CertifyDeckMicrosoft has announced that exam PL-400 is transitioning to AB-400 to fit its new certification portfolio. AB-400 can be taken from 16 October 2026 and registration is already open. It grants the same certification (Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate), but the skills outline is reorganized into four domains and adds AI agents, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, code apps, MCP and Python. Here is what changes, what stays the same and how to decide which exam to sit.
What AB-400 is and why it replaces PL-400
AB-400 is the new exam code for the Power Platform developer exam. Microsoft is renaming its catalog with prefixes by area (AB for Business Applications and agents, AI for artificial intelligence on Azure) and PL-400 is one of the exams changing code. The official PL-400 page says it plainly: the exam is transitioning to AB-400 to align it within the certification portfolio.
The certification you earn is the same: Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate. There is no new title or category. What changes is the exam content, updated to reflect how Power Platform development works today: with generative AI, agents and modern developer tooling.
Dates: when you can sit each exam
The official pages for both exams now give the full calendar. On 16 October 2026 registration for PL-400 closes and, from that day, you can only register for AB-400, which becomes available on the same date (you can book it today). Anyone who registers for PL-400 on or before 16 October can schedule and take the exam through 30 October 2026.
In practice PL-400 is on a short clock: register by 16 October, sit by 30 October. If your preparation is well advanced you can still make it. If you are just starting, there is not enough time to do it safely: prepare the AB-400 outline directly. Dates can change, so check the official PL-400 page before booking.
What changes in the skills outline
PL-400 has six domains: create a technical design (10-15%), configure Dataverse (15-20%), create and configure Power Apps (10-15%), extend the user experience (10-15%), extend the platform (35-40%) and develop integrations (5-10%). AB-400 reorganizes them into four: build Power Platform solutions (15-20%), extend the user experience (25-30%), extend Power Platform (35-40%) and develop integrations (10-15%).
The technical core stays: Dataverse plug-ins and the execution pipeline, custom APIs, the Dataverse Web API and Organization Service, PCF components, client scripting, Power Automate, custom connectors, Dataverse events, Azure Functions and ALM with solutions, pipelines and Build Tools. If you master that, you master more than half of AB-400.
What is new sits around that core. Microsoft Foundry and Copilot Studio agents integrated into solution logic, MCP servers and MCP app widgets, Power Apps code apps (configuring, deploying and monitoring them with Application Insights), generative pages, Work IQ to connect agents with Dataverse data, Copilot Studio workflows alongside Power Automate flows, managed identity for plug-ins and the Dataverse SDK for Python. Deciding between deterministic and non-deterministic logic, and between a Foundry agent and a Copilot Studio agent, also carries more weight.
On tooling, Microsoft assumes you use Power Platform CLI in your workflow, Visual Studio or VS Code, and AI-assisted tools to develop and troubleshoot. The PL-400 languages (JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, HTML, JSON) are joined by Power Fx, Python and YAML.
PL-400 or AB-400? How to decide
Sit PL-400 only if you can register before 16 October 2026 and take it before 30 October: it makes sense if your preparation is already well advanced, if you need the exam in Spanish or another language, or if your experience is in classic Power Platform development (plug-ins, PCF, integrations) and you have not worked with agents yet. The title is the same and has no different expiry.
Sit AB-400 if you are just starting your preparation, if you already work with Copilot Studio, Foundry or code apps, or if you are comfortable testing in English. The new outline is the one that will stay current and it describes the real job of a Power Platform developer in 2026 much better.
Either way, most of the preparation overlaps. The PL-400 practice questions cover the shared core (Dataverse, extensibility, integrations and ALM) and serve both exams; what you need to add for AB-400 is the agents, code apps and MCP material. If you are going for AB-400, the AB-400 practice questions already follow the new outline, new areas included.
How to prepare for the transition
Start by measuring your level on the shared core with PL-400 practice by domain: plug-ins, Web API, PCF, connectors and integrations. It is the heaviest part of both exams and where a pass is decided. Then read the official AB-400 study guide and mark the objectives you do not recognize; that list is your additional study plan.
For the new objectives, hands-on work beats reading: build a code app connected to Dataverse, publish a custom connector, integrate a Copilot Studio agent into a solution and deploy everything with Power Platform Pipelines. Each exercise covers several AB-400 objectives at once. See the PL-400 study guide to review the rest.
Next: what the AB-400 certification is, the AB-400 skills outline by domain and how to prepare for AB-400 while there are no official courses.
Frequently asked questions
Does my PL-400 certification expire because of AB-400?
No. The certification is the same (Power Platform Developer Associate) and renews the same way, every twelve months, through the free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. The exam code you passed does not affect renewal.
Can I take AB-400 in Spanish?
At launch AB-400 is available in English only. PL-400 can be taken in Spanish, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Simplified Chinese. Microsoft usually localizes new exams about eight weeks after the English version, but has not announced dates for AB-400.
Is AB-400 harder than PL-400?
It is broader. It keeps the PL-400 technical core and adds agents, Copilot Studio, Foundry, code apps and MCP. For a Power Platform developer with recent agent experience it will feel similar; for someone who only knows classic development it requires studying new blocks.
Does the free PL-400 practice assessment help for AB-400?
Partly. The AB-400 study guide still links to the PL-400 practice assessment, which covers the shared core but not the new agent and code app objectives. Use it for an initial diagnosis and complement it with hands-on practice in those blocks.