Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer (MB-820) Practice Test

This certification is designed for mid-to-senior level AL developers who build, extend, or maintain Business Central solutions professionally. Target roles include Business Central Developer, Technical Consultant, Solutions Architect, and Support Engineer working within the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. It is also relevant for ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) building apps for AppSource distribution.

Candidates typically have hands-on experience writing AL code, working with Visual Studio Code and the AL extension, and deploying extensions to Business Central environments. Developers who also handle integrations with Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft 365, or external REST services will find the integration domain directly applicable to their daily work.

Microsoft does not enforce formal prerequisites to register for MB-820, but candidates are expected to have applied, working knowledge of Business Central and the AL programming language before attempting the exam. Recommended experience includes hands-on development of Business Central extensions using Visual Studio Code, familiarity with the Business Central development environment and configuration files, and practical understanding of table, page, report, and codeunit object types.

Candidates should also be comfortable with ALM concepts such as Git-based source control and CI/CD pipelines, as well as a foundational understanding of REST services, JSON, and OData. Prior exposure to Business Central's upgrade mechanisms, multilanguage development, and permission set architecture is strongly recommended. No prior Microsoft certification is required.

Exam MB-820 is a proctored assessment with a time limit of 100 minutes, delivered through Pearson VUE either online (via remote proctoring) or at a testing center. The exam includes a variety of question types: multiple choice, multiple select, case studies, drag-and-drop code ordering (arrange code blocks in the correct sequence), and code completion (select the correct option within provided code snippets). These interactive question types are designed to test practical AL development skills rather than purely theoretical knowledge.

A passing score of 700 out of 1000 is required. Scores are scaled, and Microsoft does not publish the exact number of scored questions publicly; counts may vary per exam form. The exam is available in English, Chinese (Simplified), German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Portuguese (Brazil). Candidates requiring additional time due to language barriers or accessibility needs may request accommodations. If a candidate fails, a retake is permitted after 24 hours; subsequent retake waiting periods vary per Microsoft's retake policy.

• 1.Describe Business Central (10–15%): Covers Business Central architecture components, the core solution and extensions model, the update lifecycle for customizations, differences between Business Central Online and on-premises, the base app vs. system app distinction, app functionality, and the AppSource publishing process.
• 2.Install, Develop, and Deploy for Business Central (10–15%): Covers setting up and configuring the AL development environment in Visual Studio Code, managing AL extension configuration files, handling multi-extension workspaces, debugging with VS Code, deploying extensions, creating and modifying extensions, multilanguage development, and extension maintenance.
• 3.Develop by Using AL Objects (35–40%): The highest-weight domain. Covers building and extending tables, pages (including Role Center and all page types), enums, reports (layouts, document reports, data models, multilanguage, request pages, triggers), XMLports (properties, nodes, AL code usage), codeunits (events, triggers, interfaces, installation/upgrade codeunits), entitlement and permission set objects, and query objects (data item linking, filters, aggregations, report integration).
• 4.Develop by Using AL (15–20%): Covers UI customization and onboarding techniques (profiles, views, teaching tips, in-app tours, onboarding checklists, assisted setup), essential development standards (data process model, functional table types, document and master data standards), and core AL programming (custom procedures, data types, file management, data manipulation, expressions, built-in functions, variables, error handling, access modifiers).
• 5.Work with Development Tools (10–15%): Covers implementing semi-automated test processes, installing and running the Business Central Test Toolkit, developing test codeunits and procedures, monitoring and analyzing telemetry, configuring telemetry, and creating custom telemetry signals with Azure Application Insights.
• 6.Integrate Business Central with Other Applications (10–15%): Covers accessing external REST services using AL HTTP classes, sending and retrieving data from REST endpoints, working with JSON, creating and managing Business Central APIs, implementing OData bound and unbound actions, and using Read Scale-Out to improve query performance.

• Use the official MB-820 Study Guide on Microsoft Learn (https://learn.microsoft.com/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/mb-820) as your primary syllabus—it lists every domain, objective, and sub-bullet that may appear on the exam, updated as of June 10, 2025.
• Take the free official Practice Assessment linked from the MB-820 certification page on Microsoft Learn to calibrate your readiness. It mirrors the style and difficulty of real exam questions, including code-based interactive items.
• Focus the majority of your preparation on the 'Develop by Using AL Objects' domain (35–40% of the exam). Build hands-on practice creating and extending tables, pages, reports, codeunits, and queries in a local or sandbox Business Central environment using Visual Studio Code.
• Complete the official instructor-led course MB-820T00-A: Develop Solutions with Dynamics 365 Business Central or its equivalent self-paced learning paths on Microsoft Learn, which are structured around the exact exam objectives.
• Set up a real AL development environment: install VS Code with the AL Language extension, connect to a Business Central sandbox (available free via Microsoft's developer program), and practice deploying, debugging, and upgrading extensions. Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and the Test Toolkit is especially important for the ALM and testing objectives.
• Review the official AL language documentation at https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-landing—pay particular attention to event publishing/subscribing, interface implementation, access modifiers, and HTTP/JSON classes used for REST integrations.
• Use the Exam Sandbox at https://aka.ms/examdemo to practice with the interactive question interface before exam day, particularly the drag-and-drop code ordering and code-completion question types unique to this exam.

Holding the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Associate certification signals verified AL development expertise to Microsoft partners, ISVs, and enterprise clients running Business Central globally. Common roles for certified professionals include Business Central Developer, Technical Consultant, Solutions Architect, and ERP Integration Specialist. According to industry salary data, Dynamics 365 Business Central Developers in the United States earn an average of approximately $126,000 annually, with ranges typically between $111,000 and $145,000 depending on experience and location. Microsoft's own certification impact surveys indicate that 37% of credential earners received a salary increase and 27% received a promotion following certification.

Demand for Business Central expertise continues to grow as Microsoft expands Dynamics 365 adoption among small and mid-sized businesses, particularly for cloud (SaaS) deployments. The MB-820 is the only Microsoft-official developer-level certification for Business Central, giving it clear differentiation from the functional MB-800 credential. The certification renews annually at no cost via a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, keeping certified professionals aligned with ongoing product updates.