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Microsoft Exam Syllabus

PL-400 syllabus, skills measured, and exam topics

The PL-400 exam measures Create a technical design, Build Power Platform Solutions, and Implement Power Apps improvements. Use this page to review the current official syllabus, major domains, and source links before exam day.

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Skills measured by domain

Use the weighting table to decide where to spend the most study time.

Domain Weight
Create a technical design 10–15%
Build Power Platform Solutions 10–15%
Implement Power Apps improvements 10–15%
Extend the user experience 10–15%
Extend the platform 30–35%
Develop integrations 10–15%

Detailed outline

Scan each section as a working study checklist instead of one long wall of text.

Create a technical design (10–15%)

  • Analyze the technical architecture to identify solution components and their implementation approach
  • Design the authentication and authorization strategy for solution components
  • Determine whether requirements can be met with out-of-the-box functionality
  • Determine where to implement business logic including cloud computing, client-side processing, business rules, plug-ins, and Power Automate
  • Determine when to use standard tables, virtual tables, elastic tables, or connectors
  • Assess the impact of Microsoft Power Platform security features on solution components including data loss prevention (DLP) policies, security roles, teams, business units, and row sharing
  • Design Power Apps reusable components including canvas components, code components (Power Apps component framework), and client scripting
  • Design custom connectors
  • Design Dataverse code components including Power Fx functions, plug-ins, and custom APIs
  • Design automations including Power Automate cloud flows
  • Design inbound and outbound integrations using Dataverse and Azure

Build Power Platform Solutions (10–15%)

  • Troubleshoot operational security issues
  • Configure Dataverse security roles to support code components including the principle of least privilege
  • Manage Microsoft Power Platform environments for development
  • Manage solution dependencies
  • Create and use environment variables
  • Manage solution layers
  • Implement and extend Power Platform Pipelines
  • Create Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) automations using Power Platform Build Tools

Implement Power Apps improvements (10–15%)

  • Implement complex Power Fx formulas and functions
  • Build reusable component libraries
  • Utilize Power Automate cloud flows to implement business logic from a canvas app
  • Troubleshoot canvas and model-driven app issues by using Monitor and other browser-based debugging tools
  • Optimize canvas app performance including pre-loading data and query delegation
  • Optimize model-driven app performance including forms and views

Extend the user experience (10–15%)

  • Build JavaScript code that targets the Client API object model
  • Determine event handler registration approach
  • Create client scripting that targets the Dataverse Web API
  • Configure commands and buttons using Power Fx and JavaScript
  • Implement navigation to custom pages using the Client API
  • Demonstrate the use of the different lifecycle events
  • Configure a code component manifest
  • Implement component interfaces
  • Package, deploy, and consume a component
  • Configure and use Device, Utility, and Web API features in component logic

Extend the platform (30–35%)

  • Demonstrate the use of the different event execution pipeline stages
  • Develop a plug-in that uses the execution context
  • Develop a plug-in that implements business logic
  • Implement Pre Images and Post Images to support plug-in logic
  • Perform operations in plug-ins by using the Organization service
  • Optimize plug-in performance
  • Configure a Dataverse custom API message
  • Register plug-in components by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
  • Develop a plug-in that implements a custom API
  • Configure Dataverse business events
  • Create an Open API definition for an existing REST API
  • Implement authentication for custom connectors

Develop integrations (10–15%)

  • Publish a Dataverse event by using the IServiceEndpointNotificationService
  • Publish a Dataverse event by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
  • Register service endpoints including webhooks, Azure Service Bus, and Azure Event Hub
  • Recommend options for listening to Dataverse events
  • Perform data synchronization by using change tracking
  • Develop code that utilizes alternate keys
  • Utilize the UpsertRequest message to synchronize data

Purpose of this document

  • This study guide should help you understand what to expect on the exam and includes a summary of the topics the exam might cover and links to additional resources. The information and materials in this document should help you focus your studies as you prepare for the exam.
  • Useful links: Description
  • How to earn the certification: Some certifications only require passing one exam, while others require passing multiple exams.
  • Certification renewal: Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
  • Your Microsoft Learn profile: Connecting your certification profile to Microsoft Learn allows you to schedule and renew exams and share and print certificates.
  • Exam scoring and score reports: A score of 700 or greater is required to pass.
  • Exam sandbox: You can explore the exam environment by visiting our exam sandbox.
  • Request accommodations: If you use assistive devices, require extra time, or need modification to any part of the exam experience, you can request an accommodation.
  • Take a free Practice Assessment: Test your skills with practice questions to help you prepare for the exam.

Updates to the exam

  • Our exams are updated periodically to reflect skills that are required to perform a role. We have included two versions of the Skills Measured objectives depending on when you are taking the exam.
  • We always update the English language version of the exam first. Some exams are localized into other languages, and those are updated approximately eight weeks after the English version is updated. While Microsoft makes every effort to update localized versions as noted, there may be times when the localized versions of an exam are not updated on this schedule. Other available languages are listed in the Schedule Exam section of the Exam Details webpage. If the exam isn't available in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete the exam.
  • The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. Related topics may be covered in the exam.
  • Most questions cover features that are general availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on Preview features if those features are commonly used.