Commercial software intelligenceEvidence checked · 8 September 2026
SkuTrace

Commercial product change, preserved as evidence.

SK-2026-130 · Enforcement & transition policy

Microsoft retires four partner-program certifications and introduces AI-focused replacements

Microsoft retired AZ-204 and MB-280 on 31 July 2026 and will retire AZ-500 and PL-200 on 31 August, with AI-200, AB-210, SC-500 and AB-410 as named replacements.

Certification transition active

Commercial transition

Previous stateThe named Solutions Partner designation and specialization paths relied on AZ-204, MB-280, AZ-500 and PL-200.
→
New stateThe four certifications retire in two waves and are replaced by Azure AI Cloud Developer AI-200, Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant AB-210, Cloud and AI Security Engineer SC-500 and Intelligent Applications Builder AB-410.

Who is affected

Microsoft partners and professionals using the named certifications for designation or specialization skilling requirements.

Action required

Map affected staff and programme requirements to the replacement exams, while recording that certifications completed before retirement remain valid for one year.

Evidence boundary

The transition is limited to the named certifications and programme paths. It does not invalidate unrelated Microsoft credentials.

Timeline

  1. Transition announced

    Microsoft documented replacement certifications and grandfathering.

  2. AZ-204 and MB-280 retired

    The first two named certifications ended.

  3. AZ-500 and PL-200 retire

    The second retirement wave takes effect.

Official sources