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Microsoft Certification Paths 2021

Microsoft released recently the last update for their certification program in 2021

20 July 2021
Author: Liam Phelan
Number of views: 17842
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The new Microsoft Certification program is now based on job roles to reflect the reality the IT Professionals are facing in the market. It also was designed to match the technology updates which have been happening more and more frequently.

IT Pros can earn a technical certification that shows they are keeping pace with today’s technical roles and requirements. An opportunity to skill up, prove their expertise to employers and peers, and get the recognition and opportunities they’ve earned.

Microsoft has certification paths for many technical job roles. Each of these certifications consists of passing a series of exams to earn certification. Microsoft certifications are organized into three levels: Fundamental, Associate, and Expert.

Fundamental Certifications: Recommended start. Ideal for individuals just starting in technology or thinking about a career change.
Associate Certifications: Two years of comprehensive working experience. It is helpful to have related Fundamental certifications but is not required.
Expert Certifications: Two to five years of deep technical experience. Many Expert certifications require a specific Associate-level certification.

Retirement of MCSA, MCSD, MCSE

As of January 31st 2021, all MCSA, MCSE and MCSD certifications and related exams will be retired out.

New Certifications Added August 2021

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant NEW

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultants streamline cost accounting, inventory management, master planning, and warehouse management for their clients.

Prerequisites:

While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement.

Required Exams / Courses

Teams Support Engineer Associate NEW

Candidates for this certification are support engineers who support Microsoft Teams environments, troubleshoot deployments, tune performance, collect and analyze telemetry and log data, and manage Teams environments.

Prerequisites:

While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement.

Required Exams / Courses

MS-740: Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams

Azure Network Engineer Associate NEW

Candidates for the Azure Network Engineer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services.

Prerequisites:

While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement.

Required Exams / Courses

AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions

Office 365 Certifications - End User Apps

Expand the tabs below to review the available certifications for Microsoft Office 365, required exams and suggested courses for preparation.

Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate - Word

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification in a specific Office program.

Required Exam

MO-100

Preparation Courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist - Expert - Word

Demonstrate that you have the advanced skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert certification in a specific Office program.

Required Exam

MO-101

Preparation courses for MO-101

Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate - Excel

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification in a specific Office program.

Required Exam

MO-200

Preparation Courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist - Expert - Excel

Demonstrate that you have the advanced skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert certification in a specific Office program.

Required Exam

MO-201

Preparation courses for MO-201

Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate - PowerPoint

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification in a specific Office program.

Required Exam

MO-300

Preparation Courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate - Outlook

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Outlook by earning the Microsoft Office Specialist: Outlook Associate Certification. This certification demonstrates competency to customize the Outlook user interface format message content, create or insert graphic elements, and send and respond to emails and meeting requests.

Required Exam

MO-400

Preparation Courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist: Microsoft Access Expert

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Access by earning the Microsoft Office Specialist: Access Expert Certification. This certification demonstrates competency in database design principles.

Required Exam

MO-500

Preparation Courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate - Office 365

Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate certification in multiple Office program programs.

Tto qualify for this certification, pass any three of the below exams:

MO-100
MO-200
MO-300
MO-400

Preparation courses for MO-100

Preparation courses for MO-200

Preparation courses for MO-300

Preparation Courses for MO-400:

Microsoft Office Specialist - Expert - Office 365

Demonstrate that you have the advanced skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert certification in multiple Office program programs.

Prerequisite

Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate (Office 365 and Office 2019)

To earn this qualification, pass any two of the below exams:

MO-101: Microsoft Word Expert (Word and Word 2019)
MO-201: Microsoft Excel Expert (Excel and Excel 2019)
MO-500: Microsoft Access Expert (Access and Access 2019)

Preparation courses for MO-101

Preparation courses for MO-201

Preparation Courses for MO-500:

Microsoft Security Certifications Paths New

We have put together all the latest Microsoft security certification paths, complete with required exams and suggested courses for preparation.

Click to expand the tabs below.

Microsoft Security Certification Paths 2021

		Microsoft Certified Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals More details This certification is targeted to those looking to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of security, compliance, and identity (SCI) across cloud-based and related Microsoft services. This is a broad audience that may include business stakeholders, new or existing IT professionals, or students who have an interest in Microsoft security, compliance, and identity solutions. Candidates should be familiar with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 and want to understand how Microsoft security, compliance, and identity solutions can span across these solution areas to provide a holistic and end-to-end solution. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals


		Microsoft Certified Security Operations Analyst Associate More Details The Microsoft Security Operations Analyst collaborates with organizational stakeholders to secure information technology systems for the organization. Their goal is to reduce organizational risk by rapidly remediating active attacks in the environment, advising on improvements to threat protection practices, and referring violations of organizational policies to appropriate stakeholders. Responsibilities include threat management, monitoring, and response by using a variety of security solutions across their environment. The role primarily investigates, responds to, and hunts for threats using Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Azure Defender, Microsoft 365 Defender, and third-party security products. Since the security operations analyst consumes the operational output of these tools, they are also a critical stakeholder in the configuration and deployment of these technologies. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst


		Microsoft Certified Identity and Access Administrator Associate More details The Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator designs, implements, and operates an organization’s identity and access management systems by using Azure AD. They manage tasks such as providing secure authentication and authorization access to enterprise applications. The administrator provides seamless experiences and self-service management capabilities for all users. Adaptive access and governance are core elements to the role. This role is also responsible for troubleshooting, monitoring, and reporting for the identity and access environment. The Identity and Access Administrator may be a single individual or a member of a larger team. This role collaborates with many other roles in the organization to drive strategic identity projects to modernize identity solutions, to implement hybrid identity solutions, and to implement identity governance. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator


		Microsoft Certified Information Protection Administrator Associate More details The Information Protection Administrator plans and implements controls that meet organizational compliance needs. This person is responsible for translating requirements and compliance controls into technical implementation. They assist organizational control owners to become and stay compliant. They work with information technology (IT) personnel, business application owners, human resources, and legal stakeholders to implement technology that supports policies and controls necessary to sufficiently address regulatory requirements for their organization. They also work with the compliance and security leadership such as a Chief Compliance Officer and Security Officer to evaluate the full breadth of associated enterprise risk and partner to develop those policies. This person defines applicable requirements and tests IT processes and operations against those policies and controls. They are responsible for creating policies and rules for content classification, data loss prevention, governance, and protection. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator


		Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer Associate More details Azure Security Engineers implement security controls and threat protection; manage identity and access; and protect data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments as part of end-to-end infrastructure. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies


		Microsoft Certified Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate More details Microsoft Security Administrators proactively secure M enterprise and hybrid environments, implement and manage security and compliance solutions, respond to threats, and enforce data governance. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-500 Microsoft Security Administrator

Microsoft 365 Certification Paths

Click to expand the certification paths

Microsoft 365 Certification Paths 2021

		Microsoft 365 Certified Fundamentals More details Prove that you understand the options available in Microsoft 365 and the benefits of adopting cloud services, the Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud model, and implementing Microsoft 365 cloud service. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals


		Microsoft 365 Certified Modern Desktop Administrator More Details Modern Desktop Administrators deploy, configure, secure, manage, and monitor devices and client applications in an enterprise environment. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MD-100 Windows 10 MD-101 Managing Modern Desktops


		Microsoft 365 Certified Messaging Administrator Associate More details Microsoft 365 Messaging Administrators deploy, configure, manage, and monitor messaging infrastructure, permissions, client access, mail protection, and mail flow in both on-premises, hybrid, and cloud enterprise environments. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-203 Microsoft 365 Messaging


		Microsoft 365 Certified Security Administrator Associate More details Microsoft 365 Security Administrators proactively secure M365 enterprise and hybrid environments, implement and manage security and compliance solutions, respond to threats, and enforce data governance. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-500 Microsoft 365 Security Administrator


		Microsoft 365 Certified Developer Associate More details Microsoft 365 Developers design, build, test, and maintain applications and solutions that are optimized for the productivity and collaboration needs of organizations using the Microsoft 365 platform. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-600


		Microsoft 365 Certified Teams Administrator Associate More details Microsoft Teams Administrators configure, deploy, and manage Office 365 workloads for Microsoft Teams that focus on efficient and effective collaboration and communication in an enterprise environment. Microsoft Teams Administrators must be able to plan, deploy, and manage Teams: chat, apps, channels, meetings, audio conferences, live events, and calls. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams


		Microsoft 365 Certified Teams Support Engineer Associate More details Candidates for this certification are support engineers who support Microsoft Teams environments, troubleshoot deployments, tune performance, collect and analyze telemetry and log data, and manage Teams environments. Candidates should have significant exposure unified communications and hands-on experience with Microsoft Teams. In addition, candidates should have networking knowledge of Azure fundamentals, telephony, PowerShell, data storage technologies, APIs, app security, authentication and authorization, security, and compliance information, debugging, performance tuning, and monitoring. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MS-740: Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams


		Microsoft 365 Certified Enterprise Administrator Expert More details Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrators evaluate, plan, migrate, deploy, and manage Microsoft 365 services. Prerequisites (One of the following): Modern Desktop Administrator Associate Messaging Administrator Associate Security Administrator Associate Developer Associate Teams Administrator Associate Required Exams / Courses: MS-100 Microsoft 365 Identity and Services MS-101 Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security

Dynamics 365 Certification Paths

Click to expand the certification paths

Dynamics 365 Certification Paths

		Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Customer Engagement Apps (CRM) More details If you’re familiar with business operations, customer relationship management (CRM), and are IT savvy—either generally or through work experience—take advantage of this certification to highlight those skills. Validate your broad exposure to the customer engagement capabilities of Dynamics 365 to enhance your career journey. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses MB-910: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Customer Engagement Apps (CRM)


		Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Finance and Operations Apps (ERP) More details If you have a broad exposure to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities of Dynamics 365 and understand the fundamentals of how finance and operations apps fit in within the overall Microsoft ecosystem—this certification is for you. People who are familiar with business operations, have a fundamental understanding of financial principles, and are information technology savvy—either generally or through work experience—can use this certification to validate those skills and help open career doors. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses MB-920: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Finance and Operations Apps (ERP)


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Sales Functional Consultant Associate More Details If you’re a functional consultant, a professional working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, or a developer looking to hone your consulting skills, this certification could help give your career a boost. It lets you market yourself more effectively for projects and shows your organization that you can use Dynamics 365 Sales to empower the sales force. As a candidate for this certification, you have experience configuring Microsoft Power Platform and you know Dynamics 365 model-driven applications and data-modeling principles. You work with an organization’s stakeholders to gather requirements and implement Dynamics 365 Sales solutions. You manage leads, opportunities, quotes, and orders, and you configure product catalogs and price lists. Additionally, you configure Dynamics 365 Sales to match your organization's unique business process, and you model Dynamics 365 Sales data. You even extend Dynamics 365 solutions using Power Platform components, such as Power Automate and Power Apps. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain a Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-200 Power Platform Functional Consultant MB-210: Dynamics 365 Sales


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant Associate More Details If you’re a functional consultant, a professional using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Marketing in your organization’s day-to-day business operations, or a developer looking to hone your consulting skills, this certification could help give your career a boost and could enable you to position yourself more effectively for projects and promotions. As a candidate for this certification, you know Dynamics 365 model-driven applications and data-modeling principles, plus you can configure Microsoft Power Platform. You implement marketing initiatives, like campaigns, emails, and customer journeys. You have experience working with an organization’s stakeholders to gather requirements and implement Dynamics 365 Marketing solutions. Additionally, you configure Dynamics 365 Marketing and set up Dynamics 365 organizational security. You even extend Dynamics 365 solutions using Power Platform components, such as Power Automate and Power Apps. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain a Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-200 Power Platform Functional Consultant MB-220 Dynamics 365 Marketing


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultant Associate More details Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultants build CX solutions that are fast, agile, and leverage AI to drive actionable insights that anticipate customer needs. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-200 Power Platform Functional Consultant MB-230 Dynamics 365 Customer Service


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 for Field Service Functional Consultant Associate More details Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Functional Consultants configure the Field Service application, implement solutions that manage the field service lifecycle, and deploy the Connected Field Service (IoT) solution. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-200 Power Platform Functional Consultant MB-240 Dynamics 365 Field Service


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate More details Use this certification to prove your skills and help advance your career, if you have experience as a functional consultant who analyzes business requirements and translates them into successful business processes and solutions based on industry best practices. You need to have experience in implementing and configuring Dynamics 365 Finance to meet business requirements. This certification is a good fit for people in finance departments who work in accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, fixed assets, budgeting, cost accounting and cost management, or expenses. You must have a fundamental understanding of business accounting principles and financial operations. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-300 Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations MB-310 Dynamics 365 Finance


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Functional Consultant Associate More details Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Functional Consultants integrate digital and physical systems; improve visibility, manufacturing efficiency, and flexibility; and lower costs for their clients. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-300 Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations MB-320 Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant More details Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultants streamline cost accounting, inventory management, master planning, and warehouse management for their clients. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-300 Core Finance and Operations MB-330 Supply Chain Management


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Commerce Functional Consultant Associate More details If you’re a functional consultant, developer, information worker, or IT or business professional using Dynamics 365 Commerce to support your team and organization, this certification could help give your career a boost. As a candidate for this certification, you configure, deploy, and maintain Dynamics 365 Commerce applications. Candidates must have a strong understanding of unified commerce business operations. They configure Dynamics 365 Commerce headquarters; configure and manage Commerce call centers, manage Point of Sale (POS) in Commerce, manage e-commerce, and configure products, prices, discounts, loyalty, and affiliations. If you need more experience before you try to earn this certification, here are some suggestions: Work with a functional consultant on some Dynamics 365 Commerce projects. Take self-paced learning paths on Microsoft Learn. Sign up for an instructor-led training course. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-300 Core Finance and Operations MB-340: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce Functional Consultant


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate More details Developers who work with Finance and Operations apps in Microsoft Dynamics 365 implement and extend applications to meet the requirements of the business. Candidates provide fully realized solutions by using standardized application coding patterns, extensible features, and external integrations. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-300 Core Finance and Operations MB-500 Finance and Operations Apps Developer


		Microsoft Certified - Associate Level Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate More details Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultants are responsible for implementing core application setup processes for small and medium businesses. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses MB-800 Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant


		Microsoft Certified - Expert Level Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect More details Are you a solution architect, functional or technical consultant, IT professional, or information worker who is familiar with Microsoft Dynamics 365 apps and Microsoft Power Platform? Do you have a deep understanding of Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps? Are you a trusted advisor who understands recommended business practices and software capabilities? If so, earning this expert certification can open doors that could take your career to the next level. As a candidate for this certification, you’re a Dynamics 365 professional who advises stakeholders and translates business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable solutions. You design cohesive solutions for your customers because you know how to work with the essential architectural components of Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps. You have extensive domain knowledge in one or more industry verticals. Plus, you understand how decisions in each area affect the overall solution. In addition, you’re familiar with platforms, tools, and functional areas, such as finance, supply chain management, and manufacturing. The Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert certification is a good fit for you if: You have significant experience as a Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps functional consultant or technical consultant. You aspire to be a solution architect or recently started that career journey. You’re responsible for the successful design, implementation, deployment, and adoption of an overall technology solution in your organization. You have experience consulting with organizations and implementation team members to refine business needs into well-defined and cost-effective solutions. If you need more experience before you try to earn this certification, here are some suggestions: Shadow a solution architect or work as one on a few projects. Volunteer to design and implement a finance and operations app solution. Attend solution architecture workshops with other solution architects. Prerequisites (One of the following): Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Functional Consultant Associate Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant Associate Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate Required Exams / Courses: MB-700 Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect

Power Platform Certification Paths

Expand the tabs below to review the required exams and suggested courses for preparation.

Power Platform Certification Paths

		Microsoft Certified Power Platform Fundamentals More details This course is designed to serve as a valuable introduction to Power Platform. You will gain hands-on experience creating a simple PowerApp, connecting data with CDS, building a Power BI Dashboard, and automating a process with Microsoft Flow. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses PL-900 Power Platform Fundamentals


		Power Platform App Maker Associate More Details Design apps and automate workflows Create apps and automate workflows Analyze and visualize data in context of an app or automated workflow Implement and manage apps and automated workflows Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain a Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker


		Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate More Details Power Platform solutions course will help you learn how to simplify, automate, and empower business processes for organizations in the role of a Functional Consultant. A Power Platform Functional Consultant is responsible for performing discovery, capturing requirements, engaging subject matter experts and stakeholders, translating requirements, and configuring Power Platform solutions and apps. This course covers Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, and Power BI concepts to teach students how to build an integrated solution for an organization based on business requirements. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain a Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-200 Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant



		Power Platform Developer Associate More details If you have a passion for designing, developing, securing, and extending Microsoft Power Platform solutions, this certification could be for you. To earn this certification, you must be able to create solution components, including application enhancements, custom user experience, system integrations, data conversions, custom process automation, and custom visualizations. You need a strong applied knowledge of Microsoft Power Platform services and a basic understanding of DevOps practices for Microsoft Power Platform. Plus, your background should include development experience using JavaScript, JSON, TypeScript, C#, HTML, .NET, Azure, Microsoft 365, RESTful web services, ASP.NET, and Power BI. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer



		Power Platform Data Analyst Associate More details Data Analysts enable businesses to maximize the value of their data assets by using Microsoft Power BI. As a subject matter expert, Data Analysts are responsible for designing and building scalable data models, cleaning and transforming data, and enabling advanced analytic capabilities that provide meaningful business value through easy-to-comprehend data visualizations. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI


		Power Platform Solutions Architect Expert More details If you’re looking to prove your expertise as a Microsoft Power Platform or Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution architect, or if you’re a developer or a senior consultant ready to take the next step to become a solution architect, this expert certification can help you move forward in your career. As a candidate for the Power Platform Solution Architect Expert certification, you work with stakeholders and focus on solutions that affect your organization’s broad business and technical needs. You have functional and technical knowledge of Power Platform, Dynamics 365 customer engagement apps, related Microsoft cloud solutions, and third-party technologies. For this certification, you need a minimum of 1 to 3 years as a Power Platform solution architect or 7 to 10 years as a senior consultant or developer, along with deep knowledge of Power Platform architecture. Prerequisites: PL-200 PL-400 Required Exams / Courses: PL-600: Microsoft Power Platform Solution Architect


		Dynamics 365 & Power Platform Solutions Architect Expert More details Solution Architects for Microsoft Dynamics 365 + Power Platform lead successful implementations and focus on how solutions address the broader business and technical needs of organizations. Prerequisites: PL-200 PL-400 Required Exams / Courses: MB-600 Microsoft Dynamics 365 + Power Platform Solution Architect

Azure Certification Paths

Expand the tabs below to review the available certifications for Azure, required exams and suggested courses for preparation.

Azure Certification Paths 2021

		Microsoft Certified Azure AI Fundamentals More details Candidates for the Azure AI Fundamentals certification should have foundational knowledge of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) concepts and related Microsoft Azure services. This certification is an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of common ML and AI workloads and how to implement them on Azure. This certification is intended for candidates with both technical and non-technical backgrounds. Data science and software engineering experience are not required; however, some general programming knowledge or experience would be beneficial. Azure AI Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Data Scientist Associate or Azure AI Engineer Associate, but it’s not a prerequisite for any of them. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses AI-900


		Microsoft Certified Azure Data Fundamentals More details Candidates for the Azure Data Fundamentals certification should have foundational knowledge of core data concepts and how they are implemented using Microsoft Azure data services. This certification is intended for candidates beginning to work with data in the cloud. Candidates should be familiar with the concepts of relational and non-relational data, and different types of data workloads such as transactional or analytical. Azure Data Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Database Administrator Associate or Azure Data Engineer Associate, but it’s not a prerequisite for any of them. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses DP-900


		Microsoft Certified Fundamentals More details Azure Fundamentals certification is an opportunity to prove knowledge of cloud concepts, core Azure services, Azure pricing, SLA, and lifecycle, and the fundamentals of cloud security, privacy, compliance, and trust. This certification is intended for people beginning to work with cloud-based solutions and services. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of cloud concepts, as well as Azure services, workloads, security, privacy, pricing, and support. In addition, you should be familiar with concepts of networking, storage, compute, application support, and application development. Azure Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based or specialty certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them. Prerequisites: None Required Exams / Courses AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals


		Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer Associate More Details Azure Security Engineers implement security controls and threat protection; manage identity and access; and protect data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments as part of end-to-end infrastructure. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies


		Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate More Details Candidates for the Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification are Azure administrators or Azure Stack Hub operators who provide cloud services to end users or customers from within their own datacenter using Azure Stack Hub. Their responsibilities are to plan, deploy, package, update, and maintain the Azure Stack Hub infrastructure. They also offer hybrid cloud resources and requested services and manage infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). They serve as part of a larger team dedicated to cloud-based management and security or hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-600: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub


		Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate More details Candidates for the Azure AI Engineer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise building, managing, and deploying AI solutions that leverage Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Cognitive Search, and Microsoft Bot Framework. Their responsibilities include participating in all phases of AI solutions development—from requirements definition and design to development, deployment, maintenance, performance tuning, and monitoring. Azure AI Engineers work with solution architects to translate their vision and with data scientists, data engineers, IoT specialists, and AI developers to build complete end-to-end AI solutions. Candidates for this certification should be proficient in C#, Python, or JavaScript and should be able to use REST-based APIs and SDKs to build computer vision, natural language processing, knowledge mining, and conversational AI solutions on Azure. They should also understand the components that make up the Azure AI portfolio and the available data storage options. Plus, candidates need to understand and be able to apply responsible AI principles. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution


		Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate More details This role is responsible for solving the business problem that initiated the project. While the Data Engineer will prepare the data to be used for the models, the Data Scientist determines what data is needed for model training, creates model features from the data, determines what machine learning model to use, trains and evaluates the model, and often has involvement in model deployment. Often the data scientist needs to evaluate multiple models to determine which performs the best. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses DP-100 Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure


		Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate More details A candidate for the Azure Data Engineer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise integrating, transforming, and consolidating data from various structured and unstructured data systems into structures that are suitable for building analytics solutions. Responsibilities for this role include helping stakeholders understand the data through exploration, building and maintaining secure and compliant data processing pipelines by using different tools and techniques. This professional uses various Azure data services and languages to store and produce cleansed and enhanced datasets for analysis. An Azure Data Engineer also helps ensure that data pipelines and data stores are high-performing, efficient, organized, and reliable, given a specific set of business requirements and constraints. This professional deals with unanticipated issues swiftly and minimizes data loss. An Azure Data Engineer also designs, implements, monitors, and optimizes data platforms to meet the data pipeline needs. A candidate for this certification must have solid knowledge of data processing languages, such as SQL, Python, or Scala, and they need to understand parallel processing and data architecture patterns. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses DP-203: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure


		Microsoft Certified Azure Network Engineer Associate NEW More details Candidates for the Azure Network Engineer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services. Responsibilities for this role include recommending, planning, and implementing Azure networking solutions. Professionals in this role manage the solutions for performance, resiliency, scale, and security. They deploy networking solutions by using the Azure Portal and other methods, including PowerShell, Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), and Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates). The Azure Network Engineer works with solution architects, cloud administrators, security engineers, application developers, and DevOps engineers to deliver Azure solutions. Candidates for this certification should have expert Azure administration skills, in addition to extensive experience and knowledge of networking, hybrid connections, and network security. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions


		Microsoft Certified Azure Database Administrator Associate More details The Azure Database Administrator implements and manages the operational aspects of cloud-native and hybrid data platform solutions built with Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure Data Services. The Azure Database Administrator uses a variety of methods and tools to perform day-to-day operations, including applying knowledge of using T-SQL for administrative management purposes. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses DP-300 - Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure


		Microsoft Certified Azure Data Analyst Associate More details Data Analysts enable businesses to maximize the value of their data assets by using Microsoft Power BI. As a subject matter expert, Data Analysts are responsible for designing and building scalable data models, cleaning and transforming data, and enabling advanced analytic capabilities that provide meaningful business value through easy-to-comprehend data visualizations. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses DA-100 - Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI


		Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate More details Candidates for the Azure Developer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise in designing, building, testing, and maintaining cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure. Responsibilities for this role include participating in all phases of cloud development from requirements, definition, and design; to development, deployment, and maintenance; to performance tuning and monitoring. Azure developers partner with cloud solution architects, cloud DBAs, cloud administrators, and clients to implement solutions. A candidate for this certification should have 1-2 years professional development experience and experience with Microsoft Azure. In addition, the candidate for this role should have the ability to program in a language supported by Azure and proficiency in Azure SDKs, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, data storage options, data connections, APIs, app authentication and authorization, compute and container deployment, debugging, performance tuning, and monitoring. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure


		Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate More details Candidates for the Azure Administrator Associate certification should have subject matter expertise implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization’s Microsoft Azure environment. Responsibilities for this role include implementing, managing, and monitoring identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment, plus provision, size, monitor, and adjust resources, when needed. An Azure administrator often serves as part of a larger team dedicated to implementing an organization's cloud infrastructure. A candidate for this certification should have at least six months of hands-on experience administering Azure, along with a strong understanding of core Azure services, Azure workloads, security, and governance. In addition, this role should have experience using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure portal, and Azure Resource Manager templates. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator


		Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert More details Candidates for the DevOps Engineer Expert certification should have subject matter expertise working with people, processes, and technologies to continuously deliver business value. Responsibilities for this role include designing and implementing strategies for collaboration, code, infrastructure, source control, security, compliance, continuous integration, testing, delivery, monitoring, and feedback. A candidate for this certification must be familiar with both Azure administration and development and must be expert in at least one of these areas. Prerequisites (One of the following): Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate Required Exams / Courses: AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions


		Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert More details Candidates for the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification should have subject matter expertise in designing and implementing solutions that run on Microsoft Azure, including aspects like compute, network, storage, and security. Candidates should have intermediate-level skills for administering Azure. Candidates should understand Azure development and DevOps processes. Responsibilities for this role include advising stakeholders and translating business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable cloud solutions. An Azure Solution Architect partners with cloud administrators, cloud DBAs, and clients to implement solutions. A candidate for this certification should have advanced experience and knowledge of IT operations, including networking, virtualization, identity, security, business continuity, disaster recovery, data platform, budgeting, and governance–this role should manage how decisions in each area affect an overall solution. In addition, this role should have expert-level skills in Azure administration and have experience with Azure development and DevOps processes. Prerequisites: While it is advised that you first attain the Fundamentals certification, it is not a requirement. Required Exams / Courses: AZ-303 - Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies AZ-304 - Microsoft Azure Architect Design

Specialist Azure Certifications

Expand the tabs below to review the available certifications for Azure, required exams and suggested courses for preparation.

Azure IoT Developer Speciality

Prove that you understand how to implement the Azure services that form an IoT solution, including data analysis, data processing, data storage options, and platform-as-a-service options. IoT Developers must be able to recognize Azure IoT service configuration settings within the code portion of an IoT solution.

Prerequisites: None

Required Exams / Courses:

AZ-220 Azure IoT Developer

Azure Windows Virtual Desktop Specialty

Candidates for the Windows Virtual Desktop Specialty certification are Microsoft Azure administrators with subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure.

Responsibilities for this role include deploying virtual desktop experiences and apps to Azure. Professionals in this role deliver applications on Windows Virtual Desktop and optimize them to run in multi-session virtual environments. To deliver these experiences, they work closely with Azure administrators and architects, along with Microsoft 365 administrators.

Candidates for this certification should have experience in Azure technologies, including virtualization, networking, identity, storage, backups, resilience, and disaster recovery. They should understand on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure technologies as they relate to migrating to Windows Virtual Desktop. These professionals use the Azure portal and Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates to accomplish many of their tasks. They might use PowerShell and Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) for more efficient automation.

Candidates for this certification must have expert Azure administration skills.

Prerequisites: None

Required Exams / Courses:

AZ-140 Windows Virtual Desktop Specialty

Azure for SAP Workloads Speciality

Architects of Azure for SAP Workloads have extensive experience and knowledge of the SAP Landscape Certification process and industry standards that are specific to the long-term operation of an SAP solution.

Prerequisites: None

Required Exams / Courses:

AZ-120 Planning and Administering Microsoft Azure for SAP

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Categories: General, Azure, Certification, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Technical, Microsoft 365, Technical Training & Certification

Tags: Azure Microsoft Certification certifications Microsoft technical Microsoft Certifications Microsoft 365 Dynamics 365

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Microsoft Certification Paths 2021

Microsoft released recently the last update for their certification program in 2021

Retirement of MCSA, MCSD, MCSE

New Certifications Added August 2021

Office 365 Certifications - End User Apps

Microsoft Security Certifications Paths ***New***

Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals

Security Operations Analyst Associate

Identity and Access Administrator Associate

Information Protection Administrator Associate

Azure Security Engineer Associate

Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate

Microsoft 365 Certification Paths

Fundamentals

Modern Desktop Administrator

Messaging Administrator Associate

Security Administrator Associate

Developer Associate

Teams Administrator Associate

Teams Support Engineer Associate

Enterprise Administrator Expert

Dynamics 365 Certification Paths

Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Customer Engagement Apps (CRM)

Dynamics 365 Fundamentals Finance and Operations Apps (ERP)

Dynamics 365 Sales Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 for Field Service Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant

Dynamics 365 Commerce Functional Consultant Associate

Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate

Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate

Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect

Power Platform Certification Paths

Power Platform Fundamentals

Power Platform App Maker Associate

Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate

Power Platform Developer Associate

Power Platform Data Analyst Associate

Power Platform Solutions Architect Expert

Dynamics 365 & Power Platform Solutions Architect Expert

Azure Certification Paths

Azure AI Fundamentals

Azure Data Fundamentals

Fundamentals

Azure Security Engineer Associate

Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate

Azure AI Engineer Associate

Azure Data Scientist Associate

Azure Data Engineer Associate

Azure Network Engineer Associate **NEW**

Azure Database Administrator Associate

Azure Data Analyst Associate

Azure Developer Associate

Azure Administrator Associate

Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Specialist Azure Certifications

Azure Certification Paths PDF

Dynamics 365 Certification Paths PDF

Microsoft Power Platform Certification Paths PDF

Microsoft 365 Certification Paths PDF

Microsoft Security Certification Paths PDF

Office Certification Paths PDF

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