4/24/2002 -- July will be a busy month for Microsoft's certification group and potential MCAD/MCSD.NET candidates. Microsoft recently updated exam guides for two MCAD/MCSD exams that test XML-based Web development:

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

It's likely that the exams will be numbered 71-310 and 71-320, respectively, during the beta period, although this isn't specified in the exam guides. The exam guides also don't divulge exact dates, but Microsoft already plans to beta test two other exams -- 70-305, Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Visual Basic .NET and Visual Studio .NET; and 70-315, Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Visual C# .NET and Visual Studio .NET -- during the same month. (See "More MCAD/MCSD Exams Near Beta Testing.")

Exam objective guides for each exam can be found by clicking the exam numbers above. Beta exams are free but are given by invitation only. For more information on participating in a beta exam, click here. -- MCPMag.com