Microsoft Retiring MTA exams

[jch]

Microsoft is retiring their Microsoft Technology Associate exam/certification series soon. This is unfortunate, as many of them have or had ACE or TESU/CACE reviews. Exam vouchers must be purchased by June 30, 2021, and used by June 30, 2022. However, most of the credit recs expire before the exams do. 

These exams hold active ACE recommendations:
(Note: these are listed under Certiport in the ACE database, not Microsoft)
MTA: 98-366 Networking Fundamentals ACE ID: CPRT-0083 October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2021, Recommended credits: 2
MTA: 98-381 Intro to Programming using Python ACE ID: CPRT-0079 October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2021, Recommended credits: 3
MTA: 98-382 Intro to Programming using JavaScript ACE ID: CPRT-0080 October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2021, Recommended credits: 3
MTA: 98-383 Intro to Programming using HTML and CSS ACE ID: CPRT-0081 October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2021 Recommended credits: 2
MTA: 98-388 Introduction to Programming Using Java ACE ID: CPRT-0082 October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2021 Recommended credits: 3

There is also an active CACE review through Granite State College for MTA: 98-364 Database Fundamentals for 4 UL credits in Database Management Systems. It is good until 2025, long after the exam is retired.

[jch]

I'm working through the MTAs that may be relevant to me but I don't already have. 
I just did MTA: 98-383 Intro to Programming using HTML and CSS. The minimum score was 70, I got an 88. I used the free HTML and CSS courses on the Mimo and Enki apps, the basic HTML and CSS sections at freecodecamp, and the w3schools HTML and CSS exercises. I felt very well prepared. The exam contains multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and similar types of questions. You don't have to write any actual code, but need to know the core rules of what goes where.  

PearsonVUE has further improved since my last exams with them. They've now added a waiting list position indicator to the proctor waiting screen. Also, the proctoring approval turnaround is extremely fast. I received my Credly badge just thirty minutes after completing the exam! 

The Credly/Acclaim badge I received is missing the ACE endorsement. The 2021 versions of the MTA Credly badges don't show the credit approvals, while the 2020 ones do. I've emailed ACE support about this, and hopefully they'll fix it soon. Their new procedure for missing endorsements on Credly/Acclaim badges is to email a copy of your transcript to credit@acenet.edu, and use the text boxes on the send transcript page to describe the issue and include the ACE course ID.  

My next one will be Programming using Javascript. I've started using some of the same resource providers to prepare. After that, I'll pursue Database Fundamentals and try to get TESU credit via the CACE review. I may look at programming with python and/or java if I have time.

[jch]

In case anyone is following along on their own, stop. It seems that there is a huge gotcha regarding the ACE credit endorsement for the MTA exams. ACE got back to me and said that the testing service used for individual online test takers is not approved for credit. Despite being the same exam from the same company with the same security requirements and same proctoring operator, only tests taken at certiport testing centers (none in my state) or through an educational institution get the credit endorsement. This limitation is not documented anywhere. Of course, I'm going to try to fight this.

[Cofffeee]

Its ridiculous..... why wouldnt u get ACE credit ? Doesnt make any sense

[jch]

Its ridiculous..... why wouldnt u get ACE credit ? Doesnt make any sense

Doesn't make sense to me either, and I'm upset.
Pearson really has two arms to their certification business: Certiport and VUE. Both of them proctor many of the same exams. VUE is targeted at individuals, with lots of test centers and remote proctoring. Certiport is for educational institutions, and sets their systems up for bulk purchases with optional proctoring by the institution directly. There are some standalone Certiport test centers that accept individuals, but not many.
I went with VUE because Certiport didn't appear to be an option for me. There are no Certiport testing centers within 100 miles, and their remote proctoring system seems to require an educational institution to set it up and supply the proctor.
Both VUE and Certiport have equivalent security and identification policies. The same certifications are granted after passing the same exams from either place.

[rachel83az]

Wow, how ridiculous and stressful. That's like saying that you can't get credit for a test because you used Ticonderoga pencils and they wanted you to use Paper Mate pencils. If they're both 2B, who cares?

[jch]

I agree, this situation is absurd. I'm going to try escalating this with ACE, Pearson, and Microsoft to see if someone can see the lunacy in the situation.

At this time, I would extend the following warning to anyone attempting to earn ACE credit through Microsoft certification exams:
WARNING: The ACE recommendations for some Microsoft certification exams are subject to undocumented testing restrictions. Testing at the wrong provider or using the wrong method will result in a certification missing the expected ACE endorsement. It is known that MTA exams must be done with Certiport, and Pearson VUE is not accepted for ACE credit on the MTA series. The status of other exam and cert series is unknown.

[jch]

No update on my complaints yet. However, I have figured out how to utilize the Pearson-Certiport exams from home system as an independent individual. Of course, they didn't bother to document this anywhere publicly and took a while to get back to me with the procedure. Certiport support told me to obtain my own exam voucher, then go and find a testing center that proctors these online remote exams and has seats open for outside individuals. I just went down the list of Certiport testing centers within a few states and emailed them. A few responded right away, and one of them has widespread availability. While the whole system for setting this up was rather absurd, I should now be set to take an exam this Thursday. As a bonus, it's actually slightly cheaper ($70 exam + $31 proctoring = $101) to take the exams through Pearson-Certiport compared to PearsonVUE ($127).

[jch]

The ACE endorsement is finally showing up on my MTA HTML/CSS Badge. That took far too much effort. I’ll send my ACE/Credly transcript to TESU soon for evaluation.

I’m taking the MTA Javascript next week, and am hoping to do Database Fundamentals in late June. After that, I might do Windows and Windows Server - I could use those as part of a PLA package for Windows Server Administration, and they’d also satisfy my Cloud+ CE requirements. In the end, I don’t think I’ll do Python or Java; I don’t think I’ll need either and don’t have time to learn the languages.