The Transcender Team Weblog

Don’t wait to finish your MCTS or MCITP: Microsoft retiring exam tracks

Editor’s note: Dates and exam numbers in this post may have changed since it was published. Please refer FIRST to Microsoft’s master list of retiring certifications: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/retired-certifications.aspx#fbid=bFimCn-qjlo.  Click http://transcender.wordpress.com/category/certification-paths/ to find the latest posts by date on this topic.

Microsoft’s 2003, 2007, or 2008 technologies may still be thriving in your workplace, but Microsoft places hard limits on the certification lifecycle. It’s easy to let deadlines get away from you when you feel like there’s no rush. Are you a test or two away from earning an MCTS or MCITP? If so, be sure to go over this list of exam expirations and schedule your test well before the deadline. This will make sure you aren’t caught in a time crunch, and have to fight off a slew of fellow last-minute test-takers to get a seat at your testing center.

ETA: Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for pointing out that several exams scheduled to expire THIS month, July 31, 2012, are actually listed as Already Retired and so did not appear on our initial list:

• Upgrade: MCITP SQL Server 2005 to 2008
  • 70-453 Upgrade: Transition Your MCITP SQL Server 2005 DBA to MCITP SQL Server 2008
  • 70-454 Upgrade: Transition Your MCITP SQL Server 2005 DBD to MCITP SQL Server 2008 DBD
  • 70-455 Upgrade: Transition Your MCITP SQL Server 2005 BI Developer to MCITP SQL Server 2008 BI Developer
• Upgrade MCPD Windows Developer to MCPD Windows Developer 3.5
  • 70-566 UPGRADE: Transition your MCPD Windows Developer Skills to MCPD Windows Developer 3.5
  • 70-567 UPGRADE: Transition your MCPD Web Developer Skills to MCPD ASP.NET Developer 3.5
  • 70-568 UPGRADE: Transition your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer 3.5, Part 1
  • 70-569 UPGRADE: Transition your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer 3.5, Part 2

Exams expiring September 30, 2012:

• Office SharePoint and Office Communications 2007
  • 70-630: TS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Configuring
  • 70-638: TS: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring
• Exchange Server 2007
  • 70-236: TS: Exchange Server 2007, Configuring
  • 70-237: Pro: Designing Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
  • 70-238: Pro: Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

Exams expiring January 31, 2013:

• Office SharePoint Server 2007
  • 70-542: TS: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 – Application Development
• Office Project 2007 and Project Server 2007
  • 70-632: TS: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects
  • 70-633: TS: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects
  • 70-634: Pro: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs
  • 70-639: TS: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Configuring

Exams expiring July 31, 2013:

• Windows Server 2008 R2
  • 70-659: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
  • 70-669: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
  • 70-693: Pro: Windows Server 2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator
• Windows Server 2008
  • 70-643: TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuring
  • 70-647: Pro: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator
  • 70-648: Upgrading your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist
  • 70-649: Upgrading your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, Technology Specialist
• Windows Server 2003
  • 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
  • 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
  • 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
  • 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
  • 70-297: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
  • 70-298: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
  • 70-299: Implementing and Administering Security in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
  • 70-521: Upgrade: Transition your MCPD .NET Framework 3.5 Windows Developer Skills to MCPD .NET 4.0 Windows Applications Developer
  • 70-523: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD .NET Framework 3.5 Web Developer Skills to MCPD .NET Framework 4 Web Developer
  • 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation
• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
  • 70-502: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 – Windows Presentation Foundation
  • 70-503: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 – Windows Communication Foundation
  • 70-504: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 – Workflow
  • 70-505: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Application Development
  • 70-561: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development
  • 70-562: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Application Development
  • 70-563: Pro: Designing and Developing Windows Applications Using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
  • 70-564: PRO: Designing and Developing ASP.NET Applications Using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
  • 70-565: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications Using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

For a complete list of exam expirations across all certification tracks, and more information on present and future certification tracks, visit Microsoft’s Certification Lifecycle page.