Microsoft Certification Exams 2026: Codes, Costs, Changes

Updated October 27, 2026. Exam codes, dates and rules checked against Microsoft Learn and Pearson VUE. The update history is at the bottom. .

If you came looking for AZ-204, AZ-500, AI-900, AI-102 or MS-900, the short answer is that those exams are gone. Microsoft retired them between March and September 2026 and replaced most of them with exams that build AI into the job role. Plenty of study guides haven’t caught up, including earlier versions of this one.

This guide is a map of the exams you can actually sit today. It covers what each exam is about, then the practical questions: what exams cost, how long they run, how scoring works, how to schedule one, what happens if you fail, and how to prepare. We link to Microsoft’s own pages throughout because the details change. Check the exam page before you book.

What changed in 2026: retired exams and their replacements

Microsoft is moving AI and security skills into the core role exams instead of keeping them as side tracks. The table below shows the retirements most likely to wreck a study plan, based on Microsoft Learn’s exam retirement page and Pearson VUE’s Microsoft updates page.

Exam	Retired on	Replaced by
MS-900	March 31, 2026	No official replacement named. AB-900 is the closest new entry-level exam.
DP-100	June 1, 2026	AI-300
AI-900	June 30, 2026	AI-901
AI-102	June 30, 2026	AI-103
PL-500, PL-600, MB-240, MB-335, MB-700	June 30, 2026	None planned
AZ-204	July 31, 2026	AI-200
AZ-500	August 31, 2026	SC-500
PL-200	August 31, 2026	AB-410
AZ-800 and AZ-801	September 30, 2026	AZ-802 (one exam instead of two)
MS-102	November 30, 2026 (upcoming)	AB-650 is widely described as the successor. Confirm its status on Microsoft Learn.

Older retirements still show up in outdated guides. MD-100 and MD-101 retired on September 30, 2023 (replaced by MD-102). MS-500 and MS-720 retired on June 30, 2023. DP-500 retired on April 30, 2024 (replaced by DP-600), and MB-210 and MB-220 on November 30, 2024. DP-203 retired on March 31, 2025 (replaced by DP-700), SC-400 on May 31, 2025 (replaced by SC-401), and the Dynamics 365 fundamentals exams MB-910 and MB-920 on December 31, 2025.

What retirement means in practice:

You can’t take a retired exam. If you’re mid-study and can book before the retirement date, you can still finish. If you can’t, switch to the replacement now.
Certifications you already earned stay on your Microsoft Learn transcript. You just can’t renew them after the retirement date, so renew first if your window is open.
Prerequisites get updated. SC-100, for example, now accepts the SC-500 credential alongside SC-200 and SC-300.
The replacements aren’t renamed copies. SC-500 adds AI security and AI-901 expects Python basics, so old notes only get you part of the way.

What are Microsoft certification exams?

Microsoft certification exams are proctored tests delivered through Pearson VUE, online or at a test center. Fundamentals exams check that you understand the concepts. Associate, expert and specialty exams check that you can apply them: choosing, configuring and troubleshooting Microsoft services in scenario-based questions, case studies and, on some exams, hands-on labs. Pass the required exam (or exams) and you earn the matching certification.

Microsoft Applied Skills are a separate thing: lab-based assessments built around a single scenario rather than a whole job role. This guide covers certification exams only.

Which Microsoft exams can you take today?

Exams are listed by code. Microsoft’s practice assessment list, updated in October 2026, is a handy cross-check for what’s current, and the exam page on Microsoft Learn always has the final word on status, price and skills measured.

Fundamentals exams

Exam	What it covers	Notes
AZ-900	Cloud concepts, core Azure services, pricing and governance	The usual first exam
AI-901	AI concepts and building AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry	Replaces AI-900. Microsoft expects Python basics.
DP-900	Core data concepts and Azure data services
SC-900	Security, compliance and identity concepts	Common start for the security exams
PL-900	Power Platform components and what they do
AB-900	Microsoft 365 core services plus Copilot and agent administration	Closest successor to MS-900

Associate exams

Exam	What it covers	Notes
AZ-104	Administering Azure: identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, monitoring	Common first role-based exam for Azure admins
AZ-700	Designing and implementing Azure networking
AZ-802	Windows Server hybrid administration	Replaces AZ-800 and AZ-801
AI-200	Back-end services and components of AI solutions on Azure	Replaces AZ-204
AI-103	Generative AI and agent apps built with Python and Microsoft Foundry	Replaces AI-102
AI-300	Deploying and managing machine learning and generative AI in production	Replaces DP-100
SC-200	Security operations with Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel
SC-300	Identity and access with Microsoft Entra
SC-500	Securing Azure workloads and AI solutions	Replaces AZ-500
SC-401	Information protection and data security in Microsoft 365	Replaced SC-400
MD-102	Managing and securing endpoints	Replaced MD-100 and MD-101
MS-700	Managing Microsoft Teams
MS-721	Collaboration communications systems for Microsoft 365
DP-300	Administering Azure SQL solutions
DP-600	Analytics solutions in Microsoft Fabric	Replaced DP-500
DP-700	Data engineering solutions in Microsoft Fabric	Replaced DP-203
DP-750	Azure Databricks data engineering	Newer exam, check its status
DP-800	AI-enabled application development with SQL	Newer exam, check its status
PL-300	Power BI data analysis
PL-400	Power Platform development	AB-400 is listed alongside it, so confirm which applies

Expert exams

Exam	What it covers	Notes
AZ-305	Designing Azure solutions for identity, data, continuity and infrastructure	To earn the certification you need the AZ-104 certification first
AZ-400	DevOps: processes, source control, pipelines and monitoring	Needs AZ-104 or AZ-204 first. Microsoft community answers say AI-200 will be added, so confirm on Learn.
SC-100	Cybersecurity architecture: Zero Trust, governance and risk, security operations	Needs one of SC-200, SC-300 or SC-500 first
MS-102	Microsoft 365 tenant administration	Retires November 30, 2026. Needs one qualifying associate certification (Endpoint, Teams, Identity and Access, or Information Security).

Specialty exams

Exam	What it covers	Notes
AZ-120	Planning and administering Azure for SAP workloads	Not on Microsoft’s retirement list
AZ-140	Configuring and operating Azure Virtual Desktop	A single exam earns the certification
DP-420	Cosmos DB applications	Check the Learn page. One training provider reports an October 2026 update and rename.

AI business exams (AB series)

The AB series is Microsoft’s newest family, built around AI in business apps and Copilot. Many of these launched in beta, so check each exam’s Learn page for its current status and price.

Exam	What it covers
AB-730	AI Business Professional: using Copilot and generative AI in everyday work, no coding needed
AB-731	AI Transformation Leader: leading AI strategy and adoption, no coding needed
AB-620	AI Agent Builder Associate: building AI agents
AB-410	Intelligent Applications Builder Associate: AI-enabled business apps (replaces PL-200)
AB-400	Power Platform Developer Associate (listed next to PL-400, so confirm which applies)
AB-210	Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate
AB-250	Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate
AB-100	Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect

Dynamics 365 and GitHub exams

Dynamics 365 is the most reshuffled area. Still current: MB-230 (Customer Service), MB-310 (Finance), MB-330 (Supply Chain Management), MB-500 (Finance and Operations apps developer), MB-800 (Business Central functional consultant) and MB-820 (Business Central developer). Retired: MB-210, MB-220, MB-240, MB-335, MB-700, MB-280 (July 31, 2026) and the fundamentals exams MB-910 and MB-920. GitHub exams (GH-100, GH-200, GH-300, GH-500 and GH-900) are listed alongside Microsoft exams on Microsoft Learn.

How much do Microsoft certification exams cost?

In the US, Fundamentals exams cost $99 and associate, expert and specialty exams cost $165. Those prices still hold after Microsoft’s November 1, 2024 pricing update, which set six price tiers by country. The US is in the top tier. Canada and Australia are one tier down at $84 and $140. Across all tiers, Fundamentals exams run from $99 down to $44 and the others from $165 down to $58 (US dollars). Taxes may be added, and the exam page shows the price for your country.

If you fail, you pay again. And because an expert exam needs a qualifying associate certification, an expert path from scratch means two exams, or $330 at US prices.

Ways to pay less

Student pricing. Microsoft offers academic pricing in most countries (not India or China) once you mark yourself as a student in your Learn profile and verify your status.
Exam Replay. Exam Replay bundles an exam voucher with one retake of the same exam, both to be used within 12 months of purchase.
Event vouchers. Microsoft hands out 100%-off vouchers through limited-time events. The latest we found was June 2026’s AI Skills Fest, and its vouchers have expired. Virtual Training Days and Cloud Skills Challenges have offered vouchers too. There’s no permanent free voucher, so watch AI Skills Navigator and Microsoft Learn announcements.
Your employer or training provider. Many bundle vouchers with courses, so ask first.

How long are the exams, and what are the questions like?

Exam type	Exam time	Seat time
Fundamentals	45 minutes	65 minutes
Associate and expert	100 minutes	120 minutes
Associate and expert that may include labs	120 minutes	140 minutes

Exam time is how long you have to answer. Seat time is how long to block out, because it includes the instructions and the candidate agreement. Most exams have 40 to 60 questions, and the intro screen tells you how many questions, case studies and labs you’ll get. Microsoft doesn’t publish formats in advance and doesn’t list which exams have labs, so don’t count on either.

A few rules worth knowing before you sit down:

On associate and expert exams you can open Microsoft Learn inside the exam. On Fundamentals exams you can’t. The clock keeps running, so use it for lookups, not as a plan.
Case studies aren’t timed separately. You can review a case study’s questions until you move on to the next section. You can take a break during a case study, but you can’t return to questions you saw before the break.
Some questions may not count toward your score.

Details are on Microsoft’s exam duration and experience page. The free exam sandbox lets you try the interface and the question types, like build list and drag and drop, before the day.

What is the passing score for Microsoft certification exams?

Microsoft reports technical exam scores on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and 700 or greater passes. It’s a scaled score, so it may not equal 70% of the points. Subject matter experts set the bar from the skills a competent candidate needs and how hard the questions are, so an exam with harder questions can need fewer correct answers than one with easier questions. Newer question types can be scored differently, and the question text says so when they are. You’ll get a score report with your result and feedback on how you did.

How do I schedule and take a Microsoft certification exam?

Provider. Most exams are scheduled through Pearson VUE. Certiport is used for students and academic institutions and for Microsoft Office exams.
Online or in person. You can usually test online with OnVUE remote proctoring or at a Pearson VUE test center. For online exams, run the system pre-check before you register. A test center is the easier choice if you want a quiet, pre-configured room.
Account. Microsoft strongly recommends registering with a personal Microsoft account, and the legal name on your Learn profile has to match your ID or you won’t be allowed to test.
Limits. Through Pearson VUE you can have at most two exams scheduled at a time, and you can’t book more than 90 days ahead. Microsoft’s registration page has the details.
Accommodations and extra time. Request them before you schedule. If an exam isn’t offered in your native language, you can apply for English as a second language extra time (typically 30 minutes). Microsoft decides case by case and asks for supporting documentation. See accommodations for Microsoft certifications.
Rescheduling and cancelling. Do it at least 24 hours before your appointment, or you forfeit the exam fee. The policy explains how.

What happens if I fail a Microsoft certification exam?

You can retake it, with some waiting time:

Wait 24 hours after a first failed attempt, then 14 days between later attempts.
You get up to five attempts in 12 months, counted from your first attempt.
Each attempt costs the full exam fee unless you have Exam Replay or a voucher.
Beta exams can be taken only once.

The retake policy has the full rules, including the shorter waits for renewal assessments and Applied Skills.

Do Microsoft exams expire? How renewal works

Passing an exam earns a certification, and most certifications expire:

Fundamentals certifications never expire.
Associate, expert and specialty certifications expire after 12 months. You renew for free with an unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn during the six months before expiry, which extends the certification by a year from the expiration date.
If a certification retires before it expires, renew before the retirement date.
Each certification renews on its own clock, so check the expiry date of any prerequisite you rely on.

Which Microsoft exam should I take first?

Pick by the job you want in the next year, not by the salary number on a list.

Your goal	First exam	Then
Learn Azure basics	AZ-900	AZ-104
Work with AI	AI-901	AI-103 or AI-200
Administer Azure	AZ-104	AZ-305 or AZ-400
Work in security	SC-900	SC-200, SC-300 or SC-500, then SC-100
Administer Microsoft 365	MD-102, MS-700 or SC-300	MS-102 until November 30, then AB-650
Work with data and BI	DP-900	PL-300, DP-600 or DP-700

Pay depends far more on role and country than on the exam. Skillsoft’s salary survey, fielded from May to September 2024, found that US respondents with the Azure Administrator certification (AZ-104) averaged $148,849, against $91,938 worldwide. For the Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert (MS-102) the averages were $160,044 in the US and $109,247 worldwide. The figures aren’t adjusted for location or seniority, so use them as a range, not a promise.

How should I prepare for Microsoft certification exams?

Start with the free official material. Microsoft Learn has self-paced learning paths, and each exam page links to a study guide that lists the skills measured and an update date. AI-901’s English version, for example, was updated on April 15, 2026, so older notes may miss changes. Exam pages also link to exam prep videos for select exams.
Use the free practice assessments. For newer exams they live on AI Skills Navigator, and you need to sign in. Microsoft says they usually arrive within about eight weeks of an exam going generally available, so brand-new exams may not have one yet.
Try the exam sandbox. It lets you click through the real interface and the question types before exam day.
Get hands-on. Scenario questions are hard to fake. Build and break things in a free Azure account or in the labs on Microsoft Learn.
Add realistic practice questions. At CertVista we provide hundreds of exam-style questions on a test engine built to feel like the real exam. They’re continuously updated to reflect the latest exam objectives, and each one comes with a detailed explanation, so you learn the concept and not just the answer. Full disclosure: that’s our product, so weigh our opinion accordingly. You can start with the AZ-900 practice exam.
Know when you’re ready. A common rule of thumb is to book once you’re consistently scoring above 80% on good practice tests. Because 700 isn’t the same as 70%, leave yourself some margin.

Skip brain dumps. They violate Microsoft’s exam candidate agreement, and they teach you nothing.

Are Microsoft certification exams worth it?

Mostly yes, as long as you treat a pass as proof of a solid baseline and not a substitute for hands-on experience. In Pearson VUE’s 2025 survey of nearly 24,000 IT professionals, 63% said they had received a promotion, or expected one, in connection with earning a certification. Pearson’s 2026 employer report found that 78% of organizations choose professional certification as their leading upskilling investment. A 2021 IDC white paper sponsored by Microsoft estimated that trained and certified IT teams are about 20% more productive. Keep the sources in mind: the survey answers are self-reported, Pearson VUE delivers Microsoft’s exams, and Microsoft funded the IDC work.

Bottom line

Microsoft certification exams cost $99 to $165 in the US, and the catalog moved fast in 2026. Before you buy a course or a voucher, confirm the exam is still live and see what replaced it. Then choose by the job you want, learn the format, use the free official resources, and practice under realistic conditions.

Prefer the career-path view? See our Microsoft certifications guide. Comparing vendors? We also cover AWS, Google Cloud and ISC2 exams.

Update history

October 27, 2026: Full revision and fact-check. Added the 2026 retirements and replacements (AZ-204, AZ-500, AI-900, AI-102, DP-100, MS-900, PL-200, AZ-800/801 and others) and the upcoming MS-102 retirement. Rebuilt the exam tables around exams that are current today, and removed retired exams and entries we couldn’t verify. Corrected prerequisites and exam levels. Replaced unsourced statistics with dated, sourced figures. Updated regional pricing, exam length, scoring, scheduling, retake, renewal and discount details. Added exam-format details and the new AI-focused exams.
2025: Original guide published.