Candidates for this exam are seeking to prove core software development skills. Before taking this exam, candidates should have a solid foundational knowledge of the topics outlined in this preparation guide. It is recommended that candidates be familiar with the concepts of and have hands-on experience with the technologies described here either by taking relevant training courses or by working with tutorials and samples available on MSDN and in Microsoft Visual Studio.http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-98-361.aspx.
The skills measured include understanding core programming, computer storage and data types, and computer decision structures; identifying the appropriate method for handling repetition; understanding error handling; understanding object-oriented programming, fundamentals of classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation; understanding general software development with the application life cycle management; interpreting application specifications, algorithms, and data structures; understanding web applications, web page development, Microsoft ASP.NET MVC web application development, web hosting, and web services; understanding desktop applications such as Windows Store applications, console-based applications, and Windows Services; and understanding databases that include relational database management systems, database query methods, and database connection methods.