Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Training (2026)
Most Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations training pages push a $3,000-$5,000 instructor-led bootcamp as the default. Flectic implements D365 (plus Odoo) for SMEs across Canada, the UK, and the US, so this is the rare roadmap that starts free (Microsoft Learn), certifies the leads, and only pays for partner-led delivery where it actually moves the needle. It also corrects the two certification facts most stale ranking pages get wrong: the MB-300 prerequisite was removed in 2024, and the real 2026 retirements are MB-700 and MB-335 on June 30, 2026.
Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations training, without the partner markup
Search "dynamics 365 finance and operations training" and the results split into two camps: Microsoft's own Learn hub, and training partners selling instructor-led bootcamps at $3,000-$5,000 per seat. Almost no page consolidates the four things an SME actually needs to decide: which free Microsoft Learn paths exist, which certifications matter in 2026, whether to pay for instructor-led delivery, and how to apply this to a team rather than a single power user.
This page is the opinionated, cost-disciplined map Flectic wishes existed when we scope training plans for our D365 clients. The angle is free-first, certify the leads, and partner for the kickoff only, because most SMEs overpay for instructor-led training that covers ground Microsoft already gives away.
Flectic is a dual-platform ERP/CRM partner for SMEs: we implement Dynamics 365 (Finance, Supply Chain Management, and Business Central) plus Odoo, across Canada, the UK, and the US. We do not earn a commission for pushing you toward Microsoft Learn over a paid bootcamp, so the recommendation below is the one we give our own clients.
The free Microsoft Learn paths every F&O training plan starts with
Microsoft Learn hosts a dedicated, free training hub for Dynamics 365 Finance with self-paced learning paths covering general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, expense management, fixed assets, and budgeting. There is no paywall and no login wall for the content itself; these are the same modules that underpin paid partner prep courses.
The beginner entry point is the "Get started with finance and operations apps" learning path, which covers navigation, workspaces, and introductions to Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, and the broader FinOps app family. Start every new team member here before any role-specific path.
For finance functional consultants and power users, the structured paths and their approximate durations are below. Durations are rounded to the nearest hour from Microsoft Learn at the time of writing; confirm the exact figure on each path's page before you build a training calendar, because Microsoft updates module counts regularly.
- Free, self-paced, and the same content that backs paid partner bootcamps
- Start every new user with the "Get started with finance and operations apps" path
- The general-ledger path alone (~14 hr) covers most of what a finance power user needs day-to-day
- The implement and develop tracks are role-specific; assign them only to consultants, architects, and developers
| Learning path | Scope | Approx. duration |
|---|---|---|
| Get started with finance and operations apps | Navigation, workspaces, intro to all FinOps apps | Beginner entry point |
| Configure and use the general ledger in Dynamics 365 Finance | Ledger setup, charts, periods, allocations, year-end | ~14 hr |
| Work with accounts payable in Dynamics 365 Finance | AP setup, vendor management, invoice workflows | ~8 hr 30 min |
| Cash and bank management and sales tax | Bank reconciliation, cash flow, tax engine | ~7 hr |
| Work with accounts receivable in Dynamics 365 Finance | AR setup, customer management, collections, credit | ~7 hr |
| Configure and use budgeting | Budget planning, control, and register entries | ~3 hr |
| Implement finance and operations apps | Lifecycle Services, data management, testing | Implementation track |
| Introduction to developing with finance and operations apps | X++, dev tooling, build workflows (MB-500 track) | Developer track |
Which Dynamics 365 Finance certifications matter in 2026
The primary D365 Finance certification is Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate, earned by passing Exam MB-310. MB-310 covers general ledger, AP/AR, credit and collections, cash and bank management, budgeting, fixed assets, tax, expense management, and cost accounting. It is active and currently scheduled in Microsoft's exam catalog; it is NOT on the published retirement schedule as of June 2026.
Exam logistics, per the official Microsoft Learn certification page: 100 minutes, proctored through Pearson VUE, $165 USD for associate-level exams, standard Microsoft passing score of 700, and the certification renews annually via a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Free practice assessments and an exam sandbox are available on Learn to gauge readiness before booking the proctored exam.
Three retirement facts dominate 2026 F&O certification planning, and most stale ranking pages get at least one of them wrong. The authoritative source is Microsoft's "Exam and assessment lab retirement" page, updated monthly.
- MB-300 was retired February 29, 2024, and removed as a prerequisite; ignore any guide still listing it as a required first exam
- MB-310 (Finance Functional Consultant) is active and not scheduled to retire; do not panic-buy a bootcamp on a false retirement rumour
- MB-700 (Solution Architect) and MB-335 (SCM) both retire June 30, 2026; sit them before then if you need the credential
- MB-910 and MB-920 Fundamentals exams were retired December 31, 2025
- Annual renewal is free, online, and on Learn; set a calendar reminder or the cert lapses
| Exam | Role | Status (June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| MB-300 (Core Finance and Operations) | Foundational core | Retired February 29, 2024; no longer a prerequisite for any F&O associate certification |
| MB-310 (Finance Functional Consultant) | Finance functional consultant | Active; not on the published retirement schedule |
| MB-700 (F&O Apps Solution Architect) | Solution architect | Retiring June 30, 2026 |
| MB-335 (Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant Expert) | Supply chain functional consultant | Retiring June 30, 2026 |
| MB-240 (Field Service Functional Consultant) | Field service functional consultant | Retiring June 30, 2026 |
| MB-500 (F&O Developer) | Developer | Active; pairs with the develop learning path |
| MB-910 / MB-920 (D365 Fundamentals CRM/ERP) | Fundamentals | Retired December 31, 2025 |
When instructor-led F&O training is worth it (and when it isn't)
The official instructor-led course for MB-310 prep is "Manage Financial Operations with Dynamics 365 Finance (MB-310T00)," a four-day course delivered through Microsoft Learning Partners in classroom or scheduled virtual sessions. This is the paid track that most partner pages push as the default, and for many SMEs it is the wrong default.
The honest decision framework is role-based. Free Microsoft Learn self-study is the right primary vehicle for the bulk of an SME team: end users, power users, and finance staff doing the day job. Instructor-led delivery earns its cost only for the people who will own and configure the system: functional consultants, project leads, and anyone sitting the MB-310 exam.
A single bootcamp seat ($3,000-$5,000) is hard to justify for an AP clerk who needs eight hours of AP modules, not four days of consultant prep. It is easy to justify for the one person who will own the F&O tenant for the next five years.
- Self-study (free) for end users, power users, and finance staff doing the day job
- Instructor-led MB-310T00 ($3,000-$5,000 per seat) for the one or two people who will own and configure the tenant
- Do not bulk-buy bootcamp seats for the whole team; that is the most common SME overspend
- Have your owner-complete self-study first, then attend the bootcamp; going in cold wastes the four days
A four-week team skilling plan for SMEs on Dynamics 365 Finance
Most F&O training pages end at "here are the courses." SMEs need a sequenced plan that maps content to roles and a go-live timeline. This is the baseline plan Flectic uses with new D365 Finance clients; adapt the durations to your team's availability.
The plan assumes one tenant owner (the person who will sit MB-310), two to four power users per finance function (GL, AP, AR), and a wider group of end users who only need task-level competence. It runs in parallel with implementation, not after go-live.
- 01Week 1: Orientation for everyone
Every user, including the owner, completes "Get started with finance and operations apps" on Microsoft Learn. This is the navigation and workspace baseline. The owner also starts the general-ledger path in parallel.
- 02Week 2: Role-specific self-study
Power users complete the path for their function (AP path for AP clerks, AR path for AR staff, and so on). The owner continues the GL path and starts cash and bank management. End users complete only the task-level modules relevant to their daily work.
- 03Week 3: Owner deepens and books the bootcamp
The owner finishes the remaining finance paths (budgeting, fixed assets, expense management) and, if go-live is within three months, books the four-day MB-310T00 instructor-led course through a Microsoft Learning Partner. This is the only paid line item in the plan.
- 04Week 4: Configuration walkthrough and MB-310 booking
Flectic (or your implementing partner) runs a configuration walkthrough on your actual tenant, mapping the self-study content to your chart of accounts, approval workflows, and reporting. The owner books the MB-310 exam for two to four weeks after the bootcamp.
Where SME F&O training plans waste money
After scoping training for D365 Finance clients across Canada, the UK, and the US, the same four mistakes recur. None of them are about the content; all of them are about how the spend is structured.
The most expensive one is bulk-buying bootcamp seats for an entire finance team. The second is training the team before the tenant is configured, so the content is abstract. The third is skipping the owner certification track, which leaves no internal authority on the system after the partner leaves. The fourth is treating the free Microsoft Learn content as inferior to paid prep, when it is the same source material.
- Bulk bootcamp seats: pay for one or two owners, not the whole team
- Training before configuration: wait until the tenant reflects your chart of accounts and workflows
- Skipping owner certification: if no one on staff holds MB-310, you stay dependent on the partner forever
- Discounting free Learn paths: they are the same modules that back the paid courses
Flectic designs D365 Finance training plans that respect your budget
Flectic is a dual-platform ERP/CRM partner for SMEs: we implement Dynamics 365 (Finance, Supply Chain Management, Business Central) plus Odoo, across Canada, the UK, and the US. Our training scope is part of every implementation, not a separate line item, and we default to free-first with paid instructor-led delivery only where it earns its cost.
If you are mid-implementation or live on D365 Finance and your training plan is ad hoc, that is the most common reason adoption stalls. Book an ERP Readiness Call and we will map the plan above to your tenant, your team, and your go-live timeline.
- Dual-platform: Dynamics 365 plus Odoo, with no incentive to steer you to one platform
- SME focus across Canada, the UK, and the US
- AI-accelerated delivery, designed to deliver up to 3x faster where scope allows
- Training scoped as part of implementation, not bolted on after go-live
Frequently asked questions
Is Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations training free?
The self-paced Microsoft Learn paths for Dynamics 365 Finance are free, with no login wall for the content. Instructor-led delivery through a Microsoft Learning Partner (the MB-310T00 course) is paid, typically $3,000-$5,000 per seat for a four-day course. Most SME team members only need the free paths; only the tenant owner needs the paid course.
Is MB-310 retiring in 2026?
No. As of June 2026, MB-310 (Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant) is active and not on Microsoft's published retirement schedule. The D365 exams actually retiring June 30, 2026 are MB-700 (Solution Architect), MB-335 (Supply Chain Management), and MB-240 (Field Service). Stale ranking pages sometimes list a false MB-310 retirement date; verify on Microsoft's official exam retirement page before planning around it.
Do I still need MB-300 before MB-310?
No. MB-300 (Core Finance and Operations) was retired on February 29, 2024, and removed as a prerequisite. MB-310 is now a standalone certification; you pass the single specialty exam to earn the Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate credential.
How much does the MB-310 exam cost?
MB-310 is an associate-level Microsoft certification exam, priced at $165 USD through Pearson VUE, with a standard passing score of 700 and a 100-minute proctored format. The certification renews annually via a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
What is the difference between Dynamics 365 Finance and Finance and Operations?
"Finance and Operations" (F&O) was the original product name. In 2019 Microsoft split it into two separately licensed apps on the same codebase: Dynamics 365 Finance and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management (collectively F&SCM). Microsoft docs still group them as "finance and operations apps." Training content and certifications cover both, with MB-310 for Finance and MB-335 for SCM.
Build a training plan that respects the budget
Book an ERP Readiness Call and Flectic will map a free-first, certify-the-owners training plan to your Dynamics 365 Finance tenant, your team roles, and your go-live timeline. Dual-platform D365 plus Odoo, SME-focused across Canada, the UK, and the US.
Sources
- MB-300 retired February 29, 2024 and was removed as a prerequisite for F&O associate certifications — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/exams/mb-300/ (verified Official Microsoft Learn exam page states: 'This exam retired on February 29, 2024.')
- MB-310 is active, 100 minutes, proctored, $165 USD, passing score 700, 12-month free renewal — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/d365-functional-consultant-financials/ (verified Official Microsoft Learn certification page; last updated 07/25/2025. $165 is the standard associate-level Microsoft exam price via Pearson VUE.)
- MB-700 and MB-335 retire June 30, 2026; MB-310 is not on the retirement schedule — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/retired-certification-exams (verified Official Microsoft Learn 'Exam and assessment lab retirement' page (updated 2026-06-01) lists MB-700, MB-335, MB-240 for June 30, 2026 and does not list MB-310.)
- MB-910 and MB-920 Fundamentals exams retired December 31, 2025 — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/retired-certification-exams (verified Same official retirement page, 'Recently retired exams' table.)
- MB-310T00 'Manage Financial Operations with Dynamics 365 Finance' is the official four-day instructor-led course — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/courses/mb-310t00 (verified Official Microsoft Learn course page; partner delivery (e.g. Lumify Work) lists it as a 4-day instructor-led course.)
- Microsoft Learn hosts free, self-paced learning paths for Dynamics 365 Finance (GL, AP, AR, cash/bank, budgeting); AP path ~8hr 27min — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/configure-use-general-ledger-dyn365-finance/ (verified Official Microsoft Learn learning paths; AP path confirmed at ~8 hr 27 min.)
- 'Get started with finance and operations apps' is the beginner entry-point learning path — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/get-started-with-finance-and-operations-apps-in-dynamics-365/ (verified Official Microsoft Learn learning path covering navigation, workspaces, and FinOps app introductions.)
- Microsoft certification exams are administered through Pearson VUE; standard associate-level price $165 USD — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/frequently-asked-questions (verified Microsoft Learn certification FAQ; Pearson VUE is the delivery provider.)