Microsoft Learning Offers Another Nifty Exam Retake Promotion

It's a good thing for aspiring and present Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) that Microsoft Learning can never go too long without offering some new promotion or incentive to encourage program participation.

The previous thriving Booster Pack program expired at the end of August, so it's time for a new replacement to step in to fill those shoes. The new offering is called Exam Replay, and here's what it offers:

Exam Replay: Pay $230 (or local currency equivalent) for an exam voucher at the Pearson Mindhub store, and get a free retake on that exam if you don't pass on your first try. That's a $65 premium over the $165 base exam price, so it boils down to "retake included at 60 percent discount" when you pay for a full-price exam.

Exam Replay + Practice Test: Pay $265 (or local currency equivalent) for an exam voucher at the Pearson Mindhub store, and get a free retake plus a "Microsoft Official Practice Test" as well. Assuming the bump for the retake stays fixed at $65, that's only $30 more for a MeasureUp practice exam.

Both of these offerings are reasonable deals, but if you're going to pop for something extra, then I recommend the "+ Practice Test" option, because everybody needs at least one practice test to get ready for any MS cert exam. Paying only $30 extra is a killer deal for a high-quality practice exam like those from MeasureUp.

Here are the limitations and gotchas that go along with this offer:

? All exam vouchers expire one year following the date of purchase. All exams and retakes must be completed before the expiration date.
? Exam vouchers apply only to 70-, 74- and MBx exams. That means Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) exams do NOT qualify for this offer.
? Vouchers are good only at Pearson VUE testing centers in the country where you elect to take them, or you may elect an online proctored exam instead.
? Not all MS exams have associated practice tests available from MeasureUp. Check the list of eligible exams to make sure your chosen target qualifies. As far as I can tell, all the current MCSA, MCSE and MCSD exams qualify for this promotion.

For more information check out the Born to Learn blog post Get Certified and Save with Microsoft Exam Replay, or visit the Mindhub Exam Replay and Exam Replay with Practice Test pages.