2026 is the biggest year of change for Microsoft certifications in a long time. Several popular Azure exams were retired and replaced with new AI focused exams. If you are planning a Microsoft certification, check this list before you buy any study material, because a lot of what is online now covers exams you can no longer take.
Retired exams and their replacements
| Retired exam | Retired on | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| DP-100 Azure Data Scientist Associate | June 1, 2026 | AI-300 Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate |
| AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals | June 30, 2026 | AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals |
| AI-102 Azure AI Engineer Associate | June 30, 2026 | AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate |
| AZ-204 Azure Developer Associate | July 31, 2026 | AI-200 Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate |
| AZ-500 Azure Security Engineer Associate | August 31, 2026 | SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate |
| AZ-800 and AZ-801 Windows Server Hybrid Administrator | September 2026 (planned) | AZ-802 Windows Server Administrator Associate |
Brand new exams
- DP-750 Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate
- DP-800 SQL AI Developer Associate
- SC-730 Cybersecurity Business Professional
What happens to certifications you already have?
Microsoft has said that retirement does not revoke or invalidate certifications already earned. Role based certifications stay valid until their expiry date. Fundamentals certifications such as AI-900 do not expire. Note that a retiring certification can only be renewed before it retires.
Which one should you take now?
- New to AI on Azure: start with AI-901.
- Building AI apps and agents: AI-103 is the most in demand of the new exams.
- Machine learning and MLOps: AI-300.
- General Azure developers: AI-200.
- Security engineers: SC-500.
Exams that did not change
Core infrastructure exams such as AZ-900, AZ-104 and AZ-305 were not part of this retirement wave. Always confirm on the official Microsoft Learn exam page before booking.
Explore current Microsoft guides
Foundational Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
Associate Microsoft Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate
Associate Microsoft Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate
Foundational Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
Associate Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate
Associate