On December 31, 2025, SAP will retire a large number of certification exams in a single wave, including:

• C_C4H56_2411: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP Service Cloud Version 2
• C_BCBAI_2509: SAP Certified Associate – Positioning SAP Business AI Solutions as part of SAP Business Suite
• C_THR81_2505: SAP Certified Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core
• C_BCSBS_2502: SAP Certified Associate – Positioning SAP Business Suite
• C_THR82_2505: SAP Certified Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
• C_THR83_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting: Recruiter Experience
• C_THR89_2505: SAP Certified Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics – Functional
• C_THR88_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Learning
• C_THR84_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting: Candidate Experience
• C_THR87_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Variable Pay
• C_THR85_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Succession Management
• C_THR86_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Compensation
• C_THR94_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Time Management
• C_THR92_2505: SAP Certified Associate – SAP SuccessFactors People Analytics: Reporting
• C_THR97_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding
• C_THR95_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Career Development Planning and Mentoring
• C_THR96_2505: SAP Certified Associate – Implementation Consultant – SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics
• C_SIGVT_2506: SAP Certified Associate – Validating Business Transformation
• C_S4PPM_2021: SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP S/4HANA Portfolio and Project Management

This information about the SAP retirement is not a routine exam update — it is one of the most significant restructurings of the SAP certification system in the last decade. If you are currently preparing for an SAP exam or already hold SAP certifications, this change directly affects the long-term value of your credentials and your career positioning.

This Is Not a Normal Retirement — It’s a System Reset

Looking at SAP’s official retirement list for 2025-12-31, one pattern is immediately obvious: Entire groups of exams are disappearing at once, not individual outliers.

Common characteristics of the retired exams:

• SAP Certified Associate level
• Strongly module-based or component-based
• Typical naming patterns such as:
  • Implementation Consultant – XXX Module
  • Positioning SAP XXX
  • Functional Associate – XXX Component

Most notably, SAP SuccessFactors module-level certifications are being retired almost completely. This confirms that SAP is ending an entire certification model, not just refreshing content.

Why SuccessFactors Is the Hardest Hit

This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the change.

SAP no longer treats SuccessFactors as a “collection of modules.”

In SAP’s current product strategy:

• SuccessFactors is positioned as an HR domain within the Intelligent Enterprise
• Not as isolated products like Recruiting, Learning, or Compensation

However, the old certification model still followed this logic: One module = one certification. That contradiction is no longer acceptable in SAP’s cloud-first strategy.

Real projects no longer run by module boundaries

Modern SuccessFactors implementations involve:

• End-to-end employee lifecycle processes
• Cross-module data models
• Embedded analytics, automation, and AI
• Continuous cloud updates, not static configurations

A consultant who “only knows one module” no longer reflects real project needs. SAP’s response was not an incremental cleanup, but a structural removal.

Why Business AI Certifications Are Being Retired

Some of the most symbolic retirements are exams related to:

• SAP Business AI positioning
• People Analytics
• Workforce Analytics

At first glance, this may look like SAP is pulling back from AI. That interpretation is wrong.

SAP’s official positioning of AI has fundamentally changed

According to SAP’s current platform strategy:

• AI is embedded, not standalone
• Delivered through:
  • SAP S/4HANA Cloud
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • SAP Ariba, IBP, and others
• Enabled by SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and SAP Joule

This means AI is no longer a “separate skill” that fits an Associate-level exam.

Instead:

• AI becomes a baseline expectation
• Tested within Professional or Specialist certifications
• Evaluated in real business scenarios, not conceptual positioning

Why SAP Is Systematically Reducing Associate-Level Certifications

This is the most strategic shift — and the most controversial one.

SAP’s original certification hierarchy:

• Associate: Entry-level knowledge
• Professional: Real project capability
• Specialist: Role-based or scenario expertise

In practice, SAP found that:

• Associate certifications multiplied rapidly
• Employers struggled to distinguish real skill levels
• The signal value of Associate credentials kept declining

This was especially problematic in:

• Partner hiring
• Customer project staffing
• Skills validation for cloud delivery

SAP’s solution is not upgrading Associate exams, but reducing their footprint. This is a long-term direction, not a temporary adjustment.

What SAP Is Really Saying With This Move

At its core, this retirement wave sends a very clear message: SAP is rejecting the idea that “module configuration equals consulting capability.”

This is why the change feels disruptive.

• Experienced consultants feel legacy knowledge is being devalued
• New candidates feel unsure where to start
• Training providers built around module exams are under pressure

But from SAP’s perspective: Customers no longer pay for configuration — they pay for outcomes. Those outcomes require:

• Cloud-first thinking
• End-to-end business process understanding
• Data-driven decision making
• AI-enabled automation

What This Means for SAP Certification Candidates

If you are preparing for a retirement exam

• The deadline is fixed: December 31, 2025
• After that date, the exam will not be replaced
• This is not a version update — it is a permanent removal

If you already hold one of these certifications

• Your certificate will not suddenly become invalid
• But its market relevance will decline over time
• This is especially true for module-level SuccessFactors Associate certifications

Check your SAP certifications and exams now. December 31, 2025, marks a major shift in SAP certification from module-based, configuration-focused credentials to role-based skills emphasizing cloud delivery and integrated AI capabilities. SAP is raising the bar for what “certified skill” means, making this transition an opportunity for candidates who adapt early.