The MCDBA certification does not retire but newer versions of it may be released as technology changes. There are no specific prerequisites for the MCDBA, although Microsoft recommends that you have “at least one year of experience working with SQL Server.” As soon as candidates pass their first qualifying exam for the MCDBA program, they achieve a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification. Moreover, if a candidate takes an elective exam with a development slant, he or she will be that much closer to an MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer) or MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer) certification.

To achieve the MCDBA, a candidate must pass a total of four exams: three core and one elective.

Job roles of those pursuing this certification generally include: database administrators, database analysts, database developers.