Are Microsoft Applied Skills A Good Way to for Prep for Cert Exams?

By Microsoft MVP and MCT · Pluralsight Author

Published January 21, 2025 · Learning & Credentials

Microsoft Applied Skills are great but can they help you pass your Microsoft Certification exam? Gain three different opinions from Microsoft Certified Trainers, in this video!

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Video Summary

  • Complementary Nature: Applied skills and Microsoft certifications complement each other. Certifications provide theoretical knowledge, while applied skills offer practical, hands-on experience.
  • Different Environments: Certifications are proctored and focus on theoretical knowledge through multiple-choice questions, whereas applied skills are practical labs where you perform tasks without step-by-step guidance.
  • Preparation Strategy: Applied skills can be used as part of your preparation for certifications, but they don’t cover the entire exam’s objective domain. They are useful for practicing specific tasks.
  • Stepping Stones: Applied skills can serve as intermediate goals between different certification levels, helping you build confidence and competence in specific areas.
  • Real-World Application: Applied skills can demonstrate to employers that you can handle specific tasks in real projects, making them valuable for proving your capabilities in a work environment.

For more information, read the transcript blog below, or watch the video above!

Video Transcript

“Okay, next question now. Is it enough to prepare for Microsoft certifications through applied skills only? This is a big question. Jonah, do you want to get started? Analyze the question: is it enough to prepare for Microsoft certification through applied skills only? That’s an interesting question because, in my perspective, Microsoft certifications or any technology category still have a big impact or relevance when you’re learning something new or certifying to get a job. I believe that applied skills are a good complement to Microsoft certifications and a good alternative if you want to learn new skills with flexibility that is specific to real-world scenarios. So, I don’t think applied skills are better than Microsoft certifications, but they complement each other. That’s my perspective. What do you think, Tiago? What’s your perspective on the question? Sorry, I just misclicked on one of them. Tiago, I’ll let you go first while I get ready.

For me, it’s similar to what Jonah was saying. It’s two different things, and the topics you’re covering are just not the same level. An applied skill, to start, is unproctored, so you can just do it on your own, like when you’re working. You can have another window open with Microsoft documentation or other resources and try things in another environment before replicating them in the applied skill. In a certification, you don’t have that. It’s a proctored environment, and you don’t have any external help. Even if some exams have labs, most of the exam will be multiple-choice questions or other formats that require theoretical knowledge. Applied skills are fully practical; you have tasks to complete without step-by-step instructions. I really love applied skills, but we have to consider that they are definitely two different credential products. Certifications are one thing, and applied skills are another. To answer the question, it’s a no. Just going through a bunch of applied skills is not enough because they don’t cover the entire objective domain of the exam. You can use them to prep parts of it, but not the whole thing.

I think they’re complementary. For example, from the Power Platform point of view, if I had to recommend how to get skilled up, I would say start with the PL-900 fundamentals, then go to the three applied skills, and then go for the functional consultant certification. Applied skills can be practice credentials between fundamentals and associate levels or between associate and expert levels. They won’t prepare you for a certification, but they can be challenges while studying or stepping stones. For instance, if you’re an HR person who ended up being the Power Platform guru in your department, you might pass the PL-900 but find the PL-200 too advanced. Applied skills can be your target in that case.

Can I add something? That’s an awesome perspective. I like your point of view. On the Azure side, as an Azure consultant, I see applied skills as a way to prove to your employer or manager that you can handle specific tasks in a real project. For example, if you need to migrate a SQL Server to Azure, there’s an applied skill for that. It can show that you and your team can handle that task because you’ve practiced it.

Tiago, any additional thoughts? Definitely. There’s a related question about applied skills for AZ-900 and AZ-104. Again, certifications and applied skills are two different products. Certifications are one thing, and applied skills are another. There are many uses for applied skills, like proving knowledge for parts of a certification. For example, an applied skill on Azure storage can be useful while studying for the AZ-104. They’re not designed for certification prep, but we can use them that way, like using Excel as a database even though it’s not designed for that.

There are many topics in the AZ-104 that would make great applied skills, like creating and hosting web applications using App Services. Unfortunately, I don’t create applied skills, so they might never see the light, but there are many possibilities. Certifications are one thing, and applied skills are another. You can use applied skills to prep, but they were not designed for that. It’s like using Excel as a database; it’s not its intended purpose, but it can be done.”