Certification Jump Starts

  • Article

MVA-JS-logoset

You’ve seen many posts in the past about the value of certification, so I won’t get into it here. Bottom line, as far as I am concerned, certifications are one of the best ways to differentiate yourself amongst other developers. If you think about how much time you invest in the technologies you work with and learn about, wouldn’t you want a way to show others that investment? I would.

But learning is one thing and taking exams are other. There’s always that fear of what exactly will be on the exam, what areas it will cover, or whether you know enough to be able to write the exam. To help you feel more comfortable, Microsoft Virtual Academy has recently added a whole slew of Jump Start courses that roughly follow the criteria of the different certification exams. Though there’s no guarantee that these Jump Starts will ensure that you pass your exam, they are an excellent study companion to help you go through the content and ensure that you know and understand the key concepts.

Here’s what’s available today (Note: there are some that are not yet available on-demand. If you register and tune in on the scheduled dates, you can take the opportunity to interact with the trainers and ask questions!):

Windows Store – C#

  • Programming in C# Jump Start (Exam 70-483: Programming in C#)
    This developer training course covers C#, Microsoft’s managed C-style language for the .Net Framework. In typical Jump Start fashion, this session will be engaging and demo rich. It provides sample after sample to show simple and complex techniques you can take back to your workplace. This course loosely follows the criteria for exam 70-483, it is tailored for intermediary to seasoned developers looking to bulk up on C# or for a refresher on core concepts and features.

  • Essentials of Developing Windows Store App Using C# Jump Start (Exam 70-484: Essentials of Developing Windows Store Apps using C#)   
    This Jump Start covers Developing Windows Store Apps using C#. In typical Jump Start fashion it will be filled with lots of demos and fun.  It provides sample after sample to show simple and complex techniques you can take back to your workplace. This course loosely follows the criteria for exam 70-484, it is tailored for intermediary to seasoned developers looking to create Windows Store Apps. It will provide an overview on creating the User Interface layout and structure using XAML, how to implement the AppBar and layout controls, how to deploy a Windows Store app to the Windows Store or an enterprise store, and much more…     

  • Advanced Windows Store App Development using C# Jump Start (Exam 70-485: Advanced Windows Store App Development Using C#)
    May 23, 2013 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT

    This Jump Start is an accelerated overview of Advanced Windows Store App Development Using C#. It is an intermediate to advanced event to help prepare learners for Microsoft exam 70-485.

Windows Store – HTML5/CSS

  • Developing in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 Jump Start (Exam 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3) This course provides an accelerated introduction to HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript and helps students learn basic HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript programming skills. It focuses on using HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript to implement programming logic, define and use variables, perform looping and branching, develop user interfaces, capture and validate user input, store data, and create well-structured applications. This course uses Visual Studio 2012, running on Windows 8.
  • Developing Windows Store Apps with HTML5 Jump Start (Exam 70-481: Essentials of Developing Windows Store Apps using HTML5 and JavaScript)
    How different is Windows 8? What is the rush to build apps for the Windows 8 platform and why are developer communities reacting differently to Windows 8?  This Windows Store App Development Jump Start is the second in a series introducing HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript and helps students learn HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript programming skills. This course is an entry point into both the Web application and Windows Store apps and helps learners prepare for Microsoft exam 70-481. 
  • Advanced Windows Store App Development with HTML5 Jump Start (Exam 70-482: Advanced Windows Store App Development using HTML5 and JavaScript)
    Looking to create Windows 8 apps? This fast-paced Jump Start dives deeper into the advanced programming skills and techniques required to optimize Windows Store apps, so that your apps can stand out from others in the Windows Store. We’ll combine both design and development skills, and you’ll learn about supporting the apps you’ve published to the Windows Store.

Web Exams

  • Building Web Apps with ASP.NET Jump Start (Exam 70-486: Developing ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Applications)
    This Jump Start is tailored for experienced application developers interested in leveraging ASP.NET and Visual Studio 2012 to offer modern apps that target modern browsers. Three of Microsoft’s most seasoned ASP.NET speakers provide an accelerated introduction to building web applications development with ASP.NET 4.5 and ASP.NET MVC 4 targeting key scenarios like building mobile ready websites, social web applications, and much more.

Windows Phone

  • Building Apps for Windows Phone 8 Jump Start (Exam 70-599: Pro: Designing and Developing Windows Phone Applications)
    This Windows Phone app development course is tailored for developers looking to leverage C#/XAML to build cool apps and games for Windows Phone 8. This platform is another leap forward in Microsoft’s overall mobile strategy and the developer community has taken notice. Now is the time to embrace your opportunity and start building Windows Phone apps. If you’re a developer or architect who needs to move beyond the hype and come face-to-face with what’s real, you will love this experience.
  • Build Apps for Both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 Jump Start (Exam 70-599: Pro: Designing and Developing Windows Phone Applications)
    This session compares and contrasts Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with a focus on understanding how developers can maximize code reuse when building for both platforms ("code sharing"). This Windows 8 Jump Start training targets developers with some experience developing for the Windows Phone and want to develop apps for both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. Through engaging demos, Ben dives into guidance, best practices, patterns and techniques that will help developers deliver apps for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 with maximum code reuse.

Application Lifecycle Management Exams

  • Applying ALM with Visual Studio 2012 Jump Start (Exam 70-498: Delivering Continuous Value with Visual Studio 2012 Application Lifecycle Management)      
         
    This Jump Start targets application development teams interested in leveraging Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) to improve their development processes and deliver continuous value with Visual Studio 2012. This fast-paced course is tailored for seasoned developers looking to put these skills to use right away. Additionally, this course follows the criteria for exam 70-498 and will provide accelerated preparation for this important exam in the MCSD: ALM track.     

  • Software Testing with Visual Studio 2012 (exam 70-497) Jump Start
    May 28, 2013 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT

    Improve how your team manages test coverage to better mitigate issues throughout your organization’s development process. You can leverage the tools built into Visual Studio 2012 to track back work items and test cases to business goals and measurable requirements to make testing a valuable part of your application lifecycle management (ALM). This course follows the criteria for exam 70-497 and will provide accelerated preparation for this important exam in the MCSD: ALM track.

  • Administering Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012 (exam 70-496) Jump Start
    May 29, 2013 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT

    Learn how to make Team Foundation Server (TFS) better serve your team processes and the ways you communicate. For the person who sets up and customizes TFS infrastructure, you will learn how to better define the types of work items available and their attributes to fully leverage the TFS platform for application lifecycle management (ALM).  This full day of training will provide numerous examples, scenarios and demos. This course follows the criteria for exam 70-496 and will provide accelerated preparation for this important exam in the MCSD: ALM track.

Join the Conversation

Given that this is a new type of learning content that is being made available, I’d love to hear from those of you who have participated in one of these live Jump Starts or watched them on-demand what you thought of the format and whether they have, indeed, made you feel more comfortable to go and write your exam. Start a new conversation in the Canadian Developer Connection group on LinkedIn or share your thoughts in an existing conversation.