Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD)

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - Overview

Our seven-day Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) program is appropriate for professionals who use Microsoft technologies to develop and maintain department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services or work in teams developing enterprise applications.

The Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) for Microsoft .NET 1.1 credential is aimed at developers who use Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework to develop, deploy, and maintain department-level applications and components for Microsoft Windows and the Web. These developers also build enterprise solutions incorporating data services and XML Web services.

The MCAD Certification validates job roles that include tasks such as building, testing, and supporting Windows and Web applications built on the Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework, and .NET connected applications and services. Individuals working in this job role typically have at least one to two years of relevant work experience. The MCAD certification is appropriate for programmers, software analysts, and software developers.

To earn the MCAD credential, candidates are expected to have one to two years of relevant work experience or the equivalent in these functions. Typical job titles include programmer, program manager, and software applications specialist. As a MCAD for Microsoft .NET candidate, you will be required to pass two core exams and one elective exam in your area of specialization.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - Benefits

Reasons for Microsoft MCAD certification include career advancement, personal improvement, skills enhancement, and higher salaries. Certification garners industry recognition of your knowledge and proficiency with Microsoft most current products and technologies.

Technical certification is a sound investment in your career. Although certification does not guarantee success, research has shown that it can have a significant impact on:

Morale and confidence
Efficiency and productivity on the job
Monetary rewards
Career advancement

Other accelerated training providers rely heavily on lecture and independent self-testing and study.

Effective technical instruction must be highly varied and interactive to keep attention levels high, promote camaraderie and teamwork between the students and instructor, and solidify knowledge through hands-on learning.

Firebrand Training provides instruction to meet every learning need, including

Intensive group instruction
One-on-one instruction attention
Hands-on labs
Lab partner and group exercises
Question and answer drills
Independent study

This information has been provided as a helpful tool for candidates considering certification. Benefits of certification determined through studies do not guarantee any particular personal successes. Firebrand Training provides a guarantee of obtaining certification at the camp, but does not make any guarantees about personal successes or benefits of obtaining certification.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - Curriculum

Education Schedule

Microsoft Windows based Application Development
Microsoft ASP.NET Application Development
Developing Component-Based Applications Using Microsoft .NET Enterprise Services

Exam Schedule

Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (70-306)
or
Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (70-316)
Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (70-305)
or
Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (70-315)
Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework (70-310)
or
Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# and the Microsoft .NET Framework (70-320)

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - Exam Track

Certification candidates must pass three or more certification exams to earn MCAD certification. The exams provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise.

Web Application Development

Exam 70-305 - Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
Exam 70-315 - Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

Windows Application Development

Exam 70-306 - Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio
Exam 70-316 - Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio

Web Services and Server Components

Exam 70-310 - Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework
Exam 70-320 - Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - What's Included

Firebrand Training offers top-quality technical education and certification training in an all-inclusive course package specifically designed for the needs and ease of our students. We attend to every detail so our students can focus solely on their studies and certification goals.

Our Certification Programs includes

Intensive Hands-on Training Utilising our (Lecture | Lab | Review)^TM Delivery
Comprehensive Study Materials, Program Courseware and Self-Testing Software
Fully instructor-led program with 24 hour lab access
Examination vouchers *
On site testing **
Accommodation, All Meals, Beverages, and Snacks
Transportation to/from designated local railway stations
Examination Passing Policy

Please note

* Exam vouchers for our (ISC)2 certifications need to be purchased directly from (ISC)2
** On site testing is not included in our ISACA, or ITIL Managers and Revision Certifications

Our instructors teach to accommodate every student's learning needs through individualised instruction, hands-on labs, lab partner and group exercises, independent study, self-testing, and question/answer drills.

Firebrand Training has dedicated, well-equipped educational facilities where you will attend instruction and labs and have access to comfortable study and lounging rooms. Our students consistently say our facilities are second-to-none.

Examination Passing Policy

Should a student complete a Firebrand Training Program without having successfully passed all vendor examinations, the student may re-attend that program for a period of one year. Students will only be responsible for accommodations and vendor exam fees.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) - Prerequisites

Suggested Experience (VB and C# Tracks)

All MCAD candidate should have at least one year of work experience developing and/or maintaining department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services.

Some basic knowledge of .NET, for example: "Have installed Visual Studio .NET and become familiarised with it over the course of a week.", and/or, "Have used Visual Studio (Visual Interdev) to create components using ASP, C# or VB Script"

Visual Basic Track

VB 5 or 6 experience including creating and using classes to build Windows based, Web based, or component based applications.

Alternative knowledge in a different object-oriented language is also acceptable, but some Visual Basic (not VBA) coding experience is advisable.

C# Track

For developers intending to sit the C# exams, you must be competent with the C# language syntax before attending the course. In addition practical knowledge of another object orientated language (such as C, C++ or Java) if the candidate does not have hands-on experience with C#.

Firebrand Training staff interview all potential students regarding their technical background, degrees and certifications held, and personal fortitude. This screening process ensures a successful match between the customer and Firebrand Training toward accelerated training and certification.

Firebrand Training is an aggressive training environment. You must have an attitude aimed for success. The above prerequisites are guidelines, but many students with less experience have other background or traits that have enabled their success in accelerated training through Firebrand Training.

Certified Application Developer (MCAD) Testimonials

"The food was exceptional, the staff friendly and courteous, and the trainer was very knowledgeable, transforming frustrating Microsoft text into clear methods and processes."
MT, National Leadership & Innovation Agency for Healthcare, Wales.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (12/3/2007 to 18/3/2007)

"Friendly instructor who really knew his stuff and was helpful and encouraging."
Charles Brereton, CMS Ltd..
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (5/7/2004 to 11/7/2004)

"Firebrand* provided an optimal environment in which to focus on achieving my certification. If you want to work hard to get the job done this is the place to do it."
Stuart Kingham, Bank of New York.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (8/1/2007 to 14/1/2007)

"The food was exceptional, the staff friendly and courteous, and the trainer was very knowledgeable, transforming frustrating Microsoft text into clear methods and processes."
MT, National Leadership & Innovation Agency for Healthcare, Wales.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (12/3/2007 to 18/3/2007)

"By far the best training environment I have been at. By totally immersing yourself in this type of course you are able to absorb the most amount of information in the time allowed. Everything is taken care of, all you need to do is concentrate on the course. You'll meet like minded individuals which leads to a unique opportunity to learn from peers as well as instructors and indulge in those ultra-technical conversation that sometimes the workplace doesn't offer. You'll be tired and your brain creaking from the sheer volume of infomation by the end but it really is a very rewarding experience."
Matthew Crudgington, Contractor.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (1/5/2006 to 7/5/2006)

"An insane week of learning."
Peter Redmond, NHS.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (12/3/2007 to 18/3/2007)

"The hardest I have ever been pushed but I pulled through and passed."
Anon.,
Inter-Group Insurance Services.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (10/10/2005 to 16/10/2005)

"I found this course a great way to prepare for the MCAD exams. The instructor used a mixture of theory and real-world examples to clearly explain all of the concepts for the exams. The self-test software used on the course really helped you to go into the exam with confidence. I already had quite a bit of .NET experience, but there's always more you can learn!"
AM, Charteris.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (6/12/2004 to 12/12/2004)

"I needed to gain my MCSD qualification, but I had no time to study for it. Firebrand* was the answer. "
Barry Connor, Nowcasting Systems.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (29/5/2006 to 4/6/2006)

"I came here with very little exposure to .NET and know exposure to c#. My instructor, the evironment and the course structure enable me to come away an MCAD."
P.B, Land Securities.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (20/6/2005 to 26/6/2005)

"MCAD in a week - And what a week it was. 18 hours a day for 7 days including 3 exams. The course provided extensive coverage of the .Net framework in both C# and VB. The labs give simple scenarios to exercise and extend knowledge of the material presented in the lectures. Well done Doug for cramming so much into so little time. "
anon, LogicaCMG.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (7/6/2004 to 13/6/2004)

"Firebrand* is an excellent track to gaining your certification. I came in with the attitude to work hard and pass and the camp facilitates everything else. The course was focused on gaining knowledge and as long as you do the recommended work, you are assured of passing. The lecturer was a knowledegable and clear instuctor and continually provided gems of wisdom throughout the course. I recommend Firebrand* to anyone serious about getting certified!"
Pareen Daya, Elan Computing.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (23/5/2005 to 29/5/2005)

"Very very intensive and they work you hard but very very good. I learnt a lot. "
Tim Kempton, EC Harris.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (28/3/2005 to 3/4/2005)

"An exhausting, grueling but ultimately highly valuable and stimulating experience. Doug is a brilliant tutor, knows this stuff inside out and somehow managed to keep my attention for up to 12 hours a day. All in all a great and challenging experience, helped by the fact that I am now a MCAD. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to pass MCAD"
Andrew Miller, Self-employed.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (5/7/2004 to 11/7/2004)

"A very good course."
Jim Thomas, Compucraft Data Ltd..
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (28/2/2005 to 6/3/2005)

"Whatever you read on the website about hardwork is not to be underestimated. For a one week course you put in the work of three weeks. You MUST want to do this course or you will be in for a shock. the i nstructor is unbelievable, fantastic breadth of knowledge and everyday experience to put it into the right context for your learning. I cannot recommend Firebrand* enough( if you don't mind hard work that is )."
Mark Marshall, The Maersk Company Ltd.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (7/11/2005 to 13/11/2005)

"I learnt an awful amount on the course. The pace of training, delivery of content and facilities were excellent. The week was far tougher than I had expected but having achieved the MCAD certification, I am totally happy with the whole experience. One thing I would say to potential students is that this is nothing like any other training course that I have attended. You have to be totally focussed, 100% of the time (which in my case amounted to around 120 hours in 7 days) but, if you can give that amount of commitment, you will enjoy, and pass, the course."
Vincent Larkin, Barclays Bank.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (27/9/2004 to 3/10/2004)

"Doug Rees is the best instructor I have come across. The lessons were very well structured and focussed. You will learn more in 7 days then you would think possible. I enjoyed myself and also got my MCAD but this was the hardest and most exhausting 7 days of my life (12+ hours days + 4 hours self study!). Not for the faint hearted! "
Peter Clifton, Accenture.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (2/8/2004 to 8/8/2004)

"If you want to learn a subject that you have never even looked at before, then believe me when you leave here you will know everything about it. You may not pass the exams - this does not matter - you will be able to retake them almost immediately after you have left the course - just make sure you have a few good nights sleep first! If you are already familiar with your subject you should easily pass the exams. If you do the C# / vb.net development MCAD course then be prepared to see it in both languages - this can be a bit difficult to get your head around. Make sure you know sql before you attend - this is very heavily biased towards that language. Overall, if you don't have much time and you want to be in a good position to take your exams, then this is the place to be."
Marion Standing, N/A.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (8/1/2007 to 14/1/2007)

"It was one of the hardest things I had done in a long time, but I don´t think I would have learnt this much in six months on the job. Definitely worth all the effort."
Marc Nicol, Self Employed.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (16/10/2006 to 22/10/2006)

"Had a great week. Very happy with the results! "
Alastair Vance, Clinical Trial Service; Zest Audio.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (29/5/2006 to 4/6/2006)

"MCAD in a week - And what a week it was. 18 hours a day for 7 days including 3 exams. The course provided extensive coverage of the .Net framework in both C# and VB. The labs give simple scenarios to exercise and extend knowledge of the material presented in the lectures. Well done Doug for cramming so much into so little time. "
anon, LogicaCMG.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (7/6/2004 to 13/6/2004)

"The MCAD requirements are significant. Without the help of Firebrand* I would not have succeeded. The instructor was excellent and the facilities were just what I needed. I would fully recommend it to anyone with the motivation to spend 7 days doing nothing but studying."
Derek Askew, Myself.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (5/12/2005 to 11/12/2005)

"What a fantastic fun learning week!! The course was intensive and the instructor was outstanding. I learned so much at Firebrand* and earned my MCAD in just 7 days."
Pete Owens, AstraZeneca.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (19/1/2004 to 25/1/2004)

"I passed. Hurrah! I'd been studying on my own for a couple of months, and was running out of steam, and Firebrand* helped to pull it together. The instructor, Doug Rees was clear, articulate, and kept things moving. I wouldn't want to try this course cold, with no preparation or experience, but it's an excellent way to get yourself over the finish line. You should have worked a bit with Visual Studio, certainly."
Tom GORRIE, Toronto District School Board.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (28/4/2003 to 4/5/2003)

"Seven hard learning days that are very effective. If you want to learn most of a stuff - in the shortest time - go to Firebrand*. You can also learn that TV is not really necessary for life ;-)"
Uwe Gieb, gieb.net.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (11/12/2006 to 17/12/2006)

"The instructor at Firebrand* comes from a strong technical background, who can help students tackle real-world scenario and has excellent focused-teaching technique that will help you succeed in the training. The idyllic environment of Firebrand*, courteous staff and excellent food makes it the perfect place to concentrate on gaining that important qualification."
Shirley Ee, Royal Institute of British Architects.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (10/10/2005 to 16/10/2005)

"The training provided by Firebrand* was first rate and helped make the process of learning three courses worth of material in one week achievable. The instuctor was able to quickly address any problem presented as he had considerable real world experience at using the technology. All in all definately extremely hard work but worth it!"
Jason Williams, AstraZeneca.
Microsoft MCAD (7 Days) (21/11/2005 to 27/11/2005)