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Cloud Academy (a QA company) Learning Benefit in Visual Studio subscriptions

This exclusive benefit is included with select Visual Studio Professional and Enterprise subscriptions and provides 12 months of free access to Cloud Academy. Act fast—this is a limited-time offer. Get started by signing in to the Visual Studio subscriptions portal and activate.

The eligibility table details the Cloud Academy training benefit that's available with select Visual Studio subscriptions.

Learning with Cloud Academy

Cloud Academy, now part of QA, is a premier learning platform that helps developers and IT pros master cloud technologies. QA acquired Cloud Academy to expand its robust training offerings, bringing even more hands-on, outcome-based learning experiences to users worldwide. With over 25 years of experience teaching Microsoft technologies, their industry experts provide immersive learning experiences to help you master and apply the latest tech skills.

Highlights

  • Ela, the Expert Learning Assistant: Ela provides expert-level guidance, helps summarize content, tests knowledge, explains complex articles, and offers instant lab feedback.
  • Extensive training library: The platform includes courses, lessons, labs, quizzes, and exams across multiple articles and skill levels.
  • Certification preparation: Courses designed to help users prepare for various certifications.
  • Hands-on labs: Practical labs that allow users to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
  • Guided learning journeys: Curated courses that lead users through structured educational paths to build expertise step by step.
  • Smart skills: Personalized training tailored to users' proficiency, allowing them to focus on their knowledge gaps.

Eligibility

The following table describes the Cloud Academy training benefits that are included in select Visual Studio subscriptions:

Subscription level Channels Benefit Renewable?
Visual Studio Enterprise (Standard) Volume Licensing (VL), Azure, Retail 12 months No
Visual Studio Enterprise subscription with GitHub Enterprise VL 12 months No
Visual Studio Professional (Standard) VL, Azure, Retail 12 months No
Visual Studio Professional subscription with GitHub Enterprise VL 12 months No
Visual Studio Test Professional (Standard) VL, Retail Not available NA
MSDN Platforms (Standard) VL, Retail Not available NA
Visual Studio Enterprise, Visual Studio Professional (monthly cloud) Azure Not available NA
Visual Studio Enterprise (NFR1) Program Not available NA

1 Includes: Not for Resale (NFR), Visual Studio Industry Partner (VSIP), BizSpark, MCT Software & Services Developer, MCT Software & Services, Most Valuable Professional (MVP), Regional Director (RD), Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) formerly known as Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP) or Microsoft Partner Network (MPN), FTE, Imagine, NFR Basic.

Note

Microsoft no longer offers Visual Studio Professional annual subscriptions and Visual Studio Enterprise annual subscriptions in cloud subscriptions. Current customers continue to have the same experience and ability to renew, increase, decrease, or cancel their subscriptions. New customers are encouraged to go to Visual Studio pricing to explore different options to purchase Visual Studio.

Not sure which subscription you're using? To see the subscriptions that are associated with your email address, go to the Visual Studio subscriptions portal. If you don't see all your subscriptions, you might have one or more subscriptions associated with a different email address. You need to sign in by using that email address to see those subscriptions.

Activate your Cloud Academy benefit

  1. To activate the Cloud Academy benefit with your Visual Studio subscription, go to Visual Studio Subscriptions and select the Benefits tab. Under Benefits included in my subscription, on the Cloud Academy tile, select Activate.

    Screenshot that shows the Cloud Academy benefit tile on the Visual Studio subscription Benefits tab, with the Activate button highlighted.

    Tip

    To find the Cloud Academy tile, select the Professional Development tab to view a smaller number of tiles.

  2. In the Cloud Academy Activate your benefit web form, complete these steps:

    1. Provide the contact information that's requested.
    2. Select Redeem.

    Screenshot of the Cloud Academy registration form and the Redeem button highlighted.

    Note

    The registration page expires after a few minutes. If you don't finish the registration process before the page expires, return to the Cloud Academy benefit tile in Visual Studio Subscriptions and select Activate again.

  3. It might take a moment to set up your Cloud Academy account. When your account is set up, the Cloud Academy webpage displays a confirmation. An email that has your sign-in information is sent to the email address you entered when you created the account. If you have trouble finding the email, be sure to check your spam folder.

    Screenshot of the Cloud Academy confirmation webpage.

  4. Check your inbox for further instructions to how to access your benefit.

  5. Click the Create Your Account link from the email.

    Screenshot of the Cloud Academy email Account Setup instructions.

  6. You're redirected to your browser and the Cloud Academy platform opens. It displays a welcome screen where you can get started and take a tour of the platform.

Screenshot of the Cloud Academy Welcome to QA and the Start button.

That's it! You're now ready to start learning with your Cloud Academy courses.

Cloud Academy benefit status

After you activate your Cloud Academy benefit in Visual Studio Subscriptions, the Cloud Academy benefit tile shows the status of your benefits.

When your Cloud Academy benefit is active

After you activate your Cloud Academy benefit, the Activate button is replaced with a button of a white arrow in a blue circle. Select the button to go to the Cloud Academy (a QA company) website, where you can sign in and continue your training.

In Visual Studio Subscriptions, the Cloud Academy (a QA company) tile displays the time that remains on your Cloud Academy benefit. The tile also shows the activation date and the expiration date of your benefit.

Screenshot that shows the Cloud Academy benefit tile in the Visual Studio subscription after activation.

When your Cloud Academy benefit ends

When your Cloud Academy benefit expires, the benefit status changes to 0 days remaining and the link to Cloud Academy (a QA company) is removed. The date you activated your Cloud Academy benefit and the date it expired are still shown on the tile.

Screenshot showing the Cloud Academy tile after expiration. The link to Cloud Academy is removed and the dates the subscription was active appear at the bottom of the tile.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I have a Visual Studio Enterprise subscription, but I don't see the Cloud Academy (a QA company) tile on the Benefits page. What's wrong?

A: Not all Visual Studio Enterprise subscriptions include the Cloud Academy benefit. Check the eligibility table to see whether your subscription is eligible. Furthermore, the Cloud Academy benefit is offered for a limited time and while supplies last. If you have a qualifying subscription and don’t see the benefit tile, it means that the benefit is no longer available.

Q: Can I use the Cloud Academy benefit more than once?

A: The Cloud Academy benefit in Visual Studio subscriptions doesn't renews when your subscription renews.

A: If you've already activated your Cloud Academy benefit, the Activate link is replaced with a link that takes you to the sign-in page for Cloud Academy. You see the date you activated the benefit and information about how much time remains on your subscription. If you've already used the Cloud Academy benefits for a Visual Studio subscription, you can't activate benefits again.

Q: What happens when my Cloud Academy benefit ends?

A: At the end of your free Cloud Academy subscription, you might choose to purchase a subscription directly from Cloud Academy and continue your training. For full details, contact Cloud Academy (a QA company).

Support resources

See also

Next steps

  • After you create your account, you're ready to start training. Go to Cloud Academy (a QA company). In the upper-right corner, select Sign in to start a new course or to return to a course that's already in progress.

  • Take advantage of your own development sandbox by activating your Azure DevTest individual credit.