The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills?
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 decisions, and opening entirely new career paths. And the impact is massive. According to the World Economic Forum The Future of Jobs Report 2025, advances in AI and tech could create 78 million new jobs by 2030. “We’re in the middle of a once‑in‑a‑generation shift in how work gets done,” says Elisa Graceffo, General Manager of Global Skilling at Microsoft. “For over 30 years, Microsoft Certifications have set the benchmark for skills validation. We’re evolving them as fast as roles are changing so you can prove your skills for the future of work.” To keep pace with this shift, we’re launching a new wave of Certifications designed for AI‑powered roles, from entry level to advanced, from developers and data pros to business professionals. These new Certifications reflect the major industry drivers shaping today’s workplace, including the rise of generative AI and autonomous agents and the emergence of integrated cloud and AI systems. They also highlight how business professionals are evolving into orchestrators of AI‑powered workflows and innovation. And because AI is ultimately a force that amplifies human capability, these Certifications can help ensure that your skills stay relevant, practical, and aligned with the real‑world work of 2026 and beyond. What’s new in cloud, AI, and security Certifications The new Certification exams roll out in beta beginning this month, with additional releases following over the next few months and are expected to go live later this year. The Microsoft Certified: Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate Certification is ideal for professionals who deploy, operationalize, and maintain machine learning and generative AI solutions in production to automate, govern, deploy, monitor, and optimize performance. Exam AI-300 beta and training available in March 2026; exam expected to go live in May 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification covers designing and implementing scalable, secure data pipelines by using Azure Databricks. It’s intended for data professionals who want to build real-time analytics and AI-ready data foundations in the cloud. Exam DP-750 beta and training available in March 2026; exam expected to go live in May 2026. The Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate Certification validates your ability to integrate AI into modern database solutions with governance and DevOps practices. It’s designed for developers who want to build intelligent, AI-augmented database applications. Exam DP-800 beta and training available in March 2026; exam expected to go live in May 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals Certification explores how you can build modern AI apps and agents by using Microsoft Foundry. It’s ideal for beginners who want to build AI applications on Microsoft platforms. Exam AI-901 beta available in April 2026; training expected to be available in March 2026; exam expected to go live in June 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate Certification aligns with today’s generative and agentic architectures for planning and managing AI resources in Microsoft Foundry, building generative apps and multistep reasoning workflows, and developing production‑ready agents with multi‑agent orchestration capabilities. Exam AI-103 beta available in April 2026; training expected to be available in March 2026; exam expected to go live in June 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Business Professional Certification validates your ability to recognize security risks, apply secure practices, and make informed business decisions that reduce organizational exposure while enabling productivity and AI adoption. Exam SC-730 beta available in May 2026; training expected to be available in May 2026; exam expected to go live in July 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate Certification is designed for developers who want to validate their ability to build, integrate, and monitor AI solutions on Azure by using containerized compute, vector-enabled databases, event-driven AI pipelines, serverless functions, secret management, and distributed observability. Exam AI-200 beta and training expected to be available in May 2026; exam expected to go live in July 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate Certification expands the security role to include cloud and AI model protection. Prove that you can design and implement secure environments for building and running AI solutions by using current security patterns and controls in enterprise deployments. Exam SC-500 beta available in May 2026; training and exam expected to be available in July 2026. The Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Administrator Associate Certification combines previous hybrid infrastructure tracks to validate skills across Azure and on-premises environments. Exam AZ-802 beta available in July 2026; training and exam expected to be available in August 2026. Retiring Certifications: What you need to know As we introduce new Certifications aligned to evolving AI roles, we’re also retiring several existing ones. The following table itemizes what’s changing and provides key dates for Certification and training retirements in 2026. If your Certification is eligible for renewal, please renew it before the retirement date. Retiring Microsoft Certification Certification retirement date Training retirement date* Replacement Certification Azure Data Scientist Associate (Exam DP-100) June 1, 2026 April 2026 Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate (Exam AI-300) Azure AI Fundamentals (Exam AI-900) June 30, 2026 April 2026 Azure AI Fundamentals (Exam AI-901) Azure AI Engineer Associate (Exam AI-102) June 30, 2026 April 2026 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (Exam AI-103) Azure Developer Associate (Exam AZ-204) July 31, 2026 May 2026 Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (Exam AI-200) Azure Security Engineer Associate (Exam AZ-500) August 31, 2026 August 2026 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (Exam SC-500) Windows Server Hybrid Administrator (Exam AZ-800 and Exam AZ-801) September 2026* September 2026 Windows Server Administrator Associate (Exam AZ-802) * Planned dates Navigating the transition: FAQs The following questions and answers can help you determine how these retirements and expanded portfolio could impact your learning journey: Q. I’ve already earned one of the retiring Certifications. What happens now? A. If you’ve already earned any of the retiring Certifications, your credential remains valid and, on your transcript, until it expires. Retirement does not revoke or invalidate Certifications that were earned. Q. Can I still renew a soon-to-retire Certification? A. Yes, as long as it’s eligible for renewal and you renew it before the Certification officially retires. Fundamentals Certifications don’t expire. Q. I’m preparing for an exam that’s retiring. What should I do? If you’re actively preparing for an exam that’s retiring: If you’ve already registered for the exam, you may continue preparing for it and take it while it’s still available. Keep in mind that after the exam retires, you won’t be able to retake it if you don’t pass, and you won’t be able to renew it. If you haven’t registered for the exam, we strongly recommend that you prepare for and take the new exam instead, as noted in the following table. If you’re not close to testing for this exam Prepare for and take this exam instead Learning path and instructor-led training expected to be available in Exam DP-100 Exam AI-300 March 2026 Exam AI-900 Exam AI-901 March 2026 Exam AI-102 Exam AI-103 March 2026 Exam AZ-204 Exam AI-200 May 2026 Exam AZ-500 Exam SC-500 July 2026 Exam AZ-800 and Exam AZ-801 Exam AZ-802 August 2026 Take the next step: Build your AI-ready skill set Technology is changing fast, and AI is accelerating that change. Our Certifications are built to help you and your organization stay ahead with job‑ready skills. Earning one isn’t just a milestone, it’s a signal that you’re ready to grow with the future of work. We’ll share updates for each new Certification, including beta exams and go live dates, on The Skills Hub Blog. Stay tuned for an announcement of new Certifications focused on AI business solutions in the coming month. Explore more Microsoft Credentials on AI Skills Navigator.How to get a Microsoft Discounted Student Certificationt.
Certifications are a way to stand out from the rest. Other than boosting your confidence, certifications can help you land a new job, get a promotion, or even attract more clients. Microsoft certification offers numerous opportunities, not just for developers but also low code citizen developers. As a student, you can jump start your career with free fundamental certifications.
Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification and Exam MS-500 retiring
As previously announced, we’re retiring the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification and its required Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration, on June 30, 2023. Security-related roles have evolved to deliver solutions in specialized areas—like information protection, operations, or identity management—using multiple technologies. Because of this evolution, this certification no longer has a distinct role. Skills for security administrators are included in certifications like Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (Exam SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst), Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (Exam SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator), and Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate (Exam SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator), each reflecting the depth of knowledge for its particular specialization. Summary of updates to the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification. The following questions and answers can help you determine how this news impacts your learning journey: I’ve been preparing for Exam MS-500. What are my options? If you’ve been preparing for Exam MS-500, be sure to pass the exam on or before June 30, 2023. I’ve already earned the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification. What happens now? If you’ve already earned the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification, it will stay on your transcript. What about renewal for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification? Learners with an active Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification can renew it for one year (one last time) up to six months after its retirement date of June 30, 2023. I’m considering earning the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification. What should I do? If you’re considering earning the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certification, we recommend that you instead consider one or more of these certifications: Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate, Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate, or Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate.Reminder: Exam AZ-303 and Exam 304 retire on March 31, 2022
If you are looking to become a Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, remember that on March 31, 2022 Exam AZ-303 and Exam AZ-304 will retire. These exams are being replaced by the new Exam AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, currently in beta. If you’re well along on your certification journey, these are your options: If you’ve already passed Exam AZ-303, pass the new Exam AZ-305 (beta). If you’ve already passed Exam AZ-304 or Exam AZ-301, be sure to pass Exam AZ-303 before it retires on March 31, 2022. If you’ve already passed Exam AZ-300, be sure to pass Exam AZ-304 before it retires on March 31, 2022. Pass both Exam AZ-303 and Exam AZ-304 before they retire on March 31, 2022. If you’re just starting your journey as Azure solutions architect: Earn the Azure Administrator Associate certification (Exam AZ-104) and pass Exam AZ-305 (beta). If you have a current Azure Administrator Associate certification, you’re halfway there—just pass Exam AZ-305 (beta). Is it time to renew? If you’ve already earned the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification and it’s time to renew it, don’t take Exam AZ-305 (beta). Instead, renew your certification by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. For instructions, check your Certification Dashboard.AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Study Guide
This comprehensive study guide provides a thorough overview of the topics covered in the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) exam, including Artificial Intelligence workloads, fundamental principles of machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing workloads. Learn about the exam's intended audience, how to earn the certification, and the skills measured as of April 2022. Discover the important considerations for responsible AI, the capabilities of Azure Machine Learning Studio and more. Get ready to demonstrate your knowledge of AI and ML concepts and related Microsoft Azure services with this helpful study guide.Microsoft Credentials roundup: February 2026 edition
February 2026 brings major updates to Microsoft Credentials—four new Microsoft Certifications and six new Microsoft Applied Skills now generally available (GA). Designed to help you keep your skills current in today’s AI-powered workplace, they demonstrate the AI abilities that employers need in not only technical but also business roles. In this roundup, we cover what’s new, what’s changing, and what’s coming up. What’s new: Certifications We’ve introduced four new AI Certifications—all available now—that verify skills for technical and non-technical professionals. These credentials certify your ability to use AI in real-world roles, helping to ensure that you can drive innovation and productivity with this technology. Whether you’re an IT administrator, solution architect, business user, or organizational leader, there’s a new Certification to help boost your career growth. For technical professionals (IT pros, developers, architects) The Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals Certification (Exam AB-900) proves that you can configure, secure, and support AI-powered Microsoft 365 environments. This entry-level Certification validates your ability to manage and protect Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent services. The Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Certification (Exam AB-100) demonstrates your expertise in designing and leading AI-first enterprise architectures. This expert-level Certification shows that you can orchestrate multi-agent AI solutions and integrate Copilot, Foundry Tools, and Dynamics 365 to drive business transformation. For business professionals (managers, analysts, decision-makers) The Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional Certification (Exam AB-730) validates that you can use generative AI and Copilot to streamline business workflows and improve outcomes without coding. The Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader Certification (Exam AB-731) verifies that you can define the business value of AI, integrate AI solutions by using Copilot, Foundry Tools, and other tools, and drive company-wide AI adoption for transformative impact. Each Certification page on Microsoft Learn offers resources for self-paced and instructor-led training, study guides, and exam prep to help set you up for success. What’s new: Applied Skills Applied Skills are another powerful option for showcasing your expertise. These short, practical assessments let you demonstrate specific real-world skills in an interactive lab environment. They’re now even more relevant to AI-powered roles, since they help prepare you to earn role-based Certifications. We’ve expanded the portfolio with new AI scenarios across technical and business roles, and the new credentials are even faster to earn, most of their lab-based assessments lets you prove specific skills in just 45 minutes. For technical roles (developers, engineers, IT pros) Microsoft Applied Skills: Build a generative AI chat app. Demonstrate that you can create an interactive chat application using generative AI (with tools like Microsoft Foundry) and integrate large language models into real-world apps for better customer or employee experiences. Microsoft Applied Skills: Create an AI agent. Validate your skill in building and configuring agents (for example, in the Copilot ecosystem) and in orchestrating agents to automate tasks and drive business impact. Microsoft Applied Skills: Enhance agents with autonomous capabilities. Prove that you can design and deploy self-governing agents by using Microsoft Copilot Studio, enabling them to perform complex sequences of actions with minimal human intervention and empowering scalable, adaptive solutions. Microsoft Applied Skills: Secure AI solutions in the cloud. Show that you know how to safeguard AI applications in Azure and can implement security and compliance for AI workloads (for example, by using Foundry and Microsoft Defender for Cloud). For business roles Microsoft Applied Skills: Generate reports with AI research agents. Prove that you can use Researcher in Copilot to quickly gather information and produce data-driven reports and insights for smarter business decisions. Microsoft Applied Skills: Streamline business workflows with AI chat. Showcase your ability to use Copilot automation in daily work and to employ AI chat to manage meetings, draft content, and coordinate teamwork more efficiently, improving productivity. Retiring older credentials To keep things current, we’ve retired a few Certifications and Applied Skills. If you’ve already earned these, they’ll remain on the transcript in your Microsoft Learn profile. The following Certifications retired on December 31, 2025: Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM) (Exam MB-910) Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP) (Exam MB-920) The following Applied Skills retired on January 30, 2026: Microsoft Applied Skills: Build an Azure AI Vision solution Microsoft Applied Skills: Deploy and manage Azure Arc–enabled servers Microsoft Applied Skills: Develop an ASP.NET Core web app that consumes an API Microsoft Applied Skills: Implement a data science and machine learning solution with Microsoft Fabric Microsoft Applied Skills: Implement a Lakehouse in Microsoft Fabric Looking ahead These updates are just the beginning. We continuously evolve our credentials portfolio to align with the skills needed for AI-driven jobs, and a new wave of AI-focused Certification updates is scheduled for March 2026 and beyond. Expect even more opportunities to learn and to earn credentials in AI and cloud technologies. We look forward to carrying this momentum forward and to supporting you on your learning journey.
