New Electives for MCAD, MCSD & MCDBA Certs

To encourage candidates to finish their MCADs, MCSDs and MCDBAs Microsoft has now included some of the new MCTS exams to be electives for MCAD, MCSD .Net and MCDBA certs...

Summary
Technology Specialist Exam 70-431 will now be accepted as an elective towards your MCAD or MCSD .Net credential...

Technology Specialist Exam 70-526 OR Exam 70-528 OR Exam 70-529 will now be accepted as an elective towards your MCDBA credential...


References
You can check the updates to MCAD requirements @ MCAD Requirements Page

You can check the updates to MCSD .Net requirements @ MCSD .Net Requirements Page

You can check the updates to MCDBA requirements @... MCDBA Requirements Page

What happens to MCAD, MCSD, MCDBA?

Again this is one of the common queries which I keep getting... Please DO NOT be worried about MCAD, MCSD, MCDBA going away or their exams not being available... They are not going away...

If you are working on .Net 1.X or SQL 2000 you should still plan on pursuing MCAD, MCSD and/or MCDBA... Microsoft does not plan on retiring these certifications anytime soon... I mean to say that the certifications will not only be supported but also be available to take in parallel to MCTS, MCPD and MCITP...

Both these series of certifications will co-exist till .Net 1.X or SQL 2000 product's premium support is retired and as you all know MS will not retire the support for this products for years to come...

Although there is a likely possibility that our industry itself would start demanding more MCTS, MCPD and MCITP in time to come but then if your company works on .Net 1.X and SQL 2000 then MCAD, MCSD and MCDBA is still the right thing for you right!!...

Again boils down to your choice and reasons for taking cert but MS will support, value and keep both the series for now...

MCPD options for MCSD .Net

I was asked by one of our MCTs on what are the options for a MCSD .Net to become MCPD:Web Developer & MCPD:Windows Developer IF he/she has already taken 553 & 554 to get MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer

The answer is:
1.) Either take 551 & 552 to become MCPD in Web and Windows Development respectively
OR
2.)Take 547 & 548 to achieve the same...

551 & 552 will cover TS as well as PRO contents of their respective track, where as 547 & 548 will cover only PRO content...

Which option to select depends upon your choice... Make a choice after looking at the Prep Guides of the exams on Exam Prep Guides

Dynamics of VS 2005 Upgrade Exams - Simplified

My good colleague suggested me to put the Upgrade exams story in simple words rather than my complex math, so if you do not care about all the complexity around the last post here is a simplified version:

MCPD:Web Dev = MCTS:Web + 547 = 551
MCPD:Win Dev = MCTS:Win + 548 = 552
MCPD:EA Dev = MCTS:Web + MCTS:Win + MCTS:DA + 549 = 553 + 554
(subset 1) MCTS: Web + MCTS: Win = 553
(subset 2) 529 + 549 = 554