Where is this site saw it before

ULWiz

I tried searching the threads for the site that show all the stats for the amount of people who have taken each exam for Microsoft.

Can someone post this link for me please cant find it

dynamik

Is this one: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certified.mspx

I just googled: microsoft certifications worldwide

Sometimes its just easier to fall back on google. I don't think phpBB's search is all that flexible, and I usually end up using google for searching the forums. You can restrict your searches to a site by including site:techexams.net (no spaces) or whatever site you want to search.

NetAdmin2436

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certified.mspx

....Ugh, Dynamik must have beaten me by like 10 secs, darn you!.....I also just googled 'number of mcp'.

ULWiz

Yeah i was not googeling the right thing.

THanks again

darkerosxx

Wow some of the certs have jumped in numbers!

The Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure: Configuration has more than doubled since I got it. It's now over 20k.

Very interesting:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certified.mspx

NetAdmin2436

darkerosxx wrote:

Wow some of the certs have jumped in numbers!

(shameless plug)

It's all because Techexams is here helping

wait, did I just plug techexams on the techexams forum?

BradleyHU

damn, 2Mil+ mcps....

JDMurray

BradleyHU wrote:

damn, 2Mil+ mcps....

Why is that bad? It just means that 2M+ people have passed at least one Microsoft cert exam. There's nothing remarkable about having only an MCP, so it's no matter that the MCP is very diluted by the huge number of people that have it.

I just wish they'd broken-out the C# and VB.NET exams from the MCTS .NET certs. It probably doesn't looked good for VB.NET. The same for MCSD with C++ and VB6.

kctxau

JDMurray wrote:

BradleyHU wrote:

damn, 2Mil+ mcps....

.........There's nothing remarkable about having only an MCP.......

Agreed, but often it means the difference between an interview and not even being considered. Many resume scanners key in on that cert as a minimum.

darkerosxx

I'm so lost on the MCP conversation. There is no MCP certification. You are a MCP by obtaining any Microsoft certification. Am I wrong?

dynamik

Used to be. Now they've moving to MCTS, but its the same idea. That was the whole point JD was making. All you need is one certification from a large and diverse offering, and you're an MCP. 2 million really isn't that much, all things considered.

NetAdmin2436

darkerosxx wrote:

I'm so lost on the MCP conversation. There is no MCP certification. You are a MCP by obtaining any Microsoft certification. Am I wrong?

Correct. Pass any Microsoft exam and you are an Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).

EDIT: K, me and dynamic posted at the same time again. I guess the newer exams are a bit different. My bad....

JDMurray

darkerosxx wrote:

I'm so lost on the MCP conversation. There is no MCP certification. You are a MCP by obtaining any Microsoft certification. Am I wrong?

No, the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) designation is awarded upon successfully passing your first Microsoft Certification Exam. You do not need to obtain an actual Microsoft Certification to be an MCP. Not every MS exam will earn you the MCP designation, but most will. (See: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcp/requirements.mspx)

Besides the MCP, is there an MS cert that can be earned by passing only a single exam? The answer use to be "no," but I don't know if that's true anymore.

ULWiz

Passing the MCTS Vista 620 exam will give you a cert. There is a whole new line called MCTS
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist.

Not sure if that is what you where asking.

JDMurray

ULWiz wrote:

Passing the MCTS Vista 620 exam will give you a cert. There is a whole new line called MCTS
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist.

Not sure if that is what you where asking.

Hmmmm...I wasn't thinking about the MCTS and MCPD certs. Passing those exams won't earn you the MCP credential, so they're like second-class MS certs.

Are there any non-MCTS/MCPD certs that can be obtained by passing a single MS cert exam?

HeroPsycho

JDMurray wrote:

Hmmmm...I wasn't thinking about the MCTS and MCPD certs. Passing those exams won't earn you the MCP credential, so they're like second-class MS certs.

Are there any non-MCTS/MCPD certs that can be obtained by passing a single MS cert exam?

Uhh, MCTS is not a second-class MS cert. It's MCP: The Next Generation.

The better way to look at it is there aren't anymore vague certs, if you will. The problem with MCP, or MCSE, etc. is there's little distinguishment between for example someone who passed Windows XP 70-270 and someone who passed a Sharepoint exam. Telling someone you're an MCP actually shouldn't mean much to someone unless they found which exam you passed. Aside from the Security and Messaging specializations, MCSE and MCSA are the same way. Sure there's a core, but what about your elective?

With MCTS, MCITP, etc. EVERY cert has a designation. I suppose I could go around saying I'm an MCTS, but even more useful info I could provide is I'm an MCTS in E2K7, ISA2k6, and Vista. And that's now a part of the cert itself. Granted, the criticism is that's too much differentiation, and it can be confusing. I personally like it though. It always bugged me someone would list "MCP" on a resume, but I'd have no idea what exam they actually passed.

dynamik

Are you talking about additional designations, like the MCSE and MCITP? Technically, you're certified in a given technology whenever you pass an exam (with the exception of those few oddballs that you found that won't give you an MCP).

You can upgrade your MCDST to an MCITP with one exam, does that count?

I believe that's the only one of the big ones you can get with one exam.

Edit: Looks like you can take your SQL 2005 MCITP to 2008 with one exam as well.

JDMurray

HeroPsycho wrote:

I personally like it though. It always bugged me someone would list "MCP" on a resume, but I'd have no idea what exam they actually passed.

Yes, the MCP was useful when you had to pass 3, 5, or 7 exams just to get one cert. But with the "next gen" certs requiring only one or two exams, the 'instant gratification" aspect of the MCP credential isn't needed.

HeroPsycho

JDMurray wrote:

Yes, the MCP was useful when you had to pass 3, 5, or 7 exams just to get one cert. But with the "next gen" certs requiring only one or two exams, the 'instant gratification" aspect of the MCP credential isn't needed.

That's my point though. I don't know why the MCP cert should have ever been useful for employers. If they were hiring someone to troubleshoot let's say Windows 2000 Pro desktops, how would the employer know if someone were relatively more qualified over someone else if they had the MCP cert? Rightfully, they shouldn't. That MCP exam could have been on Windows 2003, XP, Sharepoint, SQL, a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with the job.

Or take this example...

I'm considering taking 70-301 to at least validate some project management knowledge and skill since it's 60% off. However, when I pass it, I don't get new certs because I'm already an MCP. I'd much rather at least be able to say I'm an MCTS: Practicing Microsoft Solutions Framework or something like that. Otherwise, it gets buried in my resume somewhere potential employers likely won't even notice. (Granted, they probably won't notice it jammed into the bajillion MCTS designations I'm sure to accumulate, either.)

Also, not all the "next gen" certs are one or two exams. MCTS certs? Yes, but that's comparable to MCP. MCITP's take more. E2K7 MCITP = 3 exams alone. Remember, aside from Architect and Master certs, even MCSE: Messaging certs required only 2 Exchange exams + MCSE certs. You could technically get MCSE 2003 Messaging from scratch with 8 exams. To get MCITP: Enterprise Administrator and Enterprise Messaging Administrator, it also takes 8 from scratch. And why should someone have to be an MCSE to qualify to design and deploy Exchange? They don't. There are numerous things within the MCSE/MCITP: Enterprise Administrator tracks that have absolutely nothing to do with messaging, like Terminal Services.

MCITP: EA = 5 exams. When you consider MCSE = 7, two of which were electives that did not necessarily need to be related at all to MCSE core material, this is a far more logical system and allows you to pursue only the exams you need for said given cert. The new certs are more componentized and specific to the technologies you're studying. I like it, but it will take recruiters time to adjust.

JDMurray

HeroPsycho wrote:

I don't know why the MCP cert should have ever been useful for employers.

Because Microsoft has sold it as such. Businesses are instructed by Microsoft's marketing department that "MCP" is something really good that they should look for in employee candidates. Most HR people and hiring managers who require "MCP" (or list it as "nice to have") can't explain in detail why they want it.

HeroPsycho

JDMurray wrote:

HeroPsycho wrote:

I don't know why the MCP cert should have ever been useful for employers.

Because Microsoft has sold it as such. Businesses are instructed by Microsoft's marketing department that "MCP" is something really good that they should look for in employee candidates. Most HR people and hiring managers who require "MCP" (or list it as "nice to have") can't explain in detail why they want it.

Seriously doubt that Microsoft said only "MCP = good". I'm sure that's what recruiters only heard them say, and tuned out the explanations of their certs. Microsoft does explain on their website fairly clearly the differences between MCP and MCSA and MCSE. For example, you can't blame Microsoft for employers still to this day being oblivious to MCSA existing, and demanding MCSE certification for jobs you should only need an MCSA for.

Not that the new way is all rosy. There's a good chance the increased complexity will cause only more foolishness in hiring practices by employers, too.

JDMurray

It's all about marketing. If employers only want the best, and therefore only go for the MCSEs because they don't understand what an MCSA is good for, it's because Microsoft hasn't been diligent enough its marketing of the MCSA cert. I have the same complaint with the SSCP vs. the CISSP. The SSCP is a perfectly good indicator of technical security competence, but because it has been so poorly marketed, few employers know or care about it.

Unless a cert goes "viral" like the A+ did, a cert's vendor needs to keep pumping money into the advertising budget to keep the cert recognized and understood.

HeroPsycho

JDMurray wrote:

It's all about marketing. If employers only want the best, and therefore only go for the MCSEs because they don't understand what an MCSA is good for, it's because Microsoft hasn't been diligent enough its marketing of the MCSA cert. I have the same complaint with the SSCP vs. the CISSP. The SSCP is a perfectly good indicator of technical security competence, but because it has been so poorly marketed, few employers know or care about it.

Unless a cert goes "viral" like the A+ did, a cert's vendor needs to keep pumping money into the advertising budget to keep the cert recognized and understood.

To some degree, I agree with you, but Microsoft has spent quite a bit in advertising for the new gen certs. Recruiters still don't have a clue because they simply don't care.

I guess my point here is it's not all on Microsoft here. People don't have to recognize any of these certs if they don't want to.