An individual may become a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer to confirm and demonstrate his skills with not only deploying and operating applications that use Microsoft technologies, but also with building and optimizing them. An individual who wants to become a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer does so by earning certification through Microsoft. To do this, a person must take and pass a series of exams.
An individual who wants to become a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer may find that one of his best resources is the official Microsoft website. This site provides a wealth of information about the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer exam as well as preparation suggestions, exam prices, and testing locations. It also includes information for those who may be unsure that they are choosing the correct certification path. Additionally, Microsoft retires some of its exams from time to time, so a certification candidate may do well to check its website periodically.
To earn the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer certification, a person usually needs about two to three years' worth of experience with using Visual Studio and the .Net framework. This level of experience is not an ironclad requirement, however. Microsoft does not make education, training, or work experience a prerequisite for taking this exam series. Still, an individual is much more likely to successfully pass the required exams if he does gain this level of hands-on experience.
There are several tests a person has to take to earn Microsoft Certified Professional Developer certification. An individual who wants to earn this credential on Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 may choose one of three certification paths: the Windows Developer 3.5, ASP.NET Developer 3.5, and Enterprise Application Developer 3.5. The Windows Developer 3.5 and ASP.NET certification paths require a person to pass three exams each. The Enterprise Application Developer 3.5 path requires the certification candidate to pass six exams.
An individual who wants to earn Microsoft Certified Professional Developer certification on Visual Studio 2005 also has three paths available. The Windows Developer path on Visual Studio 2005 requires the completion of three exams as does the Web Developer on Visual Studio 2005 certification. The Enterprise Application Developer on Visual Studio 2005 requires the certification candidate to take five exams.
To prepare for the required certification exams, a person may enroll in a training program, either in a classroom setting or online. An individual may also use the preparation guides Microsoft provides on its website. Some people also benefit from taking practice tests and joining study groups.
