Microsoft · MS-900
Validates foundational knowledge of Microsoft 365 cloud-based solutions for productivity and collaboration, including apps, services, security, compliance, and licensing.
Practice Questions
1,201
≈ 24 practice exams
Duration
45 minutes
Passing Score
700/1000
Difficulty
FoundationalLast Updated
Jan 2025
This MS 900 practice test helps you prepare for Microsoft 365 Fundamentals by reviewing cloud concepts, Microsoft 365 apps and services, security, compliance, identity, collaboration, endpoint management, and pricing concepts. It is a practical starting point for learners who want to understand the Microsoft 365 ecosystem before moving into administrator roles.
Use the free preview to identify weak areas, then practice with the full bank until you can explain why each Microsoft 365 service fits a specific business need. The best preparation combines product familiarity with the ability to compare similar services and licensing concepts.
The Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals certification (exam MS-900) validates foundational knowledge of cloud-based solutions that facilitate productivity and collaboration among on-site, remote, and hybrid workers. It covers the full breadth of Microsoft 365, including core productivity apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote), collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange), endpoint management (Intune, Windows Autopilot, Windows 365), identity and access management via Microsoft Entra ID, security solutions under the Microsoft Defender XDR umbrella, and compliance capabilities through Microsoft Purview. The exam also assesses understanding of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat capabilities introduced across both productivity and collaboration scenarios.
As a foundational-level credential, MS-900 is not a deep technical exam but instead establishes broad literacy across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem — the 'what and why' of the platform. It was last updated on April 30, 2025, with notable additions around Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Microsoft Copilot dashboard, Microsoft Priva, and updated endpoint management content. Candidates should be aware that this certification and its exam are scheduled to retire on March 31, 2026.
MS-900 is designed for individuals seeking to demonstrate foundational cloud knowledge without prior deep technical expertise. Ideal candidates include IT support specialists, helpdesk technicians, junior cloud administrators, business analysts, and project coordinators who work alongside Microsoft 365 environments and want to formalize their understanding. It also suits students and career changers entering the IT field, as well as sales professionals, procurement managers, and non-technical stakeholders who need fluency in M365 capabilities to guide organizational decisions or engage with enterprise clients.
This certification serves as an on-ramp to Microsoft's broader role-based certification paths. Professionals aiming for credentials such as Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert (MS-102), Modern Desktop Administrator Associate, or Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals often use MS-900 to build conceptual grounding before advancing to more technical exams.
Microsoft lists no formal prerequisites for MS-900. The exam is intentionally accessible to candidates who are new to Microsoft 365 or cloud services in general. No hands-on IT experience is required, and the exam can be taken without prior Microsoft certifications.
That said, candidates benefit most from having a basic familiarity with general IT concepts, such as the difference between on-premises and cloud environments, and some exposure to everyday Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook, Teams, or Word. Those completely new to cloud computing are advised to complete the free Microsoft Learn learning paths covering cloud concepts and Microsoft 365 services before scheduling the exam, as even foundational fluency with SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS distinctions is tested.
Exam MS-900 is a proctored assessment with a 45-minute time limit, delivered through Pearson VUE for general candidates or Certiport for students and educators. The exam may include a variety of question types such as multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and interactive scenario-based questions. Microsoft does not publish an exact fixed number of questions, but the format is consistent with other Microsoft fundamentals exams, typically ranging from 40 to 60 questions. Candidates requiring additional time due to language barriers (non-native speakers of available languages) may request an additional 30 minutes.
Scoring is on a scale of 100 to 1000, with a passing score of 700 required. If a candidate fails, a retake is permitted 24 hours after the first attempt; subsequent retakes follow Microsoft's standard retake policy with increasing wait periods. The exam is available in 12 languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, German, Chinese (Simplified), French, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Russian, Chinese (Traditional), and Italian.
The MS-900 certification serves as an entry point into Microsoft's role-based certification ecosystem and signals foundational cloud literacy to employers in Microsoft 365-heavy environments. It supports career entry or transition into roles such as IT Support Specialist, Junior Cloud Administrator, Technical Support Engineer, M365 Systems Administrator, and technology-facing business roles including sales engineering and IT procurement. According to ZipRecruiter data, professionals in Microsoft 365-related roles earn an average of approximately $85,000 per year in the US, with entry-level positions ranging from $45,000 to $65,000 and junior administrator roles reaching $55,000 to $80,000. MS-900 holders who pair the credential with a role-based certification such as MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator) report salary increases of 12–18%.
Although MS-900 is a foundational credential and does not independently qualify candidates for senior technical roles, it provides a meaningful career launchpad. It is a natural prerequisite stepping stone toward Microsoft Certified: Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert, Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator Associate, and Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. Candidates should note that the exam retires on March 31, 2026, after which Microsoft is expected to introduce updated AI-focused fundamentals credentials as part of its certification refresh initiative.
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 1,201 questions, enough for 24 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. Fabrikam is migrating from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-based solution to reduce total cost of ownership. They want to pay only for resources they use and avoid upfront hardware costs. Which cloud computing benefit should they prioritize?
Explanation
Cost effectiveness in cloud computing allows organizations to pay for resources on a pay-as-you-use basis, avoiding upfront capital expenditures on hardware and reducing overall costs compared to maintaining on-premises infrastructure. Elasticity handles automatic scaling, fault tolerance prevents failures, and scalability increases capacity based on demand.
2. Fabrikam needs to monitor for risky behaviors like data leaks in their Microsoft 365 environment. They have E5 licenses. Which of the following should they use to detect and investigate potential insider threats?
Explanation
Insider Risk Management detects, investigates, and acts on risky activities like data leaks using policies and workflows. Compliance Score measures overall compliance posture. Auditing Premium provides detailed audit logs for investigations but is not specifically for insider threats. Service Level Agreements define uptime guarantees.
3. Adatum is implementing Microsoft 365 Defender and wants to protect against advanced threats on endpoints. Which service provides endpoint behavioral sensors and cloud security analytics?
Explanation
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint uses endpoint behavioral sensors and cloud security analytics to detect and respond to advanced threats on devices. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 protects email and collaboration, Microsoft Defender for Identity monitors Active Directory signals, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps secures cloud applications.
4. Litware needs to protect their data in Microsoft 365 from unauthorized access and ensure compliance with industry regulations. They are implementing Enterprise Mobility + Security and want to use a feature that classifies and protects sensitive documents. Which component should they configure?
Explanation
Azure Information Protection allows classification and protection of sensitive data through labels and encryption, helping organizations meet compliance requirements by controlling access to documents and emails.
5. You work as a Systems Administrator for Fabrikam. The company has a subscription to Microsoft 365. All users in your company have a Microsoft 365 E3 license. You plan to create a security group for device management using dynamic membership. Which admin center should you use to create this group?
Explanation
The Azure Active Directory Admin Center allows creating dynamic security groups based on queries for device management. The Microsoft 365 Admin Center focuses on users and licenses, Exchange Online is for email, and SharePoint Online for sites and files.
Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate (AZ-802)
AZ-802 · 600 questions
Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102)
MS-102 · 965 questions
Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals (AB-900)
AB-900 · 700 questions
Administering Information Security in Microsoft 365 (SC-401)
SC-401 · 939 questions
Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure (AZ-800)
AZ-800 · 898 questions
Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect (AB-100)
AB-100 · 700 questions
$17.99
One-time access to this exam