Microsoft introduces digital badges for Microsoft Certified Professionals

Microsoft has partnered with Acclaim to introduce Microsoft badges for Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) to achieve certain certifications or pass select exams.

Acclaim is an independent badging platform owned by the company’s test-delivery partner, Pearson VUE, and provides a way to manage, share, and verify one’s Microsoft Certifications. Acclaim uses the Open Badges standards defined by Mozilla to offer digital badges. The web-enabled representation of an individual’s Microsoft certifications is made of an image and metadata uniquely linked to the person, and can be shared online, embedded in a résumé, or included on an email signature.

The digital badges will allow professionals to easily share the details of their skills in a trusted and verifiable manner to explore opportunities for career advancement. With Microsoft badges, professionals can find out which employers are looking for individuals with their skills, discover what kind of salary to expect to earn with those skills, as well as search for new job opportunities associated with their certification.

For now, MCPs who pass select exams or achieve the certifications, on or after October 21, 2016, will receive badges. However, beginning in November 2016, badges will be retroactively issued to those who passed the exams or achieved the certifications prior to October 21, 2016. After this pilot badge program, Microsoft will share details of additional badges in January 2017.