Alpha Gamma Delta – but where is the Beta – the Microsoft Beta?

Most of us have taken at least one if not several (or more) certification exams. The question is - where did these exams come from and how did they end up in their final format that we stress over? Contrary to popular opinion, there is actually a long process that each exam goes through before it is officially released. One of the last steps in this development cycle is releasing the exam in a Beta format. A Beta exam has several purposes - one of which is used to help determine the quality of the questions.

So why should you care about taking a Microsoft Beta test? There are several very good reasons. One - it is free - and that is a good thing. The other is that if you pass the Beta test it will count as if you had passed the test when it is publicly available. So how do you get to take a Beta test? First of all you must be invited to take a Beta test - it is not something you just sign up and take. The way you get invited is to ensure that you have your profile filled out on the MCP Web Site: (https://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp /mcpsecure.mspx) stating that you wish to be involved with Beta testing. You also need to ensure that you are subscribed to the MCP Newsflash (which means you have to have a current email address in their database. If you are selected - you will receive an email with a promotional code that you can use to register for the test. Word to the wise here - if you receive such an email register immediately! There are a fixed number of slots available for Beta testers and they tend to fill very quickly.

How does Microsoft Learning decide who gets selected to take Beta tests? Well, this is what they use to decide (straight from the MS Learning site):

"To ensure that individuals taking beta versions of Microsoft certification exams represent the appropriate candidate population, the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program offers beta exams to selected qualified candidates by invitation only. Selection is based on experience working with the corresponding product or a previous version of the product."

What does this mean to us? It means that they want to have a cross section of the eligible test takers for the Beta exam. You don't want a group of test takers with less than one years experience taking the test and nor do you want 20 year veterans who can subnet in their sleep.

So all in all, an invitation to take a beta test is a good thing!

Recent blogs posts...

What is your flavor of test format?

How do you prepare for a certification test?

Initial musings on Microsoft Certifications