MCSD vs. MCPD accreditation

Question

Hello all!

I am looking now to get a Microsoft certification working with/based around C#. I was previously certfieid in C++ but obviously accreditations for this have since been retired.

From looking at Microsoft's site it appears that the MCSD is still aimed at .NET 1.1 developers and that they have introduced the MCPD for .NET 2.0 developers. I am a little confused as surely the MCSD is now fast becoming redundant with the advent of .NET 3.0? Why don't Microsoft just update the MCSD every time with the latest .NET framework additions rather than introduce even more acreditations with every version of the framework?

Many thanks!

Niradhip Chakraborty · Answer

Thnks Brandon for the info. It is really helpful.

Brandon Lewis · Answer

ASP.NET is a pretty hot field right now, you would be good to gather as much information as you can. Its similar to PHP and Coldfusion but I think its cheaper and easier to implement and it runs off of either C# or Visual Basic, whichever you choose. Good luck!

Andy · Answer

Yes, very true, that's a very good and positive perspective! I'm also very kindly being sent on an ASP.NET course in February by my employers so that should help cement my understanding too.

Brandon Lewis · Answer

Actually now that you mention it, it did have a few errors in it that caught my attention. Though I tend to like to think I know more than the guys who wrote the book, hahaha. Though that may not be the case :P In any case, its still really good practice and its also good practice for your attention to detail to catch a few of those errors.

Andy · Answer

Excellent, thanks for the info, the new MCTS to MCPD route makes much more sense. Unfortunately the official 70-536 exam training kit has pretty bad reviews on Amazon UK saying that it's full of inexplicable errors and inaccuracies, is that the kit you were referring to? I've been working my way through a very good C# 2005 and .NET 2.0 book (written by Andrew Troelsen) for a while so hopefully that will give me a good grounding. Thanks again, Andy

Brandon Lewis · Answer

No problem :) In order to get your MCPD, you will have to get your MCTS first. I know a few book stores which sell the Microsoft Training Kits that have everything you need to get certified. the kit I got came with 3 books, practice tests on a cd, and a free 90 day trial version of MS Visual Studio Professional (yes! Windows Services!). The books basically start you from the ground up, designing a form, understanding the controls, working with data sources, and stuff like that and then you get into the .NET Framework and learn about everything from Generics to linked libraries to Garbage Collection and memory management. Those are the two books you need to get your MCTS. The MCPD book, even though I havent gotten into it fully, covers the previous two books in more detail from what I can tell. Its definitely a good investment.

Andy · Answer

Thanks Brandon, that makes sense and it's also reassuring to know i'm not the only one who wondered! I think i'll aim for the MCPD like yourself.

Brandon Lewis · Answer

I always kind of wondered that myself. My only real assumption is that it takes time for the new version of the framework to be fully explored, questions to be written that pertain to it, books need time to be documented properly, it just takes alot of time to come out with all of the documentation and examples necessary to build the training material for a new version of the framework. I am still working on my MCPD for .NET 2.0 Applications Development. Some might say its a lost cause because .NET 3.0 is out, but I say its not because many of the concepts from the earlier frameworks can be applied to learning .NET 3.0.

MCSD vs. MCPD accreditation

Answers (8)