Database Certification Spotlight: MCSD

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) certification provides software developers with the ability to prove their skills to current and future employers through a standardized system. In previous articles, we explored the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator and Oracle Certified Professional credentials. While those (and most!) database certifications are focused on the role of the database administrator, the MCSD title focuses exclusively on the role of the programmer.

It’s important to note that the MCSD program is not exclusively for database developers. It has several exam options that allow a wide variety of software developers to earn the credential. In order to earn your MCSD, you’ll need to pass a total of five exams. Let’s take a look at the requirements:

Web Application Development Exam: You’ll need to pass either Exam 70-305 Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET or Exam 70-315 Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C#™ .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.

Windows Application Development Exam: This subtopic requires that you complete either Exam 70-306 Developing and Implementing Windows®-based Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Exam 70-316 Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.

XML Web Services and Server Components Development Exam: The two options for this exam are Exam 70-310 Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework and Exam 70-320 Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# and the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Solution Architecture Exam: Only one core examination satisfies this requirement: Exam 70-300 Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures.

Elective Exam: You’ll also need to choose one elective exam to prove your skills in a specific area. Database developers will probably wish to choose Exam 70-229 Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 Enterprise Edition. This exam also qualifies as credit toward the MCDBA and MCSE credentials. The other available electives are

• Exam 70-230 Designing and Implementing Solutions with Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
• Exam 70-234 Designing and Implementing Solutions with Microsoft Commerce Server 2000
• Exam 70-235 Developing Business Process and Integration Solutions Using Microsoft Biztalk Server 2006
• Exam 70-301 Managing, Organizing, and Delivering IT Projects by Using Microsoft Solutions Framework 3.0
• Exam 70-330 Implementing Security for Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
• Exam 70-340 Implementing Security for Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET
• Exam 70-431 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 — Implementation and Maintenance
• Exam 74-135 Developing E-Business Solutions Using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004


If you’re planning to earn one or more Microsoft certifications, it’s a wise move to plan your certification path out in advance. If you plan wisely, you may be able to count one exam towards two or even three separate certification programs!