Which Dynamics 365 certification should you take first?

What changed for beginners

For years the advice was simple. Take MB-910 for the CRM side or MB-920 for the ERP side, then move on to an associate exam. That route is closed. Microsoft retired both Dynamics 365 Fundamentals certifications, CRM and ERP, on December 31, 2025, and you can no longer sit either exam. Microsoft did not create a direct Dynamics 365 replacement.

If you already passed one, it stays on your Microsoft Learn transcript, and Microsoft says Fundamentals certifications do not expire. It still counts as proof that you learned the basics. Just don't pick a study plan built around it, and treat any blog post that tells you to start with MB-910 or MB-920 as out of date.

Pick by the app you will work in

Hiring managers look for the certification that matches the app on the project. ERP side: MB-310 earns Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate and suits people from accounts payable, receivable, general ledger and similar finance work. MB-330 covers Supply Chain Management. Both became single-exam certifications when Microsoft dropped the MB-300 core exam in February 2024.

For smaller companies, MB-800 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate covers setup, data migration, financial management, sales, purchasing, inventory and fixed assets. Customer Engagement side: MB-230 covers Customer Service, including cases, knowledge, queues, SLAs and routing. For Sales, the newer AB-210 Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate covers the lead-to-cash process using Copilot and agents. Microsoft named it the path forward for people who had been heading toward MB-280, which retired on July 31, 2026.

Where PL-900 fits

PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals is the one foundation-level exam left that touches Dynamics work. It covers Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse and building agents in Copilot Studio, plus the business value of Power Pages. All the Customer Engagement apps run on Dataverse, so it fits well if you are new to the field or coming over from a non-technical job.

If you already have a target app and some hands-on time, skip it. An associate certification tells an employer far more. For first-time developers, MB-820 covers Business Central and MB-500 covers Finance and Operations apps. Pick the one that matches the product your target employers use. Keep AB-100 for later, since the Expert certification it leads to also requires one of the listed associate certifications.

What it costs and how to prepare

The learning paths on Microsoft Learn are free, and so are the practice assessments for exams such as MB-230. PL-900 itself is a paid exam, with normal fees unless you have a voucher or a discount through an academic program. I could not read a fixed price on the exam pages, so check the fee when you book.

Every exam I checked needs a score of 700 or more to pass. Associate certifications expire each year, and you renew them by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Book an exam only after you have built something in a trial environment. The questions test configuration choices that are hard to learn from reading alone.

What you need

• No prerequisites for a first associate examMB-310, MB-800, MB-230 and AB-210 each need only one exam to earn the certification. You do not need a Fundamentals exam first.
• Passing scoreThe Microsoft Learn study guides set the pass mark at 700 or above.
• Hands-on knowledgeThe associate exams assume you have configured the app yourself. MB-230, for example, expects strong working knowledge of cases, queues, SLAs and routing.
• Annual renewalAssociate certifications expire every year. You renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
• Expert level comes laterAB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert requires the AB-100 exam plus at least one listed associate certification, such as MB-800, MB-820, AB-210 or AB-620.

How to get there

1. Week 1Choose your appDecide between ERP (Finance, Supply Chain Management, Business Central) and Customer Engagement (Sales, Customer Service). Look at which apps the job ads near you ask for.
2. Month 1-2Optional: PL-900Take PL-900 if you have never worked with Power Platform or Dataverse. Skip it if you already build apps or flows.
3. Month 1-3Study the associate learning pathWork through the free Microsoft Learn path and set up processes in a trial environment.
4. Month 3Take a practice assessmentUse the free practice assessment to find gaps before you book the exam.
5. Month 3-4Pass your first associate examMB-310, MB-330, MB-800, MB-230 or AB-210 for functional work. MB-820 or MB-500 for development.
6. Year 1 onwardRenew and add depthRenew each year for free. Add a second app or an AI certification, then aim for AB-100 once you lead designs.

Open now on D365 Market

Inhouse Consultant (m/w/d) Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralNedsero GmbH · Munich, Bavaria

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Dynamics 365 Business Central Lead ConsultantBearingPoint · Chicago, Illinois

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Techno-Functional Consultant – Microsoft Dynamics 365 (F&O)Business Solutions & Services · Lahore, Punjab

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Dynamics 365 Business Central ConsultantSatlink · Madrid, Community of Madrid

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Dynamics 365 CE utvecklareSkandia · Stockholm, Stockholm County

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.NET-utvecklare inom Dynamics 365 CESkandia · Stockholm, Stockholm County

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Sources

1. Microsoft Learn: Exam MB-910 study guide (retired)
2. Microsoft Learn: Exam and assessment lab retirement
3. Microsoft Tech Community: Certifications refresh, Fundamentals retirements
4. Microsoft Learn: Exam PL-900 study guide
5. Microsoft Learn: Exam MB-800 study guide
6. Microsoft Learn: Exam MB-230
7. Microsoft Tech Community: Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate (AB-210)
8. Microsoft Tech Community: New AI business certifications and retirements
9. Microsoft Tech Community: MB-300 retirement and single-exam associates
10. Microsoft Learn: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert