>You think its worth the trouble to take the exam before its discontinued?
>
>I can see no way it would actually benefit me currently, but you never know.

To decide if certification is "worth the trouble" - well, a lot depends on your goals.

My first goal was to learn and I used the process of exam preparation to learn more about my development tools.

My second goal was to have a way to compare myself to some standard since I work alone and can't compare myself to my co-workers. Passing exams means that I knew at least enough to pass the exams. If you're an independent developer, certification may help your clients have confidence in you.

My third goal was to have a way to let my boss, who is an MD, not an IT person, know that I met some standard of knowledge and expertise to do my job. My boss values self-improvement and he was very impressed that I passed, and also impressed that I went after certification on my own time.

My final goal was to enhance my job status. My salary has risen by about 37% since I've become certified.