Microsoft certification retirements 2026: every change you need to know

Microsoft is making the biggest shakeup to its certification portfolio since the introduction of role-based certifications. Over 15 certifications, applied skills, and exams are retiring or being replaced, and the replacements all have one thing in common: AI. Whether you work with Azure, the Power Platform, Windows Server, or Dynamics 365, at least one of these Microsoft certification retirements in 2026 will affect you.

Key takeaways

• Microsoft is retiring 11 certifications, 3 applied skills, and 3 exams between April and September 2026, with AI-focused replacements for most of them.
• Retired certifications remain on your transcript forever and are always verifiable online, but you cannot take the exam or renew after the retirement date.
• There is no automatic migration to replacement certifications. You need to study for and pass the new exam separately.
• A wave of new AI business solutions certifications (AB-620, AB-250, AB-210, AB-410, and more) is launching in beta starting April 2026.
• If you are studying for a retiring exam and are close to ready, finish it. If you are just starting, consider waiting for the replacement beta.
• Microsoft partners should plan now, as partner certification requirements will likely update when the new fiscal year starts in July.
• Check your prerequisites for expert-level certifications. A retiring prerequisite cert could block your eligibility if you do not act in time.

What certification retirement actually means

Before diving into the specifics, it helps to understand what happens when Microsoft retires a certification. After the retirement date, you can no longer take the exam or renew the certification. However, the certification stays on your profile and transcript permanently. It remains active for one year after you last passed or renewed it, then moves to an expired status, similar to letting any certification lapse by not renewing.

The key point is that nobody can take that achievement away from you. It is always online verifiable, and employers or clients can always confirm it.

One important clarification: Microsoft does suggest replacement certifications for each retirement, but those are just suggestions. There is no automatic migration, no free upgrade, no voucher, and no discount. If you want the new certification, you need to study for and pass the new exam like everyone else. Having the old certification does not give you the new one.

Confirmed certification retirements 2026

Microsoft has confirmed eleven certifications are retiring. Here is a complete breakdown with dates and replacement exams.

Azure and AI certifications

The DP-100 exam and Azure Data Scientist Associate certification will retire on June 1, 2026. The suggested replacement is exam AI-300, which leads to the Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer Associate certification. The AI-300 is currently in beta. While the DP-100 focused on designing and implementing data science solutions (data exploration, model training, evaluation, and deployment), the AI-300 expands the scope significantly with a much stronger emphasis on automation, infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, lifecycle governance, observability, drift detection, and cost control.

The AI-102 exam and Azure AI Engineer Associate certification will retire on June 30, 2026. The suggested replacement is exam AI-103, which leads to the Azure AI App and Agent Developer Associate certification. The beta for the AI-103 should launch on April 21, 2026.

The AZ-204 exam and Azure Developer Associate certification will retire on July 31, 2026. The suggested replacement is exam AI-200, which leads to the Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate certification. The beta for the AI-200 should launch on April 2, 2026. Notice the trend? Microsoft is weaving AI into everything.

The AZ-500 exam and Azure Security Engineer Associate certification will retire on August 31, 2026. The suggested replacement is exam SC-500, the Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate certification. The beta should launch on May 15, 2026.

Power Platform and Dynamics 365 certifications

The PL-600 exam and Power Platform Solution Architect certification will retire on June 30, 2026. There is no direct replacement, but Microsoft recommends the AB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert exam as the next step for solutions architects.

The MB-700 exam and Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations App Solutions Architect Expert certification will also retire on June 30, 2026. Again, no direct replacement, but the AB-100 is the recommended path forward.

The MB-335 exam and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant Expert certification will retire on June 30, 2026. There is no replacement planned for this one.

The MB-240 exam and Dynamics 365 Field Service Functional Consultant Associate certification will retire on June 30, 2026. No replacement has been announced. Microsoft recommends the AB-100 for those holding this or any of the retiring expert-level certifications.

The MB-280 exam and Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Analyst Associate certification will retire on July 31, 2026. The replacement is exam AB-210, Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate, with beta and training available in May 2026.

The PL-200 exam and Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate certification will retire on August 31, 2026. The replacement is exam AB-410, Intelligent Applications Builder Associate, with beta and training available in April 2026.

The PL-500 exam and Power Automate RPA Developer Associate certification will retire on June 30, 2026. No direct replacement has been announced.

All of these retirements have now been officially confirmed by Microsoft on the Skills Hub Blog (opens in a new tab).

Retiring applied skills

Applied skills work differently from certifications. They do not expire, so when an applied skill is retired, it shows as an active credential for two years after retirement, then moves to historical credentials. It always remains on your transcript.

Two applied skills are retiring on April 15, 2026 (very soon):

• APL-2011: Develop Generative AI Solutions using Azure OpenAI and the Semantic Kernel SDK
• APL-4010: Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with Declarative Agents by using Visual Studio Code

Applied skills assessments are completely free to take. If you have a couple of hours, it is worth earning them before they disappear. You have nothing to lose.

Microsoft’s reasoning for retiring APL-2011 is that AI moves so fast. The agent development topics covered in this applied skill are now best accomplished using Microsoft Foundry and the Microsoft Agent Framework.

The APL-7003 (Create and Manage Model-Driven Apps with Power Apps and Dataverse) will retire on June 30, 2026, along with its training. The replacement is a new applied skill called “Build an agent-first app,” which validates the ability to build an app that surfaces a Copilot Studio agent. This new applied skill is expected to go live in June 2026.

Retiring exams (but not the certifications)

This is an important distinction. Some exams are retiring, but the certification itself stays. Microsoft keeps the certification and simply changes the exam requirements to earn it. If you already hold the certification, you are not affected as long as you keep renewing.

AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals

The AI-900 exam will retire on June 30, 2026, but fundamental certifications never expire. If you already have it, you are good. Microsoft will release a new exam, AI-901, still called Azure AI Fundamentals, with a beta expected on April 21, 2026. Taking the new exam is optional if you already hold the certification.

AZ-800 and AZ-801 Windows Server Hybrid Administrator

This is actually good news. Microsoft will replace both the AZ-800 and AZ-801 exams with a single AZ-802 exam. Currently, earning the Windows Server Hybrid Admin Associate certification requires passing two exams (over $300 in North America). With this change, you only need one exam. The retirement of AZ-800 and AZ-801 should happen in September 2026, but no exact date has been given yet. The certification name stays the same.

New replacement certifications coming

Here is a summary of all confirmed replacement certifications:

• AI-900 replaced by AI-901 (Azure AI Fundamentals, same name)
• AI-102 replaced by AI-103 (Azure AI App and Agent Developer)
• AZ-204 replaced by AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate)
• AZ-500 replaced by SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer)
• DP-100 replaced by AI-300 (Machine Learning Operations Engineer)
• AZ-800/AZ-801 merged into AZ-802 (Windows Server Hybrid Admin, same certification)
• MB-280 replaced by AB-210 (Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate)
• PL-200 replaced by AB-410 (Intelligent Applications Builder Associate)

For the PL-600, MB-700, MB-335, MB-240, and PL-500, no direct replacement certifications have been announced. Microsoft recommends pursuing the AB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert certification as the flagship expert-level path for solutions architects.

Brand-new certifications

On top of the replacements, Microsoft is introducing certifications that did not exist before. Earlier this year, Microsoft launched four AI business solutions certifications: the AB-100 (Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect), AB-900 (Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals), AB-730 (AI Business Professional), and AB-731 (AI Transformation Leader). Now, several more are rolling out.

The AB-620 AI Agent Builder Associate certification is designed for developers, AI engineers, and architects implementing production-ready Copilot Studio agents and multi-agent solutions. Beta and training are available in April 2026, with the exam expected to go live in June 2026. This is great news for anyone who was waiting on the Copilot Studio certifications.

The AB-250 Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate is a completely new certification for contact center engineers who design and run modern CCaaS solutions with Dynamics 365 Contact Center and service-oriented autonomous agents. Beta and training will be available in June 2026, with the exam expected to go live in August 2026.

The AB-210 Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate (previously referred to as “Build AI-Powered Sales Solutions”) covers AI-powered sales solutions across the lead-to-cash lifecycle using Dynamics 365 Sales, Microsoft Copilot, and agent capabilities. Beta and training are available in May 2026, with the exam expected to go live in June 2026.

The AB-410 Intelligent Applications Builder Associate is now officially confirmed. It equips Power Platform professionals to build for an AI-first world where apps, agents, automation, and models work together. Beta and training are available in April 2026, with the exam expected to go live in June 2026.

The DP-750 Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate is currently in beta. It validates expertise in integrating and modeling data, building optimized pipelines, and troubleshooting workloads in Azure Databricks.

The DP-800 SQL AI Developer Associate is also in beta. This one targets professionals who build AI-enabled database solutions across Microsoft SQL platforms, covering AI feature integration, T-SQL, CI/CD practices, and secure, scalable data solutions.

The SC-730 Cybersecurity Business Professional certification has a beta expected in April 2026. This is not a technical security certification. It is designed for business users and validates the ability to recognize security risks, apply secure practices, and make informed business decisions that reduce organizational exposure while enabling AI adoption. After years of helping IT professionals prepare for Microsoft certifications, I find this one particularly interesting because it fills a gap for non-technical decision-makers.

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What this means for you

If you are currently studying for one of the retiring exams, the big question is whether to keep going or switch to the new one. It depends on your situation.

If you are almost ready to schedule the exam and feel confident, go ahead and take it. The certification goes on your transcript forever, and you can always pursue the replacement later. However, if you just started studying and have months of prep ahead, it might make more sense to pivot to the new exam, especially if the beta is launching soon. That way, you invest your study time into the certification that will be current going forward.

Finances matter too. If your employer is paying for the exam or you have a voucher, it might be worth using it on the current exam and then taking the new one when it becomes available. If you have not started studying yet and are brand new to Microsoft certifications, the simplest advice is to wait for the new exams and start fresh.

If you already hold one of these certifications, remember you can still renew it up until the retirement date. Renewing adds one more year to your expiration date, so do not neglect those renewal reminders.

For Microsoft partners, this is especially important. Partners need certifications to maintain their solutions partner designation, requiring between two and four certified people. Microsoft’s fiscal year starts in July, and that is usually when they update partner program requirements. With so many certifications coming out of beta around that time, expect Microsoft to update partner certification requirements. Plan for that now, not later.

For managers and team leaders, start thinking about training time for your people this fall. These new exams require study time and preparation. Your team will be much better off if you give them dedicated time rather than asking them to squeeze it in on top of their regular workload.

The prerequisite trap

One thing a lot of people overlook is prerequisites. For example, if you are studying for the AB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect certification and your only valid prerequisite is the AI-102, you have a problem. The AI-102 is retiring, so you need to either take the AB-100 before the AI-102 retires and Microsoft removes it from the prerequisite list, or take another valid prerequisite exam.

Microsoft has officially addressed this in their FAQ: when a retiring certification is a prerequisite for an expert-level certification, the requirements will be updated. The retiring certification will be removed and replaced (as appropriate) with a new associate-level certification. However, if your associate-level prerequisite expires before you earn the expert-level certification, you lose eligibility. So check your prerequisites for any advanced certification you are planning to pursue and make sure you will not lose your eligibility.

Copilot Studio certifications update

Good news here: the AB-620 AI Agent Builder Associate certification has been officially confirmed, with beta launching in April 2026. This certification focuses on production-ready Copilot Studio agents and multi-agent solutions. There is still no official word on the AB-610 (Agent Maker) certification, and it was notably absent from Microsoft’s latest announcement.

Ready to start preparing for the new Microsoft certifications? Browse my Microsoft credential study guides for curated resources including video training, practice tests, and books for each exam. As someone who has authored 100+ Pluralsight courses on Microsoft technologies, I keep these guides updated as new exams launch.