Microsoft 365 Fundamental (MS-900) Exam FAQs

Microsoft 365 Fundamental (MS-900) Exam Basic FAQ

What is Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) Exam?

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) Exam is for candidates who want to validate their knowledge in cloud services and software as a service cloud model. This exam can be taken as a precursor to exams in the field of technology and cloud computing which are office 365, Microsoft Intune, Azure Information Protection (AIP), and Windows 10.

How many questions are there on MS-900 Exam?

In this exam there will be 40-60 questions which have to be completed in 85 minutes.

What is the course outline for MS-900 Exam?

The topics in this exam are – Understand cloud concepts (15-20%), Understand core Microsoft 365 services and concepts (30-35%), Understand security, compliance, privacy, and trust in Microsoft 365 (25-30%), and Understand Microsoft 365 pricing and support (25-30%).

How much the MS-900 Exam will cost?

This exam will cost $99 USD with additional taxes.

What is the time duration MS-900 Exam?

You will be given 85 minutes to complete this exam.

What is the exam reschedule or cancellation policy?

If you want to cancel or reschedule the exam, then you are required to do it at least 6 days prior to your appointment. In case you failed to do it 24 hours prior to the exam then it may result in loss of the entire fee.

What is MS-900 Exam retake policy?

You can apply for retaking the exam after 24 hours of the failed attempt but you pay for each exam attempt you will take.

In what language can we give the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) Exam?

This exam is available in English and Japanese language.

How to prepare for the Microsoft exam?

To prepare for an exam the best way is to practice the skills for the exam. Get hands-on experience with the technology to successfully pass Microsoft Certification exams. However, there are associated online courses, and instructor-led courses are intended to train the skills needed to be successful in the job role, a subset of which will be assessed on the exam. To start preparing, review the “Skills measured” section of the Exam Details page and evaluate your skills against what is being assessed on the exam. Practice until you no longer experience those challenges.

How do I schedule for a Microsoft MS-900 exam?

The exam can be schedule for non-students interested in technology at Pearson Vue and for students or instructors at Certiport.

What accommodations are available for candidates with disability?

Microsoft is ensures that exams are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

Microsoft MS-900 Exam Specifics FAQ

What types of questions are there on the Microsoft Certification exams?

Microsoft introduces innovative testing technologies and question types, so, they do not provide for the specific item types that will appear on a given exam.

Why there is use if case study exam format?

The case study exam format uses complex scenarios that more accurately simulate what professionals do on the job. However, scenario-based questions included in the case studies are designed to test your ability to identify the critical information needed to solve a problem and then analyze and synthesize it to make decisions.

Can we review the questions after completion of case study?

Yes, you may review the questions in a case study only after moving to the next case or section of the exam. After completing a case study and its associated questions, a review screen will appear.

How do we know if an exam has been updated when a new feature or function is added?

Microsoft reviews its exams every two months. However, any changes that affect the objective domain and the existing questions are incorporated into the exam. Moreover, inaccurate questions are removed from the exam and some items are modified with addition of new items. Microsoft has the right to update content to maintain the validity and relevance of certifications.

What is a short answer question in the Microsoft exam?

In the short answer question type there are questions that are solved by writing several lines of code in the available text-entry area. There you can choose from key word options which are provided for you to use in the code you write. However, after entering your code, you can check your syntax.

How many points are given for short answer questions?

The short answer questions are worth one point. However, if the question is worth more than one point, it is indicated as the number of points that it is worth in the question itself.

Is there any negative marking for wrong answer?

No, you are not penalized for answering incorrectly. As, for single-point items, you need to answer completely and correctly to be awarded the point. And, you don’t earn points for the parts of your response that are incorrect.

Can I review all of my answers before leaving a section or completing the exam?

Yes, you can review your answers to most questions. However, there are yes/no questions that describe a problem and a possible solution. And, you will not be able to review these questions answers. In addition, after you move to the next question in this set, you are not able to change your answer. These questions are preceded by an overview screen that provides this information, and each question includes a reminder that you cannot return to the question or change your answer after leaving it.

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Exam Scoring and Results FAQ

When and how will I get my exam results?

You will receive notification of your pass or fail status within a few minutes of completing your exam. In addition, you will receive a printed report that provides your exam score and feedback on your performance on the skill areas measured.

How do the score report look like?

The score report provides a numeric score for overall exam performance, pass/fail status, a bar chart showing performance on each skill area assessed on the exam, and details on how to interpret your results and next steps. Using this information, candidates can determine areas of strength and weakness.

What do the bars on the score report mean?

The bar chart shows your performance on each section, or skill area, assessed on the exam. On the left of the graph, each section of the exam is listed along with the percentage of the exam that was devoted to it. The lengths of the bars provide information regarding your section-level performance and map to the percentage of items that you answered correctly in that content area. Bars that are further to the left reflect weaker performance, and bars that are further to the right reflect stronger performance.

Because each section may contain a different number of questions, as represented by the percentages provided after the section name, the length of the bars cannot be used to calculate the number of questions answered correctly in that section or on the exam, nor can the bars be combined to determine the percent of questions that you answered correctly on the exam. This information is intended to help you understand areas of strength and weakness in the skill domain measured by the exam and to prioritize those skills that need improvement.

Can I find out whether I answered a specific question correctly or whether how I answered a specific question affected my pass/fail status?

No. Microsoft Certification exams are designed to measure candidates’ skills and abilities related to a given job role, not their ability to study or memorize specific questions that were on the exam. Qualified candidates will be able to pass this exam regardless of the questions asked. As a result, to protect the integrity of the certification process, Microsoft does not share information about the specific questions that were missed.

Does the score report show a numerical score for each section?

The score reports do not show a numerical score for each section. The score reports provide an overall numerical score to reflect pass/fail status only. As an alternative to providing a numerical score for each section, we provide score bars to show subject areas of strength and weakness.

Can I see a lower level of detail on my performance on transition or upgrade exams?

No, we do not provide a lower level of detail on your performance on transition or upgrade exams. We don’t ask enough questions at the objective level to provide a reliable estimate of your ability for each of those skills. Providing this level of information would be a disservice to you because the result may indicate that you should work on skills that don’t need improvement, or worse, suggest skills are strengths when they are not.

The bars on the score report show that I have scored more than 70 percent. Why didn’t I pass the exam?

Each section of the exam contains a different number of questions; therefore, combining the results across individual exam sections will not reflect your final exam result. In other words, there is no one-to-one relationship between the length of the bars and your pass/fail status.

Further, a common misperception is that you must answer 70 percent of the questions correctly to pass the exam because the passing score is 700; however, this is a scaled score. The actual percentage of questions that you must answer correctly varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent, depending on the input provided by the subject-matter experts who helped us set the cut score during exam development and ongoing sustainment and the difficulty of the questions delivered when you take exam.

How are questions scored? How many points is each question worth? Will I be penalized for answering a question incorrectly?

Here is some general information about exam scoring:

Most questions are worth one point, regardless of what you must do to answer the question. If a question is worth more than one point, this information will be stated in the question.

There is no penalty for guessing. If you choose an incorrect answer, you simply do not earn the point(s) for that item. No points are deducted for incorrect answers.

Some questions on the exam may not be included in the calculation of your score. To gather data to update and improve the quality of each exam, we present new content to candidates without counting the results toward their score. However, as soon as we have the necessary data to evaluate the quality of the question, items that meet Microsoft’s psychometric standards will be scored. Microsoft will not inform candidates which questions are unscored; as a result, you should answer every question as if it will be scored.

Note that this scoring system is subject to change as Microsoft continues to introduce new and innovative question types. Microsoft will indicate if a question is scored differently in the text of the question.

How are exam scores calculated?

After you complete your exam, the points you earned on each question are summed and then compared with the cut score to determine whether the result is pass or fail.

Why does Microsoft report scaled scores?

Microsoft reports scaled scores so that candidates who have to retake a certification exam can determine if their performance is improving. The actual cut score (the number of items you need to answer correctly) is based on input from a group of subject-matter experts who review the difficulty of the questions in relation to the expected skills of the target audience. As a result, the number of items that you have to answer correctly varies depending on the difficulty of the questions delivered when you take the exam; this ensures that regardless of the difficulty of items you see, the evaluation of skills is fair—if you see a more difficult set of questions during one administration, the number of correct answers needed to pass is less than if you see an easier set of questions. As a result, providing a simple percent correct wouldn’t provide useful information to someone who had to take the exam multiple times and saw different combinations of questions with different levels of difficulty.

Here’s an example of why scaled scores are a better indicator of how your performance is improving (or not) from one exam attempt to another. Imagine that the first time you take an exam, you see a set of easy items; unfortunately, you fail with a scaled score of 600, which is equivalent to a score of 65% correct. The next time you take the exam, you see a set of more difficult items. This time you pass the exam with a scaled score of 750, which is equivalent to answering 50% of the questions correctly. If we provided the percent you answered correctly, you would think your performance had gotten worse, not better, but it is, in fact, better because you answered a higher percentage of more difficult questions correctly than you did the first time.

Scaled scores simplify your ability to evaluate improvements in your performance over time. This is a standard practice across the certification and licensure industry.

If I receive the same score every time I retake the same exam, does this imply an error in the results computation?

No. Receiving the same score on multiple attempts does not indicate that the program computing the results is in error. It is not uncommon for candidates to obtain similar or identical scores on multiple attempts of an exam. This consistent result demonstrates the reliability of the exam in evaluating skills in this content domain. If this happens on multiple attempts, you may want to reconsider how you’re preparing for the exam and seek other opportunities to learn and practice the skills measured by the exam.

I scored zero in one of the sections. How is this possible?

The number of questions that measure each skill area is determined through the blueprinting process; sections of the exam measuring critical and/or more frequently performed skills will contain more questions than those that assess less important or less frequently performed skills. Given that the number of questions varies based on the criticality of skills measured, it is entirely possible for a candidate to answer all questions in a section with fewer questions incorrectly.

I experienced significant delays between some of the questions. Was my response recorded? Was it scored correctly?

A delay between questions does not impact the responses, scoring, or the time remaining to finish the exam. You should expect to experience a delay of up to a minute while your next question loads. The exam delivery provider’s software is designed to accommodate this. Your answers are recorded, and the exam will be scored correctly regardless of delays between questions.

Do the responses that I provide to the survey at the beginning of the exam impact the questions that I see during the exam or how my exam is scored?

No. The survey that you take at the beginning of the exam has no impact on the exam content or scoring. This is purely an evaluation tool that our exam psychometricians use to ensure the quality, validity, and rigor of the exam over its lifecycle.

I passed my first Microsoft Certification exam (at Pearson VUE). Now what do I do?

Congratulations! To explore next steps and available benefits, see your benefits and exams dashboard. Sign in using the same Microsoft account you used to register for your exam.

If I do not pass, what can I do?

Prioritize the skills that you should practice by focusing on the content areas where your exam performance was the weakest and in the content areas that have the highest percentage of questions. Additionally, you may want to review the resources provided on the exam details page, and our Study Groups, which can be found at the bottom of the individual exam details page.

When you are ready to retake the exam, schedule an appointment as you normally would. Note that you must pay for each exam you retake and follow Microsoft’s retake policy.

Where can I find additional information about my areas of weakness?

Although Microsoft Certification exams provide feedback about the areas where examinees need to develop their skills further, the exams are not designed to provide detailed or diagnostic feedback. We encourage you to review the “Skills measured” section of the exam details page, and honestly evaluate your skills against what is being assessed on the exam. The best way to do this is to actually perform the tasks listed; note any challenges that you encountered. Practice until you no longer experience those challenges. You may also want to ask others how they perform those tasks. Do they perform the task differently? Understand why they do. Read white papers, visit docs, etc. to get additional information about the tasks that are included on the exam. Explore the resources provided in the “Preparation options” on the exam details page and Study Groups, which can be found at the bottom of the individual exam details page.

Finally, Microsoft Official Practice Tests are available for some of our certification exams. These may provide more information about your specific strengths and weaknesses. However, passing a practice test is not a guarantee that you will pass the certification exam.

Can I request a re-evaluation of my score?

A re-evaluation of your score is unlikely to change your pass/fail status. Because Microsoft must ensure that candidates who pass exams and earn our certifications have demonstrated the required proficiency level(s) across the skill domain(s), the final result of an exam is rarely changed based on a re-evaluation of your exam results. Even if a question is flawed in some way, we cannot assume that you would have answered it correctly if it had not been. In these cases, we provide candidates with the opportunity to retake the exam free of charge. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please submit an online request. An Item Challenge form will be sent to you.

If I do not pass an exam, can I have a refund?

No. Microsoft does not offer refunds for exams you do not pass or exam appointments you miss.

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals MS-900 Exam Security and Integrity Policy FAQ

Why am I required to accept a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before I take an exam?

The Microsoft Certification Program requires candidates to accept the terms of an NDA before taking an exam. The NDA legally requires candidates to keep information related to exam content confidential. Requiring the acceptance of the NDA helps protect the security of Microsoft Certification exams and the integrity of the Microsoft Certification Program by legally discouraging piracy and/or unauthorized use of exam content.

What is cheating?

Cheating is any fraudulent activity that enables an unqualified candidate to pass an exam. This type of egregious misconduct negatively affects the integrity of the Microsoft Certification Program.

What are falsified score reports?

Falsified score reports are reports that Microsoft deems to be unauthentic or that deceive or defraud the Microsoft Certified Professional program in any way.

What happens if a candidate falsifies a score report?

If Microsoft determines that a candidate has falsified a score report, the candidate will be ineligible to take any future Microsoft exams and his or her certifications may be revoked.

What is proxy testing?

Proxy testing occurs when someone takes an exam for another candidate. In other words, the candidate has passed an exam without actually taking it. Engaging in proxy testing as either the test taker or the person who hired the test taker is a form of misconduct and fraud.

How can I identify a proxy testing website or organization?

The primary warning sign of a proxy testing website or organization is any guarantee that you will pass the exam without having to take it. Proxy testing sites indicate that they will provide a full credential if you send them your credit card information.

What kind of security should be at a testing center?

The testing centers are provided with security policies that must be enforced in order to acquire and maintain testing center status. Ongoing inspections ensure that each testing center maintains the security outlined by Microsoft and the exam delivery provider. In addition, proctors at testing centers are authorized to immediately take appropriate measures against candidates who violate testing rules. For specific information about the expectations for candidates, please contact the exam delivery provider. If you have a concern about the security of your exam experience, please send an email message to [email protected].

What kinds of impropriety can occur on the part of the testing center?

Testing center administrators act inappropriately when they fail to follow any security policies of Microsoft or the exam delivery provider. Examples could include, but are not limited to, overlooking inappropriate candidate identification; failing to ask for an ID from each candidate, to conduct periodic walkthroughs and to keep partitions between testing stations; overlooking the presence of crib sheets or electronic devices; providing answers or aid in any form with regard to any exam item, and allowing the release of Microsoft intellectual property in any form.

What happens to a testing center that participates in fraudulent behavior?

If Microsoft determines that a testing center has acted improperly or fraudulently, Microsoft has the right to cease delivery of all exams at that center.

Whom should I contact if I find a website that discloses Microsoft Certification exam information, or if I discover an individual who cheats on or sells exam questions and answers?

Send an email message to [email protected], and include as much information as possible about the situation and the persons involved. Although we appreciate anonymous tips, we often need more information to conduct a thorough investigation; if you are willing, please include your full contact information so that someone from Microsoft can contact you to discuss the details, if necessary. Microsoft has dedicated staff that investigates these tips. Because of tips from individuals like you, several websites have been terminated. Due to the volume of email we receive, you may not always receive a personal response.

If I report a security concern, can I remain anonymous?

Yes. All correspondence to [email protected] can remain anonymous and we will not share your contact information with anyone. If you wish to include your contact information so that we can follow up for more information we will ensure it remains secure.

Microsoft MS-900 Exam Performance-based Testing Based FAQ

What is performance-based testing (PBT)?

Performance based testing gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills by completing tasks in the technology. Today, this means completing tasks in a graded lab, but in the future, PBT may take a different form. For example, for those of you who are currently performing the job role, Microsoft is exploring ways to incorporate the work that you do every day into our certification requirements. For those of you who are not in the job role yet, we’ll continue to have other ways for you to demonstrate your skills through portfolios and graded labs. Microsoft is constantly innovating to ensure that we assess your skills and abilities in ways that align to how you actually get your work done. To view the PBT tutorial video, click here.

What can I expect when I complete the labs?

This type of question asks you to perform tasks in a virtual environment. You will see a screen that includes a virtual machine window and a Tasks pane. The virtual machine window is a remotely connected live environment where you perform tasks on real software and applications.

The Tasks pane lists the tasks you need to perform in the lab. You can expand or collapse each task with the + or – symbols. For your convenience, each task has a checkbox so you can mark tasks as you complete them. Doing this won’t affect anything in the lab or scoring. Nothing in the lab will indicate if you did not complete a required task, so you may want to keep track of the tasks that you have completed by checking the boxes.

After you leave a lab, you will not be able to return to it because scoring starts (in the background) as soon as you leave a lab. When you click Next, you will be asked to confirm that you really want to leave the lab. Clicking Yes will end the lab section, and the tasks will be scored.

How is the exam structured when it has labs?

When you launch the exam, you will see a screen that tells you how many items, case studies, and labs, including the number of tasks, that will be on the exam. Please make note of this information so that you can plan your exam time accordingly.

After you launch the exam, you will answer all of the traditional questions (for example, multiple choice, drag and drop, build list, etc.) on the exam as the labs load. The lab(s) will be the last section of the exam. Please note the following:

After you leave any section of the exam (e.g., case study or labs), you cannot return to it. However, at the end of most sections, you have the opportunity to review your answers (your exam may include a section that cannot be reviewed; this is noted at the beginning of the section). Exam time does NOT stop while you are reviewing your answers. Make sure you manage your time; pay attention to the time AND number of questions remaining.

Each exam contains one or two performance sections/labs with multiple tasks that you must complete. Research shows that tasks take approximately 4 times longer to complete than a traditional item. Please manage your time so that you have sufficient time left to complete the labs. We have ensured that candidates who manage their time wisely will have more than enough time to complete the lab(s).

The number of labs and tasks on the exam is provided on the overview page preceding the first lab. Read it! And then, manage your time accordingly.

Why does an exam with labs contain traditional question types (for example, multiple choice, drag and drop, build list, etc.)?

For a variety of reasons, we cannot assess all critical skills with labs. For example, we can’t ask you to complete tasks that take more than a few minutes to run or that require significant resources; as a result, we will continue to assess those skills using question types that are more appropriate to the exam experience.

How many labs are on an exam? How many tasks are in each lab?

If an exam contains labs, it will have at least 1 lab. Each lab contains between 7–15 tasks. One of the introductory pages of the exam will show the number of labs and tasks.

How are tasks scored?

The tasks are scored on the end result. We do not care how you accomplish the tasks (for example, through the UI or using PowerShell commands)—only that you successfully accomplished the task. Complete the task as you normally would; the scoring script evaluates the end result on the key characteristics to determine if it was done correctly. For example, if the task was to add a user, the scoring script ensures that you added that user.

We do NOT require you to use a specific method to perform tasks. If you are more comfortable using PowerShell or CLI, instead of a GUI, that’s what we want you to use. We test you on the end result of your task—did you perform it correctly?—not on the method that you use to perform a task.

How many points is each task worth?

Most tasks are worth one point; if the task is worth more than one point, that information is provided in the task description.

How much time do I have to complete the labs?

Labs are not timed separately from the exam. At the beginning of the exam, the number of labs, case studies, and questions as well as the exam time will be provided. You must answer all questions, including completing tasks associated with any labs, in the time provided. Manage your time accordingly so that you can complete all activities that must be done.

I had some issues with my labs. How do I let Microsoft know?

If you run into issues with labs, please provide your feedback to Certification Support. Although we won’t be able to provide a specific explanation for your experience, our investigation will help us identify root causes and identify solutions that will improve the experience for everyone.

I had some issues with my labs. How do I request a rescore?

If you received a score, it is an accurate reflection of your performance before the lab issue. If you failed, a rescore will not change that result.

When will I receive my score?

Labs take longer to score than traditional item types. Because the labs appear at the end of the exam, you may not get your result immediately. It can take 30 minutes or longer to receive a score. You do not have to wait for the score report. It will be passed automatically to our certification database and will show up in your MC dashboard. This should occur within 24 hours of the exam delivery. If it does not appear, please contact the MCP Support forum.

Do exams with performance-based questions take longer to complete?

Yes. These exams may take longer to complete than exams that do not contain performance-based items; however, our research suggests that most candidates complete tasks more quickly than they complete other item types. The amount of time allotted for each exam takes this into account.

Should I prepare for the performance-based exams differently than I prepare for other exams?

No. The skills measured remain the same regardless of the format of the question. The knowledge and skills assessed on the exam are listed in the “Skills measured” section of the exam details page. If you practice the skills, you’ll be prepared for any item type, including labs.

Are there any specific test center requirements for exams that have labs?

Many test centers are not listed when I try to schedule the exams that have labs, but the same test centers are listed for exams that do not.

Exams that include labs require testing centers to meet certain internet connectivity requirements, so a smaller set of testing centers are available. As labs are added to more of the new role-based exams they will also be subject to the same set of testing centers. However, you may take these exam through online proctoring; see more details at https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/certifications/online-exams. If you have specific testing centers in mind, contact the specific test center to learn if they can deliver labs; alternately, they will not be listed as available test centers once you select the exam. If that occurs, we recommend finding a different test center or taking the exam through online proctoring.

FAQ Academic pricing on exams

Can I get a refund if I initially registered and paid for an exam without verifying an academic discount, but I’m verified now?

No. If you decide to register and pay for an exam before you have verified your student status, you must pay commercial pricing and will not receive a refund. You must ensure that you are verified before completing your registration and payment.

Does my academic verification expire?

Yes. Your academic verification is only valid for 12 months. After 12 months, you need to repeat the verification process.

I’m an educator. Can I still receive an academic discount (in applicable countries) on my Microsoft Certification exam delivered with Pearson VUE?

Yes. You need to follow the same process as a student. In other words, you must select “Student” as your job function in your Microsoft account profile, and you must verify your status through the same process as a student.

Who do I contact for questions regarding the academic verification process for Microsoft Certification exams?

If you have general questions related to exam registration or questions specific to a new or pending verification request, please contact Certification Support.

FAQ Accommodation Requests

How do I request an accommodation?

If you require special equipment or other accommodation when you take an exam, you may request an accommodation through Pearson VUE using their “Reasonable Adjustments Request System” https://rs.hgportal.net/amer/candidate. More details are provided in the Special Accommodations when Taking Exams section above.

Why do I need to submit documentation?

The documentation that you provide describes your disability to the Pearson Special Accommodations team. Pearson has experts that determine the appropriate accommodation Your documentation ensures that the exam experience is adjusted appropriately. Someone with dyslexia, for example, is typically on a spectrum of severity and the exam accommodations are therefore appropriately adjusted for that level of severity as described in the documentation. This documentation consists of a formal assessment from a medical professional within the last 5 years. Someone with mild dyslexia may need 1.5 times the exam length, whereas someone with more severe dyslexia may receive 2 times the exam length or perhaps even have a reader. The intent is to make the exam session fair to the candidate considering their need while maintaining the validity and reliability of the assessment process.

I have documentation that is from more than 5 years ago. Why can’t I use it to meet the documentation requirements?

Disabilities change over time. They can become more or less severe. As a result, the accommodation that would be provided based on the outdated documentation may no longer be appropriate. The goal of the accommodation process is to ensure that you are given an accommodation that will ensure that your exam experience is as equivalent as possible to everyone else’s while maintaining the validity and reliability of the assessment process. The more up to date your documentation, the more likely VUE will be able to provide an accommodation that meets your needs.

I have a hearing aid/wheelchair/need an inhaler/etc. Do I need to special permission to bring that into the testing room?

This is considered a comfort aid and does not require pre-approval. Comfort aids will be allowed in the testing room upon visual inspection by the Test Center staff. Visual inspection will be done by examining the item without directly touching it (or the candidate) and without asking the candidate to remove the item, unless otherwise noted here.