Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is a program of professional certifications awarded by Microsoft. Individual certifications are received upon passing one or more exams. The MCP program itself is designed for software developers and all kinds of IT Professionals. Microsoft also awards a variety of more targeted certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified IT Professional).
Like Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Red Hat, Sun and Ubuntu programs, the certifications mainly focus on their respective product, as opposed to employment aptitude tests designed for programmer trainee jobs. These branches of technical series with the MC (Microsoft Certified) prefix include Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), Microsoft Certified Master (MCM), Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA), Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS).
Each exam costs approximately $100 to $150, depending on the region and certification track. Exams usually take between two and three hours to complete and consist of between 40 and 90 multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and solution-building questions; and simulated content with respect to which students must perform certain common administrative tasks.
Read more about Microsoft Certified Professional: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), Current Upgrade Paths, Microsoft Certification Resources, Latest MCP Certifications
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