Microsoft is rolling out a major wave of new certifications in 2025–2026 to align with the rapid rise of AI‑powered development, autonomous agents, cloud‑native AI systems, and modern data engineering. These certifications replace or modernize older ones such as DP‑100, AI‑900, AI‑102, AZ‑204, and AZ‑500, which are being retired in the same period.
Below is a structured overview of the new certifications and what skills will be tested based on Microsoft’s 2026 certification roadmap pearsonvue.com.
1. Microsoft Certified: Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer Associate (2026)
What this certification covers
This certification validates the ability to deploy, manage, and optimize machine learning and generative AI systems in production.
Expected exam topics include:
- Designing and implementing ML pipelines for training, validation, and deployment
- Managing model lifecycle, versioning, and governance
- Monitoring model drift, data drift, and performance
- Implementing CI/CD for ML workloads
- Securing ML environments and ensuring compliance
- Optimizing cost and performance for large‑scale AI workloads
This certification reflects Microsoft’s emphasis on production‑ready AI systems and the growing need for MLOps engineers in enterprise environments pearsonvue.com.
2. Microsoft Certified: Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate (2026)
What this certification covers
This certification focuses on building scalable, secure data pipelines using Azure Databricks.
Exam objectives include:
- Designing ETL/ELT pipelines for batch and streaming data
- Implementing Delta Lake for reliability and ACID transactions
- Optimizing Spark jobs for performance
- Managing data governance, lineage, and security
- Preparing data for real‑time analytics and AI workloads
This certification is designed for engineers supporting AI‑ready data systems in modern cloud architectures pearsonvue.com.
3. Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (2026)
What this certification covers
This certification targets developers building AI‑augmented database applications.
Exam topics include:
- Integrating AI models directly into SQL workloads
- Using AI‑powered query optimization
- Implementing vector search and semantic indexing
- Applying modern DevOps and governance practices to database development
- Building intelligent applications using SQL‑based AI features
This reflects Microsoft’s shift toward AI‑native databases and intelligent data applications pearsonvue.com.
4. Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (Updated 2025–2026)
Although AI‑900 is being retired, Microsoft is introducing a new AI Fundamentals certification.
What this certification covers
- Core concepts of machine learning and AI
- Understanding generative AI and autonomous agents
- Overview of Microsoft’s AI platforms and services
- Responsible AI principles
- Basic prompt engineering and model evaluation
This is the new entry‑level certification for AI roles starting in 2026 pearsonvue.com.
5. Microsoft Certified: Azure AI App and Agent Developer Associate (2026)
What this certification covers
This certification focuses on building AI applications and autonomous agents using Microsoft Foundry and Azure AI services.
Exam topics include:
- Designing and building generative AI applications
- Developing AI agents with memory, tools, and orchestration
- Managing AI resources in Microsoft Foundry
- Integrating AI into cloud‑native architectures
- Ensuring reliability, safety, and monitoring for AI apps
This reflects Microsoft’s push toward agent‑based development in enterprise systems pearsonvue.com.
6. Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (Exam AI‑200, Beta May 2026)
What this certification covers
This certification validates cloud‑native AI development skills.
Exam topics include:
- Building AI solutions using Azure AI Studio, Azure Functions, and containerized workloads
- Implementing AI orchestration patterns
- Integrating AI with cloud services (Event Grid, Service Bus, API Management)
- Applying DevOps for AI
- Securing and scaling AI applications
Microsoft positions this certification for developers building end‑to‑end AI systems on Azure pearsonvue.com.
7. Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (Exam SC‑500, Beta May 2026)
What this certification covers
This certification focuses on securing environments where AI systems are built and deployed.
Exam topics include:
- Designing secure architectures for AI workloads
- Protecting data used for training and inference
- Implementing identity, access, and governance for AI systems
- Securing AI pipelines and model endpoints
- Monitoring threats and anomalies in AI environments
This reflects the increasing need for AI‑specific security practices in enterprise cloud environments pearsonvue.com.
8. Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Business Professional (Exam SC‑730, Beta May 2026)
What this certification covers
Although broader than AI, this certification includes AI‑related security decision‑making.
Exam topics include:
- Understanding AI‑driven business risks
- Supporting secure adoption of AI tools
- Evaluating compliance and governance impacts
- Communicating AI security risks to business stakeholders
This certification is aimed at non‑technical leaders supporting AI transformation initiatives pearsonvue.com.
What Microsoft Have So Far
Microsoft’s 2025–2026 certification wave represents a major shift toward:
- Generative AI development
- Autonomous agents
- AI‑ready data engineering
- Cloud‑native AI architectures
- AI‑specific security roles
These certifications are designed to prepare professionals for the next decade of AI‑powered cloud computing. You can start the learning by doing certification.