Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Study guide for Exam PL-400: Microsoft

Power Platform Developer
Purpose of this document
This study guide should help you understand what to expect on the exam and includes a summary of
the topics the exam might cover and links to additional resources. The information and materials in this
document should help you focus your studies as you prepare for the exam.

Useful links Description

Review the skills This list represents the skills measured AFTER the date provided. Study this list if
measured as of you plan to take the exam AFTER that date.
September 19,
2022

Review the skills Study this list of skills if you take your exam PRIOR to the date provided.
measured prior
to September
19, 2022

Change log You can go directly to the change log if you want to see the changes that will
be made on the date provided.

How to earn the Some certifications only require passing one exam, while others require passing
certification multiple exams.

Certification Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can
renewal renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.

Your Microsoft Connecting your certification profile to Learn allows you to schedule and renew
Learn profile exams and share and print certificates.

Passing score A score of 700 or greater is required to pass.

Exam sandbox You can explore the exam environment by visiting our exam sandbox.

Request If you use assistive devices, require extra time, or need modification to any part
accommodations of the exam experience, you can request an accommodation.

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Useful links Description

Take a practice Are you ready to take the exam or do you need to study a bit more?
test

Updates to the exam

Our exams are updated periodically to reflect skills that are required to perform a role. We have
included two versions of the Skills Measured objectives depending on when you are taking the exam.
We always update the English language version of the exam first. Some exams are localized into other
languages, and those are updated approximately eight weeks after the English version is updated.
Other available languages are listed in the Schedule Exam section of the Exam Details webpage. If the
exam isn't available in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete
the exam.

Note
The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that
skill. Related topics may be covered in the exam.

Note
Most questions cover features that are general availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on
Preview features if those features are commonly used.

Skills measured as of September 19, 2022

Audience profile
Candidates for this exam design, develop, test, secure, and troubleshoot Microsoft Power Platform
solutions. Candidates implement components of a solution that include application enhancements,
custom user experiences, system integrations, data conversions, and custom process automation.
Candidates must have strong applied knowledge of Microsoft Power Platform services, including in-
depth understanding of capabilities, boundaries, and constraints. Candidates should have a basic
understanding of application lifecycle management (ALM) practices for Microsoft Power Platform.
Candidates should have development experience that includes Microsoft Power Platform services,
JavaScript, JSON, TypeScript, C#, HTML, .NET/ASP.NET, RESTful Web APIs, Microsoft Azure, and
Microsoft 365.
• Create a technical design (10–15%)
• Configure Microsoft Dataverse (10–15%)
• Create and configure PowerApps (5–10%)
• Configure business process automation (5–10%)
• Extend the user experience (15–20%)

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

• Extend the platform (20–25%)

• Develop integrations (5–10%)

Create a technical design (10–15%)

Validate requirements and design technical architecture
• Design and validate the technical architecture for a solution
• Design authentication and authorization strategy
• Determine whether you can meet requirements with out-of-the-box functionality
• Determine when to use Logic Apps versus Power Automate flows
• Determine when to use serverless computing, plug-ins, or Power Automate
• Determine when to build a virtual table data source provider and when to use connectors

Design solution components

• Design a Microsoft Dataverse data model
• Design Power Apps reusable components
• Design custom connectors
• Design server-side components
• Determine when to extend business process flows by using server-side and client-side code or
Power Automate

Describe Microsoft Power Platform extensibility points

• Describe Power Virtual Agents extensibility points including Bot Framework skills and Power
Automate flows
• Describe Power Apps portal extensibility points including CRUD APIs and custom styling
• Describe Dataverse custom APIs and their uses

Configure Microsoft Dataverse (10–15%)

Configure security to support development
• Troubleshoot operational security issues
• Create or update security roles and column-level security profiles
• Configure business units and teams

Implement tables and columns

• Configure tables and table options
• Configure columns
• Configure relationships and types of behaviors

Implement application lifecycle management (ALM)

• Create solutions and manage solution components
• Import and export solutions

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

• Manage solution dependencies

• Implement source control for projects including solutions and code assets
• Create and use environment variables
• Describe how to use Package Deployer and associated tools to create a package
• Describe application lifecycle management concepts

Create and configure Power Apps (5–10%)

Create model-driven apps
• Configure a model-driven app
• Configure forms
• Configure views
• Configure commands and buttons

Create canvas apps

• Create and configure a canvas app or a custom page
• Implement complex formulas to manage control events and properties
• Build reusable component libraries
• Test an app by using Test Studio
• Embed an app in Microsoft Teams

Manage and troubleshoot apps

• Troubleshoot app issues by using Monitor and other browser-based debugging tools
• Identify and resolve connector and API errors
• Optimize app performance including pre-loading data and query delegation

Configure business process automation (5–10%)

Configure Power Automate
• Build a cloud flow
• Configure steps to use Dataverse connector actions and triggers
• Implement complex expressions in flow steps
• Implement error handling

Implement processes
• Create and configure business process flows
• Create and configure business rules
• Create, manage, and interact with business process flows by using server-side and client-side
code
• Troubleshoot processes

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Extend the user experience (15–20%)

Apply business logic using client scripting
• Create JavaScript or Typescript code that targets the Client API object model
• Register an event handler
• Create client-side scripts that target the Dataverse Web API

Create a Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) component

• Describe the code component lifecycle
• Initialize a new code component
• Configure a code component manifest
• Implement component interfaces
• Package, deploy, and consume a component
• Configure and use Device, Utility, and WebAPI features

Create a command button function

• Create a command function
• Design command button rules and actions
• Manage dependencies between JavaScript libraries

Extend the platform (20–25%)

Create a plug-in
• Describe the plug-in execution pipeline
• Design and develop a plug-in
• Debug and troubleshoot a plug-in
• Implement business logic by using pre-images and post-images
• Perform operations on data by using the Organization service API
• Optimize plug-in performance by configuring concurrency, and transactions
• Configure a Dataverse custom API message
• Register custom assemblies by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
• Develop a plug-in that targets a custom action message

Create custom connectors

• Create a definition for the API
• Configure API security
• Use policy templates to modify connector behavior at runtime
• Create custom connectors for public APIs by using Postman

Use platform APIs

• Interact with data and processes by using the Dataverse Web API or the Organization Service

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

• Implement API limit retry policies

• Optimize for performance, concurrency, transactions, and batching
• Perform authentication by using OAuth

Process workloads
• Process long-running operations by using Azure Functions
• Configure scheduled and event-driven function triggers in Azure Functions
• Authenticate to Microsoft Power Platform by using managed identities

Develop Integrations (5–10%)

Publish and consume Dataverse events
• Publish an event by using the API
• Publish an event by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
• Register service endpoints including webhooks, Azure Service Bus, and Azure Event Hub
• Implement a Dataverse listener for an Azure solution
• Create an Azure Function that interacts with Microsoft Power Platform

Implement data synchronization

• Configure table change tracking
• Read table change records by using platform APIs
• Create and use alternate keys

Study resources
We recommend that you train and get hands-on experience before you take the exam. We offer self-
study options and classroom training as well as links to documentation, community sites, and videos.

Study resources Links to learning and documentation

Get trained Choose from self-paced learning paths and modules or take an
instructor led course

Find documentation Developer learning catalog - Power Apps

Planning a Power Apps project
Canvas apps
Model-driven apps
Portals
Microsoft Dataverse
Tables and metadata
Dataverse developer
Model-driven apps developer

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Study resources Links to learning and documentation

Canvas apps developer

Implement healthy ALM using solutions
Use Microsoft Power Platform Build Tools

Ask a question Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Docs

Get community support Power Apps - Power Platform Community

Microsoft Power Automate - Power Platform Community

Follow Microsoft Learn Microsoft Learn - Microsoft Tech Community

Find a video #LessCodeMorePower | Shows

Browse other Microsoft Learn shows

Change log
Key to understanding the table: The topic groups (also known as functional groups) are in bold typeface
followed by the objectives within each group. The table is a comparison between the two versions of
the exam skills measured and the third column describes the extent of the changes.

Skill area prior to September 19, Skill area as of September 19, Changes
2022 2022

Audience profile No change

Create a technical design Create a technical design No change

Validate requirements and design Validate requirements and design No change

technical architecture technical architecture

Design solution components Design solution components No change

Describe Microsoft Power Platform Describe Microsoft Power Platform No change

extensibility points extensibility points

Configure Microsoft Dataverse Configure Microsoft Dataverse No change

Configure security to support Configure security to support No change

development development

Implement tables and columns Implement tables and columns No change

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Skill area prior to September 19, Skill area as of September 19, Changes
2022 2022

Implement application lifecycle Implement application lifecycle Minor

management (ALM) management (ALM)

Create and configure Power Apps Create and configure Power Apps No change

Create model-driven apps Create model-driven apps No change

Create canvas apps Create canvas apps Minor

Manage and troubleshoot apps Manage and troubleshoot apps No change

Configure business process Configure business process No change

automation automation

Configure Power Automate Configure Power Automate No change

Implement processes Implement processes No change

Extend the user experience Extend the user experience No change

Apply business logic using client Apply business logic using client No change
scripting scripting

Create a Power Apps Component Create a Power Apps Component No change

Framework (PCF) component Framework (PCF) component

Create a command button function Create a command button function No change

Extend the platform Extend the platform No change

Create a plug-in Create a plug-in Minor

Create custom connectors Create custom connectors No change

Use platform APIs Use platform APIs No change

Process workloads Process workloads No change

Develop Integrations Develop Integrations No change

Publish and consume Dataverse events Publish and consume Dataverse No change
events

Implement data synchronization Implement data synchronization No change

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 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Skills measured prior September 19, 2022

Audience profile
Candidates for this exam design, develop, test, secure, and troubleshoot Microsoft Power Platform
solutions. Candidates implement components of a solution that include application enhancements,
custom user experiences, system integrations, data conversions, and custom process automation.
Candidates must have strong applied knowledge of Microsoft Power Platform services, including in-
depth understanding of capabilities, boundaries, and constraints. Candidates should have a basic
understanding of application lifecycle management (ALM) practices for Microsoft Power Platform.
Candidates should have development experience that includes Microsoft Power Platform services,
JavaScript, JSON, TypeScript, C#, HTML, .NET/ASP.NET, RESTful Web APIs, Microsoft Azure, and
Microsoft 365.
• Create a technical design (10–15%)
• Configure Microsoft Dataverse (10–15%)
• Create and configure PowerApps (5–10%)
• Configure business process automation (5–10%)
• Extend the user experience (15–20%)
• Extend the platform (20–25%)
• Develop integrations (5–10%)

Create a technical design (10–15%)

Validate requirements and design technical architecture
• Design and validate the technical architecture for a solution
• Design authentication and authorization strategy
• Determine whether you can meet requirements with out-of-the-box functionality
• Determine when to use Logic Apps versus Power Automate flows
• Determine when to use serverless computing, plug-ins, or Power Automate
• Determine when to build a virtual table data source provider and when to use connectors

Design solution components

• Design a Microsoft Dataverse data model
• Design Power Apps reusable components
• Design custom connectors
• Design server-side components
• Determine when to extend business process flows by using server-side and client-side code or
Power Automate

9
 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Describe Microsoft Power Platform extensibility points

• Describe Power Virtual Agents extensibility points including Bot Framework skills and Power
Automate flows
• Describe Power Apps portal extensibility points including CRUD APIs and custom styling
• Describe Dataverse custom APIs and their uses

Configure Microsoft Dataverse (10–15%)

Configure security to support development
• Troubleshoot operational security issues
• Create or update security roles and column-level security profiles
• Configure business units and teams

Implement tables and columns

• Configure tables and table options
• Configure columns
• Configure relationships and types of behaviors

Implement application lifecycle management (ALM)

• Create solutions and manage solution components
• Import and export solutions
• Manage solution dependencies
• Implement source control for projects including solutions and code assets
• Create and use environment variables
• Describe how to use Package Deployer and associated tools to create a package
• Automate deployments
• Implement GitHub actions

Create and configure Power Apps (5–10%)

Create model-driven apps
• Configure a model-driven app
• Configure forms
• Configure views
• Configure commands and buttons

Create canvas apps

• Create and configure a canvas app or custom page
• Implement complex formulas to manage control events and properties
• Build reusable component libraries
• Test an app by using Test Studio

10
 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

• Embed an app in Microsoft Teams

Manage and troubleshoot apps

• Troubleshoot app issues by using Monitor and other browser-based debugging tools
• Identify and resolve connector and API errors
• Optimize app performance including pre-loading data and query delegation

Configure business process automation (5–10%)

Configure Power Automate
• Build a cloud flow
• Configure steps to use Dataverse connector actions and triggers
• Implement complex expressions in flow steps
• Implement error handling

Implement processes
• Create and configure business process flows
• Create and configure business rules
• Create, manage, and interact with business process flows by using server-side and client-side
code
• Troubleshoot processes

Extend the user experience (15–20%)

Apply business logic using client scripting
• Create JavaScript or Typescript code that targets the Client API object model
• Register an event handler
• Create client-side scripts that target the Dataverse Web API

Create a Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) component

• Describe the code component lifecycle
• Initialize a new code component
• Configure a code component manifest
• Implement component interfaces
• Package, deploy, and consume a component
• Configure and use Device, Utility, and WebAPI features

Create a command button function

• Create a command function
• Design command button rules and actions
• Manage dependencies between JavaScript libraries

11
 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

Extend the platform (20–25%)

Create a plug-in
• Describe the plug-in execution pipeline
• Design and develop a plug-in
• Debug and troubleshoot a plug-in
• Implement business logic by using pre-images and post-images
• Perform operations on data by using the Organization service API
• Optimize plug-in performance by configuring concurrency, transactions, and batching
• Configure a Dataverse custom API message
• Register custom assemblies by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
• Develop a plug-in that targets a custom action message

Create custom connectors

• Create a definition for the API
• Configure API security
• Use policy templates to modify connector behavior at runtime
• Create custom connectors for public APIs by using Postman

Use platform APIs

• Interact with data and processes by using the Dataverse Web API or the Organization Service
• Implement API limit retry policies
• Optimize for performance, concurrency, transactions, and batching
• Perform authentication by using OAuth

Process workloads
• Process long-running operations by using Azure Functions
• Configure scheduled and event-driven function triggers in Azure Functions
• Authenticate to Microsoft Power Platform by using managed identities

Develop Integrations (5–10%)

Publish and consume Dataverse events
• Publish an event by using the API
• Publish an event by using the Plug-in Registration Tool
• Register service endpoints including webhooks, Azure Service Bus, and Azure Event Hub
• Implement a Dataverse listener for an Azure solution
• Create an Azure Function that interacts with Microsoft Power Platform

Implement data synchronization

• Configure table change tracking

12
 Exam PL-400: Microsoft Power Platform Developer

• Read table change records by using platform APIs

• Create and use alternate keys

13