I sat a few certification exams on sql server a while back and the recite by rote stuff really chaffed my chugnuts. I don't care which versions of SQLServer 2000 support indexed views - when I need to know I'll damn well look it up. Knowing that stuff by heart doesn't make me a better programmer.

I also don't think that the ms certifications are particularly worth it. They're not cheap to take and I rarely, if ever, see a job advertised that requires it - or even mentions it. (You sound like you're having a different experience on that front though.) I'd sit it if an employer was paying for it but I don't think I'd reach into my own pocket for it.

I have always felt years of doing something means nothing
I definitely agree with that. Some of the most "experienced" programmers I know have also been some of the worst. It's amazing how long you can survive in this industry by repeatedly pressing ctrl-c, ctrl-v.