Microsoft certifications can boost your skills in job fields like IT, AI, data science, and more. Here's how they work.

• Microsoft certifications can help demonstrate your skills for jobs like IT or software engineering.
• Microsoft offers a variety of certifications in its products like Azure, Windows, or Microsoft 365.
• Microsoft offers free, self-paced training, and you can pay to take an exam and become certified.

Microsoft certifications are recognized industry-wide, and are a way for professionals to tangibly demonstrate that they have expertise in a given subject area.

Microsoft certifications are geared towards those entering tech-related fields like IT, software development, data science, and more. The certifications focus on a variety of Microsoft products like Azure, Dynamics, Microsoft 365, and more.

Tech jobs — whether it's an IT role at a mid-sized business or a job at Microsoft itself — are known for being highly competitive. Given the prevalence of Microsoft products in the business world, these certifications shouldn't be overlooked as a way to both show your knowledge and demonstrate your proficiency with Microsoft products.

How Microsoft certifications work

If you're interested in a Microsoft certification, you have a few routes you can take to learn the material: you can pay for instructor-led training from Microsoft itself or from a Microsoft-partnered training organization, or you can take free, self-paced training provided by Microsoft.

To actually become certified, you'll need to pay to take an exam. Most of the exams are online proctored exams that you can do from your own home and computer, but you also have the option to schedule your exam at a test center if you wish.

If you're doing the online version, know that you'll be assigned a proctor to monitor you during the exam, and you'll have to submit photos of your ID and the room you're taking the exam in.

With some exceptions, most Microsoft certifications are good for 12 months, after which they must be renewed. The good news is that renewals are free and just require you to pass an online assessment that is shorter than the original exam. The assessments are also un-proctored and open book. But be warned: you have only six months to complete this or you'll have to retake the original exam.

How much do Microsoft certifications cost?

Exam and training costs can vary significantly depending on the Microsoft certification, and depending on where you're located. Instructor-led courses typically cost the most — some courses in the US can total thousands of dollars — but you have the benefit of a human instructor who can answer your questions and offer tips on the material and exam.

If you go the self-paced training route through Microsoft, your only cost is the exam, which typically costs between $99 and $165, depending on the certification and your location.

What are the most valuable Microsoft certifications?

What Microsoft certifications you should get boils down to your personal interests, and what certifications are most in demand and correlate with high-earning jobs. This can fluctuate over time.

With the prevalence of cloud computing these days, Azure-based certifications are in high demand and jobs like network engineer pay quite well. And amid the ongoing AI arms race that has taken the tech world by storm, a certification in machine learning or generative AI solutions could give you a competitive edge in the job market.

Cybersecurity skills are also in high demand, and Microsoft offers a certification for cybersecurity solutions using Microsoft technologies.

Microsoft's website allows you to browse credentials and filter the various Microsoft certifications based on what type of role you're seeking, such as DevOps engineer or database administrator, or what type of product you want to specialize in, like Microsoft Fabric, Windows, Power BI, or Copilot.

Microsoft certifications for beginners

While intermediate and senior certifications generally correlate with the highest annual salaries, the material is complex and advanced, and they're not necessarily the first certifications you should look for if you're new to the IT field, cloud computing, or to Microsoft technology.

Microsoft certifications are categorized into levels, and labeled as beginner, intermediate, or advanced. You can always start with beginner certifications like Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (also known as AZ-900) that teaches you the fundamentals of Azure.

Even if you don't take the fundamentals exam and are aiming for a higher-level certification, it can still be worth going through the free self-paced training documentation for the fundamentals courses to help bring yourself up to speed. Everyone starts with different knowledge baselines.