I’m working on my Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD.NET) for while now, and am just now kicking it into high gear. I’m planning on taking my Designing and Developing Databases with SQL Server 2000 (70-229) very shortly, and with that completed, I’ll have achieved my Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD.NET). Then two more exams and I thought I’d be done. Then I heard about the new Microsoft Certified Architect Program (MCAP). This looks to be a lot more comprehensive than just taking some exams.

Some details:

The skills domain that candidates will face throughout the process will be broad, including such objectives as project management, decision-making and oral and verbal communication.
Candidates will be assigned a mentor to help foster success through the program’s rigorous certification process.

Candidates, with the help of the mentor, would apply for entrance registration into the architecture candidate process, which consists of a written submission and board examinations.

only about a quarter of the emphasis of a candidate’s knowledge will be on Microsoft-related architecture technologies; the rest will relate to general architecture principles and best practices that aren’t Microsoft specific.

Completion of the program could take from six to 12 months and would not come cheap.

I’m actually looking forward to this program. It’s really easy for someone to call themselves an Architect. I’m known several that caused more harm than good. The problem is that it is difficult for someone to measure the skills of an Architect, much less figure out what those skills are to begin with. From the details, it appears that this certification does more for the reliability of a candidate than whether or not someone has an MCSD when evaluating a potential developer for a position. I think that Microsoft putting it’s 800-lbs guerilla weight behind this, legitimizes the title, and hopefully more companies will see their need for one. So, anything that helps to further narrow the field of incompetent people claiming to be an Architect is good with me. More demand plus less supply equals increases wages. Even better ;)

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