.Net certification

When you earn a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification, you validate your in-depth technical knowledge and skill in using the features and functionality of key technology areas in Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework to design software applications.

You can earn a single certification to show your depth of knowledge in a specific Visual Studio technology, earn multiple certifications to demonstrate your breadth of understanding across different specialties, or build on your MCTS certification to earn a Professional Series credential.

Learn about the MCPD credential
Each MCTS certification requires two exams: a core exam and one additional, specialized exam. Use the following table to determine the certification that best fits your current role and career goals.

Note You need to pass Exam 70-536 only once for MCTS or MCPD certification.

Individual MCTS certifications will be retired when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the related technology.

Technology
Usage
Certification
Exam

Visual Studio 2005
Developing Windows-based applications that include Windows Forms technology and data access
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Windows Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-526: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Windows-Based Client Development

Visual Studio 2005
Developing Web-based applications that run on ASP.NET and the .NET Framework 2.0
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Web Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70–528: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Web-based Client Development

Visual Studio 2005
Developing distributed applications that demonstrate a knowledge of Web services, .NET remoting, Enterprise Services, and Message Queuing technology
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Distributed Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-529: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Distributed Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating applications that run on the Windows platform and compelling user interfaces with Windows Presentation Foundation
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Presentation Foundation Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-502: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Presentation Foundation Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating distributed applications that communicate with servers or other applications in a connected or disconnected state
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-503: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 – Windows Communication Foundation Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating applications that host workflows for your organization
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Workflow Foundation Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-504: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 – Windows Workflow Foundation Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating Windows-based applications that run on corporate servers or user desktop computers
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-505: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating data-driven applications that access data from various sources, such as SQL Server, Oracle, Microsoft Office Access, object data sources, XML, or other flat-file sources
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-561: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development

Visual Studio 2008
Creating Web-based applications that run on the ASP.NET platform and are hosted on Internet Information Server
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework – Application Development Foundation

and

Exam 70-562: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Application Development



When you earn the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) credential, you demonstrate your expertise in using Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework to excel in a specific, market-relevant job role.

We offer three professional certification paths that build on the MCTS certifications.

Read about MCTS certifications
Learn more about the MCPD credential
Technology
Certification
Prerequisites
Exam

Visual Studio 2005
MCPD: Web Developer
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Web Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-528)
Exam 70-547: PRO: Designing and Developing Web-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

Visual Studio 2005
MCPD: Windows Developer
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Windows Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-526)
Exam 70-548: PRO: Designing and Developing Windows-Based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

Visual Studio 2005
MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Windows Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-526)

MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Web Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-528)

MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0: Distributed Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-529)
Exam 70-549: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

Visual Studio 2008
MCPD: Windows Developer 3.5
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-505)
Exam 70-563: PRO: Designing and Developing Windows Applications Using Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

Visual Studio 2008
MCPD: ASP.NET Developer 3.5
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-562)
Exam 70-564: PRO: Designing and Developing ASP.NET Applications Using Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

Visual Studio 2008
MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer 3.5
MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-505)

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-562)

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-561)

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Applications (Exam 70-536 and Exam 70-503)
Exam 70-565: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications Using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5



Upgrade from MCAD or MCSD to MCTS or MCPD on Visual Studio 2005
Although Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credentials continue to be recognized and valued by employers and decision makers who use Microsoft .NET 1.0 and Microsoft .NET 1.1, you can now easily upgrade your existing MCAD or MCSD credential to Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) or Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) on Visual Studio 2005. Depending on your current certification, you will need to take one or two exams.

Once you have earned the MCPD on Visual Studio 2005, you can upgrade to MCPD on Visual Studio 2008.

Current certification
Certification goals
Exams

MCAD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Windows Applications
Exam 70-558: Upgrade: MCAD Skills to MCTS Windows Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

MCAD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications
Exam 70-559: Upgrade: MCAD Skills to MCTS Web Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

MCAD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications and MCPD: Web Developer, Visual Studio 2005
Exam 70-551: Upgrade: MCAD Skills to MCPD Web Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

MCAD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Windows Applications and MCPD: Windows Developer, Visual Studio 2005
Exam 70-552: Upgrade: MCAD Skills to MCPD Windows Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

MCAD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Distributed Applications

MCPD: Enterprise Applications Developer on Visual Studio 2005 certification

Note You must have already passed Exam 70-551 and Exam 70-522.
Exam 70-529: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Distributed Application Development

and

Exam 70-549: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework

MCSD
MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Windows Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Distributed Applications

MCPD: Enterprise Applications Developer on Visual Studio 2005
Exam 70-553: Upgrade: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 1

and

Exam 70-554: Upgrade: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 2

MCSD
After you earn the MCPD: Web Developer and MCPD: Windows Developer certifications, you can earn the MCPD: Enterprise Applications Developer certification with one exam.
Exam 70-554: Upgrade: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 2


Upgrade from MCPD on Visual Studio 2005 to MCPD on Visual Studio 2008
If you have already earned the MCPD credential on Visual Studio 2005, you can follow a simple upgrade path to earn the MCPD on Visual Studio 2008.

Current certification
Certification goals
Exam

MCPD: Windows Developer (Visual Studio 2005)
MCPD: Windows Developer 3.5

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Applications
Exam 70-566: Upgrade: Transition Your MCPD Windows Developer Skills to MCPD Windows Developer 3

MCPD: Web Developer (Visual Studio 2005)
MCPD: ASP.NET Developer 3.5

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications
Exam 70-567: Upgrade: Transition your MCPD Web Developer Skills to MCPD ASP.NET Developer 3.5

MCPD: Enterprise Application Developer (Visual Studio 2005)
MCPD: Enterprise Application Development 3.5

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Applications

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Applications
Exam 70-568: Upgrade: Transition your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5, Part 1

and

Exam 70-569: Upgrade: Transition your MCPD Enterprise Application Developer Skills to MCPD Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5, Part 2