In today’s fast-moving tech world, staying relevant and showcasing your expertise is more important than ever. Microsoft offers two ways for professionals and learners to prove their capabilities: Microsoft Certifications and Microsoft Applied Skills. But what’s the difference between them, and which one is right for you? Let’s break it down.
What is a Microsoft Certification?
Microsoft Certifications are formal, industry-recognized credentials that validate your broad understanding of Microsoft technologies. Whether you’re an aspiring cloud administrator, developer, data analyst, or security engineer, these certifications help demonstrate that you have mastered key concepts, best practices, and technical knowledge.
Key features of Microsoft Certifications:
- Exam-based: Typically a 40–60 question exam with scenario-based questions, multiple choice, and case studies.
- Broad focus: Covers a wide range of topics for a specific role or technology (example: Azure Administrator or Microsoft 365 Fundamentals).
- Globally recognized: It’s a valuable addition to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Validity: Most certifications are valid for one year and can be renewed.
Example Certifications:
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
- Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals (PL-900)
What are Microsoft Applied Skills?
Microsoft Applied Skills are short, practical, scenario-based assessments that test your ability to perform a specific task or workflow in real-time. Instead of answering multiple-choice questions, you complete live tasks in a guided environment — proving that you can actually “do” the work.
Key features of Microsoft Applied Skills:
- Hands-on format: No MCQs — you perform live actions in a sandbox environment.
- Focused and task-specific: Each assessment focuses on one task, like “Deploy a website on Azure” or “Build a Power BI dashboard.”
- Quick achievement: Great for demonstrating real-world, practical abilities.
- Skills-based badge: You receive a digital badge that you can share on LinkedIn and with employers.
Example Applied Skills assessments:
- Deploy a website to Azure with Azure App Services
- Create and manage Power BI dashboards
- Configure security policies in Microsoft Entra
Which one should you choose?
- If you’re looking for career advancement, job credentials, or a recognized qualification — go for Microsoft Certifications.
- If you want to prove practical ability in a specific skill, strengthen your portfolio, or showcase task-based expertise — choose Microsoft Applied Skills.
Pro tip: They complement each other! Certifications show your broad knowledge, while Applied Skills demonstrate that you can get things done in the real world.
Conclusion
Both Microsoft Certifications and Applied Skills are powerful tools to showcase your knowledge and expertise. If you want to build a strong foundation and get recognized in the industry, pursue certifications. If you’re already learning or working on projects and want to prove your hands-on skills in specific areas, Applied Skills badges are a fantastic addition to your profile.
Why not aim for both and become unstoppable? 🚀
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