Microsoft revamps their certification and training

As the only Microsoft Gold Learning partner in Australia, DDLS is well placed to bring you the latest news on training and certification.

From January 2019, a new program will be in place. Twenty years ago, the must-have certification for the IT Professional was Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Gaining an MCSE proved you had the skills to manage Windows Server NT 3.51. As the Microsoft product portfolio grew, the MCSE evolved, with electives for SQL Server, IIS, Exchange – it became a product-based validation of skills across the Microsoft product suite.

Today we can announce that the product-centric nature of Microsoft Certifications has been replaced by a job-role-aligned model. Validating the skills now to be, for example, an Azure Administrator, rather than skills attained in a specific product.

Moving forward, there will be two levels of job-role-aligned certifications, Associate and Expert level. The initial launch will be around Azure-specific roles, however 365 will follow, as well as other disciplines such as Security.

Introducing:

Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect

Coming soon we will be adding:

Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Microsoft 365 Certified Modern Desktop Administrator Associate Microsoft 365 Certified Enterprise Administrator Expert

The three-year release cycle common when the MCSE was launched is history. With the evergreen pace of modern cloud platforms, training materials can get out of sync. To address this going forward, Microsoft has made the courses more modular. Rather than having to engineer an entire five-day course, the content authors can do this at a day/subject level. There will be a new update cadence.

The five-day AZ-300 – Azure Solutions Architect – Technologies course replaces the older 20535 course. When combined with the four-day AZ-301 – Azure Solutions Architect – Design and associated exams, the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate will be achieved.

What does this mean if you have already taken Azure certification exams?

Passed 70-533: Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions? You have until the end of June to pass exam AZ-102: Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Transition – this will give you Azure Administrator certification. Passed 70-532: Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions? You have until the end of June to pass exam AZ-202: Microsoft Azure Developer Certification Transition – this will give you Azure Developer certification. Passed 70-535: Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions? You have until the end of June to pass exam AZ-302: Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Certification Transition – this will give you Azure Solutions Architect certification.

Please get in touch if you want to take a transition exam. We can schedule delta change courses to help you get up to speed with the changes.

Azure Fundamentals

One other change is the introduction of an Azure Fundamentals course. This new course, due in January, is designed for those new to cloud who want the edited highlights rather than a deep dive. It is aimed at everyone from the partner sales rep to the CEO of the undecided cloud adopter. More details coming soon. Oh, and if you take the exam, you can get brand new Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals status.

We are excited to bring you the 365 courses in the new year. Watch this space for more details.