MTA :
IT Starts Here.
Invest Big Without making a Big Investment!
Microsoft makes it easier for academic institutions to build and
deliver technology education with a simple, convenient, and
affordable suite of entry-level technology certifications.
MTA Overview
What is Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)?
MTA is a new, entry-level certification that validates the fundamental technology knowledge that
students need to start building a career in Microsoft technologies.
7 initial titles on Developer, IT Pro, and Database high-demand topics.
9 initial languages: English, Spanish, S. Chinese, T. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, Russian, Br.
Portuguese
Why did Microsoft create MTA?
To provide a solid career foundation to students and enable career exploration.
To provide an education solution for teachers including learning and an industry-recognized credential.
To lower the barriers to entry to the Microsoft Certification Program by providing a stepping stone to our
professional certification.
Who is MTA for?
MTA is exclusively for academic customers: Technology-focused high schools and higher ed. Institutions.
Driven by Certiport partners and Microsoft’s Public Sector, Education and Evangelism teams in the field.
How is MTA delivered?
Delivered by Certiport via internet-based platform allowing unprecedented testing flexibility.
Educators empowered as proctors.
Accompanying MTA Exam Review Kits provided to facilitate curriculum adoption.
Microsoft Certification Program
Information Worker
IT Pro and Developer
Productivity Certifications
Technology Certifications
Master Series
Advanced Series
Overall comprehension and deep
expertise of Microsoft Office. Requires
Word Expert, Excel Expert, PowerPoint,
and Outlook or Access exams.
IT architects who have completed a
rigorous industry-driven peer
validation process.
Expert Series
Advanced skills in specific Microsoft
Office applications. Requires passing
either Word Expert or Excel Expert.
Specialist Series
Validates core skills with the
Microsoft Office suite.
Includes exams in Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Access, Outlook,
Project, and SharePoint.
IT experts with demonstrated
mastery of a product through hands
on lab based testing.
Professional Series
Comprehensive set of
skills required to be
successful on the job.
Technology Series
In-depth skills working
with Microsoft
technologies.
Associate Series
Fundamental knowledge for
students to start building a
successful career in technology.
Path from MTA to MCTS to IT Jobs
• One MTA exam = One MTA certification
• MTA exams are not pre-requisite to each other or to MCTS exams
What Does MTA Test?
Software Developer and Database Titles
98-361: Software Developer
Fundamentals
 Understanding core programming
 Understanding object-oriented programming
 Understanding general software development
 Understanding web applications
 Understanding desktop applications
 Understanding databases
98-363: Web Developer Fundamentals
 Programming web applications
 Working with data and services
 Troubleshooting and debugging web
applications
 Working with client-side scripting
 Configuring and deploying web applications
98-362: Windows Developer
Fundamentals
 Understanding Windows programming basics
 Creating Windows Forms applications
 Creating WPF applications
 Creating Windows Services applications
 Accessing data in a Windows Forms
application
 Deploying Windows application
98-364: Database Admin. Fundamentals
 Understanding core database concepts
 Creating database objects
 Manipulating data
 Understanding data storage
 Administering a database
Exams were defined based on career tracks with high demand in the industry. Specific topics were designed by
MSL experts and vetted with college instructors.
What Does MTA Test?
IT Pro Titles
98-365: Windows Server Admin.
Fundamentals
 Understanding server installation
 Understanding server roles
 Understanding Active Directory
 Understanding storage
 Understanding server performance
management
 Understanding server maintenance
98-366: Networking Fundamentals
 Understanding network infrastructures
o Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, WAN,
wireless, topologies, access methods
 Understanding network hardware
o Switches, routers, media types
 Understanding protocols and services
o OSI model, IPv4, IPv6, names resolution,
networking services, TCP/IP
98-367: Security Fundamentals
 Understanding security layers
 Understanding operating system security
 Understanding network security
 Understanding security software
Exams were defined based on career tracks with high demand in the industry. Specific topics were designed by
MSL experts and vetted with college instructors.
New Titles for 2011
98-349: Windows Operating System
Fundamentals
 Understanding Operating System
Configurations
 Installing and Upgrading Client Systems
 Managing Applications
 Managing Files and Folders
 Managing Devices
 Understanding Operating System Maintenance
98-372: Microsoft.NET Fundamentals
 Understanding .NET Framework Concepts
 Understanding Namespaces and Classes in
the .NET Framework
 Understanding .NET Code Compilation
 Understanding I/O Classes in the .NET
Framework
MTA Campus License
•
•
•
•
One-year license that includes up to 1,000 MTA exams.
Exams delivered in any computer with internet access in the campus.
Educators empowered to deliver exams to their students at anytime.
Unlimited access to MTA Exam Review Kits.
Two
Campuses
= Two
Licenses
Getting Started
Register as a Proctor with Certiport. Instructions are available on
www.certiport.com
Create a proctor pool: Building a strong community of certification exam
proctors at your school helps to ensure the support and longevity of your
certification offering. Proctor members can become your technology and
certification council and provide flexibility and support for one another.
Objective Domain Mapping
1.
2.
3.
•
Take the MTA exam yourself. Have a Certiport peer proctor administer an
MTA exam to you. This is the best way to familiarize yourself with the
student experience and exam content
Send students to http://www.microsoft.com/click/areyoucertifiable/ to
practice their knowledge and challenge their peers to a game of AYC! MTA
game questions are based on MTA exam objectives
4.
5.
•
6.
Map the MTA exam objective domains to the content you are currently teaching. Use
your Certification Exam Review Kits to prepare students for any exam content not
covered by your existing curriculum.
Have your students register at http://dreamspark.com to download full versions of
Microsoft software and to find more student resources from Microsoft
Have students register for the exam a few days prior to administering it.
This will ensure that all students are ready to take the exam in a single
class period. (Exams are 50 minutes)
ERK’s = Certification Exam Review Kits
MTA Student Study Guides:
IT Pro Edition / Developer and Database Edition
Available in print ready
or study ready format
Download free of charge at: www.certiport.com/mrl
MTA Exam Review Kits
Developed by MS Learning, MTA Exam Review Kits are collections of 20 (50 minute)
review lessons covering the topics of each individual MTA exam. They are offered as a
free digital download to MTA customers.
Course syllabus
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•
•
•
Learning objectives
Unit scope and sequence
Pacing chart
A mapping of the unit learning activities to the MTA exam objectives
Instructor materials
• Lesson plans for each day of instruction
• Presentation slides for each day of instruction
• Annotated speaker notes for each slide
Content delivery resources including
• Occasional class demonstrations
• Occasional interactive whole-class sessions
• Guides for occasional discussions to foster dialogue about key topics
Student learning materials including
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•
•
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Instructor presentation slides
In-class exercises (including the code for those exercises)
Practical out-of-class work
Labs as appropriate
Student assessment materials
•End-of-lesson/sub-unit questions and answers
Microsoft Official Academic Courseware available from Wiley Publishing
5 Scenarios you might encounter
1.The
perfect fit – course maps exactly to the OD
a bit off – course is incomplete for some elements
of some ODs
2.Just
3.Pieces
missing – course completely misses some ODs
alignment at all – but instructor wants to provide
MTA Certification opportunity
4.No
study – Instructor wants to offer MTA as
independent study or to a small group
5.Independent
*OD refers to overall exam objective domain
Scenario 1: Perfect Fit
Course maps to the complete set of ODs
Use the ERK as a review tool
 Use all of the lessons as classroom activities
 Use those lessons in which students need the most review
 Assign lessons as out-of-class activities
 Mix and match to fit the needs of individual students
 Use as an individual study guide
Scenario 2: Just a bit off
Course is incomplete for some ODs
Use the ERK as a basis for new learning
 Select portions of the lessons to introduce new concepts
 Use the structure of the lesson to build a more complete and
robust lesson
 Refer to the “Microsoft resources and Web links” as tools
 And, use the sections that match as a review tool
Scenario 3: Pieces missing
Course completely misses a few ODs
Use ERK as a starting point to create new units
 Expand the activities to more completely introduce and teach
the new concepts
 The “Microsoft resources and Web links” section provides
sources for content
 Use the review lesson as a culminating review activity
 And, use the sections that match as a review tool
Scenario 4: No alignment at all
Instructor wants to provide MTA course
Use as a starting point to create a new course
 Develop new course that matches the OD
 Combine the OD and the content in the review lessons to build
or select courseware
 Use the review lesson as a culminating review activity to
measure the effectiveness of the new course
Scenario 5: Independent study
MTA as independent study or to a small group
Provide the ERK to students as study guides
 Enable motivated students in a class to prepare for the exam
independently or in a study group
 Provided ERKs to guide their learning and/or review
 Instructor schedules a convenient time to administer the exam
on the school campus and provides proctoring
MTA Courseware and Additional Resources
Vendor Courseware
• Wiley, CCI
MeasureUp Practice Tests
MTA Student Study Guides
• Available free at www.certiport.com/mta
AreYouCertifiable (AYC) Practice Game (no charge online game)
• http://www.microsoft.com/click/areyoucertifiable
www.microsoft.com/learning/mta
•Prep Guides and Learning Plans
www.certiport.com/mta
•Marketing materials, become a test center, purchase a license
MTA :
IT Starts Here.