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Are Microsoft Certifications Worth the Cost in 2010?
The question that we are going to examine today is an important one for anyone who works in, or is training to work in, the IT field. Is getting a Microsoft certification really worth the money that you will spend to get it? If all you want is to know about a specific certification's worth, jump forward to later pages of this article, but for those people who are new to the field, we are going to start with a quick primer on Microsoft certifications.
Contributed by Katie Gatto Rating: / 4 February 24, 2010
A certification is an official document, usually provided by an official continuing education provider or other reputable and well-known organization, that proves the holder's competency in a specific area. This certification-issuing body may make a candidate prove their competence via one or more of the following methods:
A written exam
A practical exam
A required number of years of on-the-job experience
What makes a Microsoft Certification different from any other?
In a lot of ways, not much. They are smaller than other exams, in most cases. The main difference is cost. Since only the Microsoft Corporation can issue an official Microsoft certification, and their products are so widely used, these certifications can be extremely expensive. That is why their certifications have been singled out for study during the course of this article.
First, please note that all certification descriptions below are courtesy of the Microsoft website. These are the official descriptions.
While we will be looking at some of these in detail, here is a complete list of Microsoft certifications.
1. MCTS:- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications enable professionals to target specific technologies and to distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in Microsoft-specialized technologies.
2. MCITP:- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certifications demonstrate comprehensive skills in planning, deploying, supporting, maintaining, and optimizing IT infrastructures.
3. MCPD:- Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) certifications demonstrate comprehensive skills in designing, developing,and deploying applications for a particular job role. These certifications show that you have the skills required to perform the job successfully.
4. Microsoft Certified Architect Program:- The Microsoft Certified Architect program targets Solutions Architects and Infrastructure Architects who successfully apply frameworks and methodologies to create an architecture through the entire IT life cycle.
5. MCDST:- A Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) demonstrates technical and customer service skills in troubleshooting hardware and software operation issues in Microsoft Windows environments.
6. MCLC:- The Microsoft Certified Learning Consultant (MCLC) credential recognizes Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) whose job roles have grown to include frequent consultative engagements with customers. These MCTs are experts in designing and delivering customized learning solutions.
7. MCSA:- A Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) administers network and systems environments based on the Windows operating systems. Specializations include the MCSA: Messaging and the MCSA: Security.
8. MCSE:- A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designs and implements an infrastructure solution that is based on the Windows operating system and Windows Server System software. Specializations include the MCSE: Messaging and the MCSE: Security.
9. MCDBA:- A Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) designs, implements, and administers Microsoft SQL Server databases.
10. MCT:- A Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) is a qualified instructor who is certified by Microsoft to deliver Microsoft training courses to IT professionals and developers.
11. MCAD:- A Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) uses Microsoft technologies to develop and maintain department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services.
12. MCSD:- A Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) designs and develops leading-edge business solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, platforms, and the Windows operating system.
13. Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist:- A Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Specialist demonstrates proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics and related business products.
14. Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional:- A Microsoft Certified Business Management Solutions Professional demonstrates professional proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics in one of three knowledge areas: applications, developer, or installation and configuration.
15. MOS:- A Microsoft Office Specialist (Office Specialist) is globally recognized for demonstrating advanced skills in using Microsoft desktop software.
16. MCAS:- A Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) has advanced business skills with the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista.
17. MCAP:- A Microsoft Certified Application Professional (MCAP) demonstrates advanced cross-industry and cross-job role capabilities in using the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Office Share Point Server sites.
Now we can move on to the sample certifications from the group. Since space constraints have prevented us from covering them all, three representative certifications have been chosen. We will look at the costs of each one and the medium salary that they command. We will also look at the requirements of each of those certifications, so that you have an idea of what you are getting yourself into should you decide to consider obtaining that particular certification.
The MCSE Exam
For the MCSE on Windows Server 2003 certification, you must pass seven exams (in any order):
* Four exams on networking systems
* One exam on client operating systems
* One exam on design
* One elective exam
Each of these exams will set you back $125. The total is $875 for all of the examinations combined.
The MCAD Exam
To earn your MCAD credential, you must pass three exams (in any order):
* One exam on Web applications development or Windows applications development
* One exam on Web services and server components
* One elective exam
The MCAD certification's two core exams cost $75 each, while its one elective exam will set you back either $75 or $125.
The MOS exam
This exam has several levels.
Specialist (Level One)
Candidates must pass any one of the following Specialist exams:
*Word
*Excel
*PowerPoint
*Access
*Outlook
Expert (Level Two)
Candidates must pass any one of the following Expert exams (in addition to a specialist exam):
* Word Expert
* Excel Expert
Master (Level Three)
Candidates must pass three required exams and one elective exam in addition to the Expert level exams.
Required:
*Word Expert
*Excel Expert
*PowerPoint
Elective:
*Access
*Outlook
System engineers with a Microsoft certification and 1 to 4 years of experience earn an average of $52,145 annually. Microsoft certified systems engineers with 10 to 19 years of experience may earn $79,616. Median annual earnings of a Microsoft certified systems engineer is about $43,122.
Now you can make an informed decision based on your current salary and the amount you are willing to spend. While there are no hard and fast answers, a certification will generally only be worth the cost if the increase in salary each year is more than the cost -- hopefully, at least five times more per year.
You may also be wondering if you have to pay for a certification course. The answer is no; plenty of dedicated people manage to obtain their certifications without a course. They use books and web-based materials to self-study. Should you choose a course, you should factor its cost into your decision. They can set you back several hundred or thousand dollars.
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