Clarification on AZ-400 Prerequisites Post AZ-204 Retirement (July 31, 2026) and AI-200 Status

Yash Raj Singh 20 Reputation points
2026-09-17T20:32:20.0066667+00:00

I am planning to take the AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) exam, but I need clarification on the prerequisite requirements now that the portfolio has changed.

Since the AZ-204 exam retired on July 31, 2026, and I do not already hold it, I have a few specific questions regarding the valid paths forward:

  • Is the AZ-104 now the only available prerequisite? For candidates who did not pass the AZ-204 before its retirement date, is the AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) currently the only active prerequisite option to achieve the DevOps Expert certification?
  • Does the new AI-200 count as a prerequisite? Will completing the new replacement exam, AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate), officially fulfill the developer-track prerequisite requirement for the AZ-400?
  • When will the official certification pages be updated? If the AI-200 is meant to be a valid prerequisite for the AZ-400, when can we expect the official Microsoft Learn certification page to be updated to reflect this change?
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Julian Sharp 45,991 Reputation points
2026-09-17T20:44:13.33+00:00

AI-200 should have been added as a prerequisite for the Azure DevOps Engineer Associate certification. This was mentioned in the replies to https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/skills-hub-blog/the-ai-job-boom-is-here-are-you-ready-to-showcase-your-skills/4494128

As you say, the certification page https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/devops-engineer/ has not been updated.

This is a community forum not support and cannot provide the answers you seek, try https://aka.ms/CertificationSupport

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  1. Dimitri Laaraybi 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-21T15:02:50.1433333+00:00

    Hi,

    Do we need to pass the new AI 200 to have access to the AZ 400 renewal exam if we already earned it ?

    Or will it still be accessible even if we do not pass AI 200 ?

    Thanks

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