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. You work as a Systems Administrator at Fabrikam, a company using Microsoft 365. Security professionals need to proactively search for undetected threats across user devices and applications. Which solution should you recommend?
Explanation
Hunting in Microsoft 365 Defender allows proactive threat searches across devices and applications. Incidents and alerts detect known threats, Secure Score measures security posture, and Threat Analytics analyzes intelligence from researchers.
2. Contoso, a global manufacturing company, is transitioning to Microsoft 365 and needs to manage identities for employees who work both on-premises and in the cloud. They want seamless access to resources without multiple sign-ins. Which identity type should Contoso implement for their hybrid environment?
Explanation
Hybrid identities synchronized via Azure Active Directory Connect integrate on-premises Active Directory with Microsoft Entra ID, providing seamless access to both on-premises and cloud resources. Cloud-only identities are for fully cloud-based organizations, external identities are for partners and guests, and device identities manage device compliance but not user sign-ins.
3. Fabrikam, a retail company, wants to monitor their Microsoft 365 subscription usage, such as active users in Teams and OneDrive storage. Which section of the admin center should they access?
Explanation
The Reports section in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center provides usage reports, including activity in Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint, helping administrators monitor service utilization.
4. You work as a Systems Administrator for Litware. The company uses Microsoft Entra ID and needs to support modern authentication. Which functionality requires Microsoft Entra ID?
Explanation
Microsoft Entra ID is required to implement modern authentication for cloud services. Active Directory supports single sign-on for on-premises resources using one set of credentials. Active Directory allows creating user objects for directory management. Active Directory enables creating computer objects for domain-joined systems.
5. You work as a Systems Administrator for Contoso. The company has a subscription to Microsoft 365. All users in your company have a Microsoft 365 E3 license. You are using the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to create an Office 365 group for collaboration. Which type should you select?
Explanation
Office 365 group type in Microsoft 365 Admin Center supports shared mailboxes, calendars, and team sites. Distribution is for email lists, mail-enabled security adds permissions, and security is for access control without email.
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