SharePoint Certifications and Expirations

So recently on the Twitter, the question appeared, “When do the SharePoint 2007 certifications expire.” My first thought was, “Well they don’t really expire, they’re just retired,” as I thought back to some of my Windows XP and Server 2003 certifications that were now lifted to the rafters of the Microsoft arena. After a little research it would appear that the SharePoint 2007 certifications expire on 30 September 2012 – the same time as mainstream support.

For more on this check out these couple of links out on the Microsoft Learning site:

• Discontinued Exams – http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/exam-dev.aspx#tab4

Certifications you have earned remain valid even if qualifying exams have been retired. When an exam you passed is retired, your transcript retains the record of the exam and identifies the exam as retired.

• MCTS FAQ – http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/mcts.aspx#tab3

Today, most of our Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) exams retire when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the related technology.

Thanks to Todd Klindt for the assist on the second piece of information regarding mainstream support timelines.