As a certification exam, Microsoft MS-900 is here to impart the entry-level yet industry-critical expertise in Microsoft 365 and make IT field penetration easier than ever. Moreover, entrants can trim down the early career establishing travails and advance the success likelihoods with this exam that leads to the Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals certification.

Related Certification Overview

The associated Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals is an elementary certification track creating a workforce proficient in the Software as a Service cloud model deployment and implementation.

Moreover, the foundational knowledge imbued by this accreditation acts as a viable base for other upper-level certificates. Therefore, those who aim at higher job levels or professional accreditations, after Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals designation, have a smooth career journey.

Audience Profile

Microsoft MS-900 exam and its corresponding certification is a smart move for those who want to explore career opportunities in the SaaS cloud model and in adopting cloud services. However, though it is an elementary designation, it demands certain expertise. If the words of the official vendor to be believed, then the Microsoft MS-900 aspirant should be equipped with basic Microsoft 365 cloud service offerings. Moreover, candidates should already have fundamental expertise in addressing common IT challenges, alongside perform the right licensing for the cost-effectiveness of the solutions, and effective support options as per organizational needs.

Basic Exam Peculiarities

Microsoft MS-900, like any other accreditation exam from Microsoft, is proctored and administered by the Pearson VUE platform at multiple global locations. The final test features 40-60 questions of different formats like multiple choice, case studies, drag and drop, active screen, to mention a few. And, the total seating time for each candidate is 80 minutes.

Speaking of a minimum passing score, it varies from exam to exam, so be well-prepared for MS-900 exam to see the Pass status after taking this Microsoft assessment.

Moreover, to complete the test registration, candidates have to pay $99 as an exam fee. This fee will be paid in the form of an exam voucher that is non-refundable and non-transferable. This is why one has to make a balanced and deliberate decision.

Exam Domain Summary

According to the exam outline, the Microsoft MS-900 exam is structurally divided into four sections that cover a wide range of topics and skills. Therefore, before you gear up yourself for the Microsoft MS-900, it is essential to pay attention to these exam domains. We are proffering you a brief description of these knowledge areas here.

• Cloud concepts description

  The first exam domain is dedicated to fundamentals knowledge of cloud services and covers core concepts like PaaS, and IaaS offerings, MS Azure & Dynamics 365 use cases in a Microsoft ecosystem, and the private, public & hybrid cloud usage scenarios. It also verifies the candidates’ ability to perform realistic expense comparisons and identify key factors that will compel an organization to migrate to the cloud.

• Core Microsoft 365 Services and Concepts Description

  This part is very large and checks the test-takers on a wide range of subtopics. Thus, this section covers every bit of Microsoft 365 efficiencies, deploying and supporting Office and Windows in general, analyzing the capabilities in Microsoft 365, and applying the Microsoft 365 collaboration solutions.

  Test-takers should be able to know about initiating and utilizing the Office productivity apps, business management, workflow management, and capabilities of the Microsoft 365 Admin center as well as the user portal of Microsoft 365. It also proves the aspirant’ understanding of Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS), Windows Virtual Desktop, Microsoft 365 apps deployment, alongside viable Microsoft 365 collaboration solutions. Moreover, candidates have to realize processes of extending Office and Microsoft Teams with Power Platform and other third-party apps.

• Compliance, Privacy, Security, and Trust in Microsoft 365

  The next comprehensive exam domain implies that the candidate has the necessary knowledge for explaining zero-trust security principles for the Microsoft 365 product, information governance and protection solutions, key endpoint management concepts, access and identity management concepts, threat protection, and Service Trust portal.

  What’s more, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, eDiscovery scenarios and use cases, as well as Cloud App Security concepts are some of the most notable skills covered in this exam domain.

• Microsoft 365 Support and Pricing Description

  This is the last exam domain that validates candidates’ knowledge related to predicting and planning the prices, figuring out the licensing options for Microsoft 365, stating the service lifecycle of Microsoft 365, and available support offerings for Microsoft 365.

  The vendor suggests that test-takers should be able to demonstrate their deep understanding of the Cloud Solution Provider pricing model, skills in cost optimization, alongside the ability to state the available licensing and management options for products like Azure Active Directory P1, Azure Active Directory P2, and Azure AD Basic. And finally, every applicant has to know how to figure out the service health status through the Microsoft 365 dashboard.

Money Minting Ability after Passing Microsoft MS-900

IT enthusiasts who have aced the MS-900 exam are ready to take the first confident steps in the IT industry with their verified foundational expertise in Microsoft 365 cloud services. They can apply for positions such as Support Specialist, IT Manager, Technology Support Specialist, or Windows Administrator at the entry level. The annual salary according to Indeed.com website for these positions is about $52,896.

Career Advancement after Microsoft MS-900

As quoted above, the Microsoft MS-900 exam is related to an entry-level certification helping IT enthusiasts to start a career related to the Microsoft 365 platform. After earning this one, you can level up your skills by opting for one of these associate-level certifications:

• Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator Associate
• Microsoft 365 Messaging Administrator Associate
• Microsoft 365 Teams Administrator Associate
• Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate