Azure and infrastructure
Run, connect and design cloud workloads. This is the main path for AZ-900 learners.
Fundamentals
-
Azure FundamentalsStart here
Exam AZ-900
Cloud concepts, core Azure services, security, pricing and governance.
Associate
-
Azure Administrator Associate
Exam AZ-104
Manage identity, storage, compute and networking in Azure.
-
Azure Network Engineer Associate
Exam AZ-700
Plan, build and maintain Azure networking.
Expert
-
Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Exam AZ-305
Design Azure solutions for identity, data, infrastructure and continuity.
-
DevOps Engineer Expert
Exam AZ-400
Build delivery pipelines and automate releases with Azure and Azure DevOps.
Security and identity
Protect identities, data and workloads across cloud and Microsoft 365.
Fundamentals
-
Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
Exam SC-900
Core ideas in security, compliance and identity, including Microsoft Entra ID.
Associate
-
Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate
Exam SC-500
Secure cloud and AI workloads. Replaces AZ-500.
-
Security Operations Analyst Associate
Exam SC-200
Detect and respond to threats with Defender and Sentinel.
-
Identity and Access Administrator Associate
Exam SC-300
Manage users, access and authentication with Microsoft Entra.
Expert
-
Cybersecurity Architect Expert
Exam SC-100
Design security strategy across identity, data, apps and infrastructure.
Data
Work with databases, analytics and data engineering on Azure and Microsoft Fabric.
Fundamentals
-
Azure Data Fundamentals
Exam DP-900
Core data concepts: relational, non-relational and analytics workloads.
Associate
-
Azure Database Administrator Associate
Exam DP-300
Administer relational databases on Azure SQL.
-
Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
Exam DP-600
Build analytics solutions and semantic models in Microsoft Fabric.
-
Fabric Data Engineer Associate
Exam DP-700
Design and manage data pipelines and lakehouses in Microsoft Fabric.
AI and agents
Build, operate and govern AI apps. This track changed the most in 2026.
Fundamentals
-
Azure AI Fundamentals
Exam AI-901
Core AI concepts and building basic AI apps and agents. Replaces AI-900.
-
Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals
Exam AB-900
Configure, secure and support Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents.
Associate
-
Azure AI App and Agent Developer Associate
Exam AI-103
Build generative AI apps and agents on Azure. Replaces AI-102.
-
Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate
Exam AI-200
Develop cloud apps with AI built in. Replaces AZ-204.
-
Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate
Exam AI-300
Deploy and operate machine learning models. Replaces DP-100.
Expert
-
Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert
Exam AB-100
Design AI-first enterprise solutions with Copilot, Foundry and Dynamics 365.
What changed in 2026
Several well-known exams retired this year and were replaced by AI-focused ones. If an older study guide mentions an exam below, check the replacement first. Certifications you already earned stay on your Microsoft Learn transcript.
| Retired exam | Retired on | Closest replacement |
|---|---|---|
| DP-100: Azure Data Scientist Associate | June 1, 2026 | AI-300 |
| AI-900: Azure AI Fundamentals | June 30, 2026 | AI-901 |
| AI-102: Azure AI Engineer Associate | June 30, 2026 | AI-103 |
| AZ-204: Azure Developer Associate | July 31, 2026 | AI-200 |
| AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer Associate | August 31, 2026 | SC-500 |
| MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals | March 31, 2026 | AB-900 |
Also coming up: MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert) retires on November 30, 2026. See the official retirement list for the latest dates.