What Was the Microsoft MCSE Certification? What is Replacing It?
Microsoft has an established set of certifications for IT professionals who work with Microsoft products such as Windows, Windows Server, SQL Server, the Office Suite, the Azure Cloud platform, and other technologies.
Certifications such as the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) aimed to validate that holders possess the knowledge, abilities, and skills relevant to the products they worked with. For that reason, such certifications have been a key factor in organizations’ hiring decisions.
In January 2021, Microsoft retired the MCSE and other certifications and replaced them with role-based certifications. This change came as Microsoft decided that certification should be focused on specific job roles, rather than on individual products and their features.
This brought them in line with competitors such as Cisco and their role-based certifications, like the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP).
So, what can you expect from Microsoft changes? Let’s discuss what the MCSE was and what will replace it.
What was the MCSE Certification?
Prior to the introduction of their role-based certifications, Microsoft’s certifications were laid out as a pyramid, with each level of certification leading learners to higher, more specialized, complex certifications. At the base of the Microsoft pyramid, IT professionals demonstrated foundational knowledge with the MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate). The next level was the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) and MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer).
The MCSA had specializations for each of Microsoft's main product offerings, including Office 365, SQL Server and Windows Server 2016, and Azure.
Finally, the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solution Expert) was the highest level of certification that Microsoft offered. As the name suggests, it was deemed to be an expert-level certification.
Prior to taking an MCSE certification examination, candidates were expected to have at least three years experience with the designated Microsoft product and to have earned the relevant pre-requisite MCSA cert.
Candidates could choose to specialize in one of a number of MCSE categories, including:
MCSE: Business Applications: Covering Microsoft Dynamics 365 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions.
MCSE: Core Infrastructure: Covering datacenter, big data, and analytics solutions on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
MCSE: Data Management and Analytics: Covering business intelligence, data warehousing, and machine learning solutions on Azure.
MCSE Productivity Solutions: Covering collaboration solutions using Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint, and Skype.
The MCSE certifications were retired in favor of a more dynamic, role-based certification structure.
What Replaced the MCSE Certification?
The old MCSE certifications validated product-based rather than role-based knowledge. The new role-based certifications are more in line with real-world job roles and skill needs, especially in the areas of cloud computing, security, and data management.
Microsoft has identified nine job roles for certifications including administrators, data engineers and scientists, database administrators, DevOps engineers, security engineers and solutions architects. They have created 75 or more certifications for these roles, with levels from beginner, through intermediate, to expert. There are 17 advanced/expert level certs, including:
Each of these has a path and prerequisites, so let’s take a look at the Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert and the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert for example.
The Path to Become a Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert
Prior to passing Microsoft's SC-100 certification exam, candidates for the Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification must earn at least one of the following associate-level certifications:
The Path to Become a Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
To be certified as a Azure Solutions Architect Expert, candidates must first earn certification as a Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate and then pass the AZ-305 certification exam.
MCSE vs. MCSA: What’s the Difference?
As explained earlier, the MCSA was an associate-level certification focused on foundational knowledge, while MCSE was an expert-level certification that went deeper into designing and implementing solutions. MCSA certifications were usually focused on servers, operating systems, and web applications, while MCSE covered business intelligence, private cloud computing, server infrastructure, and data platform skills and knowledge.
Candidates for the MCSE were required to be MCSA-certified before taking an MCSE certification exam.
CCNA vs. MCSE: How Do They Compare?
The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification focused on networking infrastructure and security, while the Microsoft Certified Solution Expert (MCSE) specializations relate to Microsoft products like Windows Server, Azure, Dynamics 365, and SQL Server.
The CCNA is network-centric and geared toward professionals with up to three years of experience creating networking solutions using Cisco switches and routers. They configure, install, and maintain LANs, WANs, and dial-up networks using IP, Ethernet, frame relay, and other protocols.
The CCNA would have been more closely aligned to the entry-level MCSA series than the expert-level MCSE and its specializations. A better comparison would have been the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. The CCNP has specializations such as Enterprise, Data Center, Security, and DevNet.
Salary and Career Prospects for MCSE Holders
While the MCSE certifications have been retired, the skills that they represented are still in demand. A scan of the Payscale.com compensation web-site shows a wide range of jobs and salaries for candidates with MCSE certification. Interestingly, these jobs show career development opportunities with specialist, management, and executive positions across domains such as cloud platform, data management, DevOps, security, and systems/network administration.
Common roles for MCSE certification holders include IT Operations Manager, Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Network Manager, Systems Administrator, Senior Systems Engineer. Cloud Solutions Architect, Enterprise Architect, DevOps Engineer, and Security Engineer.
Payscale.com reports a range of average salaries between $79,608 and $162,223 for IT pros holding an MCSE certification. A sample of some of those job titles shows Network Administrators earning an average of $80,747 per year, System Administrators for Windows Servers averaging $83,481, and Network Engineers averaging $85,223. At a more senior level, Senior Network Administrators average $94,364, Senior Network Engineers $109,284, while Network Managers average $109,404 annually.
In systems engineering, Senior Systems Engineers average $102,713, while Principal Systems Engineers average a $131,676 salary.
Senior Database Administrators average $110.878 per year, while Database Architects average $120,904. Security Engineers average $96,742 and Security Architects average $141,803.
Finally, Systems Architects average $113,897 per year, Cloud Solutions Architects average $133,180, Senior Solutions Architects average $146,783, and IT Enterprise Architects average $149,327.
MCSE & Role-Based Recertification and Renewal
According to Microsoft’s Credential Expiration Policies, MCSE certifications do not expire! However, since they have been retired, MCSE certifications are now marked as "Legacy" on a professional’s Microsoft certification transcript.
The new role-based certifications however expire after one year and require annual renewals so that holders keep their skills up-to-date as technology evolves.
You must renew the certification before its expiration date. Be aware that after your cert expires, you cannot renew it! You will have to go back to the beginning and earn the cert again by passing all required exams.
Transitioning from MCSE to Role-Based Certifications
Microsoft recommends that holders of MCSE certifications transition to the new role-based certifications. For information on which role-based certifications will fit your career goals, visit Microsoft’s Learn platform.
Transitioning from MCSE Core Infrastructure
Microsoft suggests that you transition from MCSE Infrastructure to one of the following admin, security engineer, or architect job-role certs:
Transitioning from MCSE Productivity
If you’ve specialized in productivity and collaboration, then you should select one of the following role-based associate-level certs: Teams Administrator, Messaging Administrator, or Security Administrator, and then take the Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert certification.
Transitioning from MCSE Data Management & Analytics
From the MCSE Data Management and Analytics cert, you’ll be best suited to transition to the big data and AI capabilities afforded by the Azure cloud platform. Consider certifying with one of the following certifications:
Azure Database Administrator Associate
Azure Data Engineer Associate
Azure AI Engineer Associate
Azure Data Scientist Associate
Conclusion: The Future of Microsoft Certifications
Microsoft has now moved exclusively to role-based certifications. While employers still recognize the value of the older certs such as MCSE, role-based certs are now the standard for advancing in a Microsoft-centric IT career.
Although the focus has changed, the process for earning one of these new Microsoft credentials remains the same! Whether you’re a certified expert looking to transition to the new certs, or just starting on your certification journey, CBT Nuggets has the Microsoft certification training you’ll need.
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