If you’re looking to get into a new career in IT or just increase your skills, Microsoft wants to help you do it for free. Right now, the Windows maker is offering select certification examinations for free when you complete one of the company’s Microsoft Build Cloud Skills Challenge. There are a total of eight challenges to choose from with one of 11 Microsoft Certification exams as your free reward. The promotional event opened on May 24, the first day of the Build 2022 Conference. You have until June 21, 2022 at 16:00 UTC to complete a challenge and claim your reward. Regardless of how many challenges you complete, Microsoft is offering only one free certification exam per person.
If you’re not familiar, Microsoft Certifications is part of the company’s program to make sure that IT professionals have the requisite skills to maintain various products in corporate environments. Certification exams usually cost around $165. To get your free credit, you have to start by choosing one of the challenges from the Cloud Skills Challenge page. These challenges include Azure Developer, Azure Cosmos DB Developer, Data and AI: Who Hacked?, and much more. After picking the challenge you want to do, sign-up with Microsoft Learn using your Microsoft Account and begin.
Once you’re done, Microsoft will contact you via email with details about redeeming your free certification. These free credits come with an expiry date, as you have to take your exam by December 31, 2022. Microsoft says there are 11 different exams you can take with your free credit including AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution, PL-100: Microsoft Power Platform App Maker, AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure, and much more.
If you want to build up your skills and save a little money in the process, today is a good day to start.
Author: Ian Paul, Contributor
Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has never met a tech subject he didn't like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he's not covering the news he's working on how-to tips for PC users, or tuning his eGPU setup.