How to Pass Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) in 2026: Complete Study Guide

# How to Pass Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) in 2026: Complete Study Guide MS-900 is Microsoft's foundational certification for anyone starting their journey with Microsoft 365. It covers the cloud concepts underpinning M365, the full suite of productivity and collaboration apps, security and compliance features, and the licensing and support options available. No prerequisites and no prior experience required — this is the ideal starting point. ## Exam Format at a Glance | Detail | Value | |--------|-------| | Exam code | MS-900 | | Full name | Microsoft 365 Fundamentals | | Cost | $99 USD | | Number of questions | 40–60 | | Time allowed | 45 minutes | | Passing score | 700 / 1000 | | Prerequisites | None | | Renewal | Every year via free online assessment | The exam includes multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and scenario-based questions. Expect questions about which M365 feature solves a business problem, not about detailed configuration steps. ## Domain Breakdown | Domain | Weight | |--------|--------| | Describe cloud concepts | 10–15% | | Describe Microsoft 365 apps and services | 45–50% | | Describe security, compliance, privacy, and trust in Microsoft 365 | 25–30% | | Describe Microsoft 365 pricing, licensing, and support | 10–15% | Microsoft 365 apps and services dominate the exam at nearly half the content. Security and compliance is the second most important domain. Prioritize these two areas. ## Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (10–15%) ### IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS | Model | Who manages | Examples with M365 | |-------|-------------|-------------------| | IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) | Customer manages OS, apps, data; cloud provides hardware | Azure VMs running a custom app | | PaaS (Platform as a Service) | Customer manages apps and data; cloud manages runtime and OS | Azure App Service, Azure SQL Database | | SaaS (Software as a Service) | Cloud manages everything; customer just uses the app | Microsoft 365 itself, Teams, SharePoint Online | Microsoft 365 is a SaaS product. The entire platform — infrastructure, patching, updates, availability — is managed by Microsoft. ### Shared Responsibility Model In SaaS (like M365), Microsoft handles physical security, network, OS, and application. Customers remain responsible for: - Identity and access management (who can log in) - Data governance (what data is stored and retained) - Device compliance (whether endpoint devices are managed) - User education (phishing awareness) 💡 **Exam Tip:** In SaaS, the customer's primary responsibility is **identity management and data governance**, not infrastructure. This is why Entra ID and Purview are so important in Microsoft 365. ## Domain 2: Microsoft 365 Apps and Services (45–50%) ### Core Productivity Apps | App | Primary function | |-----|----------------| | Word / Excel / PowerPoint | Document creation and editing | | Outlook | Email and calendar | | Teams | Chat, meetings, calling, and file collaboration | | SharePoint | Team sites, intranets, document libraries | | OneDrive | Personal cloud file storage | | Exchange Online | Cloud-hosted email service (backend for Outlook) | | Viva suite | Employee experience platform (see below) | ### Microsoft Teams Teams is the central collaboration hub in Microsoft 365. Key capabilities: - **Chat**: Persistent chat with individuals and groups - **Meetings**: Scheduled video meetings, channel meetings, webinars, live events - **Calls**: PSTN calling via Microsoft Teams Phone (requires calling plan or direct routing) - **Files**: Every Teams channel has a document library backed by SharePoint Teams is built on top of Microsoft 365 groups — creating a team automatically creates a SharePoint site, Exchange mailbox, and OneNote notebook. ### SharePoint vs OneDrive | | SharePoint | OneDrive | |-|-----------|----------| | Purpose | Team and departmental collaboration | Personal file storage | | Sharing | Designed for broad sharing within teams | Personal, share selectively | | Teams integration | Teams channels store files in SharePoint | My files in Teams uses OneDrive | | Storage | Pooled per organization | 1 TB per licensed user | ### Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an AI assistant integrated into Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps. It uses large language models combined with your organization's data in Microsoft Graph. Requires a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 (or Business Standard/Premium) license plus a Copilot add-on ($30/user/month). ### Viva Suite Microsoft Viva is a suite of employee experience tools: | Viva app | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Viva Learning | Integrate learning content (LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, SharePoint) into Teams | | Viva Engage | Community platform (formerly Yammer, rebranded) | | Viva Insights | Personal, manager, and leader analytics on work patterns | | Viva Goals | OKR (Objectives and Key Results) tracking | | Viva Connections | Company intranet and news feed inside Teams | ## Domain 3: Security, Compliance, Privacy, and Trust (25–30%) ### Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) Entra ID is the identity and access management backbone of Microsoft 365. Every M365 organization has an Entra ID tenant. Key features: - **Single Sign-On (SSO)**: One login for all M365 apps and integrated third-party apps - **Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)**: Additional verification beyond password - **Conditional Access**: Grant or block access based on conditions (device compliance, location, risk level) - **Privileged Identity Management (PIM)**: Just-in-time admin access (P2 feature) - **Identity Protection**: AI-driven risk detection for compromised accounts (P2 feature) ### Microsoft Intune Intune is the Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) service in Microsoft 365. | Feature | MDM (Device Management) | MAM (App Management) | |---------|------------------------|---------------------| | Enrollment required | Yes | No | | What is managed | Entire device | Only enrolled apps | | Best for | Corporate-owned devices | BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) | | Can wipe device | Full wipe | Selective app wipe only | ### Defender for Office 365 Defender for Office 365 protects M365 apps against email-based threats: - **Safe Links**: Scans URLs in emails and documents at click time - **Safe Attachments**: Opens attachments in a sandbox before delivery - **Anti-phishing**: Machine learning-based impersonation and spoofing detection - **Attack Simulation Training**: Send simulated phishing emails to train users ### Microsoft Purview (Compliance) Microsoft Purview covers data governance and compliance: | Feature | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Sensitivity Labels | Classify and protect documents/emails (encrypt, add watermark, restrict access) | | Retention Policies | Keep data for a minimum period OR delete after a maximum period | | Data Loss Prevention (DLP) | Detect and prevent sharing of sensitive information (credit cards, SSNs) | | eDiscovery | Search, hold, and export content for legal investigations | | Communication Compliance | Monitor communications for regulatory violations | | Compliance Manager | Track compliance posture against standards (ISO 27001, GDPR, etc.) | 💡 **Exam Tip:** Sensitivity Labels protect content (encryption, access restrictions). Retention Labels manage lifecycle (how long to keep or when to delete). These are different features in Purview that can be applied independently to the same document. ## Domain 4: Pricing, Licensing, and Support (10–15%) ### Microsoft 365 Business Plans (up to 300 users) | Plan | Key inclusions | Monthly price | |------|---------------|--------------| | M365 Business Basic | Teams, SharePoint, Exchange, web apps | ~$6/user | | M365 Business Standard | Adds desktop Office apps, Teams Phone | ~$12.50/user | | M365 Business Premium | Adds Intune, Defender for Business, Entra ID P1 | ~$22/user | | M365 Apps for Business | Desktop Office apps + OneDrive only | ~$8.25/user | ### Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans (unlimited users) | Plan | Key inclusions | |------|---------------| | M365 E3 | M365 Business Premium features + Entra P1 + Purview P1 + no user limit | | M365 E5 | Adds Defender for Office 365 P2, Entra P2, Purview P2, Sentinel, Teams Phone | ### Microsoft Support Plans | Plan | Level | Cost | |------|-------|------| | Basic | Documentation and community forums | Free | | Developer | Non-production environments | $29/month | | Standard | Business hours support | $100/month | | Professional Direct | Priority routing, advisory services | $1,000/month | ## 2-Week Study Plan | Day | Focus | |-----|-------| | 1–2 | Cloud concepts: IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, shared responsibility, public/private/hybrid cloud | | 3–4 | M365 core apps: Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange Online, Outlook | | 5–6 | Viva suite, Microsoft Copilot, Teams Phone, Microsoft 365 groups | | 7 | Review days 1–6, take a practice quiz | | 8–9 | Security: Entra ID, Intune MDM vs MAM, Defender for Office 365 | | 10–11 | Compliance: Purview sensitivity labels, retention, DLP, eDiscovery | | 12 | Licensing: Business plans (Basic/Standard/Premium), Enterprise (E3/E5) | | 13 | Full practice exam on CertLand | | 14 | Review wrong answers, final review of security and licensing | ## Recommended Resources - Microsoft Learn MS-900 learning path (free, ~8 hours) - Microsoft 365 documentation for Teams, SharePoint, and Purview - MS-900 practice assessments on Microsoft Learn - Practice exam on CertLand ## Final Tips MS-900 rewards broad knowledge over deep technical expertise. The most common mistake is ignoring the licensing domain — questions about which plan includes which feature (e.g., "does Business Standard include Intune?") are straightforward if you have memorized the plan tiers. Spend time on the comparison tables in this guide and practice with scenario questions until service selection feels automatic. --- [Start practicing with our MS-900 exam — 340 questions covering all four domains on CertLand](/exams/microsoft-365-fundamentals-ms-900-340-questions).