News

MCP Program Certifies 1.6 Million

Microsoft's Learning Group updates MCP numbers on its Web site; new titles are not included in MCP census.

Microsoft's Learning Group has recently updated its census of MCPs around the world on its Web site and the program now boasts 1.6 million people certified worldwide. The list of certifications does not include the new-generation MCP titles.

As of Feb. 21, 2006, the company has issued 272,406 MCSE on Windows 2000 titles, making it the most popular titles; its Windows 2003 counterpart trails that number, at 27.510. Likewise, the MCSA on Windows 2000 title has reached a healthy 153,755 certifications, while its Windows 2003 counterpart comes in at 43,249.

The MCDBA on SQL Server 2000 title ranks third among MCP titles, with 132,574 certifications issued.

Included among those numbers are Microsoft employees. According to Microsoft, employees took 9,500 exams from July 2004 to June 2005, which does include a mix of MCP and Microsoft Business Solutions exams. The company says that based on employee demand, it decided to open a testing center on the Redmond campus, which is operated by Pearson VUE. Since opening, that test center has delivered 1,636 exams, which ranks it third among test centers nationwide, according to Microsoft.

New-generation MCP titles have only recently gone live and are not included in the list; MCT numbers, which were included in the past, are also noticeably missing this time.

The last time Microsoft released numbers publicly was June 2005. At the time, the company certified 1.4 million people.

To view the page, go to http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/certified.asp.

About the Author

Michael Domingo has held several positions at 1105 Media, and is currently the editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine.

Featured

  • MIT Finds Only 1 in 20 AI Investments Translate into ROI

    Despite pouring billions into generative AI technologies, 95 percent of businesses have yet to see any measurable return on investment.

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.