others to ensure that certification requirements keep pace with technology enhancements.
In accordance with this commitment, Microsoft Learning will retire 12 exams on March 31, 2009. These exams focus on technologies no longer included in Microsoft mainstream support, and are requirements for the Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) certifications. To complete these credentials, you must pass all required exams before they retire.
On This Page
| • | Developer exams that retire on March 31, 2009 |
| • | Microsoft SQL Server exams that retire on March 31, 2009 |
| • | Frequently asked questions |
Developer exams that retire on March 31, 2009
Microsoft SQL Server exams that retire on March 31, 2009
Frequently asked questions
| Q. | Will exams continue to appear on my transcript after they are discontinued? | ||
| A. | Yes. Your transcript continues to represent your total exam history, even if an exam retires. | ||
| Q. | Where can I find my exam history? | ||
| A. | Review your official transcript on the MCP site (sign-in required) | ||
| Q. | After these exams retire, can I complete the related credential? | ||
| A. | You can complete a credential as long as exams are available to fulfill all of your credential requirements. | ||
| Q. | Will the associated certifications retire when these exams are discontinued? | ||
| A. | No. Certifications do not retire when the related exams are discontinued. For example, the Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) certifications will remain on your transcript after March 31, 2009, and will continue to hold value in the market for as long as employers seek skills on related technologies. New-generation certifications, including Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), will retire when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the related technology, not when related exams are discontinued.
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| Q. | I started a certification track but didn’t finish it, and the exams are retiring soon. What should I do? | ||
| A. | We recommend that you pursue certification related to the technology you work with today or will work with in the near future. If you work with Microsoft Visual Studio 2003 or Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and are able to complete the related certification requirements before the core exams retire, you might consider doing so. You could then follow an upgrade path to certification on the 2005 versions. Note that you will not receive partial credit for an unfinished certification on your transcript, and exam retirement dates are firm. If you are currently focused on Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or 2008 or Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2008, it might be more efficient to you to begin fresh and work toward certification on a more recent version of the technology, for which shorter, more specific paths are now available.
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| Q. | How will I know when exams are being discontinued? | ||
| A. | To stay informed about which exams are scheduled for discontinuation, subscribe to the MCP Flash newsletter.
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