A Look at the New MCTS Exams

The next generation of MCP certifications is highlighted by the February 2006 release of three MCP exams covering SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005.

On February 1, 2006, Microsoft released three new exams including:

• 70-431: TS: SQL Server 2005 - Implementation and Maintenance

Candidates who pass exam 70-431will meet the single requirement for the MCTS certification: SQL Server 2005. In addition, this exam counts toward three second-tier MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) titles. MCTS certification trainingIn this discipline will help tremendously.

• 70-441: PRO: Designing Database Solutions with SQL Server 2005

The exam 70-441: PRO contains two of the three exams needed to fulfill the requirements toward the second-tier MCITP: Database Developer credential.

• 70-528: TS: .NET Framework 2.0 - Web0based Client Development

Exam 70-528 takes care of one of two requirements for the MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications. In addition, to earn that particular MCTD certification, exam #70-536: TS: .NET Framework 2.0 - Application Development Foundation must also be passed.

The exams are offered around the world at Pearson Vue and Prometric testing centers. Each exam costs $125 in the United States. MCTS trainingIs highly recommended before attempting the exams.

Want to view the exam objectives? Go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/ and find the main information pages on Microsoft's MCP Web site.