Microsoft to retire MCSA, MCSD, MCSE certifications in June

In a blog post last week, Microsoft’s general manager of Global Technical Learning, Alex Payne, said the company is retiring all remaining exams associated with Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) on June 30, 2020.

These three professional certification categories have become popular over the last decade among those seeking more expertise with Microsoft products.

Anyone currently working on a MCSA, MCSD or MCSE certification will need to pass all of the required exams before the end date in June, but Payne noted that training content may continue to be available in certain areas even after the exams have been retired.

“Microsoft’s focus on role-based training and certifications can help you develop necessary skills and experience to advance in an accelerated and increasingly competitive cloud-based world. Role-based training and certifications are kept current with new features and services that Microsoft is constantly adding to the cloud solution areas, minimizing skill gaps associated with the applicable job roles,” Payne wrote.

“If you have an existing MCSA, MCSD and MCSE certification, it will remain on your Microsoft transcript, even after the exams retire. In fact, it will remain in the active section of your transcript for two years from June 30, 2020; at that time the certification will be moved to the ‘inactive’ section of your transcript.”

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Microsoft Worldwide Learning has added more than 30 certifications to the company’s portfolio across Azure, Modern Workplace and Business Applications since announcing a renewed focus on role-based training and certifications in September 2018.

Payne’s blog post listed the certifications with exams set to retire in June, which include:  

• MCSA: BI Reporting 

• MCSA: Dynamics 365 for Operations 

• MCSA: SQL 2016 BI Development

• MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Admin

• MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Dev

• MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014

• MCSA: Universal Windows Platform

• MCSA: Web Applications

• MCSA: Windows Server 2012

• MCSA: Windows Server 2016

• MCSD: App Builder

• MCSE: Business Applications

• MCSE: Core Infrastructure

• MCSE: Data Management & Analytics

• MCSE: Productivity

The blog post notes that if you passed a qualifying exam before it was retired, it will still count toward your competency attainment for 12 months after the exam is retired. A new list of exams and certifications will be listed in Microsoft’s Partner Center in March 2020.

Payne also said Microsoft was not retiring Microsoft Office Specialist certifications or Microsoft Technology Associate certifications.

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