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Microsoft Exam Booster Packs: A Different Take on Second Shot
Remember Microsoft's MCP Exam Retake Offer? This is a bit different. Instead of a second shot, take several shots at a certification exam. And many developer exams are part of the offer.
A Microsoft Certified Solution Developer certification can get expensive, especially if at times you fail an exam along the way. That's why some will take a steady, carefully plotted path before even attempting any exam.
One way to make sure you're ready to attempt an exam is to take advantage of the "second-shot" offering that Microsoft Learning made available up until January 12 this year. With that program being shelved, the Microsoft Learning Group has made available a new offering just last week that will alleviate one of the major stress points of the exam-taking process. That offer comes in the form of a slight variation on that popular second-shot program.
So instead of just one extra shot at a failed exam, Microsoft Learning now offers Certification Booster Packs, which pair an exam with a practice test and/or retakes. Booster Packs are available in the following configurations:
- Certification Exam+Practice Test
- Certification Exam+4 Retakes
- Certification Exam+Practice Test+4 Retakes
Options A and B are USD$200 and option C is USD$225, with each pack priced regionally outside the U.S.
As was the case with the second-shots, the Booster Packs can be used only for one exam, so it behooves MCSDs-to-be to continue to plan accordingly. Developer exams alone are typically USD$150, so consider these Booster packs to be a $50 insurance policy. Of course, you still have to pass the exam -- Microsoft Learning won't automatically pass you after a fourth exam failure.
Booster Packs are available through Microsoft's official test partner, Pearson Vue, through Pearson's Mindhub Certification Prep Store. Practice tests are available for a select number of developer exams, listed here, and are administered through Microsoft Learning's official practice test provider, MeasureUp.com.
Booster Packs can be purchased up until August 31, with exam retakes available for activation up until six months of activation, up until February 28, 2017, at the latest. Note that some exams may be retired prior to that date, so retakes must be done as long as exams are available.
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