MCSD certification is a certification program provided by Microsoft Corporation. MCSD is an acronym for Microsoft Certified Solution Developer. A person who is MCSD certified can analyze and design enterprise solutions using Microsoft languages and development tools. To become MCSD certified, one must become familiar with Microsoft languages Visual Basic and Visual C# (pronounced C Sharp), as well as with Microsoft's database development platforms, including SQL ( pronounced sequal) server, Biztalk server, and Commerce server.
Courses are available from various training companies that teach the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the exams required to become MCSD certified. There are a total of four exams that must be successfully written to obtain the MCSD certified designation: a core exam in the Solutions Architect area; a choice of one of three exams in the development languages area, VisualBasic, FoxPro, or C++; a choice of one of three exams from the XML Web Services and Server Components Development area; and finally, a choice of one of 15 exams in the elective category. The elective category allows the student to specialize in a particular language or application.
There are forums on the Internet where students can discuss the MCSD requirements and ask questions about the courses or almost anything to do with becoming MCSD certified. If you are interested in becoming MCSD certified, you can benefit from joining one of these forums to stay current with both the requirements and the industry itself. These forums can also provide the student with leads for eventual jobs once the certification process is complete. Many students already work in the industry, and MCSD certification is simply a means to better pay and better positions.
MCSD certification is intended for experienced information technology (IT) professionals. It is recommended that a person have at least two years of experience in the information technology field before becoming MCSD certified. Be certain that information technology is your preferred career before investing considerable time, money, and effort into getting an MCSD certification. As an MCSD certified professional, you will be required to take a lead role on any development team or in any corporate IT position.