With the introduction of new certification paths such as MCTS and MCITP, many of you will be wondering whether your current MCSA and MCSE certifications will be discontinued. Microsoft has a very sound policy with regards to certifications expiring and being discontinued.
As a general rule of thumb, certifications are usually discontinued after the third generation of new certifications come out. So, for example, when the MCPD certification path for .NET 3.5 was released, the certification path for .NET 1.0 was discontinued. Although certifications are discontinued, don't worry because your certification will still be valid for the future. Microsoft usually post a message on their learning website telling you of the date the exam will be discontinued.
As new certifications come out, Microsoft do create upgrade exams, which allow you to jump from an older certification to the newer one with just a single exam (or two for high level certifications). Therese exams only let you jump up a single level. So if you have the MCAD for .NET 1.0, you cant jump straight to the .NET 3.5 path. In this case, you'll have to jump to 2.0 and then to 3.5. When it becomes clear that several jumps are needed, it is usually better just to start the latest certification from scratch.