4.0 Exams and NAV2009

matttrax

I haven't been around NAV long enough to know this, so looking for some thoughts. Although I know no one can give me a definite answer.

Usually certifications are good for two versions or until Microsoft stops supporting the version of the software you are certified in. For example 3.7 is no longer supported so those certifications don't help you anymore. Only 4.0 and 5.0.

My question is with NAV 2009 coming out in December, how long do you think it will be before the 4.0 certifications are no longer supported? Ordinarily I would just say they would be dropped in a few months, but 2009 isn't really offering any functionality changes, only technical. So I can see dumping Install/Config and Development for 4.0. They haven't even come out with tests for 5.0 on about half the exams. #-o

So to sum it up, do you think it's worth it to take a 4.0 exam in something like Service Management when when no 5.0 exam exists and there's nothing that's changed in 2009? There probably won't be any changes until NAV2011. Or will it just be dumped in due course? Again, I know there's no definite answer. Just wondering what experiences you may have had with Microsoft on issues like this.

Thanks

Tomas

According to expected Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4 lifecycle (source: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=8582), this product will be supported up to 12/01/2010. Which, of course, does not mean anything. Anyway, if you need to get certified now - do so. If it is not a must - I would probably wait.

matttrax

Well, that's as close to official as I can get

Raghubir007

i have the same problem

i had given an c/side intro exam and now i want to give an exam of c/side development but i am unable to decide which exam i prepare ( of ver 4 ,5, or nav2009) :-#

Please help

Sonja37

Good morning colleagues

well.... it is a very difficult question :shock:

I suggest my colleagues here, that - if they have to do the certifications - always to check first in Partnersource which certification for which versions are available. As soon a certification is available in the latest version (e.g. NAV2009) you should take this one. And: for several modules like finance (for example) we wait until they are available in German.

As far I know and after a couple of phone calls with colleagues in Hamburg I heard, that the older certifications are not valid anymore as soon cerfications are available for two newer ones. Which means: if you have done a test in Attain 3.xx lets say for CRM - and there is already one for NAV 5.x - the Attain 3.x is "gone".

I wish you a lot of success for the coming certifications

many regards
Sonja

Raghubir007

Thanks u all..... :thumbsup:

DenSter

Sonja37 wrote:

I heard, that the older certifications are not valid anymore as soon cerfications are available for two newer ones. Which means: if you have done a test in Attain 3.xx lets say for CRM - and there is already one for NAV 5.x - the Attain 3.x is "gone".

No that is a misunderstanding. It's not a matter of whether your certs are still valid, it's that you have to get new certs for new versions as they come out, to be certified for that version specifically. Once you get certified for any version specific exam, that certification will always be valid. So if you certify for CRM in 5.0, you will always be certified for CRM 5.0, regardless of whether there's a new exam for 2009. Even when lifecycle support for that version is discontinued, you will still be certified for that version.

By the way, it goes both ways. Getting certified for 2009, does not mean you are certified for earlier versions.

Sonja37

Hello Daniel

thanks for your reply. But in that case I think I am right. I was talking to a couple of MBS (Microsoft Business Solutions)colleagues - and specially some of the trainings center (and by the way: I was working for one last year)

As soon a newer certification is available, the old ones runing out - latest one year after. ( I mean, in Germany... maybe in different countries it is different)

Kind regards
Sonja

matttrax

They will of course stop offering the tests for you to take when the version is no longer supported. But that doesn't mean you didn't take it and complete it.

Like at the college I went to, every few years they changed the course numbers so that people couldn't transfer in as many credits. Just because they change CompSci 101 to CompSci 1101 doesn't mean you didn't take the original course and pass it. Your transcript from Microsoft will show forever and ever that you passed your test.

DenSter

Sonja37 wrote:

thanks for your reply. But in that case I think I am right. I was talking to a couple of MBS (Microsoft Business Solutions)colleagues - and specially some of the trainings center (and by the way: I was working for one last year)

As soon a newer certification is available, the old ones runing out - latest one year after. ( I mean, in Germany... maybe in different countries it is different)

You are misunderstanding the point, and so apparently are the people that you spoke to.

Let's say today is the last day that I can take a certification exam for version X, and I am the last person to take and pass it. I will be certified on version X for ever. Just because tomorrow the exam is only available for version Y does not mean I am no longer certified on X. Even if official support for X would be retired tomorrow, I would still be certified on that version. Even if nobody in the entire world would run X, I would still be certified on that version. It would be useless, but I would still be certified.

The availability of newer versions of exams, or the place of the version in the support lifecycle, has nothing to do with whether the certification is valid or not.

Why then do people have to "renew" their certification? First of all I have always had a bit of an issue with that term, because it's technically not "renewing", it's getting certified on a newer version. My first certification was on 2.5. When I got certified on 4.0 I did not lose my 2.5 certification, nor did it lose its validity, nor was anything "renewed", I simply added the new cert.

The reason why this happens is because MSFT requires partners to be certified in the current version of their products. If you want to keep your partner status, you must get certified on the latest versions. Even if your boss decides not to pay for your new certs, and they would lose their partner status, you would still be certified on the older version.

Any certification is for ever, but they are tied to a particular version of the product.

matttrax

DenSter wrote:

The reason why this happens is because MSFT requires partners to be certified in the current version of their products.

Exactly...you wouldn't want a partner who was only certified on 2.0 to implement the RTC for NAV 2009. Microsoft needs a way, even a flawed way, to say that their partners are capable of implementing the products they put out. Certifications on supported versions are about the only way to do that.

The reverse also holds true. Just because a version is no longer supported by Microsoft doesn't mean there aren't customers on that version. To say that no partner or person is certified on an outdated version doesn't make any sense. It's not 1984, they can't change the fact that at some point in time you were certified on a specific version of a specific product.

DenSter

matttrax wrote:

Microsoft needs a way, even a flawed way, to say that their partners are capable of implementing the products they put out. Certifications on supported versions are about the only way to do that.
<snipsnip>
It's not 1984, they can't change the fact that at some point in time you were certified on a specific version of a specific product.

True dat

jannestig

I thought that was controlled by your partner ranking, we recieved an email saying we would lose a gold partner status as a developers 3.x were no longer valid so we had to rush to do 3 exams the next week :S

matttrax

It is true that you will not be allowed to remain a partner if you do not stay certified on a current version. Still, does not take away the fact that at one time you were certified on 3.7.

And it shouldn't really. It's an extra selling point for you and Microsoft. Customer is hesitant about upgrading..."We're certified in your version (3.7) and the version you'll be upgraded to." Gives a sense that you've been with the product for a long time and know what you're doing.

I promise, Microsoft isn't going to take away certifications for specific exams. You passed MB7-222, you will always have passed MB7-222. It'll be on your transcript forever and ever. You want to stay an MBSP or Partner, then you need to keep up with them.

DenSter

jannestig wrote:

I thought that was controlled by your partner ranking, we recieved an email saying we would lose a gold partner status as a developers 3.x were no longer valid so we had to rush to do 3 exams the next week :S

If you want to be Gold partner, you have to be certified on the current version. That does not mean that the older version certifications are no longer valid.

If you have a cert on 3.6 then that is still valid today, even though it does not count toward gold status anymore.

matttrax

DenSter wrote:

If you want to be Gold partner, you have to be certified on the current version

Not current, but supported. All of my 4.0 certs still count. They probably won't count within the next two years. I know what you mean, but want it to be clear for everyone.

DenSter

matttrax wrote:

Not current, but supported

Yes that's what I mean by 'current'. Until support is retired for any version, that version is current.

You probably thought that I meant 'latest'