Cannot renew certification

The most common cause for the "Certification required" error is that the Microsoft account linked to your Certifications profile is different from the account you used to earn the original certification.

Step 1: Verify Your Microsoft Learn Profile (MCID)

1. Go to your Microsoft Learn Profile and select the Certifications section.

Look for the AZ-200 certification listing. If the certification is not appearing, it means your current profile is not linked to your correct Microsoft Certification ID (MCID).

Step 2: Check for Unlinked Accounts

On the Certifications page, look for an alert or a prompt about linking your certification profile.

If prompted, click the "Connect" or "Link" button. This will ask you to sign in with the personal Microsoft account (MSA) you originally used to take your exam (which is often a personal email address, not necessarily your work/client account).

Step 3: Access the Renewal Assessment Directly Once the correct account is linked, the "Renew" button should become active. To expedite the process, follow this specific flow:

Navigate back to the main Certifications page. ()

Find the "Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate" listing.

Click the blue "Renew" button next to it. This will take you to the renewal page where you can now see the "Take the renewal assessment" button is ready to click and start the process.

Crucial Time Note: Since your expiration date is imminent, please remember that you have unlimited attempts for the renewal assessment, but you must wait 24 hours between attempts after the second try. My best advice is to take the assessment right away.

I hope this helps you access the renewal assessment quickly! If this completely solves your issue, please take a moment to hit "Accept Answer" so others can easily find the solution too! 😊

What you have discovered (and what Jacob's comment confirms) is a technical bug on the Microsoft Learn platform.

Here is what is happening:

1. Your "Certifications" profile page (your screenshot) correctly sees that you have the active certification and are eligible to renew. The blue "Renew" button is proof of this.
2. However, when you click that "Renew" button, it sends you to the renewal page (the URL you shared).
3. That renewal page is failing to "see" your logged-in profile. It is treating you like a visitor who does not have the certification, which is why it incorrectly says "You'll need to earn this certification...".

This is a very frustrating cache or session error, but we can try to force it to work.

Solution 1: The "Clean Session" Workaround (Try This First)

This process often fixes these exact login state errors.

1. Please log out completely from your Microsoft Learn profile.
2. Open a new "InPrivate" or "Incognito" browser window. (This is a very important step as it ignores any bad data in your browser's cache).
3. In that new private window, go directly to https://free.blessedness.top/ and log in to your profile first.
4. Once you are logged in, navigate to your "Certifications" tab. (You can use this direct link: https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/users/me/credentials?tab=credentials-tab)
5. Find the "Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate" certification and click the blue "Renew" button again.

With any luck, this clean session will allow the renewal page to correctly see your profile and show you the "Take the renewal assessment" button.

Solution 2: The Direct Renewal Link (If Solution 1 Fails)

If clicking the button in Solution 1 still takes you to the broken page, try this:

1. Stay logged in inside your InPrivate / Incognito window.
2. Now, manually paste this direct link into your address bar: https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-data-scientist/renew/

This is the page that should have the assessment. By visiting it after you have already logged in, it may load correctly.

Solution 3: The URGENT Escalation (Do This Immediately)

Because your certification expires today, October 22nd, we cannot waste any time. This is a platform bug, and only the Microsoft support team can fix it or grant you an extension.

Please post this issue to the official support channel immediately.

1. Go to the Microsoft Credentials Support Forum: https://trainingsupport.microsoft.com/en-us/mcp/forum
2. Click "Ask a new question" at the top.
3. Use a title like: URGENT: Cannot Renew DP-100 Certification - Expires Today (Oct 22) - Receiving 'Certification required' Error
4. In the body of your post, explain the problem exactly as you did here. Include both of your screenshots (the one showing the "Renew" button and the one showing the error message). This is critical.
5. Mention that you have already tried clearing your cache and using an InPrivate window.

A forum moderator (they will have a "Microsoft" title) will see this and escalate your case internally. They are the only ones who can resolve this before it's too late. Given the expiration date, they should treat this with high priority.

I am so sorry that the system is failing you like this at the last minute. Please try Solution 1 right away, but please create the support ticket (Solution 3) immediately regardless, as your time is out.