Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals

PL-900 · ● Active · Entry · Microsoft

Exam facts

Vendor source — Microsoft Learn: Power Platform Fundamentals ↗

Official exam guide — Study Guide for Exam PL-900 ↗

Exam objectives — PL-900 Skills measured ↗

About

PL-900 is Microsoft's entry-level certification for the Power Platform ecosystem, introduced in 2019. It validates foundational knowledge of Power Platform components (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Dataverse, Power Pages, Copilot Studio) without requiring hands-on development experience. The cert does not expire and is widely recognized as the starting point for citizen developers, IT professionals, and business analysts evaluating low-code solutions. Unlike role-based certifications (PL-100, PL-200, PL-400), PL-900 is vendor-neutral in positioning—it tests conceptual understanding rather than deep technical proficiency.

Domain context — IT Management / Low-Code

Entry-level foundational IT platform certification for Microsoft's low-code, no-code, and automation suite. Spans data, apps, workflows, and intelligent automation within a single ecosystem.

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

Topics covered

• Describe the business value of Microsoft Power Platform (15–20%)

  • Identify the core components and how they integrate
  • Describe business process automation, app development, and data analytics use cases

• Identify core components of Microsoft Dataverse (15–20%)

  • Tables, columns, relationships, and data types
  • Role-based access and security models
  • Difference between Dataverse and SQL database

• Describe Microsoft Power Apps (20–25%)

  • Canvas apps vs. model-driven apps
  • When to use Power Apps vs. other platforms
  • Key app-building capabilities (forms, galleries, controls)

• Describe Microsoft Power Automate (15–20%)

  • Cloud flows: automated, instant (button), scheduled
  • Triggers, actions, and connectors
  • Process advisor and process mining

• Describe Copilot Studio and Power Pages (5–10%)

  • Copilot Studio for building virtual agents
  • Power Pages for external-facing websites
  • Use cases and integration points

Source: Microsoft Learn Exam PL-900 Study Guide ↗

Common skills at Entry Level

• Low-code / no-code platform evaluation
• Basic data modeling and relational concepts
• Workflow design and automation thinking
• Integration connector concepts
• Security and governance fundamentals
• Business process documentation and optimization
• Hands-on Power Platform component experience (free tier)

Recommended courses

Practice exams

Books

Typical job titles at Entry Level

Citizen Developer · Business Analyst · IT Support Specialist · Power Platform Administrator · Business Process Consultant · Digital Transformation Specialist · Junior Power Apps Developer

(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list PL-900 as required or preferred, or for which PL-900 certification is a common first step.)

Salary

Salary note: PL-900 alone typically qualifies for entry-level roles (Business Analyst, Citizen Developer, IT Support). Higher salaries correlate with role-based certs (PL-100, PL-200, PL-400) and hands-on experience.

Skills validated

• Microsoft Dataverse data modeling (tables, columns, relationships)
• Power Apps canvas and model-driven app design
• Power Automate cloud flow creation (automated, instant, scheduled)
• Power BI basic data visualization and dashboards
• Connector selection and integration concepts
• Cloud and security fundamentals in Microsoft 365
• Business process optimization and automation thinking
• Copilot Studio chatbot and Power Pages concepts

Related certifications

• Stacks with: PL-100 (Power Platform App Maker Associate) ↗ · PL-200 (Functional Consultant Associate) ↗
• Prerequisite for: PL-100, PL-200, PL-300, PL-400, PL-500, PL-600 (not required, but recommended foundation)
• Alternative entry points: AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) ↗ · MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals) ↗
• Vendor overview: Microsoft Certification Overview ↗
• Companion ecosystem guides: D01: Microsoft Dynamics 365 & Power Platform ↗ · D05: Microsoft Azure + M365 ↗

Sources

• Microsoft Learn: Power Platform Fundamentals Certification
• Study Guide for Exam PL-900
• MeasureUp PL-900 Practice Test
• Whizlabs PL-900 Practice Exam
• Glassdoor Power Platform Developer Salaries
• ZipRecruiter Power Platform Developer Salary
• IT Jobs Watch Power Platform Developer UK
• PayScale South Africa Application Developer
• Reza Dorrani YouTube Channel
• LinkedIn Learning: Exam Tips PL-900
• Udemy PL-900 Complete Guide
• Pluralsight PL-900 Learning Path
• Coursera Power Platform Fundamentals Specialization
• Exam Ref PL-900 by Craig Zacker (Amazon)

Last verified: 2026-05-01

Parent ecosystem: Microsoft Dynamics 365 + Power Platform Ecosystem

Parent domain: IT Management / Low-Code

Vendor overview: Microsoft Certification Vendor Overview