As more organizations turned to the cloud, the demand for IT pros with the experience and skills are more needed than ever. Organizations need to effectively manage systems and infrastructure to support cloud services is soaring. The MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification will open up career opportunities and provide you with the skills and knowledge to take full advantage of those opportunities.
MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure
MCSE which stands for Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert has more value than other opportunists of Microsoft. Microsoft Certification Program is divided into six main categories of Cloud, Mobility, Data, Productivity, App Builder and Business Applications. In the meantime, their certificates types are divided into 5 categories of:
- Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
MCSE and MCSD certifications represent the highest level of certification offered by Microsoft and provide learners the opportunity to develop specializations related to MCSA-level content. They are aligned to Centers of Excellence, used by the Microsoft Partner Network to identify technical competencies which are widely recognizable by both Microsoft partners and customers.
MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certifications qualify testers for roles such as system administrator, network administrator, network engineer, IT support specialist, systems engineer, IT manager. Typically, it is not for everyone, the learners pursuing an expert-level certification should have three 3 or more years of experience working with Microsoft products. Particularly you must have the knowledge of Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, or Microsoft Azure.
In order to get the MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certificate, testers must first earn an Associate-level (MCSA) certification. Most typically, testers earn one of four certifications in preparation for the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. And they are listed down.
- MCSA: Cloud Platform(choose two exams from the pool of options: 70-532, 70-533, 70-534, 70-473, or 70-475)
- MCSA: Linux on Azure(made up of two exams: 70-533 and LFCS)
- MCSA: Windows Server 2012(made up of three exams: 70-410, 70-711, and 70-412)
- MCSA: Windows Server 2016(made up of three exams: 70-740, 70-741, and 70-742)
After earning an MCSA certification, testers must take one additional exam to earn the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification. Which, like all expert-level certifications under Microsoft’s new certification structure, allows testers to choose from a pool of exams to customize a certification to their needs. Testers must pass one of the following exams to earn the MCSE certification:
- Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions (70-532)
- Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions (70-533)
- Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions (70-535)
- Designing and Implementing Cloud Data Platform Solutions (70-473)
- Designing and Implementing Big Data Analytics Solutions (70-475)
- Securing Windows Server 2016 (70-744)
- Implementing a Software-Defined Datacenter (70-745)
- Designing and Implementing a Server Infrastructure (70-413)
- Implementing an Advanced Server Infrastructure (70-414)
- Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack (70-537) | Coming soon
- Implementing Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions (70-538) | Coming soon
- Managing Linux Workloads on Azure (70-539) | Coming soon
Exam Details of MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure:
- Time allotted for the exam: 120 minutes (2 hours) per exam.
- A number of questions: 40-60* each exam.
- Passing score: 700 for each exam.
- Exam cost: $165 (USD) per exam
Exam formats and question types
- Active screen
- Best answer
- Build list
- Case studies
- Drag and drop
- Hot area
- Multiple choices
- Repeated answer choices
- Short answer
- Mark review
- Review screen
Learn more about Microsoft exam formats and question types.
Recertification Process
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert certifications are only valid for three years. According to Microsoft Recertification Exam process are only available for MCSE and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) specialties. Materials of the recertification exams are from the same exam but with a particular emphasis on the most recent technologies and process changes. With the new selective exam structure for continuing education, testers have the opportunity to take an elective exam of their choosing each year to “re-earn” the certification
MCSE Certifications, Next Step
MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure are built on the foundation of several MCSA level certifications which includes Cloud Platform, Linux on Azure, Windows Server 2012 and Server 2016. From this foundation, any of the listed related certifications would be lasting options for testers looking to expand their Microsoft resume.
-
MCSA: Cloud Platform ( Select two exams from the list: 70-532, 70-533, 70-535, 70-537)
- MCSA: Linux on Azure (Pass the 70-533 and LFCS Exams).
- MCSA: Windows 10 (It is made of Exam 70-698-, 70-697)
- MCSA: Windows Server 2012 (It has three exams of 70-410, 70-411, 70-412)
- MCSA: Windows Server 2016 (Made of 70-740, 70-741, 70-742 Exams)
- MCSE Mobility (Choose from the elective exam pool: 70-695, 70-696, 70-398 Exams)
- MCSE: Productivity (Chose one from this exam list: 70-345, 70-339, 70-733, 70-334, 70-331, 70-332, 70-341, 70-342)
- MCSE: Data Management and Analytics (Pass one of the following exams70-473, 70-475, 70-464, 70-465, 70-466, 70-467, 70-462, 70-467, 70-762, 70-667, 70-768, 70-773, 70-774, 70-775.
- CompTIA Linux+ and LPI LPIC-1 (made up of two exams: LX0-103 and LX0-104)
- VMware vSphere 6 Foundations (made up of just one exam: vSphere 6 Foundations 2V0-620)
- VMware vSphere 6 – Data Center Virtualization (made up of one exam: VCP6-DCV)
Career Considerations
Payscale.com is a reporting site which provides a helpful salary guide to help learners determine appropriate jobs for opportunities associated with MCSE certifications. Or in other words, it provides information about salary, benefits and compensation information. It reports a range of salaries between $47000 till $146000 for IT Pros who hold an MCSE Certification, which includes the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. Roles which are common in payscale are common jobs like IT manager, IT director, systems administrator, and senior systems engineer.
There are other sites where you can find your dream jobs, such as salary.com, monster.com, glassdoor.com
Conclusion
The MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certifications are for IT Pros who are involved in some years. In other words, it represents the expertise you need for an evolving IT industry landscape. Since 2004 the growth of cloud computing has increased tremendously. As more organizations turn to cloud the demand for IT pros with experience and skills will also increase. They need the IT pros who should manage the systems and infrastructure to support cloud services is soaring. The MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification will open up career opportunities and provide you with the skills and knowledge to take full advantage of those opportunities!