Guidelines for Partners
As you probably have heard, Microsoft has launched long-awaited certificates (MB-820 exam) for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central developers. In order to achieve the certificate, you have to have knowledge in designing, developing, testing, and maintaining solutions based on Dynamics 365 Business Central.
The exam consists of 6 main parts:
1. Describe Business Central (10-15%)
2. Install, develop, and deploy for BC (10-15%)
3. Develop by using AL objects (35-40%)
4. Develop by using AL (15-20%)
5. Work with development tools (10-15%)
6. Integrate BC with other applications (10-15%)
Below in the article, I will review each of these parts by topics and provide learning material with official “Microsoft Learn” links.
Registering for the MB-820 Exam
If you would like to schedule an exam, go to the page.
Select your country and click on “Schedule exam”. You will be redirected to the Microsoft Certifications page. You will have to use your Microsoft account to log in, and if you are logging in for the first time, there will be some pages with personal information to fill in to create your Microsoft Certification Identification Number (MCID). Once MCID is generated, you can click on “Schedule Exam” one more time, and you will be redirected to the interactive setup wizard, just fill in all required information and click on next. You will be able to go back in that wizard if you would like to edit information and fix discrepancies.
Before the exam, I suggest reading the Exam overview and learning material with official „Microsoft Learn“ links using learning points.
1. Describe Business Central (10–15%)
1.1 Describe the BC architecture
| Describe the components and capabilities of Business Central | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/deployment/product-and-architecture-overview |
| Describe the core solution and extensions approach for Business Central | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-dev-overview |
| Describe the update lifecycle for customizations of Business Central | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-customization-update-lifecycle |
| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/administration/tenant-admin-center-manage-apps | |
| Differentiate Business Central Online and Business Central on-premises features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/features-not-implemented-on-premises |
| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/fin-ops-core/dev-itpro/get-started/cloud-prem-comparison |
1.2 Describe Business Central apps
2. Install, develop, and deploy for BC (10–15%)
2.1 Install and configure a BC development environment
2.2 Create, debug, and deploy an extension in BC
3. Develop by using AL objects (35–40%)
3.1 Build and extend tables and pages in BC
3.2 Build and extend reports
3.3 Design and create an XMLport
| Work with XMLports | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/work-with-xmlports/ |
| Configure different XMLport properties | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/properties/devenv-xmlport-properties |
| Define nodes and their properties | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-xmlport-schema |
| Use XMLports in AL code | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-xmlport-object |
3.4 Develop codeunits
3.5 Work with entitlement and permission set objects
3.6 Create queries in BC
| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/work-with-queries/ | |
| Link and join data items | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-query-links-joins |
| Apply filters in query objects | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-query-filters |
| Use queries instead of record variables | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-query-using-instead-record-variables |
| Aggregate data in query objects | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-query-totals-grouping |
| Use a query to create a report | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-report-dataset (Using a Query in a dataset definition) |
4. Develop by using AL (15–20%)
4.1 Customize the UI experience and implement onboarding techniques
| Create profiles in AL | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-design-profiles |
| Use and create views in AL | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-views |
| Develop the UI by using the user assistance model | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/user-assistance |
| Integrate assisted setup | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-designing-navigate-pages |
| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/build-assisted-setup/ | |
| Create teaching tips and in-app tours to onboard users | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/administration/onboarding-teaching-tips-tours |
| Create an onboarding checklist | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/administration/onboarding-checklist |
4.2 Describe the essential development standards
| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/essential-development-standards/ | |
| Implement the data process model in BC | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/implement-data-process-model-business-central/ |
| Define the different functional table types and characteristics | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/identify-table-types/ |
| Use document standards in BC | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/use-document-standards-business-central/ |
| Implement master data standards and design patterns | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/work-with-master-data-business-central/ |
4.3 Use AL to extend BC
5. Work with development tools (10–15%)
5.1 Implement semi-automated test processes and run standard BC tests
5.2 Manage and analyze telemetry
6. Integrate BC with other applications (10–15%)
6.1 Access REST services from within BC
| Use the different HTTP classes and their functions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-httpclient |
| Get data from and send data to an external REST service | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/access-rest-services/ |
| Use and read JSON | https://community.dynamics.com/blogs/post/?postid=340bd1db-2a2c-41c7-a20f-060448f64649 |
6.2 Implement APIs
Conclusion
Official GitHub repo for MB-820 certificate practicing you can find here: MicrosoftLearning/MB-820-Business-Central-Developer-Certification
All things considered, the MB-820 certificate is designed for mid to senior AL developers. The exam lasts for 2 hours. Exam questions consist of a couple of case studies, single and multiple choice selections, moving given code blocks in a correct order, and selecting various options in code to make it work correctly.
Hope this article helps, and good luck on your exam!