Open Book Microsoft Certification Exams | Interview with Microsoft’s Liberty Munson

The open book Microsoft certification exams announcement was too big to tackle alone! I asked Liberty Munson, Director of Psychometrics at Microsoft, to join me so we could better understand what to expect and why, from the source!

A BIG thank you to Liberty for taking the time to join me for this video! Follow Liberty on Twitter for more on Microsoft Certifications: @LibertyMunson

Microsoft Blog: Introducing a new resource for all role-based Microsoft Certification exams – Microsoft Community Hub

Open Book Microsoft Certification Exams SummaryMicrosoft Learning has introduced various features in the last year, including free practice tests and an exam sandbox.Most Microsoft exams will now generally be open book.Special guest: Liberty Munson, Director of Psychometrics at Microsoft.Liberty’s role involves ensuring the validity and reliability of skill evaluation tools and processes.Her background in industrial-organizational psychology led her to work on testing and assessments.The interview discusses the open book initiative for Microsoft certification exams.The open book feature is designed for Advanced role-based exams (associate, expert, specialty), not fundamentals.Microsoft Learn platform provides learning resources, and the “Microsoft learn” button is added to the exam interface.Users can open multiple tabs for reference and even split the screen between the exam and learning resources.There’s no specific limit to the number of tabs, and the experience is customizable.Accessibility considerations have been factored into the design.Access to external sites is blocked, and attempts to access other sites are tracked.The interface also includes a slider for adjusting the split between the exam and learning resources.The open book feature is not available in the exam sandbox.The feature originated from a need to strike a balance between those who would look up information and the need to assess skills.Liberty emphasizes that the open book approach aligns with real-world scenarios where looking up information is common.The goal is not to enable looking up every question, but to provide resources for specific instances.The feature is also in line with Microsoft’s efforts to make exams more relevant to actual job roles.There are no plans to extend extra time for open book exams.Fundamental exams focus on knowledge, while advanced exams emphasize application and experience.The open book feature is not intended for labs, as they already provide access to help within the environment.Users can zoom in and out for comfortable viewing.Liberty encouraging users to explore the feature and provide feedback for improvement.The interview discusses the impact of AI in certification exams, particularly in terms of accessing resources during exams.I highlights the opportunities AI brings in redefining how AI is used in job roles and certification exams.The concept of “open book” exams is explored, where learners have access to resources during exams.The extension of this concept to generative AI solutions like Copilot is mentioned as a potential direction for exams.Liberty and her team has been working on this initiative for 4-5 years.Experience plays a role in answering questions, but some details are often looked up, like PowerShell parameters.The goal is to strike a balance between using resources and relying on memorization.If there’s a concern about the perception that open book exams might decrease the value of Microsoft certifications is discussed.I clarify that the exam is not fully open book like traditional exams, but a resource for specific needs.Existing question types and distribution will not change with this feature.The goal isn’t to reduce reliance on exam dumps and cheating by making the exam more relevant but it could be a positive benefit. I believe the way people study won’t drastically change, but some skills like memorizing commands might shift.Microsoft is focusing on making the exam experience more delightful, with potential UI updates.The interview concludes with thanks to the guest for sharing insights and encouraging feedback from viewers.

The post Open Book Microsoft Certification Exams | Interview with Microsoft’s Liberty Munson appeared first on Vlad Talks Tech.