When The Register writes about professional certifications offered by vendors, we often receive comments arguing that such credentials are nowhere near as valuable as real-world experience. Now, Microsoft has acknowledged there’s some merit in that argument. Redmond revealed its stance last week in a post from general manager for content and insights Cameron Percy, who observed: “For years, people have asked for a simpler way to prove the skills they use in the flow of work, without stepping away to prepare for another test.” Microsoft’s response is the “Pro Badge,” a new form of credential that Percy wrote “works alongside Microsoft Certifications.” “Certifications show that you can solve problems in a role or field. Pro Badge shows how you use a specific product in your everyday work. Together, they give a more complete picture of what you can do.” “Instead of capturing skills on a single test day, this approach keeps pace with your work and the products you use,” Percy added. “It gives you a current, verified signal of what you can do, at no cost and without a separate exam or study guide.” The first Pro Badge is for GitHub Copilot. To earn it, users need only visit learn. github. com and sign in with their GitHub account. Going through those steps fires up a “proficiency engine” that Microsoft says “gets to work analyzing relevant product usage signals and evaluating them against a defined proficiency framework.” Percy’s post says it “systematically uses evidence from everyday product use to calculate and automatically update your proficiency level.” Microsoft offers five levels of proficiency: beginner, intermediate, proficient, advanced, and expert…