Find the best Microsoft Power Platform certifications in 2026. See which exams are active, which retired, and which one fits your career.
Microsoft changed its Power Platform exams a lot this year. If you read an older list of the best certifications, there’s a good chance half of it points to exams you can’t take anymore. PL-200, PL-500 and PL-600 are all gone, and PL-400 is on its last week.
This guide fixes that. It covers seven certifications that make sense in October 2026, who each one is for, and what to take first. I checked the details against Microsoft’s own exam pages, so the dates and exam codes here are current.
The short version: Start with PL-900 if you’re new. Then pick one associate exam that matches your job. Think about AB-100 only after you have real project work behind you.
The 7 Certifications at a Glance
| # | Certification | Exam | Level | Best for |
| 1 | Power Platform Fundamentals | PL-900 | Beginner | Anyone new to the platform |
| 2 | Intelligent Applications Builder Associate | AB-410 | Associate | App makers and consultants |
| 3 | Power Platform Developer Associate | AB-400 | Associate | Developers who write code |
| 4 | Power BI Data Analyst Associate | PL-300 | Associate | Report and data people |
| 5 | AI Agent Builder Associate | AB-620 | Associate | Copilot Studio builders |
| 6 | Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect | AB-100 | Expert | Experienced architects |
| 7 | Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate | DP-600 | Associate | Data people ready to go deeper |
What Changed in 2026 (And Why It Matters)
Microsoft moved its business apps exams toward AI. Several well-known Power Platform exams were retired, and new ones with “AB” codes took their place. Here’s the quick picture.
| Old exam | What happened | What to look at now |
| PL-200 Functional Consultant | Retired on August 31, 2026 | AB-410 |
| PL-500 Power Automate RPA Developer | Retired on June 30, 2026 | No direct replacement |
| PL-600 Solution Architect | Retired on June 30, 2026 | AB-100 (not a one-to-one swap) |
| PL-400 Developer | Last test date is October 30, 2026 | AB-400, same certification |
Two things are worth knowing. First, if you already hold a retired certification, it stays on your Microsoft Learn profile until it expires. You just can’t renew it. Second, PL-400 to AB-400 is an exam swap, not a new certification. Both lead to the same Power Platform Developer Associate title.
Here’s the part many articles miss: the skills didn’t disappear. Dataverse, Power Apps, Power Automate and Copilot Studio still sit under the new exams. So your old study notes still help. You just need to add the AI parts on top.
The 7 Best Power Platform Certifications
This list runs from first step to most advanced. It’s a path, not a strict ranking. The best one for you depends on your job.
1. PL-900: Power Platform Fundamentals
Best for: beginners, business staff and managers.
This is the easiest way in. There are no prerequisites, and the exam is short, around 45 minutes. It covers the value of the platform, environments, Power Apps, Power Automate and, since the July 24, 2026 update, Copilot Studio agents. That last topic now makes up about a fifth of the exam.
It costs about $99 in the US, and the price changes by country. The nice part is that it never expires. Fundamentals certifications have no yearly renewal.
My honest view: PL-900 won’t get you a job by itself. But it shows you know the words and the tools, and that matters when you talk to developers or clients.
2. AB-410: Intelligent Applications Builder Associate
Best for: app makers, business analysts and functional consultants.
AB-410 is the new home for the skills PL-200 used to test. You build apps, flows and agents, and you use Copilot and AI Builder along the way. The exam has three areas. The foundation (Dataverse, environments, solutions) and the apps themselves each take 25 to 30 percent. The biggest chunk, 40 to 45 percent, is business logic and automation.
That last number tells you where to spend your study time: Power Automate. One more thing. AB-410 started in beta in April 2026, so check the exam page to see its current status before you book.
3. AB-400: Power Platform Developer Associate
Best for: developers who extend the platform with code.
This is the certification many people knew as PL-400. Registration for PL-400 closed on October 16, 2026, and you can only sit it until October 30. If you haven’t booked yet, book AB-400.
The new exam is split into four areas. Extending the platform is the biggest at 35 to 40 percent. The user experience area takes 25 to 30 percent, building solutions takes 15 to 20, and integrations take 10 to 15. Compared with the old exam, it adds AI agents, Copilot Studio and Microsoft Foundry. You should be comfortable with languages like JavaScript or C# before you start.
4. PL-300: Power BI Data Analyst Associate
Best for: analysts and anyone who builds reports.
Power BI is part of the wider Power Platform family, and this exam wasn’t touched by the 2026 changes. It tests how you prepare data, build models, write DAX formulas and create reports people can actually read.
Why it’s a strong pick: almost every company needs reports, and Power BI skills travel well. The exam has cost around $165 in the US, though your price depends on your country. Microsoft gives you a free practice assessment, so use it before you pay.
5. AB-620: AI Agent Builder Associate
Best for: developers and advanced builders working in Copilot Studio.
This is one of the new exams, and it fits where the market is heading. It covers designing agents, connecting them to other systems, building agent flows, working with several agents together, testing, and moving agents between environments. The largest area, at 40 to 45 percent, is integrating and extending agents. The exam runs around two hours.
A warning: study material is still thin because the exam is new. Lean on Microsoft Learn and build a few agents yourself. Hands-on practice will help more than any video.
6. AB-100: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect
Best for: experienced architects and senior consultants.
AB-100 is the expert-level exam, and it’s the nearest thing to the old PL-600. Microsoft doesn’t call it a direct replacement, so don’t treat it as one. To earn it you need an active associate certification from Microsoft’s approved list, and then you pass a 100-minute exam.
The exam covers planning, designing and deploying AI-powered business solutions. Deploying carries the most weight at 40 to 45 percent. This one is hard to pass on theory alone. You need real projects to draw from.
7. DP-600: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
Best for: data people who’ve passed PL-300 and want more.
DP-600 isn’t a pure Power Platform exam, but it’s the natural next step after PL-300. It moves you from building reports to building the data layer under them, using Microsoft Fabric. You’ll need SQL, KQL and DAX. The English version of the certification updated on October 19, 2026, so use fresh study material.
Pick this one if you like data more than apps.
Which Certification Should You Pick?
Don’t try to collect them all. Match the exam to the job you want. Use this table, then look at the path below it.
| Your situation | Start with | Then consider |
| Complete beginner | PL-900 | AB-410 or PL-300 |
| Office worker who builds apps | AB-410 | AB-620 |
| Developer | AB-400 | AB-100 |
| Report or data person | PL-300 | DP-600 |
| Experienced architect | Your current associate cert | AB-100 |
You don’t need PL-900 before the others. It’s a good first step, not a rule.
How to Study Without Wasting Money
- Start with the free stuff. Microsoft Learn has free learning paths and practice assessments for most of these exams.
- Read the skills measured page. It lists what the exam tests and how much each area counts. Check its date, because Microsoft updates it often.
- Build one small real thing. A leave request app, an expense flow or a help-desk agent teaches more than hours of reading.
- Learn Copilot Studio once, use it five times. It now shows up in PL-900, AB-410, AB-620, AB-400 and AB-100.
- Check your local price. Microsoft sets exam prices by country. Students and employer programs sometimes get discounts.
- Book a date. A fixed exam day makes you study. Without one, plans slip.
Mistakes to Avoid
Most people don’t fail because the exams are too hard. They lose time on small, avoidable things.
- Using old study guides. A PL-200 or PL-600 course from 2024 teaches an exam that no longer exists. Always match your material to the exam code on the Microsoft page.
- Booking PL-400 this week. The last test date is October 30. Unless you’re already registered, go straight to AB-400.
- Skipping hands-on practice. These exams ask what you would do in a real situation. Memorizing terms won’t be enough.
- Aiming for the expert level too soon. AB-100 is built for people with project experience. Earn an associate certification, work on real solutions, and come back.
- Forgetting the renewal date. Associate certifications need a free renewal each year. Put a reminder in your calendar the day you pass.
Will a Certification Really Help Your Career?
It can, but it isn’t magic. A certificate gets your resume noticed. A small project you can talk about gets you through the interview. The best mix is both: one exam that matches your target job and one real example of your work.
Also remember that associate and expert certifications expire after a year. Renewal is free, and it’s an online assessment on Microsoft Learn, so keeping them alive takes little effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PL-900 still worth taking?
Yes. Microsoft kept it and updated it in July 2026. It’s a cheap, low-risk way to start.
I passed PL-200 or PL-600 earlier. Is it still valid?
Yes, until its expiry date. After that it moves to your historical list, and you can’t renew it. Plan your next exam before then.
Do I have to take the exams in order?
No. Only AB-100 has a prerequisite, which is an active associate certification. Everything else is open to you.
Do fundamentals certifications expire?
No. PL-900 is a lifetime credential. Associate and expert ones renew every year through a free assessment.
Final Thoughts
The Power Platform exam list looks different now, but the idea is the same: pick the role you want, then pick the exam that proves it. For most people that means PL-900 first, one associate exam second, and AB-100 much later. Check each exam page before you book, because Microsoft is still changing things.
