Microsoft SQL Server Developer Certification Paths

If you are a Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL developer, you might want to show your skills and knowledge on MS SQL Server development. One way is to take a Microsoft SQL Server development exam like 70-433, 70-451 or 70-454 in order to gain credits to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Development certifications.

There are two Microsoft certifications for candidates who want to walk on the SQL Server 2008 Database Development path.

First certification is MCTS certification which is the entry level certification on MS SQL Server database development. The second certification is an MCITP certification. It is an advanced certification when compared with MCTS level database development certification and requires additional skills.

Here is the two Microsoft SQL Server 2008 certifications for database developers:
MCTS : SQL Server 2008, Database Development Certification, and
MCITP : Database Developer 2008 Certification.

And the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Certification Exams that gives credit for SQL Server Database Development/Developer Certifications are :
EXAM 70-433 TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development,
EXAM 70-451 PRO: Designing Database Solutions and Data Access Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008, and
EXAM 70-454 Upgrade: Transition your MCITP Database Developer Skills to MCITP Database Developer 2008

MCTS : SQL Server 2008, Database Development Certification

MCTS : SQL Server 2008, Database Development Certification is the first database development certification for tsql developers.
In order to gain a MCTS : SQL Server 2008, Database Development Certification, an sql developer should take and pass EXAM 70-433 - TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development.
70-433 exam is the only and required exam to get the MCTS SQL Server 2008 Database Development certification.

As a developer taking MCTS SQL Server 2008 Database Development certification exam 70-433, basically you will be tested on the following topics:
Tables and Views, (WITH ENCRYPTION, GRANT, DENY, REVOKE, indexes, PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, FILESTREAM, MERGE, Partition functions, etc.)
Programming Objects, (table-valued parameters, user defined functions, DML triggers, CLR, TRY CATCH, TRANSACTION, etc.)
Query Fundamentals, (Output Clause, merge statement, aggregate functions, etc.)
Additional Query Techniques, (CTE - common table expression, recursive cte, dense rank, row_number, partition by, collations, etc.)
Additional SQL Server Components, (Database Mail, full-text search, PowerShell, SMO, Service Broker, etc.)
XML Data, (FOR XML, XQUERY, XPATH, OPENXML, sp_xml_preparedocument, sp_xml_removedocument, etc.)
Gathering Performance Information, (execution plans, SHOWPLAN, SQL Server Profiler, Database Engine Tuning Advisor, Dynamic Management Views - DMVs, catalog views, etc)

For more details on SQL Server 2008 development skills measured on 70-433 exam, please refer to Microsoft Learning web site.

If you know the basic sql query methods, and keep track on what is new with MS SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 you will be successfull in Microsoft Certification Exam 70-433 Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development exam. I strongly recommend candidates who wants to get certified with MCTS : SQL Server 2008, Database Development Certification, please try to use different features of your SQL Server 2008 database server. If you ask me what are these SQL Server 2008 features, please check database mail, XML, CTE statements, Merge command, Ranking functions, etc. Keep your hands on every part of your SQL Server instances and check out T-SQL web sites for learning new things and methods from others.

So one last note for 70-433 exam and Database Development MCTS certification.
One exam = One certification
Do not forget, if you pass EXAM 70-433 TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development, you will automatically gain the MCTS SQL Server 2008, Database Development certification.
It is worth to take Exam 70-433 one of the SQL Server 2008 Certification Exams for database developers to get certified their skills on SQL Server database development.

MCITP : Database Developer 2008 Certification

MCITP : Database Developer 2008 Certification is a higher level certification among SQL Server certifications for t-sql developers.