Microsoft Learn: Updates to our business applications training and certification portfolio

IT professionals around the world count on Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions—key components of Microsoft business applications, along with Microsoft Power Platform—to help them manage sales, customer service, field service, finance, operations, and more. And these same professionals depend on the latest training and certification resources from Microsoft Learn to hone and validate their skills. They can then use these applications to enable digital transformation, capture new business opportunities, and meet the changing needs of their customers. To keep our training and certification resources up to date, we regularly review the required technical competencies of in-demand jobs in the market and map the requirements to our current Microsoft products and technologies.

In this blog post, we explore upcoming changes to our business applications training and certification portfolio.

  • Coming January 2024: The new Microsoft Certified: Business Central Developer Associate certification
  • Exploring the Applied Workshop interactive lab experience
  • Announcing Challenge Project modules for self-paced learners
  • Changing the names of Exam MB-220, Exam MB-260, and associated certifications
  • Retiring Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations

Coming January 2024: The new Microsoft Certified: Business Central Developer Associate certification

In January 2024, we’ll release the new Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate certification and its associated Exam MB-820: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer (beta).

The new certification is focused on Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive business management solution for small and mid-sized organizations that automates and streamlines business processes, connecting sales, service, finance, and operations to help organizations work smarter, adapt quicker, and perform better. In this role, Business Central developers create apps that extend the solution—whether developing new modules or modifying existing ones—and are responsible for troubleshooting and debugging issues in the system.

The new associate-level certification does not require any prerequisites. To earn it, you just need to pass the new exam.

Exploring the Applied Workshop interactive lab experience

We hope you’re making the most of Applied Workshops, an interactive lab experience designed to help learners apply and validate the skills they’ve learned in an instructor-led training (ILT). Applied Workshops are offered by our extensive network of Training Services Partners as an extension to select courses.

The workshops explore projects—from design to implementation—and include example solutions. All aspects of the workshop are covered in ILT labs, and no prior experience is necessary.

For information on how to sign up for an ILT Applied Workshop, go to the associated course page on Microsoft Learn:

Announcing Challenge Projects for self-paced learners

If you’re a learner who isn’t attending an ILT but are pursuing self-paced training, Challenge Projects offer you the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned. Each ILT course that includes an Applied Workshop will also have a Challenge Project in the course learning path on Microsoft Learn.

The following self-paced learning paths include a Challenge Project:

Changing the names of Exam MB-220, Exam MB-260, and associated certifications

The existing standalone Dynamics 365 Customer Insights solution and the Dynamics 365 Marketing solution are being combined into a single solution named Dynamics 365 Customer Insights. (For more details, check out the Dynamics 365 Customer Insights FAQs.) Customer Insights now includes two in-app experiences: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Data (formerly the standalone Dynamics 365 Customer Insights app); and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys (formerly the Dynamics 365 Marketing app). The new combined solution simplifies the licensing to make it easier for customers to buy and use the applications as their businesses grow.

Effective September 20, 2023, the name of the existing Exam MB-220: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant will change to Exam MB-220: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Journeys) Functional Consultant. The name of its associated certification, currently the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant Associate certification, will change to the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Journeys) Functional Consultant Associate certification.

Effective October 19, 2023, the name of the existing Exam MB-260: Microsoft Customer Data Platform Specialist will change to Exam MB-260: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) Specialist. The name of its associated certification, currently the Microsoft Certified: Customer Data Platform Specialty certification, will change to the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) Specialty certification.

How might these updates impact you?

The following questions and answers can help you determine how this news could impact your learning journey:

Q. I’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant Associate certification. What happens now?

A. If you’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Marketing Functional Consultant Associate certification, the certification name on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn will automatically update on September 20, 2023, to Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Journeys) Functional Consultant Associate.

Q. I’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Customer Data Platform Specialty certification. What happens now?

A. If you’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Customer Data Platform Specialty certification, the certification name on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn will automatically update on October 19, 2023, to Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (Data) Specialty.

Retiring Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations

On February 29, 2024, we’ll retire Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations, which is currently a prerequisite to earning a number of certifications. This retirement will eliminate the need for that prerequisite—candidates will no longer need to pass two exams (Exam MB-300 and another) to achieve an associate-level certification. It will also reduce the number of exams that a candidate must pass to earn an expert-level certification—from three to two. Where possible, we’ll work to incorporate the applicable content into the other exams and certifications related to finance and operations apps. This retirement will not result in any changes to impacted courses or exam questions, except that Course MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations will also be retired on February 29, 2024, and Lifecycle Services will be added to Exam MB-335: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant Expert.

We’re retiring Exam MB-300 to streamline the process for earning the following associate certifications. As of February 29, 2024, these certifications will require you to pass only one exam:

As of February 29, 2024, passing Exam MB-300 will no longer be a requirement to earn the following expert certifications. To review the prerequisites and criteria to earn an expert certification, check out the related certification page on Microsoft Learn.

How might these updates impact you?

The following questions and answers can help you determine how this news could impact your learning journey:

Q. Does the retirement of Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations mean it’s being replaced by another exam?

A. No, the retirement of Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations will not result in the creation of a new exam to replace it. After the exam is retired, it will be removed from the requirements for earning certifications.

Q. I’ve been preparing for Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations as a prerequisite for earning a certification. What are my options?

A. If you’ve been preparing for Exam MB-300 as a prerequisite for earning a certification, be sure to pass it before February 29, 2024. If you pass Exam MB-300 before February 29, 2024, along with the other exams required for your certification (for example, Exam MB-310, Exam MB-330, Exam MB-335, Exam MB-500, or MB-700), plus any prerequisites for the expert certifications, you’ll earn the certification, and it will be active for one year.

Q. I’ve passed Exam MB-310, Exam MB-330, or Exam MB-500—but not Exam MB-300—in preparation for earning the associated certification. What are my options?

A. If you’ve passed Exam MB-310, Exam MB-330, or Exam MB-500—but not Exam MB-300—in preparation for earning the associated certification, be sure to pass Exam MB-300 before it retires on February 29, 2024. Otherwise, you’ll need to retake Exam MB-310, Exam MB-330, or Exam MB-500. If you pass Exam MB-300 and earn the certification before Exam MB-300 is retired, you only need to renew your certification annually to maintain it.

Q. I already earned one of the certifications affected by the retirement of Exam MB-300: Microsoft Dynamics 365: Core Finance and Operations. What happens now?

A. If you’ve already earned one of the certifications affected by the retirement of Exam MB-300, it will stay on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn as long as you renew it annually; otherwise, the certification will expire and move to the “Historical certifications” section on your transcript.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-learn-blog/microsoft-learn-updates-to-our-business-applications-training/ba-p/3768924
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-learn-blog/microsoft-learn-updates-to-our-business-applications-training/ba-p/3768924
2023-08-29 16:00:00Z

Filed Under: MSLearn