Updated: July 13, 2020 (April 23, 2012)

New Names for Certifications

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

Microsoft has renamed the certifications it grants to individuals who pass official exams on its technologies. The MCSM is a renamed but otherwise unchanged version of the Microsoft Certified Master certification, the highest level that Microsoft offers. The MCSM, like the MCM, will be available for Windows Server Active Directory, SQL Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and Lync Server. MCSE and MCSD are mid-level certifications that are available for a large number of Microsoft enterprise technologies; the MCSE and MCSD acronyms formerly applied to popular certifications that Microsoft replaced in 2005. The MCSA is a family of entry-level certifications on specific products and versions. It is not related to the now-retired Microsoft Certified System Administrator credential for Windows Server 2003.

Old Name	New Name
MCM: Microsoft Certified Master	MCSM: Microsoft Certified Solutions Master
MCITP: Microsoft Certified IT Professional	MCSE: Microsoft Certified

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