Microsoft Power Platform App Maker Associate

PL-100 · ● Retired (June 28, 2024) · Associate · Microsoft

IMPORTANT — RETIREMENT NOTICE: This certification was officially retired on June 28, 2024. Microsoft has replaced it with a modular certification stack: PL-7001 (Canvas Apps), PL-7002 (Automated Processes), and PL-7003 (Model-Driven Apps). Learners pursuing Power Platform certification should enroll in the PL-7000 series instead. This document is preserved for historical reference and for professionals who earned the PL-100 before its retirement.

Exam facts

Vendor source — Microsoft Learn: Power Platform Fundamentals ↗
Exam blueprint (archived) — Microsoft Learn: PL-100 exam guide (historical) ↗
Replacement path — Microsoft Power Platform Certification Roadmap ↗

About

The PL-100 was a foundational Microsoft Power Platform certification for citizen developers and app makers who design, build, and deploy low-code business solutions using Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI. The credential validated skills in creating canvas and model-driven apps, automating business processes, and analyzing data to solve operational problems. Released around 2020, it remained a core entry point for the Power Platform ecosystem until its retirement on June 28, 2024. Professionals who earned the PL-100 before that date retain the credential for one year following their pass date, after which they must transition to the modular PL-7000 series to maintain currency.

Domain context — Low-Code / Business Applications

Low-code / no-code platforms empower business users and citizen developers to build enterprise applications without deep programming expertise. Microsoft Power Platform is a leading ecosystem in this space, alongside Salesforce (Salesforce Platform / Apex), ServiceNow, and others. Apps built on these platforms automate workflows, surface data insights, and extend enterprise systems—typically with faster time-to-value and lower total cost of ownership than custom code.

Read full deep dive — Microsoft Dynamics 365 + Power Platform →

Topics covered

The PL-100 exam blueprint measured skills across four core domains (weights per Microsoft official blueprint):

• Design business solutions (20–25%) — Analyzing requirements, designing app architecture, planning data models, considering governance and security
• Analyze and visualize data (10–15%) — Building Power BI reports and dashboards, connecting data sources, creating charts and KPIs, surfacing insights
• Create business solutions (60–65%) — Building canvas apps and model-driven apps, designing user interfaces, implementing business logic, configuring Power Automate flows
• Implement and manage solutions (none explicit, embedded in "Create") — Deploying apps, managing environments, configuring permissions, monitoring performance

Source: Microsoft Exam Readiness Live: PL-100 modules ↗

Common skills at Low-Code · Associate

Shared competencies for low-code app makers and citizen developers at the associate level.

• Low-code / no-code platform fundamentals (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI)
• Canvas app and model-driven app design and development
• Data modeling and Dataverse (Microsoft Dynamics data platform)
• Power BI reporting and dashboard creation
• Power Automate workflow automation (cloud flows, desktop flows, business process flows)
• Basic formula syntax (Power Fx in Power Apps)
• User experience (UX) design for business apps
• Solution deployment and environment management

Recommended courses at Low-Code · Associate

Note: Since PL-100 is retired, new learners should prioritize PL-7001 (Canvas Apps), PL-7002 (Automated Processes), or PL-7003 (Model-Driven Apps) instead. Existing course materials for PL-100 remain educationally useful but may not align with current exam blueprints.

Practice exams

Note: Practice tests for retired exams remain available but may not reflect the current PL-7000 series exam formats. Use for foundational learning only.

Books

Note: This text is specific to PL-100 (retired). No new editions have been published post-retirement. Learners transitioning to PL-7000 series should consult updated Microsoft Learn paths instead of relying on this book.

Typical job titles at Low-Code · Associate

Citizen Developer · Power Apps Developer · App Maker · Power Platform Analyst · Business Analyst (Power Platform) · Solutions Consultant (Low-Code) · Dynamics Consultant

(Job titles drawn from job postings that listed PL-100 or Power Platform certification as required/preferred, current through early 2026.)

Salary

Salary note: Ranges reflect Power Apps Developer and Power Platform Developer roles (2026). ZAR data for Power Apps roles is sparse on major job boards; consider extrapolating from regional Azure/Dynamics salaries or consulting local South African recruitment firms.

Skills validated

Specific technologies and concepts tested by PL-100.

• Canvas Apps — UI-first, responsive design; formulas and expressions (Power Fx)
• Model-Driven Apps — Form and view design; metadata-driven architecture; Dataverse integration
• Power Automate — Cloud flows, desktop flows, business process flows; connectors and actions
• Power BI — Reports, dashboards, measures, DAX basics
• Dataverse — Tables, columns, relationships, data import/export, environments
• Power Apps Portals — Low-code customer/partner portals
• Security and governance — Environment management, role-based access, solution packaging
• Integration — Connecting to on-premises and cloud data sources (SQL, SharePoint, Dynamics, custom APIs)

Related certifications

• Entry point: PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals ↗
• Successor stack (2024+):
  • PL-7001 Create and Manage Canvas Apps with Power Apps ↗ (replaces PL-100 for canvas app focus)
  • PL-7002 Create and Manage Automated Processes by using Power Automate ↗ (new; automation focus)
  • PL-7003 Create and Manage Model-Driven Apps with Power Apps and Dataverse ↗ (new; model-driven app focus)
• Related at same vendor:
  • PL-200 Power Platform Functional Consultant ↗ (intermediate; broader platform scope)
  • PL-400 Power Platform Developer ↗ (professional; code-first, extending Power Platform)
  • PL-600 Power Platform Solution Architect ↗ (expert; architecture and governance)
• Replaces: None (PL-100 is the original; replaced by modular PL-7000 series)
• Vendor overview: Microsoft ↗

Sources

• Microsoft Learn PL-100 Exam Overview: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/
• Exam Readiness Live (archived): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/shows/exam-readiness-zone/
• Glassdoor Power Apps Developer Salary: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/powerapps-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm
• ZipRecruiter Power Apps Developer: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Power-Apps-Developer-Salary
• IT Jobs Watch (UK): https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/power%20apps%20developer.do
• MeasureUp Practice Test: https://www.measureup.com/microsoft-practice-test-pl-100-microsoft-power-platform-app-maker.html
• Pearson Exam Ref PL-100: https://www.pearsonlearning.com/
• Reza Dorrani YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rezadorrani
• Shane Young YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_OGRP8BYvtGB8eZdPG6Ng
• April Dunnam YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz_x76EBX5UXsV27drGNh6w
• Pluralsight Power Platform Path: https://www.pluralsight.com/paths/microsoft-power-platform-app-maker-pl-100

Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: Microsoft Dynamics 365 + Power Platform
Parent domain: Low-Code / Business Applications
Vendor overview: Microsoft