The company is phasing in questions to test problem-solving in real-life scenarios, rather than testing academic knowledge.
The new exams, which apply to qualifications such as the certified systems engineer, are proving more popular than the previous knowledge-testing exams, the company claimed.
Alex Keay, group manager for training and certification at Microsoft, said, "People are not able to exam-cram, look at course-work and the website. They have to understand what they have learned to pass the exam."
Microsoft made the changes following complaints that IT certificates lacked credibility because they allowed staff to gain qualifications without any real-world knowledge.
Thomas Lee, chief technology officer at training company QA, said the new format was proving popular with employers. "Certification based on performance does provide a strong indication of a person's abilities," he said.
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