All you should know about mta certification

Why you should check out the MTA?

In December 2012 Microsoft announced the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification, which previously had only been available to academic institutions. The MTA course and certification is a great place to start. Microsoft considers the MTA certification to be the entry point certification for those of you who are starting your IT career path, looking to enhance your understanding of the fundamentals, or if you are considering a change in your current IT career path. If you think back to when you were a kid, we changed our minds constantly about what we wanted to do when we grew up.
Many of us changed our minds constantly through our college years as we started a career path and later decided this was not for us. Well, the MTA is a great way to start down a path that can help you with making that IT career decision.

The MTA certification track also has different paths that you can use to decide what direction you want to take your career. If you enjoy working with hardware and software then the IT Infrastructure track is your first choice. If you are interested in databases there is a database track and if learning software development is your passion there is a development track available as well. You can work through one course or a whole track of courses right here at TrainSignal. Here is a list of the courses and exams available for the MTA:

MTA IT infrastructure track—for those intending to build a career in desktop or server infrastructure or private cloud computing:

• Exam 98-349: Windows Operating System Fundamentals
• Exam 98-365: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals
• Exam 98-366: Networking Fundamentals
• Exam 98-367: Security Fundamentals

MTA database track—for those intending to build a career in data platform administration or business intelligence:

• Exam 98-364: Database Fundamentals

MTA development track—for those intending to build a career as a software developer, this track helps prepare you for hands-on product training and MCSD certification. Start with MTA Software Development Fundamentals and then select the additional topics in this track to help you meet your career development goals:

• Exam 98-361: Software Development Fundamentals
• Exam 98-362: Windows Development Fundamentals
• Exam 98-363: Web Development Fundamentals
• Exam 98-372: .NET Fundamentals
• Exam 98-373: Mobile Development Fundamentals
• Exam 98-374: Gaming Development Fundamentals
• Exam 98-375: HTML5 App Development Fundamentals

Who should consider MTA Courses and Certifications?

The MTA is designed for anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals. The courses are designed for the person who is just starting out in the industry,  wants to enhance their current position, is considering the possibility of changing from say Network Administration to a Developer, or someone who is looking for an entry level certification to look good on your resume.

So what does the MTA provide?

The MTA is designed to give you the fundamentals in your area of choice. There is the old saying that says that a house is only as good as its foundation, and the MTA is where you start developing your foundation. The concepts that you will learn will only be the first set of building blocks, and if you choose IT as a career path there will be a never ending set of blocks. If you ask any network administrator, software developer, web designer, or security analyst they will tell you the same thing. There are no short cuts.

Do you have to attend a class to complete a course and take your certification exam?

No, in fact TrainSignal is a great place to start as we have a series of online courses designed for MTA. There are also study materials available via the web and your favorite book store. If you are after the MTA certification then you can schedule and take the certification exam at any Prometric testing center, and once you have passed your exam you will have obtained your first certification to put on your resume and become a member of the Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP) community. Pretty cool.

How long do I have to complete the exam?

     You will have 50 minutes to complete your MTA Certification exam. If an exam is not available in your native language and you must take it in English, you may request an additional 30 minutes to complete it. You must make this arrangement with your proctor before the exam appointment.

  When will I receive the results of my exam?

  You will be able to see your score and exam result immediately after taking the exam.

  How are MTA Certification exam scores calculated?

All MTA Certification exams are scaled such that the passing score is 70. A common misperception is that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam; however, the actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent. After you complete your exam, the number of items that you answered correctly is compared with the cut score to determine whether the result is pass or fail.
 

What other certifications can I obtain after I become a MTA?

Microsoft has many paths that you can take once you have obtained your MTA. But all paths start with the fundamentals and that is what the MTA will help provide.