Microsoft Azure AI Certifications 2026: The Complete Guide to Every Exam, Retirement, and Replacement
by George Kosmidis / Published 1 month ago
Microsoft's 2026 certification overhaul is the biggest shift in a decade. The company is retiring seven exams, replacing them with AI-native alternatives, and introducing entirely new credentials - all centered around generative AI, agentic architectures, and AI-powered cloud solutions. This post is a complete reference of every Microsoft AI certification, organized by track, with links, descriptions, and status.
Table of Contents
- Azure AI / Cloud Track
- Data / ML Track
- Security Track
- Business / Agentic AI Track
- Quick Reference: Retirement and Replacement Pairs
- What Happens to Your Existing Certifications?
- Final Thoughts
Azure AI / Cloud Track
Fundamentals
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-900 | Azure AI Fundamentals | Retiring Jun 30, 2026 | Covers ML/AI concepts, Azure Cognitive Services, and responsible AI principles. No coding required. Lifetime validity - no renewal needed. |
| AI-901 | Azure AI Fundamentals (refreshed) | Beta Live / GA in Jun 2026 | Replaces AI-900. Shifts focus from understanding AI to building AI apps and agents on Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio). |
Associate
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-102 | Azure AI Engineer Associate | Retiring Jun 30, 2026 | Covers Azure AI Services, Azure OpenAI, AI Search, Computer Vision, NLP, Bot Service, and Document Intelligence. |
| AI-103 | Azure AI App and Agent Developer Associate | Beta Live / GA in Jun 2026 | Replaces AI-102. Covers agentic architectures, multi-agent orchestration, generative AI applications, and multi-step reasoning workflows on Microsoft Foundry. |
| AZ-204 | Azure Developer Associate | Retiring Jul 31, 2026 | Covers Azure compute, storage, security, monitoring, and building solutions with SDKs and APIs. |
| AI-200 | Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate | Beta Live / GA in July 2026 | Replaces AZ-204. Covers building AI solutions on Azure with containerized compute, vector-enabled databases, event-driven AI pipelines, serverless functions, and distributed observability. |
Data / ML Track
Associate
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP-100 | Azure Data Scientist Associate | Retiring Jun 1, 2026 | Covers Azure ML workspace, data assets, model training, MLflow, and responsible AI dashboards. |
| AI-300 | MLOps Engineer Associate | Beta Live / GA in May 2026 | Replaces DP-100. Focuses on deploying, operationalizing, and maintaining ML and GenAI solutions in production - MLOps and GenAIOps. |
| DP-750 | Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate | Beta Live / GA in May 2026 | Brand new. Covers designing and implementing scalable, secure data pipelines using Azure Databricks for real-time analytics and AI-ready data foundations. |
| DP-800 | SQL AI Developer Associate | Beta Live / GA in May 2026 | Brand new. Validates integrating AI into modern database solutions with governance and DevOps practices. |
Security Track
Associate
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-500 | Azure Security Engineer Associate | Retiring Aug 31, 2026 | Covers identity management, platform protection, data and application security, and security operations. |
| SC-500 | Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate | Beta May 2026 Jul 2026 | Replaces AZ-500. Expands to include AI model protection - designing and implementing secure environments for building and running AI solutions. |
| SC-730 | Cybersecurity Business Professional | Beta May 2026 Jul 2026 | Brand new. Validates the ability to recognize security risks, apply secure practices, and make informed business decisions while adopting AI. For business professionals who handle digital tools and sensitive data. |
Business / Agentic AI Track
This is the largest new addition to Microsoft's certification portfolio, covering the entire AB-series.
Fundamentals
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB-900 | Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals | GA Live | Entry-level cert for IT admins managing Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent services. Covers configuration, security, and support. |
Associate - Business Professionals
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB-730 | AI Business Professional | GA Live | Validates using generative AI and Copilot to streamline business workflows and improve outcomes. No coding required. |
| AB-731 | AI Transformation Leader | GA Live | Verifies ability to define AI's business value, drive company-wide AI adoption, and integrate Copilot and Foundry tools into enterprise strategy. |
Associate - Technical Roles
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB-620 | AI Agent Builder Associate | Beta Live / GA in Jun 2026 | For developers, AI engineers, and architects building production-ready Copilot Studio agents and multi-agent solutions with enterprise integration. |
| AB-410 | Intelligent Applications Builder Associate | Beta Live / GA in Jun 2026 | For Power Platform pros building AI-first apps with Copilot, agents, automation, and models. Replaces PL-200 (retiring Aug 31, 2026). |
| AB-210 | Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate | Beta May 2026 Jun 2026 | AI-powered sales solutions across the lead-to-cash lifecycle with Copilot-driven productivity. Replaces MB-280 (retiring Jul 31, 2026). |
| AB-250 | Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate | Beta Jun 2026 Aug 2026 | Brand new. Modern contact center (CCaaS) solutions with Dynamics 365 Contact Center, Copilot, and service-oriented autonomous agents. |
Expert
| Exam | Title | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB-100 | Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect | GA Live | Flagship expert-level cert. Covers multi-agent orchestration, generative AI, secure deployment, and measurable business outcomes. Requires one active associate-level cert. Recommended path for holders of retiring PL-600, MB-700, MB-335, MB-240, and PL-500. |
Quick Reference: Retirement and Replacement Pairs
| Retiring Exam | Retirement Date | Replacement Exam | Expected Live Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-900 | Jun 30, 2026 | AI-901 | Jun 2026 |
| AI-102 | Jun 30, 2026 | AI-103 | Jun 2026 |
| AZ-204 | Jul 31, 2026 | AI-200 | Jul 2026 |
| DP-100 | Jun 1, 2026 | AI-300 | May 2026 |
| AZ-500 | Aug 31, 2026 | SC-500 | Jul 2026 |
| MB-280 | Jul 31, 2026 | AB-210 | Jun 2026 |
| PL-200 | Aug 31, 2026 | AB-410 | Jun 2026 |
What Happens to Your Existing Certifications?
A few important things to keep in mind:
- Earned certifications are not invalidated. They remain valid on your transcript until their normal expiration date.
- Fundamentals certs (like AI-900) never expire. Upgrading to AI-901 is entirely optional.
- No automatic migration. You need to study for and pass the new exam separately - there is no free upgrade or voucher.
- Renew before retirement. If your certification is eligible for renewal, do it before the retirement date. Once retired, you cannot renew.
- Beta exams are discounted. Taking a beta exam is a cost-effective way to earn the new certification early, though results take longer to process.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft's message is clear: AI is no longer a specialty - it is a baseline expectation built into every role. Whether you are a developer, data engineer, security professional, or business leader, the 2026 certification refresh offers a path that matches where the industry is heading. If you are currently studying for a retiring exam and are close to ready, finish it. If you are just starting, pivot to the replacement.
