I think the easierst start can be the Certification pages at microsoft.com:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-vstudio.aspx (Visual Studio Certifications)
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-sql-server.aspx (SQL Server Certifications)
The pages gives you details about the required exams to reach a special certification and also gives you possible trainings (classroom trainings / books / ...).
The Levels are (what I think - this is not an official microsoft statement):
MCP - Someone that just passed an exam. Not all exams gives you directly a higher level.
MCTS - The Technology Specialist is normaly a certification that someone knows ONE Technology in Detail.
MCITP - This is normaly a higher certifications that prooves, that the person is even deeper inside the technologie (I Just know it from SQl Server, Database Development where you have the MCTS through 70-433 and then you can top it with another exam to a MCITP)
MCPD - The professional developer. Started with Visual Studio 2005 if I remember correctly. 2005 / 2008 are 3 MCPD titles available: Windows Developer, Web Developer and Enterprise Developer. All require a set of "TS" exams (giving one or multiple MCTS Titles)
and a "PRO" exam giving the MCPD Title. With 4.0, there are only 2 MCPD titles: Windows and Web Developer.
MCAD/MCSD - the old "MCPD" if you want to see it that way. These exams was handling .Net Framework 1.0/1.1.
If you want to get the exams now, you should decide if you try to go the new 4.0 path directly which could be hard (Training stuff is not really available!) or take the 3.5 path where you have the books available.
I started the 3.5 Path and I think I will continue it to the end and take the upgrade exams afterwards. But I think this is a decission, everyone has to do on his own.
Hope that helped a little bit.
With kind regards,
Konrad
