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How come 70-536 will not be replaced/updated? RRS feed

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    Hello

    I'm wondering how come the 70-536 exam will not be replaced/updated for VS 2010. This exam handles all the CLR topics like collections, serialization, threading, reflection, services and much more.

    This topics (which I personally find very important) also doesn't seem to appear in the new VS 2010 exams. How come ?

    Thursday, September 16, 2010 9:59 PM

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    Hi

    In Gerry O'Briens blog he posted the following (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/gerryo/archive/2009/04/13/certification-update-and-small-survey.aspx?PageIndex=2#comments)

    We are almost locked on our Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 certification track.  Lots of discussions around this internally and a potential change in the landscape.  At this point in time, it’s looking like the MCPD track will change and exam 70-536 will not move forward.  That means there will not be a prerequisite for the MCTS developer exams.   That’s about all I can offer into that picture for the time being

    And from a comment again

    Let me clarify a little more around the rationale.

    The entire 536 exam will not be "spinkled" throughout the remaining exams.  At this stage, we fully expect that candidates for the MCTS certifications will already have .NET foundational concepts down. The technology has been in the market for some time now and high schools are teaching C# and VB.NET classes.

    We also are in the process of creating "entry-level" exams for software programming, database, Windows and Web app foundations.  These exams are aimed at those new to programming at the high school and 2 year college levels.  

    So, when you combine the current high school and 2 year college programs with these new exams, the core .NET foundations that 536 tested, will be mostly taken care of.  The remaining aspects will be tested in the MCTS exams by testing concepts for that specific technology with a tilt toward ensuring the candidate also understands the core fundamental concepts as they relate to that technology.

    Hopefully this makes more sense now.

    And a bit more

    We are changing the landscape a little bit for .NET 4 and moving forward.  Exam 70-536 has been a prerequisite for MCTS on .NET 2.0 and 3.5.  It will be removed for .NET 4.0.

    We are trying to streamline the certification process so that we can have a "one exam, one cert" mantra for the MCTS credentials.

    And some more

    These are all great comments and support for 70-536 and I am impressed that everyone feels this strongly about the exam.  Unfortunately, we get equal amounts of push in the other direction.  It's always a balancing act.  

    Exams will always have prerequisites and the technology exams for managed code will now require core .NET fundamentals as knowledge prior to undertaking the exams.

    Realistically, when you look at 70-536, it did not cover every important aspect of the framework.  One exam can't possibly do that.  So, how do determine the right amount of coverage?  Why do we have content on sending email in that exam?  Is that core to .NET?  Not really, in my opinion.

    This decision is not a marketing one designed to sell more exams.  It's a decision designed to simplify the .NET certification story that some already say is complicated.  By leaving the 536 exam in the picture, it requires updating periodically that also leaves us open to issues around qualifications and versioning.  

    Maybe it will show up in another format as a fundamentals that is optional rather than required.

    Blog: http://www.certsandprogs.com

    70-515 Objectives List with MSDN Links
    70-536 Objectives List with MSDN Links
    70-505 Objectives List with MSDN Links
    70-562 Objectives List with MSDN Links
    70-433 Objectives List with MSDN Links
    Friday, September 17, 2010 8:07 AM
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    I've read that whole blog and like most other people I disagree.

    Making such important knowledge optional will give you certified "professionals" who are able to create awesome looking websites using the latest and greatest MVC version but who will have no idea of how to use collections properly and who will never know what boxing/unboxing a value type means.

    Leaving all this important fundamentals on individuals and schools is a very bad decision. I've been there and done that already.

    Plus this is also extremely unfair to the people who already passed this exam or who are currently preparing for it. For example I have decided to take the harder route by taking the MTCS 3.5 path instead of the much easier 4.0 one. But one day I fear that a guy having no knowledge of .NET fundamentals will laugh in my face with his newer certification(s).

    My 2 cents

    Friday, September 17, 2010 10:12 AM
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    I've read that whole blog and like most other people I disagree.

    Making such important knowledge optional will give you certified "professionals" who are able to create awesome looking websites using the latest and greatest MVC version but who will have no idea of how to use collections properly and who will never know what boxing/unboxing a value type means.

    Leaving all this important fundamentals on individuals and schools is a very bad decision. I've been there and done that already.

    Plus this is also extremely unfair to the people who already passed this exam or who are currently preparing for it. For example I have decided to take the harder route by taking the MTCS 3.5 path instead of the much easier 4.0 one. But one day I fear that a guy having no knowledge of .NET fundamentals will laugh in my face with his newer certification(s).

    My 2 cents

    I strongly agree with you. I do NOT think it is a good idea to remove the 70-536. Actually this base exam will sharpen the testers' .Net knowledge a lot. Well, at least it did for me.
    Friday, September 24, 2010 5:44 PM