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Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate: Certification Requirements & Scope

Examine the associate-level credential for designing and developing Dynamics 365 Business Central solutions.

The Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate validates expertise in designing, developing, and maintaining extensions for Dynamics 365 Business Central. This associate-level credential targets practitioners with day-to-day product exposure, confirming applied role experience in business applications. Explore its measured skills, ideal audience, prerequisites, and renewal model to align this certification with your career path and responsibilities.

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Credential overview

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate (MB-820) Certification Overview

Validates the ability to design, develop, test, and maintain extensions and solutions for Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate is Microsoft's associate-level certification for business applications and enterprise process transformation. It validates the ability to design, develop, test, and maintain extensions and solutions for Dynamics 365 Business Central. The public page organizes the exam around describe business central, install, develop, and deploy for business central, develop by using al objects, develop by using al, and work with development tools. As a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central developer, you’re responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central. That makes it most useful for researchers comparing real job-fit within the Microsoft ecosystem, not just collecting brand-name certifications.

Dynamics 365Business appsFunctional consultingBusiness CentralInstall, Develop,AL Objects

Who should take it

Candidates should consider Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate if their current or target role depends on Dynamics 365 and they want a credential that mirrors real job expectations. It is strongest for practitioners who already perform at least part of the role and want proof that their experience lines up with Microsoft's own role definition. If the product family is central to your day-to-day work, this certification is usually a better fit than a broader but less role-specific Microsoft badge.

Best for

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate is best suited to candidates already handling business analyst, business owner, business user, developer, solution architect, support engineer, and technology manager responsibilities in Dynamics 365. As a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central developer, you’re responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is a better fit for practitioners with genuine day-to-day exposure than for candidates who only know the product family from demos or high-level study.

Why it matters

Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate has practical value because it gives employers and teams a recognizable signal around business applications and enterprise process transformation. These certifications matter most where organizations need credible implementation skill in core business systems rather than generic cloud fluency. For role-based candidates, the value is stronger when the job actually depends on the product family, because the certification helps show role-specific capability rather than broad interest alone.

Requirements

Microsoft does not list a mandatory prerequisite certification for Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate (MB-820), but the certification page clearly assumes hands-on experience. Candidates are generally expected to know the relevant admin tools, delivery patterns, and day-to-day workflows well enough to make sensible choices under exam pressure. In practice, that means this badge works best when it validates real role experience rather than serving as a first introduction to Dynamics 365.

Best fit

Who Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate is best suited for

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate is best suited to candidates already handling business analyst, business owner, business user, developer, solution architect, support engineer, and technology manager responsibilities in Dynamics 365. As a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central developer, you’re responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is a better fit for practitioners with genuine day-to-day exposure than for candidates who only know the product family from demos or high-level study.

Who should take it

Candidates should consider Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate if their current or target role depends on Dynamics 365 and they want a credential that mirrors real job expectations. It is strongest for practitioners who already perform at least part of the role and want proof that their experience lines up with Microsoft's own role definition. If the product family is central to your day-to-day work, this certification is usually a better fit than a broader but less role-specific Microsoft badge.

Best for

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate is best suited to candidates already handling business analyst, business owner, business user, developer, solution architect, support engineer, and technology manager responsibilities in Dynamics 365. As a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central developer, you’re responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central. It is a better fit for practitioners with genuine day-to-day exposure than for candidates who only know the product family from demos or high-level study.

Career value

Career value of Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate

Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate can support roles such as business analyst, business owner, business user, developer, solution architect, support engineer, and technology manager and nearby positions that rely on Dynamics 365. For associate and specialty paths, the career impact is strongest where hiring teams want role-specific Microsoft validation rather than general platform familiarity.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate has practical value because it gives employers and teams a recognizable signal around business applications and enterprise process transformation. These certifications matter most where organizations need credible implementation skill in core business systems rather than generic cloud fluency. For role-based candidates, the value is stronger when the job actually depends on the product family, because the certification helps show role-specific capability rather than broad interest alone.

Learning outcomes

Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate Learning Outcomes

This examination measures professional competency in designing, developing, and maintaining extensions for Dynamics 365 Business Central. The listed outcomes cover essential development tasks, from utilizing AL objects and development tools to complex application integration and system deployment.

  • Describe Business Central in Dynamics 365 with a practical, exam-aligned approach.
  • Install, develop, and deploy for Business Central in Dynamics 365 with a practical, exam-aligned approach.
  • Develop by using AL objects in Dynamics 365 with a practical, exam-aligned approach.
  • Develop by using AL in Dynamics 365 with a practical, exam-aligned approach.
  • Work with development tools in Dynamics 365 with a practical, exam-aligned approach.

Tags and keywords

Certification tags and search topics

Dynamics 365Business appsFunctional consultingBusiness CentralInstall, Develop,AL ObjectsDynamics 365 Business Central Developer AssociateDynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate certificationMB-820MB-820 examMB-820 certificationDynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate examDynamics 365 certificationDynamics 365

Reference

Quick facts

Provider
Microsoft
Code
MB-820
Level
Associate
Credential type
Professional certification
Active exams
1
Known price
$165
Study time
50-100h
Last verified
Apr 16, 2026
Register

Provider

Microsoft

Microsoft

Private company

Exam details

Exam Details for the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate

Exam MB-820 serves as the primary assessment for this certification. It is a proctored, written exam with a duration of 100 minutes that may incorporate interactive components to evaluate your ability to design, develop, and test Business Central solutions effectively.

MB-820

Exam MB-820: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer

Proctored certification exam that may include interactive components.

Official exam
Type
Written
Duration
100 min

Exam sections

01

Describe Business Central

This section covers the core architecture, components, and capabilities of Business Central. It includes differentiating between online and on-premises features, understanding the extension-based approach, managing the update lifecycle, and navigating the AppSource app ecosystem.

12.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Focus on the differentiation between the base app and the system app, and the architectural role of extensions.

02

Install, develop, and deploy for Business Central

Focuses on setting up and configuring the development environment, specifically Visual Studio Code and AL extensions. It covers debugging techniques, deployment strategies, managing multiple extensions in a workspace, and maintaining multilanguage support for global solutions.

12.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Practice configuring launch.json and managing multiple AL extensions within a single Visual Studio Code workspace.

03

Develop by using AL objects

The largest section, covering the design and extension of core Business Central objects including tables, pages, reports, and XMLports. It also explores codeunit development with events, triggers, and interfaces, as well as the creation of complex queries and permission sets.

37.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Thoroughly review report layout design and the use of event-based development to extend standard Business Central functionality.

04

Develop by using AL

Focuses on UI customization, onboarding techniques like assisted setup and teaching tips, and core AL programming. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency with data types, expressions, built-in functions, error handling, and implementing industry-standard development patterns.

17.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Master AL data manipulation built-in functions and the use of access modifiers to control the scope of custom procedures.

05

Work with development tools

This section addresses the technical aspects of testing and monitoring. It includes implementing semiautomated test processes with the Test Toolkit and managing telemetry. Candidates are tested on their ability to configure and analyze telemetry signals for performance monitoring.

12.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Learn how to run standard Business Central tests and configure telemetry to monitor app performance and identify bottlenecks.

06

Integrate Business Central with other applications

Covers the integration of Business Central with external services and applications. Key topics include accessing REST services via HTTP classes, working with JSON, implementing and managing APIs, and utilizing OData actions and Read Scale-Out to optimize system performance.

12.5% Weight
Question notes

The exam assesses these skills through multiple-choice and interactive questions in a proctored environment.

Preparation tips

Practice handling JSON data within AL and using the HttpClient class to communicate with external RESTful services.

Study effort

Preparation and Difficulty for the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate

This associate-level exam moves beyond theory, testing your ability to design and maintain extensions using AL objects in real-world scenarios. Success requires hands-on experience with administration and development tools, making it best for practitioners already working with the platform.

Study time

50-100h

Difficulty

Recommended experience

24 months

Practice exam useful
Hands-on lab useful

Exam cost

Exam Fees for the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate

Use the structured fee rows for the latest known amount and compare region, tax, voucher, or membership notes before registering.

$165

United States

Standard priceTax may vary

Prerequisites

What to know before starting Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate

Microsoft does not list a mandatory prerequisite certification for Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate (MB-820), but the certification page clearly assumes hands-on experience. Candidates are generally expected to know the relevant admin tools, delivery patterns, and day-to-day workflows well enough to make sensible choices under exam pressure. In practice, that means this badge works best when it validates real role experience rather than serving as a first introduction to Dynamics 365.

Career fit

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Explore the roles and skills most directly connected to this certification, then use those paths to compare adjacent credentials.

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