Microsoft remains a preferred vendor at the enterprise level despite increased competition in recent years. Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Server technology are used by organizations across many different industries. Meanwhile, Azure and Office 365 have seen a recent surge in popularity among the enterprise. As such, the demand for professionals who can help companies leverage Microsoft products and services is high. Also, to gain this certification isn’t going to be an easy task, and the candidates require lots of studies and hard work. But many candidates, who have taken the prep courses of the SPOTO Club, have achieved success in the first attempt. You should check out their courses too.
What are the Microsoft Certifications?
Microsoft offers both technical certifications and Microsoft Office-based certifications. The Microsoft Certification Program consists of the following credentials.
MCSA: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
Microsoft MCSA certifications are designed to help learners learn and validate the knowledge needed to perform entry-level IT roles. Microsoft offers 15 MCSA certifications that cover areas from Windows Server 2012 to Microsoft Dynamics to Business Intelligence Reporting. MCSA is considered to be the prerequisite for Microsoft certifications of advanced level.
MCSE: Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
Microsoft MCSEs are expert-level certifications aimed at IT professionals who need to keep developing their skill sets and stay up to date on the latest technologies and best practices. Microsoft offers 5 MCSE certifications that cover topics such as migrating organizations to the cloud, managing BYOD devices, and building data center infrastructures.
Microsoft Role-Based Certifications
The newest addition to the Microsoft Certification Program, role-based certifications, and aim to address the disconnection between the knowledge needed to pass certification exams and the knowledge needed to successfully perform job roles. As of January 31, 2019, Microsoft offers 10 role-based certifications that focus on Microsoft Azure and Office 365.
MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist
Microsoft offers certifications for its Microsoft Office suite including Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business. There are three different levels of MOS certification: Specialist, Expert, and Master. There’s no prerequisite to earning MOS: Specialist certification. However, learners need specialist certification before they can earn expert certification, and so forth.
What is the difference between MCSA and MCSE?
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solution Expert) are the entry- and expert-level certification tracks, respectively. Not only do they have separate requirements and validate different skills, but the two exams also prepare learners for different IT career roles.
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) is an entry-level Microsoft certification that validates the knowledge and skills an entry-level IT professional will learn in the first year working with a Microsoft product. That’s why Microsoft recommends that test takers have at least one year of experience working in a Microsoft environment.
Though recommended, Microsoft does not verify work experience in the exam process. To earn the MCSA, IT professionals typically must pass three exams. Certification at the associate level prepares IT professionals for jobs like system or network administrator, desktop support specialist, or other support roles. The MCSA certification is also a prerequisite for the MCSE
MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solution Expert) is an expert-level Microsoft certification. While the MCSA is a two- or three-exam series, the MCSE only requires passing one exam. The MCSE validates a higher level of expertise than MCSA. It may only require an additional exam to earn the MCSE, but the subject matter is more difficult and technically in-depth than the MCSA. The MCSE typically qualifies the recipient for management roles like IT manager.
So, you would have now been familiar with the courses offered by Microsoft. While, if you are interested in pursuing any of these certifications, you will require a good training partner, like the SPOTO Club. They have an excellent success rate of passing the exam in the first attempt.
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