70-599 is the new MCPD exam designed to test a candidates skills in developing Windows Phone Apps. It's part of the MCPD group and is also one of the first Microsoft exams that requires recertification.
The mobile industry is currently one of the fastest growing areas for software developers. With the likes of the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone, there's huge potential in developing apps. Of course, app development is not limited to business use, games such as Angry Birds have taken the mobile platform to a new level. Analysts predict that the mobile device market will eventually out grow the traditional desktop space by 2015.
About the 70-599 ExamThe 70-599 exam counts as credit towards the MCPD certification:
Microsoft Certified Professional Developer: Windows Phone, Developer.There is no pre-requisite for this exam. Pass it and you gain the MCPD in one go.
The MCPD (Microsoft Certified Professional Developer) certification is an advanced certification aimed at developers with several years experience. Other MCPD exams focus on .NET development using Visual Studio. This new Windows Phone exam focuses on high level understanding of phone app development using XNA and Silverlight.
Skills OutlineYou will need to know about- Designing Data Access Strategies
- Designing and Implementing Notification Strategies
- Working with Platform APIs, Tasks, and Choosers
- Designing the Application Architecture
- Designing the User Interface and User Experience
You must be able to demonstrate an understanding of- Parsing data using webs services and WCF
- Designing a data storage architecture
- Bandwidth limitations and best practices
- Push notifications
- Live tiles
- APIs, Tasks and Choosers
- Mobile navigation menus and features
- Performance tuning
- Publishing to the Windows Live Marketplace
- Panorama Control, Pivot Control and ApplicationBar
- Themes and screen orientation
Recertification70-559 is one of the first (and few) exams that required recertification. Microsoft have stated that candidates must get recertified every 2 years. This is probably because of the fast paced and ever changing mobile industry.