Missing required certifications
Some solution areas require specific certifications before other certifications start earning points.
Microsoft Alliance Services / Partner Enablement
Microsoft Partner Skilling and Certification Support
Are missing certifications holding back your Solutions Partner designation? Alif's Microsoft partner skilling support reviews your Partner Capability Score, finds the exact gaps for your solution area, and fixes certifications that are not counting in Partner Center. We then build a certification plan that keeps your designation on track.
Get Your Skilling Gap AssessmentPARTNER CAPABILITY SCORESkilling review
Designation threshold
Performance
Skilling
Customer success
Illustrative scorecard · See where skilling gaps affect readiness
Solutions Partner designationsSpecialization readinessPartner Center supportCertified technical resources
Know the blockers
Are Skilling Gaps Slowing Your Microsoft Partner Goals?
A Solutions Partner designation needs at least 70 of 100 points on your Partner Capability Score, earned across performance, skilling, and customer success. Strong customer numbers alone will not get you there if the skilling category falls short.
The gaps we see most often:
Too few certified individuals
Skilling counts people, not exams, so an engineer with five certifications still counts once per metric.
Certifications not showing
The certified person's Microsoft Learn profile is not associated with your organization, so Microsoft gives you no credit.
Retiring certifications
Microsoft replaced several Azure, AI, and security certifications in 2026, and older credentials count only for a limited period after retirement.
Specialization rules
Specializations count distinct qualified individuals and often need specific combinations of certifications.
Limited delivery capacity
You win Microsoft opportunities but do not have enough certified engineers to deliver them.
What we cover
Our Microsoft Partner Skilling Services
From score reviews and certification gaps to technical resourcing and renewals, Alif helps you build a practical path to skilling readiness.
Partner Capability Score and Skilling Review
We review your current score, skilling metrics and eligible certifications in Partner Center for each solution area. You see which requirements you already meet, where points are missing and which gaps matter most for your target designation.
Skilling Gap Analysis
Not every Microsoft certification counts toward every designation or specialization. Our skilling gap analysis compares the certifications your team holds against the current requirements for your chosen solution area. You get a clear list of missing credentials, required certifications and the number of additional certified individuals you need.
Partner Center Certification Association Support
A certification only counts once it is linked to your organization. We check each person's Microsoft Learn profile association, certification records and Partner Center reporting. When a certification is missing or your score is not updating, we find the cause and walk your team through the fix.
Solutions Partner Designation Skilling Plans
Each Solutions Partner designation has its own skilling rules. We explain which certifications, required steps and scoring rules apply to your target designation. Your plan closes the skilling gap while keeping your performance and customer success scores in view.
Specialization Skilling Readiness
We review the Microsoft specialization skilling requirements for your target specialization, including the distinct individuals and certification combinations it needs. For the wider audit, our Advanced Specialization and Audit Preparation team takes over with evidence planning and auditor coordination.
Certified Microsoft Technical Resources
When the real gap is delivery capacity rather than certification, Alif provides Microsoft-certified engineers through white-labeled resource engagements: full-time, part-time or project-based, working under your brand. Whether an individual can also count toward your Partner Capability Score depends on Microsoft's current association and eligibility rules. We review those rules with you before recommending any arrangement.
Certification Tracking and Renewal Planning
Certifications expire, Microsoft retires and replaces credentials, and people change roles. We track certification status, flag upcoming retirements and renewals, and update your plan, so gaps surface months before your designation renewal rather than during it.
Six solution areas
Microsoft Solutions Partner Certification Requirements by Solution Area
The Microsoft Solutions Partner certification requirements differ for each of the six solution areas. Each area sets which certifications count, which are required first and how many certified individuals you need. A certification that earns points in one area may earn nothing in another.
01
Infrastructure (Azure)
Certifications in Azure administration, infrastructure, networking and solution architecture.
02
Data & AI (Azure)
Certifications in Azure data platforms, Microsoft Fabric, analytics, AI apps and agents, and machine learning operations.
03
Digital & App Innovation (Azure)
Certifications in cloud development, AI-enabled applications, DevOps and application modernization.
04
Modern Work
Certifications in Microsoft 365 administration, Teams, messaging, identity and endpoint management, with separate Enterprise and SMB paths.
05
Security
Certifications in cloud and AI security, identity, security operations and compliance.
06
Business Applications
Certifications in Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Power BI.
Not sure which requirements apply to you?
Our skilling assessment maps them to your team in one sessionFour simple steps
How Alif Closes Your Skilling Gaps
Review your current status
We confirm your target designation or specialization, then review your Partner Center skilling metrics, existing certifications and associations.
Identify what is missing
We compare your position with Microsoft's current criteria and list missing certifications, required individuals and association problems.
Build your skilling plan
We recommend the certifications to pursue, the people to pursue them, association fixes and, where capacity is the issue, resource options.
Track progress
We confirm results in Partner Center, monitor remaining gaps and adjust the plan as Microsoft's requirements change.
The Alif advantage
Why Microsoft Partners Work With Alif
Microsoft alliance expertise
Our alliance team works daily on Partner Center, Solutions Partner designations, specializations and program changes, so skilling advice fits the wider qualification picture.
Proven designation results
We helped one partner reach the Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure) designation by fixing PAL associations and meeting its certification requirements.
Certified technical capacity
Alongside alliance advice, Alif's white-labeled engineers add delivery capacity when your certified team is fully booked.
Support beyond skilling
Performance points, customer associations, incentives and specialization audits are handled by the same team.
Frequently asked questions
Microsoft Partner Skilling FAQs
It depends on the solution area and, for Modern Work, on whether you follow the Enterprise or SMB path. Each designation lists eligible certifications, any required certifications and how many certified individuals earn full skilling points. Alif maps those requirements against your team.
Check which certifications are eligible for your target designation, confirm every certified person is associated with your organization in Partner Center, then close the remaining gaps with a certification plan. Unlinked certifications are the quickest win.
The usual cause is that the person's Microsoft Learn profile is not associated with your Partner Center account. Other causes include a reporting delay, an ineligible or retired credential, or an association with a different organization.
Microsoft retired several certifications in 2026, including AI-102, DP-100 and AZ-500, and added replacements to designation and specialization requirements. Credentials earned before retirement stay eligible only for a limited period, so review your plan now.
Outsourced engineers add delivery capacity, but their certifications do not automatically count toward your score. Microsoft counts certified individuals associated with your organization in Partner Center, and limits how often a person can change association. We review the current rules with you before recommending an approach.
Yes: Infrastructure, Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, Modern Work, Security and Business Applications.
Yes. We review specialization skilling requirements and build a readiness plan, and our alliance team supports the wider specialization audit.
Yes. Ongoing advisory covers certification tracking, retirement and renewal planning, and requirement reviews, so gaps appear before they affect your designation.
Your next step
Ready to Close Your Microsoft Partner Skilling Gaps?
Whether you are working toward a Solutions Partner designation, preparing for a specialization or short of certified delivery capacity, Alif will show you exactly where your skilling stands and what to do next.
Prefer email? info@alifconsulting.com