Fundamentals
Lifetime · no prereqsEntry credentials that never expire. One for security, one for Microsoft 365 Copilot administration.
Microsoft Certification Practice Exams
Beginner
Microsoft 365 Copilot · no prereqsBusiness-user and leadership credentials in the Copilot / AI track. No code required.
Associate
Role-based · renew yearly (free)Hands-on security roles across Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, and Purview.
Expert
Architect tier · prereqs applySenior architecture credentials for security strategy and agentic-AI solution design.
Microsoft's portfolio in this catalog splits into two distinct, independent tracks. Neither requires the other — pick the one that matches your role.
SC-series — Microsoft Security
Built around Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, and Purview. Best entry path for security analysts, identity admins, and information-protection specialists working in Microsoft 365 / Azure environments.
- SC-900 Fundamentals — the on-ramp. Security, compliance, and identity concepts across Microsoft cloud services. No prereqs. Lifetime credential — no renewal required.
- SC-200 Security Operations Analyst — Defender XDR, Sentinel SIEM/SOAR, threat hunting, incident response. The SOC analyst path.
- SC-300 Identity & Access Administrator — Microsoft Entra ID, conditional access, identity governance, app integration.
- SC-401 Information Security Administrator — Microsoft Purview information protection, data loss prevention, retention, insider risk, and protection of data used by AI services. SC-401 supersedes the retired SC-400 Information Protection Administrator.
- SC-100 Cybersecurity Architect Expert — capstone. Translates strategy into Zero Trust architectures spanning identity, devices, data, AI, apps, network, infrastructure, and DevOps. Microsoft strongly recommends passing AZ-500, SC-200, or SC-300 first.
AB-series — Microsoft 365 Copilot, agents, and AI
Built around Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, and Foundry Tools. A relatively new Microsoft certification line aimed at administrators, business users, business leaders, and AI solution architects.
- AB-900 Copilot & Agent Administration Fundamentals — IT-admin on-ramp for Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents: core services, security, identity, data protection, governance. Lifetime credential — no renewal required.
- AB-730 AI Business Professional — for business users. Daily generative-AI productivity with Copilot, Researcher, and Analyst across Outlook, Word, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel. No coding.
- AB-731 AI Transformation Leader — for business decision-makers. Identify AI opportunities, plan adoption, champion responsible AI, align investments with business goals. No coding.
- AB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect — senior expert credential. Designs multi-agent orchestrated, secure, scalable AI solutions across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Copilot Studio, and Foundry Tools. Requires at least one qualifying associate certification — Azure AI Engineer, Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (beta), Power Platform Functional Consultant or Developer, Power Automate RPA Developer, or several Dynamics 365 Associate credentials.
Renewal — the Microsoft quirk worth knowing
Microsoft Fundamentals certifications (SC-900, AB-900) do not expire. Every other certification on this page must be renewed once a year — but the renewal is free, unproctored, open-book, taken online via Microsoft Learn, focuses on recent product updates rather than the full original blueprint, and can be retaken as often as needed during the six-month eligibility window before expiry. There is no fee and no proctoring centre to visit.
Exam pricing
Microsoft no longer publishes a single global USD price on its exam pages — the price you see at booking depends on your country and currency. Historical US pricing has been around $99 USD for Fundamentals and $165 USD for role-based associate and expert exams; confirm the exact figure in your Microsoft Learn profile when you schedule with Pearson VUE.
Why Microsoft skills matter
Microsoft 365 and Azure are deeply embedded in enterprise environments globally, so Microsoft security certifications double as enterprise-IT credentials — Defender, Sentinel, Entra ID, and Purview show up wherever Microsoft 365 is the productivity stack. The AB-series is newer and reflects the rapid enterprise rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and the Foundry agent platform. Pricing and salary impact for AB-series credentials are still settling as the market matures.
Which Microsoft certification should I start with?
Choose by track. For security, start with SC-900 (Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals) — no prerequisites, broadest base, valid for life. For Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI, start with AB-900 (Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals) for IT admins, or AB-730 (AI Business Professional) if you're a non-technical business user. SC-900 and AB-900 are the only two Microsoft Fundamentals exams in this catalog and never expire.
What is the difference between the SC-series and AB-series?
SC-series covers Microsoft security: SC-900 (fundamentals), SC-200 (Security Operations Analyst), SC-300 (Identity and Access Administrator), SC-401 (Information Security Administrator — Purview, DLP, retention), and SC-100 (Cybersecurity Architect Expert). AB-series covers Microsoft Copilot, agents, and AI-driven business transformation: AB-900 (Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals), AB-730 (AI Business Professional), AB-731 (AI Transformation Leader), and AB-100 (Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect). They are independent tracks — neither requires the other.
Do Microsoft certifications expire?
Microsoft Fundamentals certifications (SC-900, AB-900) do not expire — they are lifetime credentials. Role-based associate, expert, and specialty certifications (SC-200, SC-300, SC-401, SC-100, AB-100) must be renewed annually. Renewal is free, takes about 30 minutes, is unproctored, open-book, and taken online via Microsoft Learn during a six-month eligibility window before expiry. You can retake the renewal assessment as many times as needed before your certification expires.
What does the renewal assessment look like?
Renewal assessments are shorter than the original exam, open-book, unproctored, and free. They focus on recent technology and product updates rather than re-testing the full original blueprint. You access the renewal directly from your Microsoft Learn profile when your six-month renewal window opens. Pass the assessment to extend your certification one year from the current expiration date.
Are these practice exams really free?
Yes. Each exam page on Nex Arc offers 10 free practice questions with detailed explanations. No credit card required. For access to full-length practice exams with hundreds of additional questions per certification, see our premium courses.
Does SC-100 have prerequisites?
Microsoft strongly recommends that candidates first pass an associate-level security certification — AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer), SC-200 (Security Operations Analyst), or SC-300 (Identity and Access Administrator) — before taking SC-100. The SC-100 instructor-led course documents this prerequisite explicitly. Without that grounding, the expert-level scenario questions are difficult to navigate.
What happened to SC-400?
SC-400 (Information Protection Administrator Associate) was succeeded by SC-401 (Information Security Administrator Associate). SC-401 expands the scope beyond classification and labelling to cover Microsoft Purview information protection, data loss prevention, retention, insider risk management, and protection of data used by AI services. If you held SC-400, your credential transitioned to the new role; if you're starting fresh, take SC-401.
Does AB-100 require prerequisites?
Yes. AB-100 (Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect) requires earning at least one qualifying associate-level certification first. The qualifying list includes Azure AI Engineer Associate, Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (beta), Power Platform Functional Consultant or Developer Associate, Power Automate RPA Developer Associate, and several Dynamics 365 Associate credentials (Business Central, Customer Service, Field Service, Finance, Supply Chain, Customer Experience Analyst, Finance & Operations Apps Developer). The full current list is on Microsoft Learn.
How long does it take to prepare for Microsoft exams?
Fundamentals (SC-900, AB-900) typically take 2–3 weeks of part-time study. Associate-level security exams (SC-200, SC-300, SC-401) take 6–8 weeks at 1–2 hours per day. SC-100 Expert takes 10–14 weeks and assumes the prerequisite associate certification plus hands-on Microsoft security experience. AB-730 and AB-731 take 3–4 weeks for business-focused candidates. AB-100 is a senior-level credential — plan 10–16 weeks on top of the prerequisite associate certification.
How much do Microsoft certification exams cost?
Microsoft no longer publishes a single global USD price on the exam pages — pricing varies by country and currency and is shown when you schedule with Pearson VUE. Historically, Fundamentals exams have been priced around $99 USD in the US, and role-based associate and expert exams around $165 USD in the US. Confirm the exact price for your region in your Microsoft Learn profile before booking. Exams are administered by Pearson VUE; SC-900, AB-900, and AB-100 can also be scheduled through Certiport for students and educators.