IT, Cloud & Cybersecurity • Certification
Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
Teams administrator associate
Researched and maintained by TestPrepPilot Editorial BoardCloud, IT & Microsoft certifications desk · Figures last verified August 2026
The short version
What is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate and is it worth it?
MS-700 is the Teams admin associate exam covering planning, deploying and managing Teams.
- Teams focus
- Hands-on
- Renews yearly
What is it?
What exactly is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
Teams administrator associate
Microsoft Certified: Teams Administrator Associate (MS-700) validates skills to manage chat, meetings, voice and events in Microsoft Teams.
Before you book
Who is eligible to sit the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
Who it is for: Teams administrators
The test itself
What is the format of the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
The Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate is administered by Pearson VUE and runs 150 minutes, contains 40-60 questions and requires 700 of 1000 to pass.
| Administered by | Pearson VUE |
|---|---|
| Questions | 40-60 questions |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Pass mark | 700 of 1000 |
| Exam fee | $165 |
| Format | Multiple-choice + labs |
Content outline
What topics are on the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
The Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate is weighted across 3 domains; the largest are Deploy and manage (40%), Plan (30%), Manage voice (30%).
Weightings come from the official exam outline. Study time is best allocated in roughly these proportions rather than evenly across domains.
- Plan 30%
- Deploy and manage 40%
- Manage voice 30%
Money & time
How much does the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate cost?
For the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate, the exam fee is $165; the all-in cost is typically $165+; most candidates spend 2–4 months preparing.
Cost breakdown
| Exam fee | $165 |
|---|---|
| Typical total | $165+ |
Academic pricing lower.
Timeline
- Study + labs 6–10 weeks
- Sit MS-700 test day
Typical prep: 2–4 months
The path
How do you register for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
- 1
Prepare with Microsoft Learn1–10 weeks depending on exam and experience
Work through the free official self-paced learning paths and, optionally, instructor-led courses for your exam. Microsoft Learn is the primary, no-cost study source and maps directly to the exam skills outline.
- 2
Schedule through Pearson VUEabout 15 minutes
Sign in with a personal Microsoft account (MSA) and schedule the exam on the Pearson VUE portal. Choose an in-person test center or online proctoring (OnVUE). Students and educators can use Certiport for Fundamentals exams.
Microsoft recommends a personal MSA account; a work or school account can lose exam records if you leave the organization.
- 3
Take the exam45–120 minutes depending on the exam
Arrive at the test center or launch the online proctoring session. Exams are computer-based and may include multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, case studies, and performance-based lab tasks in a live environment.
- 4
Receive results and badgescore at end; badge within a few days
You see a pass/fail result on screen immediately. A detailed score report is emailed within about 24 hours and posted to your Microsoft certification profile. On passing, your digital badge is issued via Credly.
- 5
Renew annuallyabout 45 minutes, once a year
Most Microsoft role-based, specialty, and fundamentals certifications expire after 12 months. Renew for free by passing a shorter online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn before the expiry date — no need to retake the full exam.
The fine print
What are the retake and renewal rules for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
- Proctoring & delivery
- Delivered by Pearson VUE. You can sit the exam at a Pearson VUE test center or take it online through OnVUE remote proctoring; the fee is the same for both. Online proctoring requires a quiet, private space, a working webcam, and a system check beforehand.
- Retake policy
- If you do not pass, you may retake the exam after 24 hours. A second failed attempt requires a 14-day waiting period, and any further attempts also require a 14-day wait between them, up to a maximum of five attempts in a 12-month period.
- Score reporting
- A pass/fail result is shown immediately after the exam. The official score report is emailed within about 24 hours and is also available in your Microsoft certification profile, with section-level feedback on how you performed.
- Recertification
- Microsoft role-based, specialty, and fundamentals certifications are valid for 12 months from the date earned. Renew at no cost by passing the shorter online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn before the credential expires. Retired certifications cannot be renewed and must be re-earned through the active successor if one exists.
- Refunds & rescheduling
- Exam fees are generally non-refundable once a seat is purchased, but you can cancel or reschedule through Pearson VUE at no charge if you do so at least 24–48 hours before the appointment (exact window varies by region).
Context
Microsoft Azure / AI certifications compared
| Credential | Level | Focus | Exam fee | Validity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals | Fundamentals | Cloud concepts | $99 | 1 year | |
| AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals | Fundamentals | AI concepts | $99 | 1 year (retired Jun 30 2026) | |
| AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals | Fundamentals | AI + Microsoft Foundry | $99 | 1 year | |
| AZ-104 Azure Administrator | Associate | Administer Azure | $165 | 1 year | |
| AZ-204 Azure Developer | Associate | Build cloud apps | $165 | 1 year (retired 2026) | |
| AZ-500 Azure Security Engineer | Associate | Security operations | $165 | 1 year (retires Aug 31 2026) | |
| AZ-700 Azure Network Engineer | Associate | Networking | $165 | 1 year | |
| AZ-140 Azure Virtual Desktop | Specialty | Virtual desktop (AVD) | $165 | 1 year | |
| AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect | Expert | Solution design | $165 | 1 year |
What it pays
How much does this credential pay?
Expect network-and-systems-administrator pay at a May 2024 median of $96,800 (BLS) — MS-700 is the Teams Administrator Associate certification, a role-based credential for Microsoft 365 collaboration roles
The direct answer is that the MS-700 (Managing Microsoft Teams) certification serves IT administration and collaboration roles that BLS classifies primarily under network and computer systems administrators (SOC 15-1244), at a May 2024 median annual wage of $96,800, with the lowest 10 percent under about $60,000 and the highest 10 percent above about $150,000. The honest framing is that the certification does not set pay — IT admin salaries are set by market, employer, and title — but the credential signals Teams administration competence (Teams deployment, management, and security) that employers list in Microsoft 365 and collaboration-admin roles, and it is one of the role-based certifications in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, commonly paired with the MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator). BLS projects about 4 percent employment decline for network and systems administrators from 2024 to 2034 as on-premises administration shifts to cloud, with the collaboration-admin skills the exam tests sitting in the cloud-adjacent part of the role that remains in demand. The exam itself is approximately 40 to 60 questions in 150 minutes, scored pass/fail around 700 on the 100-900 scale, covering planning and configuring Teams, managing Teams, managing meetings and calling, and managing Teams security and compliance. The practical read: MS-700 is the Microsoft Teams specialist certification, valuable for administrators in Microsoft-centric organisations where Teams is the collaboration backbone, and the credential’s value is the Microsoft-ecosystem employability signal. For candidates deciding whether to pursue it, the exam rewards hands-on Teams administration experience, and the strongest preparation combines Microsoft Learn modules with a trial tenant.
| Measure | Figure | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, network & systems administrators | $96,800 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 (SOC 15-1244) |
| Lowest 10 percent | less than $60,000 | BLS OOH, May 2024 |
| Highest 10 percent | more than $150,000 | BLS OOH, May 2024 |
| The certification itself | Role-based credential | Teams Administrator Associate; valid 1 year, renewable |
Job growth.BLS projects a 4% employment decline for network and systems administrators from 2024 to 2034 as on-premises administration shifts to cloud.
Source: BLS OOH — Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Your odds
What are the pass rates?
Microsoft publishes no pass rates — MS-700 is scored pass/fail around 700/900 with a ~40-60 question, 150-minute exam, and Microsoft reports scores rather than cohort pass data
The core fact is that Microsoft does not publish pass rates for MS-700, and none is available from an independent source, because Microsoft reports candidate scores rather than cohort pass percentages. What is published is the exam structure: MS-700 is a role-based exam of approximately 40 to 60 questions with 150 minutes allowed, delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers or online proctored, with a passing score of 700 on the 100-900 scale. The exam covers four measured domains: plan and configure a Microsoft Teams environment; manage Teams; manage meetings and calling; and manage Teams security and compliance. Because Microsoft publishes the skills-measured document, the preparation is studying the official Microsoft Learn learning paths and validating with hands-on tenant experience; the classic failure mode is studying documentation without practising Teams administration in a tenant. The certification is valid for one year and renewable through Microsoft’s short renewal assessment. The honest advice is to treat the skills-measured document as the syllabus, build a trial tenant to practise Teams configuration, guest access, meetings, and compliance policies, and take Microsoft’s official practice assessment to calibrate before booking. The exam rewards applied administration, and candidates with tenant practice score well above those who only read.
Read this before quoting the number.Microsoft publishes no pass rates; the passing score is 700/900 and certification renews annually.
Your schedule
How long should I study for it?
60-100 study hours over 6-10 weeks of focused study
Plan for roughly 6 to 10 weeks and 60 to 100 hours of study for MS-700, structured around the four measured domains — Teams environment planning and configuration, Teams management, meetings and calling, and security and compliance — with a trial tenant as the highest-yield study tool. The most effective sequence is: first, complete the official Microsoft Learn learning paths for the exam in order; second, stand up a Microsoft 365 trial tenant and practise Teams administration — creating teams and channels, managing policies, configuring guest access, setting up meetings and calling, and applying compliance policies; third, take Microsoft’s official practice assessment to calibrate; fourth, re-study the weak domains; and fifth, book the exam. The highest-yield habit is the hands-on tenant work: the exam rewards applied Teams administration, and candidates who practise the policies and configuration score well above those who only read. Budget the Teams policy management and security/compliance domains the most time, since they carry the largest question share and are where the exam is hardest. The final week should be a light review of the skills-measured document and the lab notes. After passing, plan the annual renewal assessment within 12 months, and consider pairing MS-700 with the MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator) for the Microsoft 365 specialist profile.
- Weeks 1-225
Tenant planning
- Complete the Learn paths for Teams environment planning
- Stand up a trial tenant
- Practise team and channel management
- Weeks 3-635
Meetings, calling, security
- Practise meetings and calling configuration
- Study security and compliance policies
- Take the official practice assessment
- Weeks 7-820
Lab + gap closure
- Repeat weak admin tasks in the tenant
- Re-study weak domains
- Take a second practice pass
- Final week10
Exam readiness
- Review the skills-measured document
- Light lab review
- Book the exam
Adjusting the pace
Short-form exam option.Microsoft offers a shortened version of some exams; check the MS-700 page for the current format.
MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator).The companion flagship exam for the Microsoft 365 specialist profile.
How to study
How do I prepare most effectively?
The strategy that reliably passes MS-700 is "study the official learning paths, then practise every Teams admin task in a trial tenant," and the single biggest error is reading documentation without hands-on administration, which the exam rewards heavily. A second proven approach is allocating study by domain weight — Teams policy management and security/compliance carry the largest shares — rather than studying the four domains evenly. Third, use the official practice assessment to calibrate: Microsoft’s practice exams mirror the question style, and your score is the honest readiness signal. Fourth, master the guest-access and external-collaboration configuration, since those items are both numerous and scenario-heavy. Fifth, plan the annual renewal: the certification is valid 12 months, and the renewal assessment must be completed before expiry. Finally, confirm the exam delivery format — Pearson VUE center or online proctored — and practise the scheduling logistics, since online proctoring has its own environment requirements.
Lab every Teams admin task
A trial tenant is the highest-yield study tool.
Weight policy and compliance
The largest domain shares and the hardest items.
Calibrate with the practice assessment
Practice scores are the honest readiness signal.
Master guest access
External-collaboration items are numerous and scenario-heavy.
Plan the annual renewal
Certification renews in 12 months via a short assessment.
What to buy
Which study resources are worth paying for?
MS-700 preparation costs are modest: the exam fee is $165, Microsoft Learn learning paths are free, and a trial tenant is free, so the main optional spend is a practice-question bank. The comparison below separates the official resources, the exam, and commercial prep, with prices current to this review. The buying rule is to spend on the official practice assessment and any Q-bank that mirrors Microsoft’s style, and to treat the free Learn paths as the syllabus.
| Resource | Price | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn learning paths | Free | Online modules + labs | The official syllabus |
| Microsoft 365 trial tenant | Free | Hands-on tenant | Applied admin practice |
| MS-700 exam registration | $165 | Pearson VUE or online proctored | The exam itself |
| Microsoft official practice assessment | ~$0-25 | Online practice exam | Readiness calibration |
| Commercial Q-banks | ~$30-80 | Online practice questions | Supplemental drilling |
Prices approximate and dated to this review; the certification renews annually via a short assessment.
Avoid these
What mistakes do candidates most often make?
The most common mistake is studying documentation without tenant practice, which the exam’s applied style punishes; the second is studying the four domains evenly and under-weighting policy management and compliance, where the hardest items live. A third recurring error is confusing Teams policy types — messaging, meeting, and app policies — on the scenario items. Candidates also routinely book the exam before taking the official practice assessment, and many forget the one-year renewal, letting the certification lapse. Finally, some candidates skip the guest-access and external-collaboration content, losing a dependable share of scenario points.
✕Reading without tenant practice
✓Practise every Teams admin task in a trial tenant.
✕Even domain weighting
✓Allocate study to policy and compliance first.
✕Confusing the policy types
✓Master messaging, meeting, and app policy differences.
✕Booking without calibration
✓Take the official practice assessment and read the score.
✕Missing the annual renewal
✓Complete the renewal assessment within 12 months.
What you'll face
What question types will I see?
MS-700 contains approximately 40 to 60 questions in 150 minutes, scored pass/fail at 700/900, covering four domains: plan and configure a Teams environment, manage Teams, manage meetings and calling, and manage Teams security and compliance. Item formats include multiple-choice, case-study items, and scenario questions. The samples below are editor-written illustrations of the published skills-measured document, not live exam items.
Tenant and Teams rollout planning, licensing.
Policies, teams, channels, and apps.
Meeting configuration, audio/video, and calling policies.
Conditional Access, retention, and compliance policies.
Try these
Q1Which policy controls who can create private channels in an organisation?
Answer:B
The Teams policy governs team and channel creation settings, including private channels.
Q2Which feature allows external users to access Teams resources with a Microsoft account?
Answer:A
Guest access allows external users with Microsoft accounts to collaborate in Teams.
Q3Which compliance feature prevents users from sharing sensitive content in Teams chats?
Answer:B
DLP policies prevent the sharing of sensitive content in chats and channels.
Samples are editor-written illustrations of the published skills-measured document, not live exam items.
The big day
What should I expect on exam day?
MS-700 is taken at a Pearson VUE testing center or online proctored: approximately 40 to 60 questions with 150 minutes, pass/fail at 700 on the 100-900 scale, with results typically available within a day or two. The core rules: bring valid photo ID for center delivery; for online proctoring complete the environment check with a quiet room, webcam, and no second screens. The exam is closed-book. After passing, the certification is valid for 12 months with a short renewal assessment. The most useful exam-day habits: pace at about 2.5 to 3 minutes per question, flag and return to case-study items, and on scenario questions match the policy or feature to the requirement rather than over-thinking. If you do not pass, Microsoft allows retakes after a 24-hour wait for the first retake. After the exam, plan the renewal and consider pairing MS-700 with the MS-102 for the Microsoft 365 specialist profile.
Bring
- Valid photo ID (center) or proctoring-ready environment (online)
- Microsoft account credentials
- Arrival 15-30 minutes early
Leave at home
- Phone, smartwatch, and study materials
- Personal notes in the testing room
How the day runs
Rules in the room
- ~40-60 questions, 150 minutes
- 700/900 passing score
- Center or online proctored
- Annual renewal assessment
Afterwards.Passing MS-700 earns the Teams Administrator Associate certification (valid 12 months), the Microsoft Teams specialist credential; renew annually and pair with MS-102 for a Microsoft 365 profile.
Reference
What are the key facts about the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate?
Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate is a certification credential; awarded by Microsoft; the exam fee is $165; typical preparation is 2–4 months; holders typically earn $80,000 – $120,000.
| Credential | Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | MS-700 |
| Type | Certification |
| Profession | IT, Cloud & Cybersecurity |
| Specialty | Microsoft |
| Awarded by | Microsoft |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Typical prep time | 2–4 months |
| All-in cost | $165+ |
| Typical salary range | $80,000 – $120,000 |
| Exam code | MS-700 |
| Renewal | Annual (free assessment) |
| Scope | National / Multi-state |
| Also known as | MS-700 |
Real questions
Frequently asked questions about the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
Does it expire?
Yes, after 12 months; renew with a free online assessment.
How do I register for microsoft-ms-700?
You register and schedule microsoft-ms-700 through Pearson VUE. Pick a test-centre appointment or online proctoring, then sit the exam on your booked date.
What is the microsoft-ms-700 exam format?
The exam is delivered as Multiple-choice + labs, with about 40–60 items, in 120 minutes. The published pass mark is 700 of 1000.
How long is the microsoft-ms-700 certification valid?
Most Microsoft role-based certifications expire after 12 months but are renewed with a free online assessment; retired certs must be re-earned.
How much does microsoft-ms-700 cost?
The exam fee is $165. Optional study materials and retakes are priced separately.
Who should take microsoft-ms-700?
Teams administrators
Can I take a Microsoft exam online from home?
Yes. Exams are delivered by Pearson VUE with two options: an in-person test center or OnVUE online proctoring from a private space with a webcam. The fee is identical for both.
Do Microsoft certifications expire?
Most role-based, specialty, and fundamentals certifications are valid for 12 months. You renew for free by passing a shorter online assessment on Microsoft Learn before the expiry date.
What happens if my certification is retired?
You keep the credential until its current expiry date, but you can no longer earn or renew it. Microsoft typically points candidates to the active successor exam or certification.
In short
Is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate worth it?
- MS-700 is the Teams admin associate cert.
- It covers Teams management.
- It renews yearly.
Same awarding body
What other credentials does Microsoft award?
Worth comparing
How does the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate compare with similar credentials?
Trust
Where does this information come from?
Everything above is taken from the awarding body's own published material. Fees, question counts and domain weights are revised regularly — check the official page before you pay.
- Microsoft Awarding body
- Official Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate exam page Exam page
- Microsoft certification programme Programme rules
Research confidence: high · Last reviewed 2026-08