If you want to become a Microsoft-certified Business Central functional consultant, you must pass the MB-800 exam. As a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Business Central functional consultant, I have helped many students and consultants learn the MB-800 curriculum. I learned that the the MB-800 exam can be tricky, even for senior consultants. In this post, I explain nine less-know things you must know to pass the exam.
What is the MB-800 certification?
The MB-800 exam gets you the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Functional Consultant Associate certification; as the name suggests, it's the official Microsoft certification for Business Central functional consultants. The certification must be renewed every year. I got mine in 2020 and renew it every year, as you can see below.
The certification proves that you have passed the MB-800 exam, that you know Business Central's core capabilities, and that you can apply the application features to real business cases. The certification does not give you the right to join a professional body, nor is it equivalent to an online degree. However, you may receive college credit after completing the requirements for earning some Microsoft Certifications. All eligible Microsoft certifications are listed at https://aka.ms/ACECollegeCredit.
Who needs to pass the MB-800 exam and get certified?
The short answer is that nobody needs any Microsoft certification, as a certificate does not give you the right to job placements; in fact, Microsoft partners rarely check that you have passed the MB-800 when hiring consultants.
I worked as a freelance Business Central consultant for end-users for many years before getting my certification; I became a Microsoft-certified consultant only after my first job at a Microsoft Gold partner. However, partners often enrol in special programs with Microsoft that reward them for employing consultants who get certified. Therefore, even though a certification is not a requirement, you should consider getting one if you want to work as a Microsoft consultant.
Microsoft Self-Directed Training vs Third-Party Instructor-led training: which one should you choose?
You must learn the MB-800 curriculum before taking the exam, even if you already have experience with Business Central, because the exam covers various topics or areas and uses specific terminology that you might not be familiar with. There are two options to learn the MB-800 material before attempting to take the exam.
You can study the entire MB-800 curriculum for free from the Microsoft Learn website. Go to this website and log in with your personal Microsoft account. The course material is always up-to-date and includes all you need to know to pass the exam.
PROS: It's free, and you can learn at your own pace. Choose free training if you already know Business Central and understand the architecture and core modules.
CONS: The material is concise and does not go into detail. You will struggle with self-directed learning if you are new to Business Central.
You can pay to enrol with a Microsoft Learning partner and attend instructor-led training. These companies use the official Microsoft training content; they must stick with the official training content and structure, as Microsoft has strict rules on how to deliver training for their products.
PROS: You will learn from a Microsoft Certified Trainer like myself in live classes where you will interact with the instructor and learn while using a Business Central sandbox.
CONS: Instructor-led training requires a significant investment. As of June 2024, the cost for MB-800 training is around $2500 for five full days of remote or on-site classes.
Is e-learning from third parties worth it?
There aren't E-learning providers offering MB-800 courses; the only platform I found is Udemy. Courses go from four to seven hours and are designed for beginners.
E-learning is affordable. The average price of a Udemy MB-800 course is $20.00, and even though it will not make you pass the exam, most of the courses are interesting and engaging. Some include downloadable material like PDFs and often come with interactive quizzes. The downside of E-learning is that it covers only the basics. I purchased and reviewed the courses mentioned in this article, and none are detailed enough to make you pass the MB-800 exam. But, if you are looking for a quick and affordable refresher on Business Central's capabilities or want to know about Business Central before going for the certification, an online course might be a good idea.
What skills are measured in the exam?
The exam measures your functional skills and some technical and implementation skills needed for a successful career as a functional consultant. The latest update from Microsoft describes the following skills:
Setup core functionality and modules
The setup includes the following modules: Finance, Sales, Purchasing and Inventory. It does not include advanced modules like Projects and Warehouse Management. The modules that come with a premium licence, such as Manufacturing and Service Management, are also not included in the exam.
Migrating Data
This part includes data migration tools such as configuration packages and other migration tools for companies moving from Microsoft GP or Quickbooks.
Connect Business Central to other Microsoft applications: Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Dynamics 365
Skills measured during the exam will vary as each exam is different; as of March 2024, the skills measured are the following:
Set up Business Central contributes to 15–20% of skills measured
Configure financials - 30–35%
Configure sales and purchasing - 15–20%
Perform Business Central operations - 30–35%
The skills measured and how these affect the exam score vary because exams are never the same.
How hard is the MB-800 exam?
The MB-800 exam is difficult; even senior consultants will likely fail it if they don't study the official curriculum. The exam uses Microsoft terminology that you will find in the official training material that describes some Business Central features and business concepts for which you will not find an exact match with pages or tables.
For example, one of the questions I got when I renewed my MB-800 was about Specific Posting Groups. There is no page or table in Business Central named Specific Posting Groups. Still, knowing that there are two general posting groups, the Business and the Product general posting groups, I understood that the question about these specific posting groups was about customer and vendor posting groups.
What type of questions you will get?
The exam includes different question types; the most common are
Multiple Choices: A question followed by three or more choices where you must pick the correct one. These can be tricky questions because you could get more than one correct choice, and the exam will ask you to select the most correct answer or all the correct ones.
Case Studies: Short case studies can be included in the exam; you will be shown a short study followed by a few scenario-based questions. You must read the case carefully as the case often gives you clues about the answers.
Build a list: Questions requiring you to arrange steps or instructions in a logical sequence.
Is the exam included if I purchase the MB-800 instructor-led training from a third party?
No, third-party training companies do not provide the exam. You will need to book the exam with a test centre, which is an independent exam provider. Microsoft policies do not allow trainers to offer exams; this provides transparency and ensures that delegates prepare for the exam when studying with training partners. The current exam provider for Microsoft certifications is Pearson VUE: you can find their details and more info about the exams on their website here:https://home.pearsonvue.com/Clients/Microsoft.aspx
How much time will you get, and how many questions will you have to answer?
The MB-800 exam can include between 40 and 60 questions; you will have 100 minutes to answer them. The pass score is 700, and each question will give you a different score depending on the question type and skill measured. Take your time to read the questions; don't rush through them, as the question often includes clues about the correct answer.
The nine things you need to know to nail the exam
1. Learn the exam terminology
Pay attention to the wording used during the training and the specific terminology used in the exam questions; for example, a question about registering a customer payment refers to the payment registration feature, but if the question is about receiving a customer payment, that refers to a cash receipt journal.
2. There are more than one correct questions
Multiple-choice questions can include more than one correct answer. You could be asked to choose all the correct ones or pick one up. In that case, you must select the option that provides the most accurate or comprehensive answer.
3. Don't try to answer questions with common sense
This might seem odd, but the exam is about checking that you learned the training material, so even though your experience and common sense might guide you through the questions, you should try to answer based on the training material. For example, one of my clients had a question about preparing a vendor payment in advance, describing a cumbersome process to create a payment journal. The process described was inefficient and would be rarely used in a real business case. The goal of the question was not about the process but to check that the delegate understood how to use date filters when preparing a payment journal.
4. Ensure you study the latest version and take the exam soon after completing the training
Microsoft updates the MB-800 training content and questions regularly. Ensure to take the exam soon after completing the training, or you might get questions about new features that you didn't learn. You can find the MB-800 change log here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/mb-800#change-log.
5. Pay attention to time
One hundred minutes for 60 questions is not much. Read the question slowly, maybe twice, and then the correct answer will be obvious.
6. Open Book exam? Not really
Even though Microsoft described the exam as an open book, that does not mean you can access Business Central or your notes when giving the exam. You can only check the MB-800 Microsoft Learn training page on the exam page and will not get additional time. You shouldn't need to check anything during the exam if you studied.
7. Many features are missing, including the localisations
As I mentioned, the exam does not include projects, warehouse management, or manufacturing; some specific features linked to localisations are not included, such as VAT, sales taxes, or Intrastat. Ensure to check the latest version because Microsoft might change the policies about the MB-800 scope. For example, a recent update included the required setup for assembly management.
8. Be careful about purchasing exam practice tools
You can buy exam practice tools online, but Microsoft only endorses a third-party exam practice called MeasureUp: here is the link: https://www.measureup.com/microsoft-practice-test-mb-800-microsoft-dynamics-365-business-central-functional-consultant.html
As of June 2024, Microsoft also provides their AI exam practice tool, but the MB-800 is not included. More info here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/practice-assessments-for-microsoft-certifications
9. Study the official learning material, even if you are an experienced consultant
Don't assume you can pass the exam without studying, even as a senior consultant. It might happen, but why take the risk? You can learn using the Microsoft website for free if you are a senior consultant.
What you need to do after you pass the exam
Congratulate yourself and share the good news with your professional network. Your certification will show on your Microsoft Lear account, which you can link to your organisation via the Microsoft credentials page, link here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/
MB-800 alternatives for advanced users and consultants
Even if you know Business Central well, I still recommend getting certified, even if the MB-800 will not add much to your CV. In that case, you might want to invest in one-on-one training or an advanced self-paced course. If so, check out my one-on-one training offering here: https://www.d365training.com/book-online or enrol in one of my self-paced online courses using this link: https://www.d365training.com/challenges.
Regards
Alfredo
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