Cert News: Microsoft Making Updates to Azure Certifications

In recent years, Microsoft has overhauled its certification program — most notably rolling out role-based certifications in 2019. Role-based certs are designed to better prepare learners for careers, shifting the focus from technologies to the skills needed for specific job roles.

And last week, Microsoft announced that it's making tweaks to several of its Azure role-based exams, to further align them with specific job roles and eliminate overlap between exams. Please note that the exam names are not changing, just the associated exam numbers.

What's Changing?

Here's a list of the impacted exams that we know of so far. Microsoft says there could be more changes coming. 

Current exam: Exam AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator New exam number: AZ-104 (Outline) New exam launch date: March 2020

Current exam: Exam AZ-203: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure New exam number: AZ-204 New exam tentative launch date: Late February 2020

Current exam: Exam AZ-300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies New exam number: AZ-303 New exam tentative launch date: March 2020

Current exam: Exam AZ-301: Microsoft Azure Architect Design New exam number: AZ-304 New exam tentative launch date: March 2020

Current exam: Exam AI-100: Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate New exam number: AI-102 New exam tentative launch date: March 2020

What Now?

If you're currently studying for one of these Microsoft Azure certifications, don't worry. Microsoft plans to keep the exams live for 90 days after the new versions are launched. For example, let's say you are working toward AZ-103: Mircosoft Azure Administrator certification. If the new AZ-104 exam goes live on March 10, you have 90 days from that date to earn the AZ-103 certification. After that, you will have to take the AZ-104 exams. 

If you haven't started studying for one of the current exams, you might as well wait until the new ones are released. Microsoft is offering plenty of incentives for those who choose to wait. You will be able to take beta exams for the new exams at an 80% discount. If you pass the beta exam, your certification badge will reflect your updated skills. 

And if you possess one of the current exams listed above and pass a beta exam, that will automatically update the expiration date for your certification by two years. 

Stay tuned to the CBT Nuggets blog for more Microsoft certification-related news.