9 new certifications launched. 11+ retired or scheduled for retirement. The entire product-based Fundamentals track is being dismantled, and the exams replacing them look nothing like what came before. The reason behind it is straightforward. Knowing how a product works used to be the point. Now it is just the starting assumption. Microsoft wants certifications that prove you can deploy, manage, and get results from AI, not just recognize what it does.
For years, the Fundamentals tier served as a relatively painless entry point. That era is ending. The 2026 update is Microsoft’s clearest signal that the bar has moved. If you have certifications due for renewal, exams in progress, or a study plan built around something from two years ago, it is worth pausing and checking where things stand. A good chunk of what was standard advice last year no longer applies. Here is everything you need to know about the new Microsoft certifications update in 2026.
What Microsoft Quietly Retired In 2026
Some of these were expected. Others caught people off guard. Here is what is already gone and what is on the way out.
➰ Already Retired
- MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals)
The MS-900 retired on March 31st, 2026. This was the go-to starter certification for anyone entering the Microsoft 365 world. Its closest replacement is the AB-900 exam, but it is also important to note that these two exams only share around 20 to 25% of content. The Microsoft AB-900 is its own thing, not a rebrand.
- MB-910 and MB-920 (Dynamics 365 CRM and ERP Fundamentals)
These exams retired on December 31st, 2025. These went quietly while most people had their attention elsewhere.
➰ Retiring Throughout 2026:
- PL-200 (Power Platform Functional Consultant)
The Microsoft PL-200 certification is expected to retire on August 31st, 2026. It is to be replaced by the Microsoft AB-410, the Intelligent Applications Builder Associate.
- AZ-204 retirement (Azure Developer Associate)
The Microsoft AZ-204 is retiring July 31st, 2026, and being replaced by the Microsoft AI-200, the Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate. Not a like-for-like swap. The new exam assumes AI development is core to the job, not an optional add-on.
- AI-102 replaced by AI-103
The Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, AI-102, is retiring on June 30th, 2026, and being replaced by the AI-300 (Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer Associate). The DP-100 (Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate) is also being replaced by the AI-300.
- Microsoft AZ-500 replacement (Azure Security Technologies)
The Microsoft AZ-500 is retiring on August 31st, 2026, and is being replaced by the SC-500, Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate.
whereas the DP-100 is being replaced by the AI-300.
- AI-900 replacement
The Microsoft AI-900 is being replaced by the Microsoft AI-901. Same certification, new name, updated content.
🌟 The Part Worth Paying Attention To
The Microsoft PL-500, PL-600, MB-700, and MB-240 are all retiring between June and August 2026. Several have no direct replacement announced. If you hold any of these, your credential stays on your transcript permanently, but the renewal window is closing. Not a reason to panic, but a reason to have a plan.
💫 One Piece Of Good News
The Microsoft AZ-800 and AZ-801 are merging into a single AZ-802 exam. Same certification, one exam instead of two, which means less overlap cost. In a year where most certifications seem to be getting replaced or retired, that one stands out as a welcome exception.
Meet The AB Series: Microsoft’s Four New AI Certifications
Microsoft did not just add new exams. It introduced an entirely new certification family built around AI, Copilot, and agentic systems, covering every level from complete beginner to enterprise architect. Here is the full picture at a glance:
| Certification | Level | Best For | Prerequistes |
| AB-900 (Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals) | Beginner | IT admins managing Copilot and M365 | None |
| AB-730 (Microsoft AI Business Professional) | Intermediate | Business Users, analysts, Ops role | None |
| AB-731(Microsoft AI Transformation Leader) | Intermediate | Managers driving organization-wide AI adoption | None |
| AB-100 (Microsoft Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect) | Expert | AI architects designing multi-agent solutions | Active associate certification |
✔️ Microsoft AB-900: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals
Beginner level, no prerequisites, and designed for IT admins who manage and secure Microsoft Copilot certification environments inside Microsoft 365. The Microsoft AB-900 covers more ground than the “Fundamentals” label suggests. Candidates who assume it is a quick pass have been caught out by how wide the objective domain actually runs.
✔️ Microsoft AB-730: Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional
The Microsoft AB-730 is for people who use AI, not build it. This is the new Microsoft AI certifications 2026 story for business professionals. No coding involved. Questions are scenario-based and test judgment: when to use a Copilot capability, how to align it to a business outcome, and whether a given approach is responsible and effective. Business analysts, marketers, project managers, and ops specialists are the target audience here.
✔️ Microsoft AB-731: Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader
This is for people deciding whether to roll out AI at all. Where AB-730 is about using AI day-to-day, the Microsoft AB-731 is about leading an organization through adopting it. Governance, ethics, change management, and measuring business impact. Beta testers described this one as noticeably harder than AB-900 and AB-730, where Azure AI Foundry and service selection questions were flagged as the trickiest areas. It is also the certification your clients may already be earning, which makes understanding its content useful regardless of whether you sit the exam yourself.
✔️ Microsoft AB-100: Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect
The Microsoft AB-100 is expert-level, and it earns that label. Requires an active associate certification as a prerequisite before you can even register. Cover multi-agent orchestration, generative AI architecture, and secure enterprise-scale deployment across Copilot Studio, Azure AI, and Dynamics 365. The role this certification targets is someone who spans Power Platform, Dynamics, Foundry, and Copilot architecture simultaneously, which is genuinely rare in European enterprises right now. More common in North America, though. That will change, but it is worth knowing where the market actually stands today.
To learn more information about the Microsoft AB series, check out the following:
➤ AB-900:
🔗 AB-900 In 2026: Is It Worth It or Just Hype?
➤ AB-730:
🔗 Microsoft AI Business Professional Certification: Boost Your Career in 2026
➤ AB-731:
🔗 Comprehensive Guide To Microsoft Certified AI Transformation Leader Certification
What’s Still Coming? The Microsoft Certification New Launches In 2026
The four Microsoft AB certifications that launched in February were just the opening act. Microsoft has a significant wave of new exams rolling out between April and August 2026, and most of them follow the same pattern: AI integrated from the ground up, not bolted on at the end.
Something else knowing upfront: of the 9 new certifications, 6 replace existing ones, and 3 are completely new additions with no retiring predecessor. This distinction matters if you are planning a study path from scratch.
Here is what to watch out for this year:
〰 The March Wave: Data and AI Engineering
| Exam | Certification Name | Live | Replaces | What It Covers |
| AI-300 | Microsoft Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer Associate | May 2026 | DP-100 | This is built for ML engineers and AI operations professionals who deploy, monitor, and manage machine learning models in production environments. |
| DP-750 | Microsoft Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate | May 2026 | New | Scalable, secure data pipelines using Azure Databricks. Fills a gap practitioners have flagged for years. |
| DP-800 | Microsoft SQL AI Developer Associate | May 2026 | New | Integrating AI into modern database solutions with governance and DevOps practices. |
〰 April To June Wave: Developers, Security, and Agents
| Exam | Certification Name | Live | Replaces | What It Covers |
| AI-103 | Microsoft Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate | April 2026 | AI-102 | Agentic architectures, Microsoft Foundry, and multi-step reasoning workflows. Covers what AI-102 simply did not. |
| AI-200 | Microsoft Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate | April 2026 | AZ-204 | Building and monitoring AI solutions on Azure using containerized compute, vector databases, and even-driven pipelines. |
| AI-901 | Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals | TBC | AI-900 | Updated fundamentals for the AI-first era. |
| AB-620 | Microsoft AI Agent Builder Associate | June 2026 | New | Production-grade, enterprise-scale Copilot Studio multi-agent builds. This is the technical deep end of the AB series. |
| SC-730 | Cybersecurity Business Professional | July 2026 | New | A business-level security certification. Targets managers and decision-makers who need to understand risk, govern AI adoption, and reduce organizational exposure without being hands-on engineers. |
〰 June To August Wave: Platform, Dynamics, and Infrastructure
| Exam | Certification Name | Live | Replaces | What It Covers |
| AB-410 | Intelligent Applications Builder Associate | June 2026 | PL-200 | Power Platform professionals designing AI-first applications where apps, agents, and automation work as one. |
| AB-210 | Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate | June 2026 | MB-280 | AI-powered sales solutions across the full lead-to-cash lifecycle, with Copilot-driven productivity and agent configuration |
| AZ-802 | Windows Server Hybrid Administrator | N/A | AZ-800, AZ-801 | Merges two exams into one. Same certification, lower cost. |
| PL-900 | Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals | June 2026 | Refreshed | Full content refresh aligned to AI-powered Power Platform. New streamlined one-day instructor-led course. Good news for anyone using the Microsoft certification path 2026 entry point into the Power Platform. |
The pattern across every single one of these is identical. Microsoft Azure certification changes 2026 are less about Azure specifically and more about AI being woven into every corner of the Microsoft ecosystem. Whether you work in security, development, sales, or infrastructure, the new exams assume AI is already part of the job.
Discover More: Best Microsoft Certifications for Beginners: Choose Your Career Wisely
To Conclude
The broader point is this. Microsoft has drawn a clear line between professionals who are familiar with its products and professionals who can put those products to work with AI at the center. The Microsoft certification path 2026 is not just a catalog refresh. It is a formal statement about which side of that line Microsoft intends to reward going forward.
