Best known for its Office software and operating systems, Microsoft has an abundance of services and Microsoft products including tablets, PCs, Bing and even Xbox 360. But the company also has a certification program that produces qualified technicians and administrators to run and support their systems and products. There are a variety of certification pathways that produce IT professionals in an array of areas.

To gain a Microsoft certification, you must complete certification exams depending on the area in which you choose to work in. To obtain an IT certification from the Microsoft Certification Program, you need to have studied for a specific IT role and successfully completed the requirements of your Microsoft training.

Under the Microsoft Certification Program, there are 3 role-based level certifications in which you can undertake:

Other credentials include becoming a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer and Microsoft Office Specialist.

To become fully Microsoft Certified, you need to pass one exam obtaining MTA/Fundamentals certification), followed by passing two or three predetermined exams to gain an MCSA/Associate certification and finally choosing and ultimately passing one exam to achieve an MCSE/MCSD Expert certification.

As a beginner it is important to start at Level 1, the Fundamentals training courses require no prerequisites and provide a solid foundation of knowledge. When starting a career as an IT professional, it is important that you research the different fields of IT in which you want to work.  Microsoft offers training programs for 4 career pathways: 

A Microsoft Certified Professional will see extra attention from hiring managers, especially from companies using Microsoft products. The certification path way may be the start of a career or extra information for someone already working within the IT field. An IT professional can work within data management and software development, or work on-premises dealing with Azure Solutions, cloud services and the Microsoft SQL Server. Being Microsoft certified gives you the tools and knowledge to work not only with Microsoft products but also within the IT industry.

Becoming Microsoft Certified can lead to a variety of information technology career pathways including: