PL-400 certification: what changes with AB-400
PL-400 is being replaced. Microsoft closes registration for exam PL-400 on 16 October 2026; if you register by then, you can still take it until 30 October 2026. From 16 October, the Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate certification is earned through the new exam AB-400 instead. The certification itself continues, the pass mark stays at 700, and renewal remains a free online assessment.
- Certification
- Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer AssociateMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Status
- PL-400 is transitioning to AB-400 — PL-400 registration closes 16 October 2026Microsoft Learn certification page and study guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Last PL-400 exams
- By 30 October 2026, for candidates registered on or before 16 OctoberMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Successor exam
- AB-400: Power Platform Developer Associate, available from 16 October 2026 (English)Microsoft Learn AB-400 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam cost
- Not published as one figure — price depends on the country or region where you testMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Passing score
- 700 or greaterMicrosoft Learn PL-400 study guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Duration and questions
- Not stated on the Microsoft Learn pages checkedMicrosoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026
- Renewal
- Free online assessment each year, in a six-month window before expiryMicrosoft Learn renewal page, checked 10 October 2026
- Practice assessment
- Free practice assessment on Microsoft LearnMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026
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Why you can trust these PL-400 questions
PL-400 is transitioning to AB-400
Microsoft states that PL-400 is transitioning to AB-400 to align the exam within its certification portfolio. The dates are fixed: on 16 October 2026 registration for PL-400 closes and registration opens only for AB-400. Learners who register for PL-400 on or before 16 October can still schedule and take it through 30 October 2026. The AB-400 exam is available from 16 October, and registration for it is already open.
What does not change is the certification. AB-400 is listed as part of the requirements for Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate — the same credential PL-400 leads to today. If you already hold it, nothing about your certification ends; you renew it as before.
If you are planning now, the practical choice is between booking PL-400 before 16 October and sitting it by 30 October, or preparing for AB-400. Note that AB-400 is listed in English only, while PL-400 was offered in eight languages.
- 16 October 2026: PL-400 registration closes; AB-400 available
- 30 October 2026: last day to take PL-400 (if registered by 16 October)
Source: Microsoft Learn — Power Platform Developer Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the PL-400 certification?
The PL-400 certification is the common name for Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate, the credential earned by passing exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer. Its full title in searches often appears as Microsoft Certified Power Platform Developer Associate PL-400.
Microsoft describes the candidate as someone who designs, develops, tests and troubleshoots solution components using the extension points of Microsoft Power Platform and generative AI — custom user experiences and business logic, system integrations, data conversions, process automation and agentic AI. The development experience it expects includes JavaScript, JSON, TypeScript and Power Fx, C#, Python, HTML and YAML, RESTful web APIs, Azure, Microsoft Foundry and Copilot Studio.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam PL-400. Checked 10 October 2026.
PL-400 exam: cost, passing score and languages
Microsoft does not publish one price for the PL-400 exam: its certification page states that the price is based on the country or region where the exam is proctored, and AB-400 is priced the same way. You see the amount for your location when you schedule.
A score of 700 or greater is required to pass. Microsoft does not state the duration or the number of questions on the certification or study guide pages checked. PL-400 is offered in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil) and Chinese (Simplified); AB-400 in English.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam PL-400. Checked 10 October 2026.
What the exam covers from 16 October 2026
Microsoft’s PL-400 study guide now shows the skills measured as of 16 October 2026 — the day AB-400 takes over — in four areas. Extending Microsoft Power Platform is the largest at 35–40%:
- Extend Microsoft Power Platform — 35–40%
- Extend the user experience — 25–30%
- Build Microsoft Power Platform solutions — 15–20%
- Develop integrations — 10–15%
Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam PL-400. Checked 10 October 2026.
What changed from the PL-400 skills
The change log in the study guide compares the outline before 16 October 2026 with the new one. The previous skill areas were creating a technical design, building Power Platform solutions, implementing Power Apps improvements, extending the user experience, extending the platform and developing integrations.
Two areas were removed as separate sections — creating a technical design and implementing Power Apps improvements, including advanced canvas app features and app troubleshooting — while design topics moved under building solutions. New topics include building and deploying Power Apps code apps, building Microsoft Foundry agents with code that integrates with Power Platform, and configuring Copilot Studio workflows alongside Power Automate cloud flows. Application lifecycle management and platform APIs were changed in a major way.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam PL-400. Checked 10 October 2026.
PL-400 training, course and study plan
Microsoft’s certification page states that learning paths or modules are not yet available for this certification, so the study guide is the main official reference for both PL-400 and AB-400. Any PL-400 course or training you buy elsewhere should be checked against the change log: material built for the old outline still teaches canvas app features that are no longer a separate section, and misses code apps and Foundry agents.
A sensible study plan follows the weights: most time on extending the platform — plug-ins, platform APIs, Azure Functions, flows — then the user experience with client scripting and PCF code components, then solutions and ALM, then integrations. Hands-on work in a developer environment is the most direct exam prep for a developer exam.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Power Platform Developer Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.
PL-400 practice exam and questions
Microsoft offers a free practice assessment for the exam on Microsoft Learn, described as practice questions to help you prepare. Because the outline changes on 16 October 2026, check which skills version a PL-400 practice exam follows before relying on its score.
When you judge other PL-400 questions, look for coverage of the four current areas in proportion, explanations for every option, and scenario-style tasks rather than definitions. PL-400 questions written for the old outline may still be useful for plug-ins and client scripting, which carried over with minor changes.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Power Platform Developer Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.
PL-400 dumps
PL-400 dumps that claim to contain real exam questions are banned under Microsoft’s exam security policy. Microsoft defines a brain dump as a source of exam content that was fraudulently obtained to share or sell, and states that using it to prepare for an exam constitutes cheating. Candidates can be permanently barred from future credentials and have certifications and scores revoked.
With the exam changing on 16 October 2026, dumps are also simply out of date: they cannot reflect the new skills outline.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam and assessment security policies. Checked 10 October 2026.
How to renew the Power Platform Developer Associate
Associate certifications like this one expire unless renewed. Microsoft lets you renew at no cost by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn during a six-month window before expiry; each pass extends the certification by one year from its expiration date. The assessment is unproctored and can be retaken as often as needed before the certification expires.
The switch from PL-400 to AB-400 affects how new candidates earn the certification, not how existing holders renew it.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Renew your Microsoft Certification. Checked 10 October 2026.
PL-400 practice questions
Certsqill’s PL-400 practice questions are expert-developed: every question explains each answer option, and a readiness score for each skill area shows whether extending the platform, at 35–40% of the exam, is ready before you book.
PL-400 questions people ask
Is the PL-400 exam being retired?
It is being replaced by AB-400. PL-400 registration closes on 16 October 2026, and registered candidates can take it until 30 October 2026. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026.
Does the Power Platform Developer Associate certification end?
No. AB-400 is part of the requirements for the same certification, Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the PL-400 exam cost?
Microsoft publishes no single figure; the price depends on the country or region where you test. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the PL-400 passing score?
700 or greater. Source: Microsoft Learn PL-400 study guide, checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the PL-400 exam?
Microsoft does not state the duration on the certification and study guide pages checked on 10 October 2026.
Which languages is the exam offered in?
PL-400 in eight languages including English, German and Japanese; AB-400 in English. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026.
Is there a free PL-400 practice assessment?
Yes, Microsoft offers a free practice assessment on Microsoft Learn. Check which skills version it follows. Checked 10 October 2026.
How do I renew the certification?
Pass Microsoft’s free online renewal assessment in the six months before expiry; it extends the certification by one year. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026.
Are PL-400 dumps allowed?
No. Microsoft treats brain dump use as cheating and can revoke certifications and ban candidates. Source: Microsoft exam security policies, checked 10 October 2026.
