Feb 15, 2018

Updated 23-08-2020

Certifications fuel new and valuable careers, they will help you get noticed and move forward in your career. Do you want to get the skills to get hired quickly or get on a fast-track for that promotion? FYI: Microsoft is now World’s #1 Technology Leader overtaking Apple. What better time to getting Microsoft certified and achieve your ambitious goals. Also, did you know that on average, Microsoft certified technologists earn 15% more than their uncertified peers? That is not something we just made up, read the whitepaper here.

Key things to note when planning which Certification track to follow:

• Each MCSA and MCSE certification has multiple streams, dependant upon your specialization(s) and interests
• MCSA usually requires 2 or 3 exams to be completed to attain the certification; MCSE then requires just 1 exam to be completed from the list of electives for that MCSE certification.
• The MCSA and MCSE certifications do not expire, but are stamped with the year they are earned.
• To keep relevant and to show your expanded MCSE skills you only need to do 1 exam each year from the list of electives in each of the MCSE streams.

Download the Certification Track overview

To showcase the fact that you are investing in your knowledge and skillset, you can earn digital Microsoft Certification badges that allow you to easily share details about your skills attainment in a trusted and verifiable way. The badges are web-enabled representations of your Microsoft certifications uniquely linked to you, and readily available to share across your professional network and popular online destinations such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

How to get certified

The pathway to get Microsoft Certified as a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert starts with an entry-level certification (MTA) intended for people seeking knowledge of fundamental technology concepts. After doing this you can advance towards a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certificate, to qualify for an expert-level technical certification. If you have a MCSA certificate you only have to pass one single exam from a list of electives associated with the corresponding Center of Excellence to obtain a MCSE or MCSD certificate, you can do that right?!

The resulting certificate will be added to your transcript and will never expire. Every year you will have the opportunity to keep your certification current by passing one exam each year from the list of electives for that certification. Doing so shows that you keep up on that particular technology.

In order to get certified you will have to come in and take the exam to show that you have mastered the skills needed for that particular certification. You can only take the exam at Authorised Training Centres, of which New Horizons is one. Learn how you can master the skills needed to get certified!

There are heaps possibilities to prepare yourself for the exam. You can follow instructor-led courses in class, or online. You can also learn in the most flexible way we know, at your own pace with the on-demand learning options New Horizons offers to their students.

Which certification to get?

Microsoft has created six paths to streamline the certification process. This will help learners to focus on the specifics that they want to learn, and to specialize their scopes of knowledge when listing certifications.

Below you will find a summary of each track. You can also click here to download the full summary and review the elective exams related to each track.

MCSE Mobility

This Microsoft Certification Path focuses on the knowledge you need to use Windows Client and Enterprise Mobility Suite. It validates that you know how to manage devices in today’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) enterprise. This certification is what you need to become anything from a traditional desktop support technician to enterprise management of BYOD devices and apps.

Courses leading to the MCSE Mobility

MCSA Windows 10

• 20698 – Installing And Configuring Windows 10
• 20697-1 – Implementing And Managing Windows 10
• 20697-2 – Deploying And Managing Windows 10 Using Enterprise Services
• 20697-2C – Deploying And Managing Windows 10 Using Enterprise Services

MCSE Mobility (MSCA + one of the elective exams below)

• 20398 – Planning And Managing Devices In The Enterprise: Enterprise Management (EMS) And On-Premises
• 20695 – Deploying Windows Devices And Enterprise Apps
• Administering Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and Cloud Services Integration, Consisting of courses 20703-1 & 20703-2A .

MCSE Cloud Platform and infrastructure

This path focuses on skills needed to use Windows Server and Microsoft Azure. Following this certification path will validate that you have the skills needed to run a highly efficient and modern data-center, with expertise in cloud technologies, identity management, systems management, storage, virtualization and networking.

With this certification you will be able to work as a cloud administrator for example, or maybe as a cloud architect, computer support specialist or information security analyst.

Courses leading to the MCSE Cloud Platform and infrastructure

MCSA Windows Server 2012

• 20410 – Installing And Configuring Windows Server 2012
• 20411 – Administering Windows Server 2012
• 20412 – Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services

MCSA Windows Server 2016

• 20740 – Installation, Storage And Compute With Windows Server 2016
• 20741 – Networking With Windows Server 2016
• 20742 – Identity With Windows Server 2016

MCSA Linux on Azure

• 20533 – Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
• Linux Fundamentals

MCSA Cloud Platform

Choose any two from:

• 20532 – Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions
• 20533 – Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
• 20535 – Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
• 20537 – Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack

MCSE Cloud Platform and infrastructure (MCSA + one of the elective exams below)

• 20413 – Designing And Implementing A Server Infrastructure
• 20414 – Implementing An Advanced Server Infrastructure
• 70-473 – Designing and Implementing Cloud Data Platform Solutions
• 70-475 – Designing and Implementing Big Data Analytics Solutions
• 20532 – Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions
• 20533 – Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
• 20535 – Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
• 20537 – Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack
• 20744 – Securing Windows Server 2016
• 20745B – Implementing A Software-Defined DataCenter Using System Center Virtual Machine Manager

MCSE Productivity

By adding this certification to your toolbox you show that you have the skills needed to move your company to the cloud, increase user productivity and flexibility, reduce data loss, and improve data security for your organization. It focuses on the technologies behind Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange, and Skype for Business. This is what you need to tackle that position network and computer systems administration.

Courses leading to the MCSE Productivity

MCSA Windows Server 2012

• 20410 – Installing And Configuring Windows Server 2012
• 20411 – Administering Windows Server 2012
• 20412 – Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services

MCSA Windows Server 2016

• 20740 – Installation, Storage And Compute With Windows Server 2016
• 20741 – Networking With Windows Server 2016
• 20742 – Identity With Windows Server 2016

MCSA Office 365

• 20346 – Managing Office 365 Identities and Services
• 20347 – Enabling And Managing Office 365

MCSE Productivity (MCSA + one of the elective exams below)

• 20331 – Core Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
• 20332 – Advanced Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013
• 70333 – Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015
• 20334 – Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business
• 70335 – Managing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016
• 20341 – Core Solutions of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
• 20342 – Advanced Solutions of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
• 20345-2 – Designing and Deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2016

MCSE Data Management and Analytics

This certification path focuses on skills validation for both on-premises and cloud-based Microsoft data products and services. With this certification, you can demonstrate your broad skill sets in administering SQL, building enterprise-scale data solutions, and leveraging business intelligence data. This Microsoft Certification qualifies you for such jobs as database analyst, database designer, and business intelligence analyst.

Courses leading to the MCSE Data Management and Analytics

MCSA SQL Server 2012/2014

• 20461 – Querying Microsoft SQL Server
• 20462 – Administering Microsoft SQL Server Databases
• 20463 – Implementing A Data Warehouse With Microsoft SQL Server

MCSA SQL 2016 Database Dev

• 20761 – Querying Data With Transact-SQL
• 20762 – Developing SQL Databases

Find all courses leading to the MCSE here.

MCSD App Builder

If you are, or want to be, an app developer you are going to need the Microsoft App Builder Certification. It recognizes that you know the latest technologies to build web and cloud applications.

Courses leading to the MCSD App Builder

MCSA Web Applications

• 20480 – Programming In HTML5 With JavaScript And CSS3 or  20483 – Programming In C# Using Visual Studio 2012
• 20486C – Developing ASP.NET MVC5 Web Applications

MCSA Universal Windows Platform

• 20483 – Programming In C# Using Visual Studio 2012
• 70-357 – Developing Mobile Apps

Find all courses leading to the MCSE here.

MCSE Business Applications: IT Pro and Developer

Earners of the MCSE: Business Applications certification have demonstrated the expertise to work with and manage Microsoft Dynamics 365 technologies. Earning this certification qualifies an individual for such jobs as Dynamics 365 developer, implementation consultant, technical support engineer, or system administrator.

Courses leading to the MCSE Business Applications: IT Pro and Developer

MCSA Dynamics 365 for Operations

• 20764 – Administering A SQL Database Infrastructure of 20765 – Provisioning SQL Databases 
• MB6-894: Development, Extensions, and Deployment for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations

Find all courses leading to the MCSE here.

Qualifications

Did you know you can get Qualified and gain your Microsoft Certification at the same time? Here are some Qualifications options worth looking into:

ICT50115 – DIPLOMA OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ICT60115 – ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ICT80515 – GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS & STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

ICT80115 – GRADUATE CERTIFICATE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Please feel free to visit our website to start your certification journey.