Microsoft’s 2026 Exam Retirements: What Changed and What to Take Instead

Microsoft regularly refreshes its certification portfolio, but 2026 has seen an unusually large set of changes. Several long-running exams have retired, and new exams with a stronger focus on AI have appeared. If you were halfway through preparing for one of the retired exams, or you hold one of the certifications and wonder what happens next, this guide is for you.

The retirement timeline

Here are the retirement dates as announced by Microsoft. All dates refer to the last day the exam could be taken.

• MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals) — retired 31 March 2026.
• AI-900 (Azure AI Fundamentals) and AI-102 (Azure AI Engineer Associate) — retired 30 June 2026.
• AZ-204 (Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure) — retired 31 July 2026.
• AZ-500 (Azure Security Technologies) and PL-200 (Power Platform Functional Consultant) — retired 31 August 2026.
• AZ-800 and AZ-801 (Windows Server Hybrid Administrator) — retired 30 September 2026.
• MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator) — scheduled to retire 30 November 2026.

The successor exams

Microsoft has introduced new exams that cover much of the same ground, often with more emphasis on AI, agents and modern security. Based on announcements reported so far, the main successors are:

• AI-901 — Azure AI fundamentals, in place of AI-900.
• AI-103 — building AI apps and agents on Azure, in place of AI-102.
• AI-200 — an Azure AI cloud developer exam, broadly covering the ground of AZ-204.
• SC-500 — a cloud and AI security engineer exam, in place of AZ-500.
• AZ-802 — a consolidated Windows Server administration exam, in place of AZ-800 and AZ-801.
• AB-410 — an intelligent applications builder exam, in place of PL-200.

These successor codes and titles are as reported at the time of writing. Exam names, codes and skills outlines can still change — please confirm every detail on Microsoft Learn before booking.

For MS-900 and MS-102 the picture is less clear. Different sources cite different successors, and we are waiting for confirmation from Microsoft Learn before naming one with confidence. If Microsoft 365 administration is your focus, check the Microsoft Learn credentials catalogue for the current recommendation.

If you already hold a retired certification

Retiring an exam does not take away a certification you have already earned. Fundamentals certifications have historically not expired, so they remain on your transcript. For role-based certifications, Microsoft’s usual practice is that the certification stays valid until its expiry date, but once the exam has retired you may no longer be able to renew it through the free online assessment. In practice, that means planning to move to the successor certification within the next year.

Check your Microsoft Learn profile for the exact expiry date and renewal eligibility of each certification you hold, as these depend on when you earned it.

If you were preparing for a retired exam

Your study is not wasted. The successor exams build on similar foundations — identity, networking, compute, security and development on Azure — and much of what you learned transfers directly. What changes is emphasis:

• Developers moving from AZ-204 to AI-200 should expect more about integrating AI services alongside core cloud development.
• Security engineers moving from AZ-500 to SC-500 should look closely at how AI workloads are secured and governed, not only traditional infrastructure.
• Windows Server administrators moving from AZ-800/801 to AZ-802 should expect one consolidated exam rather than two, so review both previous outlines against the new one.
• AI engineers moving from AI-102 to AI-103 should expect more on agents and orchestrating multi-step AI applications.

The most efficient approach is to download the skills outline for the new exam, compare it line by line with what you already studied, and focus your remaining time on the gaps.

Exams that are not affected

Many popular Microsoft exams continue as before, including AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-305 and AZ-400 on the Azure side, PL-300 for Power BI, and the SC-900, SC-200 and SC-300 security exams. Microsoft updates skills outlines for these exams periodically, so even if the code has not changed, check the “skills measured” section and its update date before you start studying.

How we have updated our courses

At Ace Skills we have moved our Azure developer, security, AI and Windows Server courses to the new exams, and old course pages now redirect to their successors. Every course page shows a “verify before booking” note for exam details, because we would rather you double-check than rely on a page that may lag behind a sudden change.

If you enrolled in a course for a retired exam and have questions about transferring to a successor batch, contact our team and we will help you find the right option.

How to keep up with future changes

• Bookmark the exam page on Microsoft Learn and check it before you book and again a week before your exam date.
• Read the “skills measured” update notes; Microsoft often publishes a change summary showing what was added and removed.
• Do not rely on study material older than the current skills outline date.
• Plan renewals early, especially for certifications tied to retiring exams.

Summary

The 2026 retirements reflect Microsoft’s shift towards AI-enabled roles and consolidated exams. If you hold an affected certification, check its expiry and plan your move to the successor. If you were preparing for a retired exam, compare outlines and focus on the gaps. And whatever you are studying, confirm the details on Microsoft Learn before you book.