New Microsoft Certified Fundamentals portal for those who want to earn their first certification

As I already mentioned here in the post, the Fundamentals tests are more theoretical than the Associate tests, requiring more theory than real day-to-day scenarios and more generic, not delving too deeply into a specific technology. In general, the target audience for the Fundamentals certification are students who wish to enter the job market through an internship and are looking for a way to stand out, or even JR analysts who seek to demonstrate to their company that they are seeking to improve and study more.

For sure! Regardless of your career level, I believe that a certification is always welcome. Just above, I mentioned the target audience for the Fundamentals certification.

If you are a student and are now entering the job market, this is definitely the first certification test you should seek, as it is more theoretical and the test is not so complicated. This helps a lot to learn more about how the certification process works and what Microsoft's tests are like.

I've had some acquaintances who, in their first test, tried to take an Associate test without having much experience in the subject. These people didn't do very well on the test and were somewhat afraid of certification tests. For this reason, I always recommend that anyone who is starting to try to obtain their certifications starts with Fundamentals.

If you already have a high degree of knowledge and experience and are now looking to specialize in certifications, I recommend obtaining the Associate/Expert titles and then, if you want, pursuing the Fundamentals certification. A fundamentals certification doesn't really add much to the CV of someone who already has another Associate certification, but I usually say that certification is addictive (and it really is! lol), so it's something to think about when you already have all the certifications you're aiming for.

The Fundamentals test is Microsoft's first certification test and the easiest, recommended for people who are starting their careers and are still familiarizing themselves with technology, and therefore, there is no prerequisite for taking it. Anyone can take this test. With just 1 test, you already obtain the Fundamentals certification in the desired area of ​​activity.

The fundamentals test is NOT a requirement for the Associate exams, so you can take the Associate exams without taking the fundamentals test. But I recommend taking the fundamentals test so you can start testing yourself, getting to know the style of the questions, the style of the test, and feeling more confident about trying to take an Associate test, where the level of the questions will be much higher.

As you know, all Microsoft certification tests are charged in dollars (US). The cost of the Fundamentals test is 60 dollars, while an Associate test costs 100 dollars. Microsoft gives this small discount to encourage people to obtain this certification and also to reduce the cost a little for a student, who is largely the target audience for the Fundamentals certification.

As the companies that offer the exams are American (Certiport and PearsonVue), the test can only be paid for using an international credit card under Visa, MasterCard, American Express or JCB. If you don't have one, there are several companies that offer cards with no annual fees and fees, such as NuBank and Banco Inter. You can also opt for an international prepaid credit card (you don't even need a bank account), such as the PagSeguro Prepaid Card. In other words, no excuses for postponing your certification test... lol

It is worth remembering that Verified students receive FREE Fundamentals exam vouchers.

Yes! Maybe yes!

The vast majority of Microsoft certification tests have several languages ​​to choose from, and one of them is Portuguese (PT-BR). This helps a lot when the person taking the exam does not have proficiency in the original language of the test, which is English, especially because the test texts tend to be a little long and
the person may end up getting confused.

However, beta tests, or even recently launched official tests, usually do not have multi-language options at the beginning. They take a few months to be translated and this can prevent you, who don't know English, from taking these tests for a long time.

Furthermore, I need to tell you that in some cases, the tests in Portuguese can even confuse you, since the technical terms are also translated.

Some examples:
– Stored Procedure
– View
– Trigger
– Job
– Sending logs (Log Shipping)

However, I have to warn you that English is ESSENTIAL, not only to take certification tests, but throughout your career in the IT area. The overwhelming majority of technical books and articles are generally in English, many technical terms are still in English, and most IT giants are in the US.

That said, it's difficult to find an excellent IT professional who doesn't at least know how to read texts in English. If you don't already have this skill, don't waste any more time! Get started TODAY studying English, for the sake of your career.

If you are a student, check to see if the school is established as a Certiport or PearsonVue testing center and registered to administer Foundations exams. If so, your teacher or supervisor can send the exam to you.

If you are not a student, Microsoft certification tests can be taken in 2 environments (described below). You will choose whether to take the test at home or at an official training center when scheduling the test, where the website itself shows you which training center is closest to you.

• Official training center: One of the places to take a certification test is at an official training center. These locations, Microsoft partners, usually offer official training and also provide a structure for the general public to take their certification tests.

  The tests must be scheduled in advance (I explained in the previous question) and are taken on a computer connected to the Internet, with cameras in the room and an instructor on site. Your belongings, including bags, backpacks and cell phones, must be collected before the start of the test, and removed by you only at the end of the exam.

  The entire structure is the responsibility of the company and in case of any problem, they must help you resolve it immediately.

• Your home: Another option for those who do not want to travel to a training center, whether due to convenience, lack of time or even because they live very far from one, is to take the test in the comfort of their home.

  Although this option may seem very comfortable at first, I must warn you that it has a series of rules to make it an interesting and really practical option:
  – A Microsoft employee will monitor you throughout the exam using a Webcam or cell phone with the camera turned on.
  – You will have to show the entire place in your house where you will take the exam, so that they can make sure that the place does not have anything against the rules and policies of the exam, such as a camera or paper with notes and tips, and you may be asked to remove objects from the place where you will take the test.
  – No one from your household will be able to appear in the camera images or speak to you during the test.
  – If the internet connection drops or there is a problem with your computer, the test is over for you, with no right to retake (just pay again)

To take the Microsoft certification tests, the first step is to have a Microsoft account and email (outlook.live.com).

Once you have your Microsoft account, you must go to the exam page you want to take and schedule the date and time you would like to take the test with the Microsoft partner that carries out the tests (Certiport or PearsonVue). On the website, you will choose the training center closest to you (or you can arrange to do it at home) and the payment method.

On the scheduled day, simply show up at the indicated location with a photo ID.

Below are the Fundamentals exam pages to begin the process of scheduling and booking the test:

• Azure Fundamentals: Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned professional, mastering the basics of Microsoft Azure can help you jumpstart your career and prepare you to delve into the many technical opportunities that Azure offers. The certification validates your basic knowledge of cloud services and how those services are delivered with Azure. Candidates must demonstrate a basic understanding of cloud concepts, as well as Azure services, workloads, security, privacy, pricing, and support.
• Azure AI Fundamentals: Master the basics of AI on Azure and gain the foundation to advance your career in this exciting field. This certification demonstrates your knowledge of common AI and machine learning workloads and the Azure services needed to run them. Recommended for early-career AI professionals and aspiring students.
• Azure Data Fundamentals: Take the next step in your cloud career by learning the fundamental concepts you need to confidently contribute to an organization's data-driven decision-making and processes. Topics include relational data, non-relational data, big data, and analytics. Recommended for early-career data management professionals and aspiring students.
• Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals: Enhance your knowledge across a variety of cybersecurity topics and build a foundation for advanced certifications that prepare you for in-demand roles in security operations, identity and access management, and information protection. Recommended for early-career IT security professionals and aspiring students.
• Power Platform Fundamentals: Give yourself the power to solve business problems by understanding everything Power Platform products can do. From advanced data analysis and process automation to easy app creation and even chatbots, familiarize yourself with it all. Recommended for early-career business and technology professionals and aspiring students.
• Microsoft 365 Fundamentals: Enhance your understanding of Office apps, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, and everything Microsoft 365 has to offer. Prove your knowledge of modern tools that improve productivity and enhance collaboration in hybrid work environments with this hands-on certification. Recommended for early-career business and technology professionals and aspiring students.
• Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM): Gain extensive knowledge of Dynamics 365 customer engagement applications, including marketing and sales automation capabilities, operations, and support lifecycles, and validate your knowledge with this foundational certification. Recommended for early-career business and technology professionals and aspiring students.
• Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP): Show that you know what it takes to optimize finance and operations functions using the latest technology in Dynamics 365. With this certification, you will also highlight your understanding of how Dynamics 365 works together with other technology solutions. Recommended for early-career business and technology professionals and aspiring students.

To book the test, simply scroll down the page and click on this link marked on the certification you chose.

To study for the tests, just scroll down the page a little more and you will see the Learning Path, with all the content of the test you want to take. All of this, FOR FREE!