<p>The present work focuses on the bending and transient analysis of functionally graded (FGM) microplates, incorporating a thermally affected neutral surface approach and an exact shear correction factor. Using an eight-noded isoparametric element, a reliable and efficient finite element formulation is proposed. This formulation includes five degrees of freedom per node, based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) in conjunction with the modified couple stress theory (MCST). The top and bottom layers of the functionally graded microplate are composed of pure ceramic and pure metal, respectively, and the thermally affected material properties are functionally graded along the thickness direction. To determine the effective thermally affected material properties at any point through the thickness of the functionally graded microplate, two micromechanical techniques, namely the rule of mixture (ROM) and local representative volume elements (LRVE), are employed. The governing differential equation is derived from Hamilton’s principle based on MCST. The results are initially validated by comparing them with benchmark examples using the finite element method (FEM). Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the exact shear correction factor, volume fraction index, intensity of thermal shock and boundary condition on the bending and transient analysis of the FGM microplate. The material properties are obtained using two micromechanical techniques, namely ROM and LRVE, and the analysis is performed under thermo−mechanical loading.</p>