Last month I reviewed a new Java book written by the venerable Michael Ernest on my blog. While it was an excellent book and I felt it would help any developer pass the first level of Java programming certifications, Mike brutally pointed out passing an exam didn’t mean that much. The remark struck me as odd, at first, but then he went on to explain that learning to become a good programmer was much more important than the certification.
I agree… like totally! The other day I caught a re-tweet for @MSLearning that broadcast how the trainers for Microsoft Learning got together and decided to provide free resources and discounts to help technical folks get their Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certifications along a couple of different tracks, specifically Windows Server 2012 and SQL Server 2012. In consideration, I found this important and signed up immediately. Now before we pooh-pooh the idea by assuming Microsoft’s simply looking to make a quick buck off their certifications program, I thought it might be prudent to make a couple of observations.