Blog Post

The Skills Hub Blog
6 MIN READ

The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills?

Mark Winters's avatar
Mark Winters
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Mar 03, 2026

Future-proof your skills: Microsoft’s new cloud, AI, and security Certifications.

AI isn’t just changing jobs descriptions, it’s redefining how work gets done across every industry, role, and skill level. From marketing to manufacturing, AI is reshaping workflows, speeding up deci...
New Microsoft Certification exam beta timeline
Updated Apr 07, 2026
Version 7.0
CERTIFICATION
Cloud AI
retirement
ZP's avatar
ZP
Copper Contributor
Apr 01, 2026

I’ve been preparing for the AZ-500 exam and was planning to book it for the end of April. However, I noticed it’s scheduled to retire in August 2026. Is it still worth taking the exam given the upcoming retirement?

Julian_Sharp's avatar
Julian_Sharp
Learn Expert
Apr 02, 2026

Only you can answer that. The value of the existing certification and the skills that you have learned don't magically disappear when it retires.