The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification (AZ-900) is an entry-level exam, introducing Azure to technical and non-technical people. The test covers a range of general cloud concepts and Microsoft products. This exam gives students a firm foundation to continue learning Microsoft Azure and to participate in the infrastructure shift from on-premises to the cloud.
The Azure Fundamentals exam is about 35 questions with a 60-minute time limit. They are a mix of drop-down, drag and drop, and multiple-choice questions.
2020 will go down in history as the year that changed the world. A global pandemic forced everyone to stay indoors, employers were forced to embrace work-from-home, and companies that supported employees had to respond. One industry that responded quickly was certification. Pearson Vue had already allowed some certification to be taken at home, but now most major technology vendors got on board. This opens up a new world of opportunity and a degree of accessibility that benefits everyone in the IT industry.
As I’ve stated before, I highly value certification. I think they provide a good goal and can encourage someone to dig deep and learn features of a technology they may have never looked into otherwise. I recently had a discussion which started with the question “can certifications make a career?”
The even split came down to “yes, they prove your knowledge” and “no, it’s too easy to cheat for them to be valuable”.
VMware recently announced a 2 week availability for the VCAP6-DCV Deploy beta. After some debate I signed up to sit the exam on June 28, 2016. They provide a beta version of the blueprint so I started there to see what had changed from my VCAP5-DCA 5.5 blueprint and notes. I made some quick notes and want to share them here.
As a disclaimer my list is quick first pass.
Being in technology is hard. You have multiple priorities, projects, implementation, and break-fix issues that come your way. If you’re anything like me you want to fix everything and sometimes something could slip through the cracks. It happens to everyone occasionally and we’re all human.
I spend a significant amount of time trying to stop that from happening to me. Being a successful technician and team member means you try to mitigate missing priorities.
I don’t have a degree in Information Technology or in Computer Science. I’ve occasionally entertained going back to school to formally cement my education but never taken that step. Since I don’t have that education I’ve always looked to certification as a way to “prove my worth.” Some people may argue that certifications are just paper and aren’t worth anything, however I strongly disagree. I feel having a focus and a goal to work toward sharpens my continued education.
