Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate PL-200 Certification

Microsoft has announced a new exam, PL-200, and certification aimed at Power Platform Functional Consultants who implement solutions using the Power Platform.

As with any new certifications, you will have lots of questions. I will attempt to answer the questions you may have below.

Q. Is this exam just about canvas apps?
A. No, it covers Power Apps (canvas, model, and portal), Power Automate, Power BI, ad Power Virtual Agents. It also includes creating a data model in the Common Data Service.

Q. What are the topics in the exam.
A. The main objectives for the exam are:

• Configure the Common Data Service
• Build a Power App
• Create automations with Power Automate
• Configure Power Virtual Agents
• Create visualizations with Power BI

Q. When will this exam be available?
A. PL-200 is due to be released in September.

Q. Are there any codes for this exam?
A. Not yet. If it follows other exams there will be a beta code for 80% off. Details will be posted on the Microsoft Learn blog https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-learn-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftLearnBlog in the Microsoft Learn Community.

Q. Is this a standalone exam and certification, or do I need to take other exams to gain the certification?
A. This is a standalone certification with a single exam.

Q. Does the PL-200 replace the MB-200?
A. Yes, the MB-200 exam will be retired on December 31st 2020.

Q. I have been preparing for MB-200, can I still take the MB-200 or will I need to start preparing for PL-200.
A. You can still take MB-200 until the end of the year.

Q. Do I need to take PL-200 to become a Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant Associate
A. Yes, you will need to take PL-200 and one of the MB-2×0 exams in Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, or Marketing to gain a Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant Associate certification.

Q. What is different in this exam to MB-200?
A. The main differences are in emphasis. The MB-200 exam was really about the Power Platform and the Common Data Service anyway. So the exam has removed mentions of Dynamics 365 in the text where it wasn’t relevant. There is more Power BI in PL-200 and Power Virtual Agents has been added. Features in the latest release may also have been included.

Q. How is this exam different from PL-100?
A. I will be posting on the differences between PL-100 and PL-200 separately, but the main difference is the audience. PL-100 is targeted at the person who builds apps for themselves and their colleagues. PL-200 is aimed at the people whose job it is to build apps for other.  There is necessarily some overlap and I will post about that.

Q. What learning materials are there to prepare for this exam?
A. There will be an official course released this year. I suspect it will be a 4 or 5 day course. There is a lot of material on Microsoft Learn for topics relevant to this role. I have created a collection to make it easier for you to find the relevant modules on Learn.

Q. As an MCT, can I teach PL-200 course without passing the exam?
A. If you have passed MB-200 exam, you will be able to teach the PL-200 course until the end of 2020.

You should download and read the skills measured on Microsoft Learn https://docs.microsoft.com//learn/certifications/exams/pl-200 when they are published.