Microsoft — Fundamentals Level

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900)

Your starting point for the Microsoft 365 ecosystem: cloud concepts, Microsoft 365 apps and services (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Intune, Viva, Copilot), security with Entra ID and Defender XDR, Microsoft Purview compliance, and the licensing maze (E3, E5, Business Premium, F3). 60 scenario-based practice questions.

MS-900 6 Modules ~20 hours Beginner 60 practice questions Updated 2026
Start Practice Quiz Listen on Spotify
Field Details
Exam CodeMS-900
Questions40–60 multiple-choice, drag-drop, case study
Duration45 minutes
Passing Score700 / 1000
Price$99 USD
RecertificationNone (fundamentals certs don't expire)
Recommended ExperienceGeneral IT knowledge, cloud basics
PrerequisitesNone

Exam Domain Weights

Domain 1 — Describe Cloud Concepts ~10-15%
Domain 2 — Describe Microsoft 365 Apps and Services ~30-35%
Domain 3 — Describe Security, Compliance, Privacy, and Trust ~25-30%
Domain 4 — Describe Microsoft 365 Pricing, Licensing, and Support ~25-30%

Course Modules

Module 01
Cloud Concepts & Microsoft 365 Overview
Lay the foundation for the entire exam. Understand public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployment models, the differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS (Microsoft 365 is SaaS), the benefits of cloud computing (scalability, elasticity, agility, OpEx vs CapEx), and the shared responsibility model that defines what Microsoft secures vs what you secure.
public/private/hybrid IaaS/PaaS/SaaS SaaS = M365 shared responsibility OpEx vs CapEx elasticity
Module 02
Collaboration Services: Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams
Tour the four pillars of Microsoft 365 productivity. Master Exchange Online for enterprise email and calendaring, SharePoint Online for document management and intranets, OneDrive for Business for personal cloud storage and file sync, and Microsoft Teams as the unified hub for chat, channels, meetings, and calls. Understand how these services interconnect.
Exchange Online SharePoint OneDrive Teams chat channels meetings Teams Phone
Module 03
Microsoft Viva, Power Platform & Copilot
Explore the modern productivity layer. Learn the Microsoft Viva employee experience suite (Connections, Engage, Insights, Learning, Topics), the Power Platform low-code stack (Power BI for analytics, Power Automate for workflows, Power Apps for business apps, Power Pages for sites), Microsoft 365 Copilot for AI-assisted productivity in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, and Microsoft Loop for collaborative workspaces.
Viva Connections Viva Engage Viva Insights Viva Learning Power BI Power Automate M365 Copilot Microsoft Loop
Module 04
Device Management: Intune, Windows 365, AVD
Manage and secure the modern endpoint. Master Microsoft Intune for Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM), app protection policies for BYOD scenarios, Windows Autopilot for zero-touch device provisioning, and the difference between Windows 365 (per-user Cloud PC, flat pricing, SaaS) and Azure Virtual Desktop (Azure infrastructure, multi-session Windows 11 Enterprise, more flexible).
Intune MDM Intune MAM app protection Autopilot Windows 365 AVD Cloud PC
Module 05
Identity & Security: Entra ID, Zero Trust, Defender XDR, Purview
Cover the largest Microsoft 365 security concepts. Understand Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) as the identity backbone, multi-factor authentication, Conditional Access policies, and the Zero Trust principles (verify explicitly, least privilege, assume breach). Tour the Defender XDR family — Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps — and Microsoft Purview for sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, and eDiscovery.
Entra ID MFA Conditional Access Zero Trust Defender XDR Purview sensitivity labels DLP eDiscovery
Module 06
Licensing, Pricing & Support
Decode the Microsoft 365 plan jungle. Compare Business plans (Basic, Standard, Premium — for SMB up to 300 seats) vs Enterprise plans (E1/E3/E5 — unlimited seats), Education (A1/A3/A5), Frontline workers (F1/F3 — discounted shift-worker plans), the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, FastTrack onboarding for 150+ seat customers, and the Microsoft Unified support plans (vs Premier Support legacy).
Business Basic/Std/Premium E1/E3/E5 A1/A3/A5 F1/F3 Copilot add-on FastTrack Unified Support
Test your knowledge as you study 60 scenario-based questions covering all 4 MS-900 domains. Instant explanations for every answer.
Take the Quiz Podcast

Key Concepts to Master

Concept 1

Microsoft 365 vs Office 365

This trips up nearly everyone. Microsoft 365 bundles Windows 11 Enterprise + Enterprise Mobility & Security (EMS) + Office 365. So Microsoft 365 E3 = Office 365 E3 + Windows 11 Enterprise E3 + EMS E3. Office 365 alone is just the productivity apps and cloud services (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams) — no Windows license, no Intune. If a question mentions managing Windows devices or includes Intune, it's M365, not O365.

Concept 2

Microsoft 365 Plan Decoder

E1 = cloud services only, no installable Office apps (web/mobile only). E3 = E1 + installed Office apps + basic security/compliance + Intune. E5 = E3 + advanced security (full Defender XDR) + Power BI Pro + Teams Phone + advanced compliance (Insider Risk, Communication Compliance, Records Management). When a scenario needs Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, or advanced threat protection, the answer is almost always E5.

Concept 3

FastTrack is NOT Premier Support

FastTrack is a free migration and deployment guidance benefit included with eligible subscriptions of 150+ licenses — it helps you onboard, migrate mailboxes, and roll out services. It is not reactive break-fix support. Premier Support (now Microsoft Unified) is a paid plan with a Technical Account Manager (TAM) and 24/7 incident response. The exam loves to mix these up — read the question carefully.

4-Week Study Plan

Week 1
Cloud Concepts & Collaboration Services Complete Modules 1 and 2. Make sure you can articulate IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS with examples (M365 = SaaS), the public/private/hybrid models, and the shared responsibility split. Then walk through Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Take the first 20 practice questions.
Week 2
Viva, Power Platform, Copilot & Devices Complete Modules 3 and 4. Memorize each Viva module's purpose (Connections = intranet, Engage = social, Insights = wellbeing, Learning = LMS, Topics = knowledge mining). Compare Windows 365 vs Azure Virtual Desktop side-by-side. Take 20 more practice questions.
Week 3
Identity & Security Deep Dive Complete Module 5 — the largest single domain. Learn Entra ID basics (formerly Azure AD), MFA, Conditional Access, Zero Trust principles, and the four Defender XDR pillars (Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, Cloud Apps). Review the Microsoft Learn MS-900 learning path for any gaps.
Week 4
Licensing, Support & Full Practice Complete Module 6. Memorize the E1/E3/E5 feature matrix (especially what is E5-exclusive: Defender XDR advanced, Power BI Pro, Teams Phone). Take the full 60-question practice test, review every wrong answer, and re-test until you score >85% consistently.

Top 4 Mistakes on the MS-900 Exam

⚠
Mixing up E3 vs E5 features E5 adds Defender XDR advanced capabilities (Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Defender for Identity), Power BI Pro, Teams Phone, and advanced compliance (Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Records Management, Customer Lockbox). If the question mentions any of these, the answer is E5.
⚠
Confusing Windows 365 with Azure Virtual Desktop Windows 365 is a per-user Cloud PC with flat predictable pricing (SaaS) — fastest to provision, simplest to manage. Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) uses Azure infrastructure pricing, supports multi-session Windows 10/11 Enterprise (multiple users on one VM), is more complex but far more flexible. SMB or simple? Windows 365. Cost-optimized, multi-user shared desktops? AVD.
⚠
Thinking Microsoft Entra ID is separate from Azure AD They are the same product. "Microsoft Entra ID" is the 2023 rebrand of "Azure Active Directory." The exam will use both names interchangeably — don't second-guess yourself when you see "Azure AD" in one question and "Entra ID" in the next. Same identity service, same features, same SKUs (P1, P2).
⚠
Confusing Viva Engage with Viva Connections Viva Engage is the social/community network (formerly Yammer) — discussion communities, storylines, leadership posts. Viva Connections is the intranet dashboard inside Microsoft Teams that surfaces SharePoint news, resources, and dashboard cards. One is social, one is intranet. The exam tests this distinction directly.

MS-900 vs AZ-900 — What's the Difference?

Many IT pros take both as complementary credentials. MS-900 is easier and more business-focused; AZ-900 is slightly more technical. There is no required order — pick whichever maps to your day job first.

MS-900 — M365 Fundamentals

  • Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams
  • OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Loop
  • Intune MDM/MAM & Windows Autopilot
  • Microsoft Viva & Power Platform
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot
  • Defender XDR & Microsoft Purview
  • E1/E3/E5, Business Premium, F3 licensing
  • Focus: business productivity layer

AZ-900 — Azure Fundamentals

  • Azure Compute (VMs, Containers, Functions)
  • Azure Storage (Blob, Files, Queues)
  • Azure Networking (VNets, Load Balancer)
  • Azure AD / Entra ID identity
  • Azure Monitor & Cost Management
  • Azure Policy & Resource Manager
  • Azure pricing calculator & SLAs
  • Focus: cloud infrastructure layer

Related Certifications

AZ-900
Azure Fundamentals
Beginner · Microsoft
SC-900
Security & Compliance
Beginner · Microsoft
AZ-104
Azure Administrator
Intermediate · Microsoft
AZ-500
Azure Security Engineer
Advanced · Microsoft

Ready to Practice?

60 scenario-based questions covering all 4 MS-900 exam domains. Immediate feedback with detailed explanations. No signup, no paywall.

Start the Quiz — Free Listen on Spotify
MS-900 exam tips on the CertQuests podcast →