MB-310

MB-310 Cheat Sheet: Dynamics 365 Finance Quick Reference

Every MB-310 topic condensed into tables: chart of accounts, journals, cash and bank, AR/AP, budgeting, and fixed assets. Bookmark this for your final review.

Updated September 20269 min read

This is a fast, near-zero-prose review of MB-310 (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance). Use it in your last few days of prep — skim each table, and drill anything unfamiliar with our MB-310 practice questions. It is a memory aid, not a substitute for hands-on configuration experience in Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps.

MB-310 Facts at a Glance

Passing Score

700 / 1000

Typical Cost

$165 USD

Renewal

12 months, free online

Prerequisite

None (MB-300 retired)

Financial management

35–40%

AR / credit / billing

15–20%

AP / expenses

10–15%

Budgeting

10–15%

Fixed assets

10–15%

1. General Ledger, Chart of Accounts, Journals & Cash

Chart of Accounts Building Blocks

TermWhat it controls
Main accountThe base ledger account number, shared across legal entities in a shared chart of accounts.
Financial dimensionA tracking attribute (department, cost center, project) posted alongside the main account.
Account structureDefines which financial dimension combinations are VALID for a set of main accounts.
Advanced ruleRefines an account structure — restrict or allow specific dimension values within it.
Ledger allocation ruleDISTRIBUTES an already-posted amount across dimensions after the fact — not a validity check.
Derived dimensionA dimension value calculated automatically from other dimension values on the same transaction.

Posting Layers

  • Current: the actual, live financial results.
  • Operations: a parallel layer for what-if or adjustment entries that should not hit the official current results.
  • Budget: holds budget register entries separately from actuals so reports can compare the two.

Journals

Journal nameDefines the journal type, number sequence, and default posting layer.
Posting restriction ruleBlocks a user or role from posting outside an approved dimension or account range.
Periodic journalA recurring, reversible template (e.g., accruals) reused every period.
Intercompany accountingAutomatically generates the matching entry in a second legal entity for a cross-entity transaction.

Cash & Bank

  • Bank reconciliation (manual): match statement lines to ledger transactions by hand.
  • Advanced bank reconciliation: semi-automated matching against imported bank statement files.
  • Cash flow forecast: projects future cash position; can be automated from open AR/AP and budget data.
  • Customer/vendor netting: offsets what a party owes you against what you owe them into one net settlement.

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2. Accounts Receivable, Credit & Subscription Billing

Invoicing & Payments

Free text invoiceAn invoice with no linked sales order (e.g., a one-off service charge); can be recurring.
Sales order invoiceGenerated from a sales order line, supports prepayments and credit memos.
Customer posting profileDetermines which ledger accounts a customer's transactions post to.
Billing classificationCategorizes invoices for reporting/compliance (e.g., by jurisdiction).

Credit & Collections

  • Credit hold: blocks new orders/invoices once a customer exceeds a credit limit or risk threshold.
  • Aging definition: the bucket structure (e.g., 0–30, 31–60 days) used for aged balance reports.
  • Collection letter: an automated, escalating reminder tied to how overdue a balance is.
  • Interest note: a charge generated for late payment based on configured interest rules.

Subscription Billing (newest sub-area)

Billing scheduleDrives WHEN and HOW MUCH gets invoiced on a recurring contract.
Revenue recognition scheduleDrives WHEN revenue is recognized on the books — can run on a different cadence than billing.
Deferral defaultPre-sets which items automatically defer revenue/expense recognition.

3. Accounts Payable & Expense Management

Invoice Matching Levels

LevelCompares
Two-way matchingPurchase order vs. invoice.
Three-way matchingPurchase order vs. receipt vs. invoice — catches quantity or price discrepancies at receipt.

AP Setup Terms

  • Vendor posting profile: determines which ledger accounts a vendor's transactions post to.
  • Vendor invoice journal: lets AP staff stage and validate vendor invoices before posting.
  • Centralized payment: one legal entity pays on behalf of several related entities.
  • Recurring vendor invoice: auto-generates a repeat invoice on a schedule (e.g., a monthly service fee).

Expense Management

  • Per diem: a fixed daily allowance for travel, configured by expense category.
  • Mileage expense: reimbursement calculated from distance and a configured rate.
  • Expense report policy: enforces limits/approvals on what employees can submit.

4. Budgeting

LayerPurpose
Budget register entryThe actual recorded budget amount, entered manually or imported.
Budget controlReal-time check that blocks or warns when a transaction would exceed available budget funds.
Fund availabilityHow much budget remains after committed and actual amounts are subtracted.
Budget planA forward-looking scenario built through an organization-hierarchy planning process (new Aug 2026 sub-area).

Do not confuse: invoice matching (a check on vendor invoices, AP domain) with budget control (a check on available funds, budgeting domain). Both can block a transaction, but for entirely different reasons.

5. Fixed Assets

TermWhat it is
Fixed asset groupGroups assets sharing depreciation and posting behavior (e.g., “Computer Equipment”).
Fixed asset bookThe primary set of depreciation records for an asset.
Derived bookA secondary book (e.g., for tax depreciation) that inherits from but can diverge from the primary book.
Depreciation profileDefines the depreciation method, convention, and calculation rules applied to a book.

Ways to Acquire and Dispose of an Asset

  • Acquire via: purchase order, journal, inventory journal, or project.
  • Dispose via: free text invoice (sale) or the fixed asset journal (split, reclassify, transfer, write-off).
  • Multi-company depreciation: depreciate one physical asset shared and posted across more than one legal entity.

6. Acronym & Term Quick List

GL — General Ledger

AR — Accounts Receivable

AP — Accounts Payable

FA — Fixed Assets

COA — Chart of Accounts

PO — Purchase Order

ISV — Independent Software Vendor

MTD/YTD — Month/Year to Date

D365 F&O — Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

LCS — Lifecycle Services

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Common Questions

Is a cheat sheet enough to pass MB-310?

No. MB-310 assumes hands-on configuration experience in Dynamics 365 finance and operations apps. Use this cheat sheet to consolidate terminology after studying, not as a replacement for working in the application itself.

What is the difference between an account structure and a ledger allocation rule?

An account structure defines which financial dimension combinations are valid before posting. A ledger allocation rule distributes an already-posted amount across dimensions afterward. One is a validity check; the other is a distribution mechanism.

What is the passing score for MB-310?

700 out of 1000 on Microsoft's scaled scoring system, the same threshold used across its associate and expert certifications.

Do I still need MB-300 before MB-310?

No — MB-300 retired on February 29, 2024. MB-310 is now the only exam required for the Dynamics 365 Finance Functional Consultant Associate certification.

About This Cheat Sheet

MSCertQuiz sells a 500-question MB-310 practice exam bank (40 questions free) built and maintained by the same team that wrote this cheat sheet. Every term above traces back to Microsoft's official MB-310 study guide, checked September 7, 2026.