IT, Cloud & Cybersecurity • Exam
Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals
Microsoft 365 fundamentals
Researched and maintained by TestPrepPilot Editorial BoardCloud, IT & cybersecurity certifications desk · Figures last verified August 2026
The short version
What is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals and is it worth it?
MS-900 is an entry exam covering Microsoft 365 cloud concepts, services and licensing.
- Beginner friendly
- No experience needed
- Renews yearly
What is it?
What exactly is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
Microsoft 365 fundamentals
Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals (MS-900) validates foundational knowledge of cloud services and Microsoft 365 productivity and security.
Before you book
Who is eligible to sit the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
Who it is for: Students and M365 beginners
The test itself
What is the format of the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
The Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals is administered by Pearson VUE / Certiport and runs 45–60 minutes, contains 40–60 questions and requires 700 of 1000 to pass.
| Administered by | Pearson VUE / Certiport |
|---|---|
| Questions | 40–60 |
| Time limit | 45–60 minutes |
| Pass mark | 700 of 1000 |
| Exam fee | $99 |
| Format | Multiple-choice |
Content outline
What topics are on the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
The Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals is weighted across 3 domains; the largest are M365 services (40%), Cloud concepts (30%), Security and licensing (30%).
Weightings come from the official exam outline. Study time is best allocated in roughly these proportions rather than evenly across domains.
- Cloud concepts 30%
- M365 services 40%
- Security and licensing 30%
Money & time
How much does the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals cost?
For the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals, the exam fee is $99; the all-in cost is typically $99+; most candidates spend 2–4 weeks preparing.
Cost breakdown
| Exam fee | $99 |
|---|---|
| Typical total | $99+ |
Academic pricing lower.
Timeline
- Study 1–3 weeks
- Sit MS-900 test day
Typical prep: 2–4 weeks
The path
How do you register for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
- 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: Fundamentals?
- 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?
$61,550 median for computer support specialists (BLS, May 2024)
There is no Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation called "MS-900" — the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification validates foundational knowledge of Microsoft 365 cloud services, and the wage question belongs to the role you perform with it. The closest official BLS occupation for the typical MS-900 holder is Computer Support Specialists, SOC 15-1231, which had a May 2024 median wage of $61,550, with the lowest 10 percent under $37,670 and the highest 10 percent above $101,440. The fit is deliberate: MS-900 is an entry-level fundamentals credential commonly earned by IT support staff, help-desk professionals and business users who work with Microsoft 365, and BLS counted 614,800 computer support specialist jobs in 2024, projecting 6 percent growth from 2024 to 2034 with about 62,900 openings a year. The limitation to state plainly: the BLS median covers the whole occupation at all levels, credentialed or not, and a fundamentals certification carries no wage premium in government data; its value is as a structured introduction to the Microsoft cloud ecosystem and a stepping stone to the role-based certifications (such as the MD-102 endpoint administrator) that benchmark higher. Read the number as the market for the entry IT roles the credential serves.
| Measure | Figure | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, computer support specialists | $61,550 | BLS OOH, SOC 15-1231, May 2024 |
| Lowest 10 percent | Under $37,670 | BLS OOH, SOC 15-1231, May 2024 |
| Highest 10 percent | Above $101,440 | BLS OOH, SOC 15-1231, May 2024 |
| Median, network and computer systems administrators (senior track) | $96,900 | BLS OOH, SOC 15-1244, May 2024 |
Job growth.BLS projects 6 percent growth for computer support specialists from 2024 to 2034, about 62,900 openings per year.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook - Computer Support Specialists
Your odds
What are the pass rates?
Microsoft publishes no pass rate — it publishes the passing score: 700 of 1000, with a 40-60 question, 45-minute exam
Microsoft does not publish cohort pass rates for its certification exams, and third-party surveys are not official data, so we do not treat them as authoritative. What Microsoft does publish is the format and the passing standard: the MS-900 exam has 40-60 questions with a 45-minute time limit, and a passing score of 700 on the 100-1000 scale. The exam is delivered at Pearson VUE centres or through online proctoring, and the certification does not expire in the traditional sense (Microsoft Fundamentals certifications have no renewal requirement). The exam content follows the published study guide: cloud concepts and the Microsoft 365 value proposition; core Microsoft 365 services (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and the productivity apps); security, compliance, privacy and trust in Microsoft 365; and Microsoft 365 pricing, licensing and support. The absence of a published pass rate is not an absence of standards: the 700 line is a moderate bar for an entry-level fundamentals exam, and the exam rewards familiarity with the Microsoft 365 product family rather than deep technical depth. The practical reading: target 80 percent-plus on practice, use Microsoft's free learning paths and the official study guide, and treat the credential as the entry rung of the Microsoft 365 certification track.
Read this before quoting the number.Microsoft publishes the passing score and format but no pass rate; any percentage circulating online is a third-party estimate.
Source: Microsoft Learn - MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
Your schedule
How long should I study for it?
20-40 hours over 2-3 weeks of focused study
The MS-900 exam is a 40-60 question, 45-minute exam with a 700/1000 passing score, built on the published study guide: cloud concepts and the Microsoft 365 value proposition; the core Microsoft 365 services; security, compliance, privacy and trust; and pricing, licensing and support. The exam is an entry-level fundamentals test that rewards a working familiarity with the Microsoft 365 product family. A defensible plan runs 20 to 40 hours over 2 to 3 weeks. Week one: cloud concepts and the Microsoft 365 value proposition, using Microsoft's free learning path and the official study guide; understand the differences between the Microsoft 365 plans. Week two: the core services — Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive and the productivity apps — learning what each service is for and how they connect; then security and compliance, including Microsoft Entra ID basics, the compliance portal and the trust principles. Week three: pricing, licensing and support models, then practice-question drilling and a timed practice exam at the real format. The plan is coverage-based because the exam rewards breadth across the product family; a candidate with everyday Microsoft 365 exposure moves quickly through the service modules.
- Week 110
Cloud concepts and value
- Microsoft Learn learning path
- Cloud concepts and the M365 value proposition
- The Microsoft 365 plan options
- Week 214
Core services and security
- Exchange, SharePoint, Teams and OneDrive
- Microsoft Entra ID and identity basics
- Compliance, privacy and trust principles
- Week 310
Pricing and drill
- Pricing, licensing and support models
- Practice-question drilling in volume
- One timed practice exam at the real format
Adjusting the pace
Daily Microsoft 365 user.Compress the services week; the security/compliance and licensing material is the new content.
New to Microsoft 365.Add a week of product tours and free trials before the study guide.
How to study
How do I prepare most effectively?
The MS-900 exam rewards breadth across the Microsoft 365 product family, so the dominant strategy is systematic coverage of the study guide with a product-purpose focus: learn what each service is for and how the pieces connect, because the exam asks purpose-level questions rather than deep configuration. Second, use Microsoft's free learning path and the official study guide as the primary resources — they are the authoritative scope and are free, which makes the MS-900 one of the cheapest certifications to prepare for. Third, drill the security and compliance material deliberately: identity (Microsoft Entra ID), the compliance portal and the trust principles are a distinct block, and candidates who focus only on the productivity apps routinely lose those items. Fourth, understand the licensing and pricing models — which plan includes which service — because the exam tests plan comparisons. Finally, take at least one timed practice exam at the real 45-minute format; the short window rewards efficient reading, and the practice exams available from Microsoft and third parties mirror the item style.
Learn services by purpose
The exam asks what each service is for, not deep configuration.
Use the free official resources
Microsoft Learn and the study guide are free and authoritative.
Drill security and compliance
Entra ID, the compliance portal and trust are a distinct block.
Learn the licensing models
Which plan includes which service is tested directly.
Run one timed practice exam
45 minutes rewards efficient reading; practise the pace.
What to buy
Which study resources are worth paying for?
MS-900 prep is inexpensive because Microsoft provides the core resources free. The Microsoft Learn learning path and the official study guide cover the scope at no cost, and Microsoft's own practice assessments are free. Third-party providers sell MS-900 courses and practice exams at roughly $30-$200, with many candidates using a video course plus a practice bank; the free official stack is sufficient for a disciplined candidate. The exam fee is about $99. A realistic total budget is $100 to $300 including the exam fee. Prices below are list prices as of mid-2026 and change frequently; we rank nothing by commission.
| Resource | Price | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn learning path | Free | Official online modules | The authoritative scope; the primary resource |
| Official study guide | Free | Official PDF | The exam-scope reference |
| Microsoft practice assessment | Free | Official online practice | The closest official item style |
| Third-party video courses | $30-$150 | Video courses and quizzes | Structured walkthrough of the scope |
| Practice-exam products | $20-$80 | Online simulated exams | Extra drilling volume |
List prices as of mid-2026, subject to change; the MS-900 exam fee is about $99; no commission or affiliate ranking is implied.
Avoid these
What mistakes do candidates most often make?
The most common MS-900 mistake is going too deep on the productivity apps and skipping the security and compliance block: candidates who know Teams and SharePoint cold but cannot answer identity or compliance items lose a distinct share of the exam. The fix is balanced coverage. The second mistake is studying for a role-based exam instead of a fundamentals exam — the MS-900 tests what services are for, not how to configure them, so configuration-depth study wastes time. Third, candidates skip the licensing material, which the exam tests with plan-comparison items. Fourth, some candidates never take a timed practice exam and misjudge the 45-minute window; run one. Finally, treating the MS-900 as the destination misses the point: it is the entry rung of the Microsoft 365 track, and the role-based certifications (such as the MD-102) are what employers hire on, so plan the path while the fundamentals are fresh.
✕Skipping security and compliance
✓Identity, compliance and trust are a distinct tested block.
✕Studying configuration depth
✓The MS-900 tests what services are for, not how to configure them.
✕Ignoring the licensing material
✓Plan-comparison items are a real share of the exam.
✕Never timing a practice exam
✓45 minutes rewards efficient reading; run one timed practice.
✕Treating MS-900 as the finish
✓Plan the role-based track (MD-102 and beyond).
What you'll face
What question types will I see?
The MS-900 exam is a 40-60 question multiple-choice exam in 45 minutes. The items test the published study guide: cloud concepts, the Microsoft 365 value proposition, the core services, security and compliance, and pricing and licensing — with many items asking what a service is for, which service fits a described need, or which plan includes a capability. The exam rewards breadth and product familiarity rather than configuration depth. Samples below are editor-written illustrations of the published study guide, not live exam items; they show the purpose-level style of the real items.
What each Microsoft 365 service is for and when to use it.
Identity, compliance portal and trust principles.
Which plan includes which capability.
Try these
Q1A company wants a service for real-time collaboration on documents with version history and co-authoring. The most appropriate Microsoft 365 service is:
Answer:A
SharePoint Online and OneDrive provide document storage with co-authoring and version history — the collaboration-and-document service. Exchange Online is email, Entra ID is identity, and Power BI is analytics.
Q2Which Microsoft 365 service is primarily responsible for identity and access management?
Answer:A
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) provides identity and access management across Microsoft 365. Exchange, Teams and Yammer are messaging and collaboration services, not identity services.
Q3A user asks which Microsoft 365 plan tier includes the Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). The general answer is:
Answer:A
The desktop Microsoft 365 Apps are included in the plans that bundle them — the Business and Enterprise tiers that include the apps, while some lower tiers offer only the web versions. The exam tests this plan-capability distinction.
Samples are editor-written illustrations of the published study guide, not live exam items.
The big day
What should I expect on exam day?
The MS-900 exam is a 40-60 question, 45-minute computer-based exam at a Pearson VUE centre or through online proctoring. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID matching your registration name and your appointment confirmation; personal items go in the locker. Arrive 30 minutes early; late arrivals forfeit the appointment and the fee. Pace at under a minute per item, flag uncertain items for review, and finish with time to spare — the short window rewards efficient reading. You receive your score on screen immediately, with the official result and score report following; Microsoft reports your scaled score against the 700 line. If you fail, you may retake after a waiting period. On a pass, the Fundamentals certification does not expire and needs no renewal. The afterwards matters: add the credential to your Microsoft Learn profile, and plan the next rung of the Microsoft 365 track — typically the MD-102 endpoint administrator for support careers — while the fundamentals are fresh.
Bring
- Valid government-issued photo ID matching your registration name
- Appointment confirmation
Leave at home
- Phone, smartwatch and all electronics
- Notes and study materials
- Personal bags beyond what the centre allows
How the day runs
Rules in the room
- No personal electronics in the testing room
- 45 minutes for 40-60 questions; the clock does not pause
- Fundamentals certifications do not expire
Afterwards.On a pass, your MS-900 is permanent. On a fail, retake after additional study. Plan the role-based track (typically MD-102) as the next step.
Reference
What are the key facts about the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals?
Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals is a exam credential; awarded by Microsoft; the exam fee is $99; typical preparation is 2–4 weeks; holders typically earn $55,000 – $85,000.
| Credential | Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | MS-900 |
| Type | Exam |
| Profession | IT, Cloud & Cybersecurity |
| Specialty | Microsoft |
| Awarded by | Microsoft |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Typical prep time | 2–4 weeks |
| All-in cost | $99+ |
| Typical salary range | $55,000 – $85,000 |
| Exam code | MS-900 |
| Renewal | Annual (free assessment) |
| Scope | National / Multi-state |
| Also known as | MS-900 |
Real questions
Frequently asked questions about the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals
Does MS-900 lead to admin certs?
Yes, it is the conceptual base for MD-102, MS-102 and MS-700.
Does it expire?
Yes, after 12 months; renew with a free online assessment.
How do I register for microsoft-ms-900?
You register and schedule microsoft-ms-900 through Pearson VUE / Certiport. Pick a test-centre appointment or online proctoring, then sit the exam on your booked date.
What is the microsoft-ms-900 exam format?
The exam is delivered as Multiple-choice, with about 40–60 items, in 45–60 minutes. The published pass mark is 700 of 1000.
How long is the microsoft-ms-900 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-900 cost?
The exam fee is $99. Optional study materials and retakes are priced separately.
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: Fundamentals worth it?
- MS-900 is the Microsoft 365 entry cert.
- It covers M365 cloud services.
- It renews yearly.
Same awarding body
What other credentials does Microsoft award?
Worth comparing
How does the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals 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: Fundamentals exam page Exam page
- Microsoft certification programme Programme rules
Research confidence: high · Last reviewed 2026-08