Microsoft killing off MCSE, MCSA, MCSD certifications

If you are currently taking or thinking of going for MS certifications, this is big news. As of June 30, the MCSE, MCSA, & MCSD certification is being retired. The future is Azure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laaGuJItNCM

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Conversation 12 comments

  • yuanyasmine

    28 February, 2020 - 5:18 am

    <p><span style="background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); color: rgb(13, 13, 13);">Maybe the next move will be CompTia removing a lot of the legacy equipment from their training.</span></p>

  • beckoningeagle

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2020 - 6:07 am

    <p>Certifications have lost the clout they had back in the 90's, Early 2k. I remember I took the MCSE certification just because I had to have it in my résumé.</p><p><br></p><p>I know so many people with certifications who know jack, and so many people without them that just understand business, rate of returns and on top of that are super bright technicians that I believe in the end damaged the reputation of these certifications. Recruiters started looking for other things. Companies that used to be training centers went belly up and the market kind of straightened up itself.</p><p><br></p><p>I don't even pay attention to certifications anymore, I look for a persons willingness to explain things without losing his or her temper. To see if they have a basic understanding on how businesses work and I respect the person more if they know some history and can sit with a customer to talk things other than shop.</p>

    • simont

      Premium Member
      28 February, 2020 - 9:22 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#523864">In reply to BeckoningEagle:</a></em></blockquote><p>HR Departments still use them for hiring qualifications, even with all the problems with certs.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2020 - 7:04 am

    <p>Azure isn't even on the cards over here. Because of GDPR most companies I've worked with won't even contemplate putting date in the cloud. It all has to be local – a lot of them also have it in their contracts that all data relating to projects, employees etc. are to be stored only locally by the other party.</p><p>But, as BecokingEagle says, the certs have lost their appeal. I've done the coursework for several exams, but as the mock exams usually asked questions that anybody who could find the on switch should be able to answer, I never bothered with the exams and certification process.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2020 - 11:51 am

    <p>If it’s true, it seems like they’re jumping the gun by more than a few years. Maybe in 2030 we’ll be ready for this.</p><p><br></p><p>Maybe. The cloud isn’t as universally loved as they think. </p>

    • shameermulji

      28 February, 2020 - 12:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#523938">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>Not IF. This is true. There's so many people up in arms over this that there's an online petition to convince MS to delay this deadline.</p>

    • ghostrider

      28 February, 2020 - 12:46 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#523938">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>Indeed, MS may be 'all in' on cloud, but I know a few enterprises that are regretting those early decisions, and looking to (or already are) moving some things back on prem.</p>

      • shameermulji

        28 February, 2020 - 1:12 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#523947">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Curious, what regrets do they have?</p>

        • dave0

          28 February, 2020 - 2:19 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#523984">In reply to shameermulji:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Honestly, if a company has regrets after moving to the cloud, they did not do their homework. </p>

  • wunderbar

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2020 - 12:37 pm

    <p>This is one of those things that you look at and go "wow, that's crazy"</p><p><br></p><p>But the reality is, except in very rigidly run organizations the idea of certificates has always been one of those things that doesn't really matter a bunch. Most places I've ever worked are very much "I don't care what letters you have behind your name, just show me what you can do" which I appreciate. I've never done one of those certs, and I can promise you I know more than some people I've worked with that do happen to have them. They're mostly meaningless in every way except for "put it on the resume"</p><p><br></p><p>That being said, I still think "wow, that's crazy"</p>

  • dftf

    28 February, 2020 - 2:00 pm

    <p>I've done some MCSAs previously, and some employers in the UK do ask for them — they are often requested for 2nd line roles, and sometimes 1st line roles can ask for them too (though CompTIA A+ and ITIL v3 were the most-common I'd see).</p><p><br></p><p>The last one I tried going for was the Windows 8 one, but as 8.1 was coming in, the exam featured new questions on new features specific to that and I recall I failed one of the two exams by something like 5-7 points, if I recall right. I know a few other colleagues who got screwed-over because of that too. Given the cost of a resit, and how poorly Windows 8.x was actually used in the enterprise, it didn't feel worthwhile resitting the one exam.</p><p><br></p><p>I never bothered looking into a Windows 10 MCSA as given how frequently they change things in it I couldn't see the point… how could you guarantee what version the exam would be based on? I'd hate to fail due to having picked a wrong answer on whether you find something in the Settings app or Control Panel, for example. Who can remember in exactly which version specific things moved?</p><p><br></p><p>Outside of the Windows world, I can't recall I've ever seen a single job advert in my life asking for the "<em>Apple Certified Support Professional" </em>certification<em>…</em></p>

  • Jogy

    Premium Member
    28 February, 2020 - 2:46 pm

    <p>As a developer I have MCSD certification, and found studying for the exams helpful, as it prompted me to dig and learn things outside of my current job tasks, some of which were helpful in the long run.</p><p><br></p><p>Now I am less than excited about Microsoft's push to cloud and cloud only. The goal of software development is to solve particular customer problems. Cloud services can help with that, but cannot be the end goal, just to brag "look, I am using Azure". Users don't care about that, they care about the end solution.</p>

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