Today, I took the last of the 3 exams to get my MCSD Application Lifecycle Management. Lets talk a little more about this MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer). Let me quote this:
Today’s software development organizations are looking for a more productive and predictable environment in which to produce tomorrow’s apps. (Check out this report from Gartner for insight into how agile and cloud technologies are driving adoption of application lifecycle management.) With Visual Studio 2012 ALM, organizations can break down team barriers and reduce cycle times to deliver continuous value. The MCSD: Application Lifecycle Management certification is for individuals who want the skills to manage the entire lifespan of application development, and build software with agility and quality.
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To get this certification, you need to pass the following 3 exams:
- 70-496: Administering Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012
- 70-497: Software Testing with Visual Studio 2012
- 70-498: Delivering Continuous Value with Visual Studio 2012 Application Lifecycle Management
I passed all 3 of them in a first attempt, which was really great! Therefore I want to thank my employer RealDolmen, who gave me the chance to take the exams. In return, I give them the certificates in order to meet the ALM Gold Compentency. So that’s a win-win!
About the exams, well, in my opinion they have some shortcomings, especially the 70-498. It’s good that Microsoft finally took ALM it the certification program scope, but some questions that were listed in that exam were really confusing. Answers do really depend on the situation. There were also some questions having multiple correct answers, which makes it quite confusing. As from what I heard, I’m not the only one with the same mixed feelings about it. But ok, the exam will eventually require some rework, so maybe they can change/clarify some of the questions.
The other 2 exams were more focused on the technical part of either MTM 2012 or TFS 2012. As from what I can tell, there are some deep details that you need to know by using the tools. There were some tricky MTM 2012 questions, believe me! But they both test your knowledge, which is great of course!
If you need some tips or tricks, just give me a shout! Good luck to everyone with the exams!
