hi guys I had some queries about microsoft certifications. I have been working on web applications and windows applications for about a year and a half.(i.e .net 2.0 on vs 2005) I checked online that the 70-536 exam,is mandatory. So after writing this exam i will be eligible to write exams specific to windows and web development wanted to ask as i have worked on .net 2.0 and 4.0 is already released on which platform should i take my certifications i.e if i take my exams on .net 2.0 platform will my certification be considered kind of outdated or something also can i take exams on .net 3.5 if i have worked on .net 2.0. and also how well do these exams hold when it comes to companies(i.e while looking for a job). and if anyone has any idea can you guys tell me how much it could cost me in India like foundation exam and then onwards thanks for your help
Your question is better directed on one of the Certification newsgroups - microsoft.public.certification.*.
Certification is only a means to validate your existing skills. If you are skilled on the latest version of .NET, you should consider taking exams that are directed towards that version. Getting certified on an older version would not hold much weight unless your prospective employer exclusively chooses that version as their preferred platform.
According to my information, beta versions of the exams for .NET 4.0 will only be released by March 2010. Note that beta exams are never released in the Indian subcontinent, so it should be a few months later that you will be able to take the exam in India.
If you want to know more about exam fees, you should contact an exam provider such as Prometric (In India, they have a tie-up with NIIT). Exam fees are variable and are subject to discounts throughout the year.
Many companies do look for basic programming certifications for entry-level coders as they are regarded as a simple way to establish from a CV that someone can write a program.
However for all but the most mundane simple jobs I reckon they're not worth much.
- They don't indicate how well someone can program.
- They are not a measure of aptitude, how well the person will program in future.
- They don't cover increasinly important concepts like data structures, algorithms, system architecture and suchlike. Understanding how to create a database driven Web site is one thing, but doing it in a maintainable way that matches what you'll see in production code is quite different.
There are lots of resources on how to get hired as a developer out there, but as an employer some of the things I look for are:
- Can this person communicate? Do we understand each other?
- Can this person learn, and quickly? If they've not heard about (say) abstract classes, and I explain them to them, can they apply the idea immediately?
- Can this person code? I'll have a screen, keyboard and IDE ready.
Going back to your specific points, .NET 2.0 exams are indeed a bit outdated. .NET 3.5 has many many new features that are definitely something that even a beginning programmer should understand.
I've been looking at 70-562, which is ASP.NET for 3.5. Most of the 2.0 knowledge I already had seems relevant. I don't think any 4.0 certifications are available yet.
I think these certifications are a reasonable supplement to other education and experience. Experience is probably the most important. I don't rely on them to help me to get work, though. Mostly I see them as a way to round-out my knowledge and force myself to stay aware of the less-interesting but still important parts of the framework.