Microsoft — How Long Does it Take to Get Certified?
What types of certifications does Microsoft Offer?
Over the past 20+ years, Microsoft certification has been one of the standards of the IT industry. Microsoft offers certification tracks across a wide variety of their products and job functions. For specifics, you can look right here to see what all they offer.
Their certifications are currently offered at multiple skill levels, from fundamental to professional and Microsoft also offers specialty certifications for more niche products.
So…. how long?
Well the obvious answer is one you don’t want to hear if you’ve come here to look. It really does just depend, but there are reasonable estimates you can make depending upon what level you are currently at and what level of certification you want to achieve.
For example, I consider myself to be relatively knowledgeable about IT subject matter and have operated professionally in the IT space for over 25 years. I recently opted to pursue the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification, the AZ-900, and found that the knowledge required was different enough that I needed to really invest in reading through their materials to complete the process. Once I dove in, it took me about 2 weeks to get through this. I believe 2–4 weeks of reading and practicing is adequate for most to complete this certification.
More difficult certifications at the associate level are likely to take 2–3 months if you are truly trying to learn the content and not just skip through to pass the test.
How about some study materials?
Every time I have pursued an IT certification, I utilize a similar approach. It works for me without fail. Hopefully it will work for you as well.
First, identify what it is you are actually studying for. This may sound obvious, but it might surprise you what is actually on the test. This is especially true for cloud type certifications such as the Azure track where there are DevOps, Architect and security tracks to be considered. Microsoft provides exam details for each exam and you should read over the document to understand what you’re really getting into up from. Here is the doc for the AZ-900 for example — here.
Secondly, I identify multiple training sites to watch videos and complete labs. In the case of Microsoft Azure certifications, I opted to utilize a mix of a Udemy course, Whizlabs question banks and ACloud.Guru for training videos. Each of these sources can be accessed via subscription or through ala carte purchase.
I will generally make 1–2 loops through videos, typically at 1.2x playback speed. I utilize a tool such as OneNote for note taking. I create a page for each individual topic then bullet point out each item brought up in the section. I have found this method helps the material to stick and gives me a quick reference guide in a format I can quickly decipher.
Once I’ve watched videos, I’ll engage in question banks and do laps through them until I’m able to score 85% consistently then find a new question bank to make sure I’ve progressed to where I think I have.
Finally, book your test and be done with it. Post your win on LinkedIn and celebrate. Don’t stop learning.
One final note — most certifications are good for a limited time, generally 2–3 years. Stay engaged with the products, keep your knowledge up and renew. Don’t give away the hard work you’ve done.
Thanks for reading, click follow if you liked it and I hope to see you again later this week.
C9
