MCSA Certs retiring

---

So I just heard that Microsoft is retiring the MCSA Certifications https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/retired-certifications.aspx I was considering pursuing the MCSA 2016 certification does anyone know what it's going to be replaced with?

You can still pursue them and they will stay active until june 30, 2022. They wont be replaced, depending on the knowledge they will be integrated into the new role based certifications.

@Daniel-Nelson ,

Microsoft has restructured their certification paths. They have moved to role-based certifications, rather than certifications tied to specific versions of software.

Because of this change, there isn't a direct replacement for the MCSA: Windows Server 2016.

Depending on how far along you are in your studies, this might be a good time to adjust your study path. We can help you adjust accordingly if you need. Here are some Microsoft links that might help as well.

https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWtQJJ

https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE2PjDI

@Daniel-Nelson ,

Some more information from Microsoft...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/community-blog-post.aspx?BlogId=8&Id=375282

@Mike-Rodrick Thank you for the information. I guess moving on to Azure it is.

Could a webinar be broadcast in the future to for a Q&A about the new role based certifications to provide some clarity that otherwise might not be provided by Microsoft articles?

@Derek-Sompong ,

@Cherokee-Boose did a Critical Update on the subject the other day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCVg1T3jexc&feature=youtu.be

I was bummed to hear this. I wanted my MCSA i don't see anything equiv. to that in the new structure. In fact i don't see anything in the new structure that focuses on on premise servers. What is the path now if someone is wanting to get into server administration? start with comptia and 3rd party certs and then move to MS land?

@Brian-Bauer ,

That's a tough one to answer. I am sad to see the MCSA and MCSE go away. I have been an MCSA and MCSE since Windows Server 2000. Server administration has always been my passion. But to quote Bob Dylan, "The Times They Are A-Changin' "

It's no surprise that there is a big focus on Azure. It is where everything is headed. We need certifications that allow us to validate our cloud skills. What is surprising to me it the complete removal of any kind of on-premises certifications, even as role-based paths. I, like many of you i think, still see the need for on-premises infrastructure, like Active Directory or DNS. I think most companies will be or remain in hybrid scenarios for a little while. While some of the Azure certifications cover things like AD Connect, site-to-site VPNs and monitoring on-premises connectivity, there is no focus on the on-premises side.

So what;s the answer? IDK. It seems infrastructure skills are still necessary, but there won't be any Microsoft certifications to validate those skills.