How to Achieve a Microsoft Certification
Earning a Microsoft Certification is a way to improve your knowledge of Microsoft products. A certification is especially important if you are working in the IT industry, and you want to demonstrate to your employer or potential employer your skills with Microsoft. Microsoft Certification has multiple specializations and skill levels, including Microsoft Office Expert, IT Professional, and Technology Specialist. Earning a certification requires passing an exam. Unless you already have the skills necessary to pass the exam, you will need to spend time preparing for it.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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Select a Certification program you want to take. Microsoft has a three skill levels for Microsoft Office and and four certification tracks based on career focus, including IT Professionals and Developers. Choose a certification program based on the needs of your current or potential job. Consult the Microsoft Learning Certification Overview website to learn more about each certification track. Go to http://www.Microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/cert-overview.aspx for more details.
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Choose a way to prepare for the exam. Microsoft offers text books, long-distance learning, instructor-led classes, and practice tests to prepare you for each exam, based on your individual needs. If you are the type of person who can self-teach or simply needs to review, you may be able to use the Self-Paced Training Kits and textbooks to learn the material. If you need more instruction or learn better with an instructor, you may want to sign up for a seminar class or the long-distance learning. Visit Microsoft's Exam Preparation website to explore options for preparing for a certification exam. Go to http://www.Microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/exam.aspx#tab2 for more information.
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Contact Prometric Services at 800-755-3926 to schedule your exam. Prometric schedules all Microsoft exams and provides general testing information.
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Take the exam. Every exam is scored from 1 to 1,000, but the passing score varies based on the type of exam. In general, a test taker will need to answer between 60 to 80 percent of the questions correctly to pass an exam. You will receive a score report that shows your areas of strength and weakness.
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