Microsoft has announced a new certification, the Agentic DevOps Engineer Expert, and the new AZ-401 exam, which is now in beta. General availability is expected in December 2026. The current AZ-400 exam and the DevOps Engineer Expert certification retire on February 1, 2027. This date comes from Microsoft's official announcement. The AZ-400 exam page does not show a retirement date yet.
To earn the new expert title, you must pass AZ-401 and either GH-300 (GitHub Copilot) or AZ-104 (Azure Administrator).
What is the AZ-401 exam?
The full name is Designing and Implementing Microsoft Agentic DevOps Solutions. It tests AI-assisted DevOps across Azure DevOps and GitHub, with GitHub Copilot at the center. For now, the exam is available in English only, and you need a score of 700 to pass. Beta exams are not scored right away, so you get your result only after the exam goes live.
Microsoft expects practical skills in YAML, KQL and Bicep. You should also have experience with Azure DevOps and GitHub solutions that use Microsoft and GitHub AI tools.
Skills measured and weights
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Design and implement processes and communications | 15-20% |
| Design and implement a source control strategy | 10-15% |
| Design and implement build and release pipelines | 35-40% |
| Design and implement a security and compliance plan | 15-20% |
| Implement an instrumentation strategy | 15-20% |
Pipelines carry the most weight by far, so plan most of your study time there.
What is new compared with AZ-400?
The five domain names are the same as in AZ-400. The big change is AI. The study guide adds MCP servers for Azure DevOps and GitHub, GitHub Agentic Workflows, and quality gates built with GitHub Copilot. It also covers Azure SRE Agent and Azure Copilot Observability Agent for monitoring. If you still want AZ-400, you must take it before February 1, 2027.
How to prepare today
Start with the official AZ-401 study guide. It lists every skill the exam may test. Microsoft also suggests the Learn plan Optimize DevOps with AI agents on Azure.
However, AZ-401 learning paths, courses and the official practice assessment are not available yet. Microsoft says practice assessments usually come within 8 weeks after an exam leaves beta. Beta topics can still change before the exam goes live.
Start with the second exam now
You don't have to wait for AZ-401 to make progress. The second exam, GH-300 or AZ-104, is already live and counts toward the new expert title. If you pick GH-300, note that its skills outline changed in 2026, so study from the current Microsoft Learn study guide.
Facts come from Microsoft's announcement and the Microsoft Learn AZ-401 exam page and study guide. Always check Microsoft Learn before you book.
💡 Want to check if you're ready? Try the sample exam quiz on testimea.
Originally published on testimea.
Top comments (2)
I hold AZ-400, so this caught my eye. Pipelines carrying 35-40 percent makes sense, and the MCP and Agentic Workflows additions reflect where the daily work is actually going. Starting on GH-300 now looks like the practical move.
Thanks! Good point on GH-300 - Copilot skills carry over directly to the agentic parts of AZ-401. Since you already hold AZ-400, keep an eye on whether Microsoft offers a renewal or transition path once AZ-401 leaves beta. Good luck!