MCPD?

What exactly are MCPD ?
a.. Professional Developer: Web Developer
a.. Professional Developer: Windows Developer
a.. Professional Developer: Enterprise Applications Developer

There seem to be 3 of them. Does Enterprice Application Developer cover both
Web and Window Developer ? Or is it something totally different?

 

The 3 are MCPD, and the 3rd one cover the other 2

Regards,

Daniel

 

The third one is the "Papa" of the first two ! ;-)

 

Haha, so is the exam available yet?

 

so is the exam available yet?

In beta, YES.

 

How abt the exam prep materials? Can you please suggest any good books?

Thanks,
Vee.

 

Here is examwise list for books as suggested by Microsoft.
All the books are NOT Available yet.
I am mentioning date of availability of book along with names of the books
in following list.

Professional Developer: Enterprise Applications Developer

Exam 70–549: PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using
the Microsoft .NET Framework
1) MCTS/MCPD Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-529 and 70-549): Distributed
Application Development/Developing Enterprise Applications -- 10/04/2006
2) Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available
3) CLR via C#: Applied Microsoft .NET Framework Programming, second
Edition-- Available
4) Debugging, Tuning, and Testing Microsoft .NET 2.0 Applications --
9/27/2006



Exam 70–536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Application Development
Foundation

1) MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-536): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
Foundation -- 06/07/2006

2) Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available



Exam 70–528: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Web-Based Client Development
1) MCTS/MCPD Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-528 and 70-547): Developing
Web Applications -- 10/04/2006
2) Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available
3) Programming Microsoft ADO.NET 2.0 Core Reference -- 06/14/2006
4) Programming Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Core Reference -- 11/02/2005
5) Programming Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Applications: Advanced Topics



Exam 70–526: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Windows-Based Client
Development
1) MCTS/MCPD Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-526 and 70-548): Developing
Windows-Based Applications
2) Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available
3) Programming Microsoft ADO.NET 2.0 Core Reference -- 06/14/2006



Exam 70–529: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Distributed Application
Development
1) MCTS/MCPD Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-529 and 70-549): Distributed
Application Development/Developing Enterprise Applications -- 10/04/2006
2) Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available

 

Thank you for that compilation, Archana !

 

Archana,
Thanks very much for the info Archana.
I'm planning to take 70-536 first. However the Amit kalani books are not
available yet.
I understand from your message that for Exam 70–536:
"Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Core Reference -- Available"
Are there going to be questions from C# too? I do have knowledge in C#, but
primarily I program in VB (.Net). Also when I checked abt the exam, it was
mentioned that "When the exam begins, you can choose the programming language
in which the code segments will appear."
So do you think I should still prepare for C# too? I'm realy confused.

Please explain.

Thanks..

 

Daniel and others: the 3rd one (MCPD - Enterprise App Dev) doesn't cover the
other 2 (MCPD - Web Dev and MCPD - Windows Dev). That means MCPD - EAD is NOT
the super set of Web and Windows tracks. If you have MCPD - EAD you'll still
need two exams (70-547 and 70-548) to complete the remaining MCPDs. You can
have a look at Vishal's blog at http://vishaljoshi.blogspot.com/ to
understand the whole scenario.

thanks
Sumit
Microsoft Corporation

 

Hi Sumit,

It is still unclear to me as to why would a person who is MCPD:EAD, be
interested in getting MCPD:Web or MCPD:Win certs ? My understanding is
that MCPD:EAD is a superior certification to the Web or Win tracks.

This is what the MCPD page says about EAD :

//
The Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Enterprise Applications
Developer (MCPD: Enterprise Applications Developer) certification
demonstrates that you have the comprehensive skills that are required
to build n-tier solutions that ******target both Web and rich-client
user experiences.******
\\

I think the confusion is because I am talking about the purpose of the
certification while you are talking about the content of the exams.
Kindly clarify.

 

Wearing the team-building hat I would prefer a MCPD:Web or MCPD:Win
developer to do a job implementing web or win applications and maybe a
MCPD:EAD with some sql or biztalk abilities helping to architect.

I believe -547 and -548 are there to measure architecural knowledge of
webdev and windev not measured with the TS-exams.

It makes sense to me. I failed 71-547 and 71-548, while I passed 71-549 (no
prep on any)...

You need to know webdev and windev on the TS-level to do a good job with the
distributed stuff, but a deeper architectural understanding on webdev and
windev might not be required.

Myself, I consider to combine distributed with some DB, process and
analytical certs, I doubt I'll take the pro webdev or windev, though, there
should be a new version coming...

53

 

Thank you Thor, for that illuminating take on the different roles of
the certified individuals in the team. It clarifies some concepts...
but I believe my original question is still unanswered :

"Why would a person who is already MCPD:EAD, be interested in getting
MCPD:Web or MCPD:Win certs ?"

In my case, I'm MCSD.NET, so I would naturally prefer to take the 2
upgrade exams (553 and 554) and upgrade to MCPD:EAD. Why should I even
bother with the rest of the exams ? Or should I ?

 

Yea, I wonder that quite a bit myself. Especially as the MCPD:EAD requires
the MCTS for both Win & Web development.

I spent some time looking at what's tested by the remaining MCPD tests (for
Win and Web) and it's mostly requirements, design, and infrastructure
stuff - in other words, things I would think would already by covered by my
MCPD:Enterprise. It's not as if those tests look to be hardcore WinForms or
ASP.Net tests. Sure there's more of it, but nothing I would really conisder
to be above-and-beyond what I was already tested for when I got the MCTS
certifications.

It's especailly weird, as my MCSD.Net certifications saw me passing both the
WinForms and WebForms tests. I would have thought that passing the 2 upgrade
exams would give the MCPD for those two specialites as well.

I keep trying to talk myself into taking the 2 remaining tests, but I can't
quite get there.

 

I wouldn't agree with that. I would prefer everyone to have the EAD hat, as
it requires a very solid understanding of the Win & Web material, as well as
the signifigantly more complex field of inter-process communication. On a
team with reasonably complex applications, everyone needs to know how to
build, consume, and manipulate web services, remoted applications, and other
related technogies. Added to that, the MCPD Win & Web certs don't seem to
offer any signifigant advantages in terms of architectural knowledge.
They're a bit more specialized, sure, but not so much as to really be a
compelling sale to me.

Speaking for a moment as an MCPD:EAD, I spend most of my time wearing a
systems architect hat. These systems typically have a database for a back
end (sometimes sql or oracle, sometimes they hit CICS transactions, and
sometimes they're downright weird), a business and data tier wrapped by web
services, (occasionally) some pure SOA components, and both Win & Web front
ends. There are also typically internet and intranet components,
administration components, all of which we try to have leverage a common
infrastructure.

If someone told me I had to architect a BizTalk solution, or a full data
wharehouse soution, I would look at them a bit funny and ask them what kind
of training budget I have accesss to.

There's not alot of architectural knowledge really in Win or Web
development - at least not that the exams teach. In either case, the
architecture should be mostly the same, with a business tier, a data tier, a
set of aspects for providing utility functions, and a UI Process layer. As
long as the System Architecture is done well, the presentation tier
technology is largley immaterial from the perspective of the architect.

 

I don't have your experience with MS certifications, I've only taken some
beta exams. Just starting...
What makes me credit the MCPD:WEB and MCPD:WIN is the fact that I passed
the -549 and -529 while failing -536, -547 and -548. This makes me think
that MCPD:EAD is the easiest MCPD for me. I have done development for some
time and understand a few generic consepts, but I don't know the details
within say the ASP controls, localization issues or the BackgroundWorker
component.

 

Greetings!

I checked your blog and thought you might find this funny:
http://thedailywtf.com/forums/thread/85510.aspx

 

That is pretty funny.

 

Both of those topics are covered by the MCTS certifications. At least they
were in the Upgrade exams that I took...