Exam Profile MTA 98-373: Mobile Development Fundamentals
- Exam Details / Trouble Spots
- Preparation Hints / Recommended Study Resources
- Exam Objectives / Where to Go from Here
In order to pass the 98-373 exam, you should have solid foundational knowledge of the topics outlined in this preparation guide, including Silverlight, HTML5, and other phone operating system tools. It is also recommended that you be familiar with the concepts of and have hands-on experience with the technologies described in this article.
When you pass Exam 98-373: Mobile Development Fundamentals, you complete the requirements for the Microsoft Technology Associate: Mobile Development Fundamentals certification.
You will have also earned your Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Certification.
The Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) is Microsoft’s newest suite of technology certification exams that validate fundamental knowledge needed to begin building a career using Microsoft technologies. The MTA program is targeted primarily at students who attend high schools and two-year colleges. It provides an appropriate entry point to a future career in technology, but does assume that you have some hands-on experience or training but does not assume on-the-job experience.
Many people would like to pursue a career in technology, but lack the foundational knowledge necessary to pursue one of the Technology Specialist or Professional certifications. The MTA certification creates a new entry point to help those who have little practical experience get into the career field. This exam can be the first step towards becoming a Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS). The Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) is a new, entry-level certification designed to help individuals take the first step toward a career as an IT professional or developer. Also, when you earn an MTA Certification, you become a member of the Microsoft Certified Professional community. You will get access to members-only benefits such as special offers, the MCP transcript tool, and private newsgroups where you can network, find peer support, and share your accomplishments other certified professionals worldwide.
At this time, MTA is only available to students, faculty, and staff of an accredited academic institution that is an approved MTA testing center. MTA exams are only available at academic institutions that have purchased an MTA Campus License or MTA vouchers. MTA exams are delivered through an internet-based testing platform that allows delivery of exams anytime in any computer connected to the internet at a licensed academic institution. Educators are empowered as exam proctors.
The MTA validates 80% knowledge and 20% skills. The next step in the Microsoft certification path is Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS) which requires hands on experience with the Microsoft technology platform. Microsoft makes its complete developer toolset available for students to download and install at no cost through the DreamSpark Program.
Each MTA Certification exam will cover a broad technology area, including:
- Software Development Fundamentals
- Database Fundamentals
- Windows Development Fundamentals
- Database Fundamentals
- System Administrator Fundamentals
- Networking Fundamentals
- Security Fundamentals
In order to earn an MTA Certification, candidates only need to pass one exam. The MTA Certification will expire after five years.
Exam Details
- Number of Questions: Approximately 30-50 questions (Since Microsoft does not publish this information, the number of exam questions may change without notice.)
- Type of Questions: This test format is multiple choice.
- Passing Score: 70
- Time Limit: 50 minutes
- How to Register: Certiport
This passing score does not mean that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam. The actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent. There is no penalty for guessing. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. If a question specifies that you must choose multiple correct answers, you must choose the exact number of correct answers specified in the question in order to earn a point for that item. Some of the questions on the exam may not count toward the calculation of your score. Microsoft will often throw a question in that is meant to gather data that will help them improve the exam. If you do not pass the exam in the first attempt, there is not a waiting time before you may retake it. If you do not achieve a passing score the second time, you must wait at least 14 days to retake the test a third time. After that, a 14-day waiting period will be imposed for all subsequent exam retakes. If you have passed the exam, you will not be allowed to take it again.
Trouble Spots
As with any exam, it will vary from person to person as to what is deemed to be difficult. Be sure that you are familiar with the topics listed below as well as the exam objectives.
An XML file, also known as the application manifest, maintains an application's capabilities.
The Windows Phone Connect Tool is used to connect a device without using Zune software.
A Windows Phone contains sensors such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a compass. When a developer creates an application, he can use any of these sensors and be confident that the Windows Phone will support them.
All Windows Phone devices support Wi-Fi, mobile broadband access and four-point multi-touch.
To allow a user to keep their bandwidth costs low, applications should transfer as little data as possible and have the capability to work in offline mode.
Microsoft Silverlight and XNA are application development platforms that allow developers to create Windows Phone applications. Where XNA is geared toward game development and is capable of rendering full 3-D games, Silverlight is typically used for UI-based applications.
Windows Phone does not allow for true multitasking; it allows only one application to run at a time. By allowing applications to stay in a frozen state in memory, users can quickly switch between applications and continue to operate where they left off.