Whether you’ve been programming in HTML5, JavaScript and CSS for a long time, or you’re just looking for a way to both validate your skills and differentiate your resume; then the Microsoft Specialist: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 (exam 70-480) certification may be worth pursuing. Personally, I’m in the process of renewing my older MCSD in .NET certification and the 70-480 exam was the first on the list for me to pass.
Since I’ve successfully passed the exam myself, I thought I’d share what study materials I used to prepare for the exam.
Skills Measured
The full exam objectives are listed here: https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-480.aspx
Here’s the high level break down of these exam objectives:
- Implement and manipulate document structures and objects (24%)
- Implement program flow (25%)
- Access and secure data (26%)
- Use CSS3 in applications (25%)
The percentages next to each of the skill areas indicate how much the exam focuses on each individual skill area. As you can see, the exam is fairly evenly split among all four areas.
While this exam is extremely relevant to Windows 8 developers building apps using the HTML5/JavaScript tools; this exam itself is not tide to Microsoft technologies. As a result even non-Microsoft technology developers could pass this exam to demonstrate their expertise in HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3 since these are all standard web technologies and not proprietary to Microsoft.
Free Video Courses
The Microsoft Virtual Academy website offers MANY free video training courses on Microsoft technologies; as I posted not too long ago in regards to my experience with the “Know it. Prove it.” Challenge. Regardless of your level of expertise, I found the following courses to be useful for preparing for this exam:
- Developing in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 Jump Start
- Adding Style with CSS
- Introduction to jQuery
Books
There are many books available on HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3, but when studying for Microsoft exams it’s a good idea to study with one of the Microsoft Press books. The reason is these books will cover all the material listed on the “Skills Measured” for the exam. I used the “Exam Ref” book myself, but here are link to both the book Microsoft Press published for this exams objectives:
- Exam Ref 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3
- Training Guide: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3
The Exam Ref book is a bit more condensed, while the Training Guide is a little more comprehensive.
Practice Exams
There a couple of companies that offer practice tests for Microsoft certification exams; MeasureUp, Transcender and Kaplan SelfTest. Links to these providers are listed within the exam requirements page. One thing to remember with these practice tests is that they do not have actual questions from the exam, nor do they cover 100% of the possible material that could be on the exam. Microsoft does change their exam question pools over time, and they could test you on stuff that wasn’t covered on the practice tests you may have used. As a result, you must use much more than just a set of practice exams to study.
I used the MeasureUp practice test for this exam and that worked out really well.
Play Time
It’s important to remember that you must play around with this stuff you are learning too! Book smarts are fine, but nothing can replace the tangible, practical experience gained from working with stuff directly. Don’t just read the books, watch the videos and pass the practice tests. Make sure you play around with the stuff too.
Free Second Shot Offer
For a limited time (until May 31, 2015) Microsoft is offering a free exam retake if you do not pass the first time. While the goal is to always pass the first time; failures do happen. So utilizing this offer, you can feel free to take the exam without the fear of having to pay for it twice in the event that you need to retake it.
More information on the Free Second Shot can be found here: https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/second-shot.aspx
Thank you. This is a helpful post for someone looking at a certification in html, css and js. There are not many available from a corporate/enterprise level.
Thanks for sharing, I am preparing for MCSD 70-480 exam. Hope I will be able to do it in first go.
Hi, I want to get only certification in HTML so kindly tell me is it possible..??
Gratitude for the shared helpful information 🙂
I am very happy to say that your post is very interesting and useful for readers and students. One of a friend did this course from Koenig Solutions.
Sadly, most of the training guides and practice exams for this certification path are miserably out dated, poorly formed and some have been out and out incorrect. The biggest problem arising from these Certifications is Microsoft keeping within recognized web standards. Much of the curriculum in the latest official Exam Guide is sorely out of date and incorrect. There is little news from Microsoft in when they may release an version more relevant to 2016 and 2017.
Further issues arise from the fact that the exams are actually hugely Microsoft-centric, and later subject areas rely heavily on Visual Studio, ASP and .NET even from the JS / CSS / Html perspective. Those questions that do touch on these aspects, are far less subjective, and are based more on the Microsoft way of doing things
If you are involved in Microsoft Development alone, these are fine, but for most serious non platform-centric JS developers, stay clear of these expensive exams.
Thanks perficient for this program. The level of this program is very good. Last time I studied the same program ( Html CSS Video Course with Certification) at Smarto Systems official website https://smartosystems.in that was very elaborative and good but major problem was that was in Hindi Language.
At your website I enjoyed learning in English
Hi,
You have really shared superb posts on this site. Thanks & keep sharing wonderful post.