Last week I sat and passed two Microsoft exams, 70-551 and 70-552. Whilst this does not make me a better developer than someone who does not pursue the certifications (I know several developers who have none and are exceptionally skilled), it does force me to look at areas I might not use day-to-day.
This post, by Vishal Joshi, details the various upgrade paths to certification with a great additional comment by Rob Farley, which is the direction I’ve taken [MCPD:EAD = MCSD +551 + 552 + 554]