What happened to PL-400?
Microsoft moved the Power Platform Developer Associate from PL-400 to AB-400. Registration for PL-400 closed on October 16, 2026, and AB-400 opened that day. If you registered for PL-400 on or before October 16, you could schedule and sit it through October 30, 2026. After that, AB-400 is the only route. The certification name stayed the same, so it reads the same on your Learn profile and your CV.
The certification page still has one leftover. Its study guide link carries the label "Exam PL-400 study guide", but it points to the AB-400 study guide, and the page lists AB-400 as the required exam. Read that link as the AB-400 guide. The AB-400 exam page shows the exam in English only, with no retirement date listed, and a price that depends on the country where you sit it.
What does AB-400 test?
The exam covers four areas: building Power Platform solutions (15–20%), extending the user experience (25–30%), extending the platform (35–40%), and developing integrations (10–15%). In practice that means custom business logic, system integrations, data conversions, process automation, Power Automate expressions and agentic AI built into the solution.
The expected experience is broad. Microsoft lists JavaScript, JSON, TypeScript and Power Fx; C#, Python, HTML and YAML; RESTful Web APIs; Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Foundry and Microsoft Copilot Studio. It also expects you to know ALM, security, the Power Platform CLI and AI-assisted developer tools. This is a working developer's exam. If you have only built canvas apps, plan real project time with plugins, PCF and Azure before you book it.
What happened to the RPA developer certification?
The Power Automate RPA Developer Associate is retired, and so is its renewal assessment. It covered automating Windows, browser and terminal applications with Power Automate desktop flows and cloud flows. You can no longer earn it, and you can no longer renew it. If desktop automation is your work, the developer certification on AB-400 is the live Power Platform credential that fits closest, though it is a much wider exam.
This guide sticks to the certification pages we could read and confirm today. For the wider catalog, including fundamentals, analytics and the newer agent and architect certifications, see the related guides on retired certifications and on which certification to take first.
What do Power Platform roles pay?
US adverts on D365 Market that state pay put the median Power Platform role at $126,800 a year, across 71 adverts from 52 employers. Mid-level adverts have a median of $114,350 and senior adverts $159,050. These are advertised figures, not earnings, and they lean toward states with pay transparency laws. A certification will not set your rate on its own. Delivery experience on real projects moves the figure more.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Source: D365 Market advertised pay, US adverts that state pay, snapshot November 5, 2026 (71 adverts, 52 employers). These are advertised figures, not earnings or an official rate, and they skew toward states with pay transparency laws; seniority and delivery experience move them most. Refer to the Power Platform salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Exam AB-400Pass Exam AB-400: Extending Microsoft Power Platform Solutions with Code and AI. It is the only exam the Power Platform Developer Associate requires.
- Development experienceMicrosoft expects hands-on work with Power Platform services, JavaScript, TypeScript, Power Fx, C#, Python, RESTful Web APIs and Azure.
- AI and agent toolsThe exam expects working knowledge of Microsoft Foundry, Microsoft Copilot Studio and AI-assisted development tools.
- ALM and securityYou need to know authentication, security and application lifecycle management practices for Power Platform, plus the Power Platform CLI.
- Annual renewalThe certification renews every 12 months. You renew at no cost by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
How to get there
- Year 1-2Build on real projectsGet time on plugins, integrations, ALM pipelines and Copilot Studio work. The exam assumes you have done this work on live projects.
- 6-10 weeksStudy the AB-400 guideWork through the AB-400 study guide and the Microsoft Learn course collection on the certification page.
- 2 weeks beforeTake the practice assessmentSign in to AI Skills Navigator and run the AB-400 practice assessment. Try the exam sandbox to see the question formats.
- Exam daySit Exam AB-400Book through Pearson VUE from the AB-400 exam page. The exam is in English and the price depends on your country.
- Every 12 monthsRenew each yearPass the free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn within each 12-month cycle to keep the certification active.
Open now on D365 Market
Questions people ask
Can I still take PL-400?
No. Registration for PL-400 closed on October 16, 2026, and candidates who had registered by then could sit it only through October 30, 2026. AB-400 now leads to the same Power Platform Developer Associate certification.
Why does the certification page still mention PL-400?
The page's study guide link is still labeled "Exam PL-400 study guide", but it opens the AB-400 study guide. The same page lists AB-400 as the required exam, so AB-400 is the one to prepare for.
Does AB-400 have a retirement date?
The AB-400 exam page shows no retirement date. Microsoft does change its catalog, and it changed a lot in 2026, so look at the exam page again before you book.
Can I still earn or renew the Power Automate RPA Developer Associate?
No. Microsoft Learn states that both the certification and its renewal assessment are retired. You cannot sit it or renew it.
How do I keep the developer certification active?
It renews every 12 months. Microsoft lets you renew at no cost by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
