| Microsoft announced their newest SharePoint Certification today, a Microsoft Certified Master. It is designed to set apart the experts in the SharePoint field as there have been quite a few comments about only needing to pass one SharePoint test to become a MCTS in SharePoint. The unfortunate aspect about all of this from my perspective is some of the prerequisites for the certification. The require you to have passed all 4 SharePoint certifications. This is certain understandable and attainable by anyone proficient in SharePoint as I have passed both exams for MOSS and have yet to take the WSS test with time being the primary reason. I wouldn’t have any problems going in to take the two WSS test before becoming a MCM. However, the one that gets me is at least 2 years of either SPS 2003 or CMS 2002 experience. Being relatively new to SharePoint (I started about the time beta 1 for 2007 came on the scene). I haven’t had a chance to get much experience in 2003 as I have focused on SharePoint 2007. I have a little bit of experience doing some migrations, teaching a few SPS 2003 classes and just little SPS 2003 admin tasks here and there, but nothing close to 3 years. This is due 100% to my age and the beginning of my career in SharePoint…there just weren’t the opportunities to even allow me to get 2 years of SPS 2003 experience. You can read more about the prerequisites as well as apply for the program here (the link to Apply/Register is at the bottom). For now I guess I’ll have to be content with my MCTS until 1. the prerequisites change to allow younger SharePoint professionals to apply or 2. I can revert back to SPS 2003 for two years just so I can get the experience in that is required for the MCM. Something tells me the first is more likely…maybe after the next version of SharePoint comes out and 2 years of experience is required in SharePoint 2007 instead of 2003. |