Microsoft MCSA, MCSD, MCSE certifications now to retire in January 2021

Dozens of Microsoft certifications were due to retire on June 30, 2020. The retirement of MCSA, MCSD and MCSE is a move towards role-based certifications. Here's what it means.

Microsoft has announced that three of their main certification paths, MCSA, MCSD and MCSE, are due to retire at the end of the second quarter of 2020.

However, due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, Microsoft have decided to push the deadline for another six months to give students a generous leeway and the chance to achieve their certifications. The new retirement date is January 31, 2021.

The move comes in line with the tech giant’s recent focus on role-based training, with a focus on developing expertise around industry roles.

This change affects Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) only. Product-based certifications, like MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) and MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) are not affected.

What happens after MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE retire?

After the June deadline, all exams included in the list below will no longer be available to sit. Training programmes may continue to be offered, but achieving the retiring certifications will not be possible.

I’m working towards an MCSA/MCSD/MCSE. What should I do?

For students currently working towards any of the affected certifications, Microsoft recommends passing all required exams before June 30.

The same applies if you’re working on a certification that’s a prerequisite for another one due to retire - you have to pass all exams before the final date.

What happens to my MCSA/MCSD/MCSE certification?

If you have valid MCSA, MCSD, or MCSE certifications, don’t worry. They will remain active in your Microsoft transcript when the exams retire for up to two years after the deadline - at which point it will move to the “inactive” section.

If that’s your case, Microsoft suggest you update your profile with relevant role-based certifications.

Check out all our Microsoft courses →

Here’s a look at the recommended path:

What Microsoft certifications are retiring?

Here’s a list of Microsoft certifications with exams retiring on June 30, 2020:

• MCSA: BI Reporting
• MCSA: Dynamics 365 for Operations
• MCSA: SQL 2016 BI Development
• MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Admin
• MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Dev
• MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014
• MCSA: Universal Windows Platform
• MCSA: Web Applications
• MCSA: Windows Server 2012
• MCSA: Windows Server 2016
• MCSD: App Builder
• MCSE: Business Applications
• MCSE: Core Infrastructure
• MCSE: Data Management & Analytics
• MCSE: Productivity

Microsoft Exams Retiring on June 30, 2020

The following exams retire at 11:59 PM Central Time on June 30, 2020:

• 70-333: Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015
• 70-334: Core Solutions for Microsoft Skype for Business 2015
• 70-339: Managing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016
• 70-345: Designing and Deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2016
• 70-457: Developing Mobile Apps
• 70-410: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012
• 70-411: Administering Windows Server 2012
• 70-412: Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services
• 70-413: Designing and Implementing a Server Infrastructure
• 70-414: Implementing an Advanced Server Infrastructure
• 70-417: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012
• 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014
• 70-462: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014 Databases
• 70-463: Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014
• 70-464: Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2014 Databases
• 70-465: Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server
• 70-466: Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server
• 70-467: Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server
• 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3
• 70-483: Programming in C#
• 70-486: Developing ASP.NET MVC Web Applications
• 70-487: Developing Microsoft Azure and Web Services
• 70-537: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack
• 70-705: Designing and Providing Microsoft Licensing Solutions to Large Organizations
• 70-740: Installation, Storage, and Compute with Windows Server 2016
• 70-741: Networking with Windows Server 2016
• 70-742: Identity with Windows Server 2016
• 70-743: Upgrading Your skills to MCSA: Windows Server 2016
• 70-744: Securing Windows Server 2016
• 70-745: Implementing a Software-Defined Datacenter
• 70-761: Querying Data with Transact-SQL
• 70-762: Developing SQL Databases
• 70-764: Administering a SQL Database Infrastructure
• 70-765: Provisioning SQL Databases
• 70-767: Implementing a Data Warehouse using SQL
• 70-768: Developing SQL Data Models
• 70-777: Implementing Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Solutions
• 70-778: Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Microsoft Power BI
• 70-779: Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Microsoft Excel
• MB2-716: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customization and Configuration
• MB6-894: Development, Extensions and Deployment for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance
• MB6-897: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail
• MB6-898: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources

What next?

This change is massive, and will affect thousands of professionals across the globe. For more details and specific cases, check out the Microsoft Learning Blog.

If you have any questions, just get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to take you through what this means to you. Firebrand offer hundreds of Microsoft courses. If you’re interested in moving towards a Microsoft role-based certification, check out all our Microsoft certifications.