Microsoft certifications cover a wide range of professional roles and attest objectively the skills of those who have achieved them. Adopted by industry professionals worldwide, Microsoft certifications are one of the most effective tools to achieve long-term professional goals, while allowing companies to develop and retain a competent IT staff.
View the Microsoft Certification chart below that shows the paths and levels of all the Microsoft certifications as well as the Microsoft Digital Badges that you can receive.
| Microsoft Certification Paths | Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) | Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) | Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility | MTA: IT Infrastructure |
|
MCSE: Mobility |
| Cloud Platform & Infrastructure | MTA: IT Infrastructure |
|
MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure |
| Productivity | MTA: IT Infrastructure | MCSA: Office 365 | MCSE: Productivity |
| Data Management & Analytics | MTA: Database |
|
MCSE: Data Management and Analytics |
| App Builder | MTA: Developer |
|
MCSD: App Builder |
| Business Applications |
|
MCSE: Business Applications | |
| Custom Certifications |
The certifications structure is organized in Associate and Expert levels:
MCSE
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
The MCSE certification is worldwide recognized as the standard for IT excellence, is the arrival point for all IT professionals who have experience in working with Microsoft technology solutions.
MCSA
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
The MCSA certification validates the skills needed to work with a wide technology base. It is also the prerequisite needed in order to access the Expert level.
MTA
Microsoft Technology Associate
The MTA certification is an optional access point and its purpose is to prepare the certifications Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA).
Furthermore, there are additional Microsoft qualifications, whom are precedent and consequently excluded from the above classification:
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): An MCITP certification demonstrates the competencies necessary to deploy, support, and optimize IT infrastructure.
- Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD): An MCPD certification demonstrates a complete set of skills for the design, development and deployment of applications on a given job role.
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): The MCTS certification enables IT professionals to achieve a high degree of competence in relation to a specific technology and to distinguish themselves demonstrating their in-depth knowledge and experience.
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master: The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Masters have more than one operational familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and have the technical skills needed in order to use efficiently and effectively the wide range of features available.
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert: Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert certification demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and experience on specific individual Microsoft Office programs.
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is globally recognized as a certification that proves advanced business skills in using Microsoft Office 2010, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Microsoft is partnering with Acclaim to award badges for your certifications. Your digital badge allows you to easily share the details of your skills in a way that is trusted and verifiable. Badges are web-enabled representations of your Microsoft certifications. Your digital badge is made of an image and metadata uniquely linked to you. This ensures that only you can take credit for your achievement.You can share your digital badge to popular online destinations, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. It can also be embedded in a résumé, your personal website, or an email signature. Anyone who views your badge can select it to learn more about your skills and to verify its authenticity. Your Microsoft badge empowers you to:- Easily share your certification online with your professional network.
- Find out which employers are looking for individuals with your skills.
- Discover what kind of salary you could expect to earn in a job that requires your Microsoft skills.
- Search for new job opportunities associated with your certification.
Who is eligible for a badge?
MCPs who pass the exams or achieve the certifications on the following list, on or after October 21, 2016, will receive badges. Beginning in November 2016, badges will be retroactively issued to those who passed the exams or achieved the certifications prior to October 21, 2016, beginning with those certifications which are still active.
Microsoft exams eligible for badges
- 70-473: Designing and Implementing Cloud Data Platform Solutions
- 770-475: Designing and Implementing Big Data Analytics Solutions
- 770-532: Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions
- 770-533: Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
- 770-534: Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
- 770-740: Installation, Storage and Compute with Windows Server 2016
- 770-741: Networking with Windows Server 2016
- 770-742: Identity with Windows Server 2016
- 770-743: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA: Windows Server 2016
MCSA certifications eligible for badges
- MCSA: Cloud Platform
- MCSA: Linux® on Azure
- MCSA: Office 365
- MCSA: SQL 2016 Business Intelligence Development
- MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Administration
- MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Development
- MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014
- MCSA: Universal Windows Platform
- MCSA: Web Applications
- MCSA: Windows 10
- MCSA: Windows Server 2012
- MCSA: Windows Server 2016
MCSE certifications eligible for badges
- MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure
- MCSE: Data Management and Analytics
- MCSE: Mobility
- MCSE: Productivity
- MCSD certifications eligible for badges
How to Claim your Badge
After you’ve achieved a certification or passed an exam, you receive an automated email from Microsoft with general details on the Microsoft Certification Program. This is automatically followed up with an email notification from Acclaim. To claim your badge:
- Select the link in your Acclaim email notification.
- Create an account on Acclaim.
- Acclaim sends you a confirmation email.
- To confirm your account and claim your badge, select the link in that email.