Today at Ignite, Microsoft announced six new job role–based certifications with associated training to verify the skills of the next wave of digital leaders.

• • Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (beta exams available October 2018)
  • Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert (beta exams available November 2018)
  • Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate (beta exams available December 2018)

The new role-based certifications, training, microlearning, and books produced by Worldwide Learning (WWL) at Microsoft will all leverage the same source of content that was defined through the job task analysis for an aligned family of connected Learning products.

Online courses

Build practical job skills with online, self-paced courses that can also provide you a  clear learning path to job-role certification. Flexible, role-based learning paths, shareable achievements, and partnerships with industry-leading partners, such as LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight, and many others.

Instructor-led training

Sharpen your technical skills with in-depth training solutions offered by Learning Partners. Learn from the experts, and get deep technical training take your skills to the next level and to help you prepare for certification.

Learning Partners

Microsoft Learning Partners offer training solutions to suit your learning needs, including blended learning, in-person training, and online courses.

Starting with the Azure certifications, each job role certification will have performance-based labs that map to what you do every day. Performance-based testing gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills by completing tasks while in the technology. Today, this means completing tasks in a graded lab; however,  Microsoft is constantly innovating to ensure that we assess your skills and abilities in ways that align with how you actually get your work done.

To find out more on the Certification announcements:

• WWL strategy announcement (Alex Payne)
• Certification announcement (Selina Winter)
• Beta exam announcements for Azure Solutions Architect (Liberty Munson)
• Beta exam announcement for Azure Developer exams (Liberty Munson)
• List of Exams and Courses for the Azure Role-Based Certifications (John Deardurff)

FAQ about existing MCSA/MCSE/MCSD Certifications:

Q. How will the new certifications be named? Will they still be MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE?
A. Because Microsoft is making a significant shift in their certification program, they are moving away from the  MCSA, MCSE, and MCSD acronyms. The certifications will clearly state that you are “Microsoft Certified” in the job role, and they will show the level at which the certification sits in the three-level framework. (fundamentals, associate, or expert).

Q. Which certification will I receive for the new Azure Administrator/Developer/Solutions Architect
exams—MCSA, MCSD, MCSE, other, or none?
A. After you pass the associated exams for Azure Administrator, you earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure
Administrator Associate certification. After you pass the associated exams for Azure Developer, you earn
the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification. After you pass the associated exams for
Azure Solutions Architect, you earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
certification. To reflect the evolution of their program, Microsoft is moving away from the MCSA, MCSE, and MCSD acronyms.

Q. What happens to the MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE certifications that I already have?
A. Nothing happens to the MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE certification that you already have. They remain on
your transcript. The relevance of those certifications depends on your current (and future) job roles and
how valuable that certification is to your manager and organization and to the work that you do.

Q. The MCSA, MCSD, MCSE certifications are still available to earn. What will happen to these?
A. You can continue earning the MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE certifications as long as the exams are still
available. As Microsoft retires the exams that are part of those certification paths, you will no longer be able to earn those certifications.