As cloud platforms, AI-driven services, and security architectures evolve at record speed, major vendors are accelerating certification retirement cycles. For candidates, trainers, and certification websites alike, missing an exam retirement date can mean wasted preparation, sunk costs, or outdated credentials.

Today, we will provide a verified and date-specific overview of the most important IT certification exams already retired or scheduled to retire between 2025 and 2026, based on official vendor announcements.

You will find:

• What each exam was designed for
• Its exact retirement date
• What retirement means for candidates going forward

Microsoft Certifications: Fundamentals Exams Are Being Phased Out

MB-920 — Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP)

MB-920 was an entry-level certification designed to validate understanding of Dynamics 365 ERP concepts, including:

• Finance and supply chain business processes
• ERP use cases and solution capabilities
• The Dynamics 365 application ecosystem

It was widely used by junior consultants, pre-sales roles, business analysts, and non-technical stakeholders.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

MB-910 — Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM)

MB-910 focused on CRM concepts within Dynamics 365, including:

• Sales, customer service, and marketing workflows
• Core CRM data structures
• Business value and implementation scenarios

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Microsoft is gradually moving away from broad ERP/CRM fundamentals toward role-based, scenario-driven, and AI-integrated certification paths. MB-910 and MB-920 are being retired together, indicating a deliberate consolidation of the Dynamics 365 Fundamentals track.

MS-900 — Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals

MS-900 has long been Microsoft’s most popular entry-level certification, covering:

• Microsoft 365 services and workloads
• Identity, security, compliance, and collaboration basics
• Licensing, subscriptions, and support models

It has been a common starting point for IT support staff and non-technical roles.

Official retirement date: March 31, 2026

Fortinet Certifications: Structural Consolidation Underway

FCSS – FortiSASE 25 Administrator (FCSS_SASE_AD-25)

This certification validated skills in managing Fortinet’s SASE platform, including:

• Zero Trust Network Access
• Cloud-delivered security services
• SASE operations and troubleshooting

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Upgraded Version: NSE7_SSE_AD-25 Fortinet NSE 7 – FortiSASE 25 Enterprise Administrator

FCP – FortiGate 7.6 Administrator (FCP_FGT_AD-7.6)

A core Fortinet NSE 4 certification covering:

• FortiGate firewall configuration
• Security policies, VPNs, NAT, and UTM
• Daily operations and monitoring

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Upgraded Version: NSE4_FGT_AD-7.6 Fortinet NSE 4 – FortiOS 7.6 Administrator

FCSS – SD-WAN 7.6 Architect (FCSS_SDW_AR-7.6)

This FCSS_SDW_AR-7.6 exam focused on advanced SD-WAN design and architecture, including:

• WAN optimization strategies
• Integration with security platforms
• Enterprise-scale deployment planning

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Upgraded Version: NSE6_SDW_AD-7.6 Fortinet NSE 6 – SD-WAN 7.6 Enterprise Administrator

IBM Certification Exams: Offer Significant Career Benefits

C1000-170 — IBM Certified Administrator: Cloud Pak for Integration

C1000-170 validates the skills required to administer IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, including:

• Installation and configuration of Cloud Pak components
• Integration flows and messaging services
• Monitoring, security, and lifecycle management
• Troubleshooting common operational issues

It is typically pursued by IBM middleware administrators, integration specialists, and platform engineers working in enterprise environments.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

S2000-023 — IBM Certified Specialist: Watson AIOps

S2000-023 focuses on IBM Watson AIOps, validating knowledge in:

• AI-driven IT operations
• Event correlation and anomaly detection
• Incident reduction using machine learning
• Integration with monitoring and ITSM tools

It is designed for AIOps engineers, SREs, and operations analysts working with IBM’s AI-based operations platform.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

HPE Certification Exams: Proving Expertise in HPE’s Edge-to-Cloud Solutions

HPE7-A03 — Aruba Certified Professional: Network Security

HPE7-A03 validates professional-level knowledge of Aruba network security, including:

• Security architecture and design
• Policy enforcement and access control
• Threat detection and mitigation
• Secure wired and wireless deployments

It is aimed at network security engineers and architects using Aruba solutions.

Official retirement date: February 2, 2026

HPE7-A04 — Aruba Certified Professional: Switching

This HPE7-A04 exam focuses on advanced campus switching technologies, covering:

• Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching
• VLANs, STP, routing fundamentals
• High availability and resiliency
• Enterprise campus network design

It is commonly taken by network engineers responsible for Aruba switching environments.

Official retirement date: February 2, 2026

HPE0-J68 — HPE Storage Solutions

HPE0-J68 exam validates foundational and intermediate knowledge of HPE storage technologies, including:

• HPE storage portfolio overview
• Storage architectures and use cases
• Data protection and availability concepts
• Basic sizing and solution positioning

The exam is often used by storage administrators and pre-sales engineers.

Official retirement date: February 2, 2026

HPE0-V25 — HPE Compute Solutions

HPE0-V25 focuses on HPE compute platforms, covering:

• ProLiant server architecture
• Compute solution design
• Performance, scalability, and availability
• Management tools and lifecycle considerations

Official retirement date: March 16, 2026

Veeam Certifications: Validating Skills in Data Management, Security, and Cloud Integration

VMCE_v12 — Veeam Certified Engineer v12

VMCE v12 validates advanced skills in Veeam Backup & Replication, including:

• Backup architecture design
• Disaster recovery planning
• Performance optimization
• Security and ransomware protection

It is one of the most recognized certifications for backup administrators and data protection engineers.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Cisco Certification Exams: Entering A New Era

300-810 — Implementing Cisco Collaboration Applications (CLICA)

300-810 is part of the CCNP Collaboration track and focuses on:

• Cisco collaboration applications
• Unified communications services
• Integration and application-level configuration
• Troubleshooting collaboration solutions

It targets collaboration engineers and UC specialists.

Official retirement date: February 2, 2026

SAP Certification Exams: Valuable Assets in a Digitally Transforming World

C_TADM_23 — SAP Certified Technology Associate: SAP System Administration (SAP HANA)

C_TADM_23 validates core SAP system administration skills, including:

• SAP HANA architecture
• System installation and configuration
• User and transport management
• Monitoring, backup, and performance tuning

It is a foundational certification for SAP Basis administrators.

Official retirement date: January 31, 2026

C_S4PPM_2021 — SAP Certified Application Associate: SAP S/4HANA Portfolio and Project Management

This exam focuses on Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) in SAP S/4HANA, covering:

• Project lifecycle management
• Portfolio planning and execution
• Integration with finance and resource management

It is commonly pursued by SAP functional consultants and project managers.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

EXIN Certifications: Building T-Shaped Skills for Innovation and Leadership

BLOCKCHAINE — EXIN Blockchain Essentials

BLOCKCHAINE exam validates foundational blockchain knowledge, including:

• Distributed ledger concepts
• Smart contracts
• Blockchain use cases across industries
• Security and governance basics

It is designed for business professionals, consultants, and IT beginners exploring blockchain technology.

Official retirement date: December 31, 2025

Exams are being retired, not because the skills are obsolete, but because vendors are restructuring how those skills are validated. For candidates, the key takeaway is simple: Know the retirement date before you invest time and money.