Preparing for and Taking an Exam – FAQ

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Microsoft Certification exams are available in a variety of languages. Inquire with your exam provider about available languages for specific exams. If an exam is not available in your native language and you must take it in English, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete it. You must make this arrangement before appearing at the testing center. Please explain your needs to your exam provider when you register for the exam.

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Microsoft is dedicated to developing technology that is usable by and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. If you are unable to take a Microsoft Certification exam, either using standard testing equipment or within the standard exam duration, the Microsoft Certification program is committed to making all reasonable efforts to accommodate you.

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Exams typically cost US$125 but are priced according to currency values in specific countries and regions. Certification exam prices are subject to change. In some countries and regions, additional taxes may apply. Beta exams are free.

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Yes, you can take advantage of the Microsoft volume discount on Microsoft Certification exams. When you purchase exam vouchers in quantities of 20 or more, you receive a 10 percent discount. The vouchers are good for one year from the date of purchase. To purchase vouchers, call your test registration center. This exam voucher volume discount is available in limited areas. The offer is valid in the following countries and regions.

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The exam preparation guide for each exam offers a "Skills measured" section that you can review, as well as a list of preparation tools and resources provided by Microsoft. The best way to prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam is to practice the skills listed in the preparation guide.

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We do not provide information about the number of questions included on each exam. This practice helps protect exam security and the value of Microsoft Certifications.

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The time varies from one exam to another, but it will not exceed four hours under normal circumstances. In addition to answering the exam questions, you will have time to review instructions and provide comments after the exam is completed. To request the duration of your exam, contact Prometric, the Microsoft Learning test provider; however, because Microsoft reserves the right to change the exam content and time at any time, the most accurate information will be obtained if you contact Prometric on the day of your exam.

The testing software provides a notification screen before the exam begins that shows the maximum time allowed for answering the questions in that exam. Some candidates may complete the exam before reaching the maximum time.

Microsoft is dedicated to developing technology that is usable for and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. If certification candidates are unable to take a Microsoft Certification exam within the standard exam duration, the MCP program is committed to making all reasonable efforts to accommodate these candidates.

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Individuals vary in their approaches to test taking, so there is no one approach that works for everyone. However, these tips help most candidates:

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To return to the question immediately preceding the question that you are answering, use the Previous button. To return to any other questions, use the Review Screen at the end of the section or the exam. In some exams, you cannot return to a section of the exam after you have left it; these sections will be clearly indicated during the exam.

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Our exam preparation guides list key tasks that subject-matter experts have identified as important for the technology area covered by the exam—but they do not list all subtopics related to the key tasks. The preparation guides list subtasks that might be included on the exam, but the actual exam might include other subtasks. Also, some questions might reference technologies that are outside the focus of the exam in order to provide appropriate context for the question. Candidates who fit the audience profile for the exam should have the experience to understand this contextual information.

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If you have feedback about an instructor-led Microsoft training course, you can provide it directly to the instructor. If you have feedback about a Microsoft E-Learning course, complete the feedback form that appears when you complete the course. For Microsoft Press books, use the following link.

Microsoft does not review study materials developed by third parties and is not responsible for their content. If you have questions or comments about exam preparation materials developed by third parties, please contact the publishers directly.

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All learning materials related to exams, including Microsoft training and Microsoft Press resources, are developed independently of exam content, because the exams are intended to assess real-world experience with the technology, not the effectiveness of training materials. Although these materials are designed to help candidates prepare for the exam, it is expected that qualified candidates will have sufficient experience in working with the technology to successfully perform the tasks described in the test questions.

Use the exam preparation guide to identify which Microsoft training resources cover the skills represented in the exam. For a variety of reasons, including the time available for the course, it is not always feasible to cover all the exam objectives in a classroom environment. However, Microsoft works hard to ensure that some form of training material exists for all skills that will be measured on an exam.

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You will receive notification of your pass or fail status immediately upon completing your exam. In addition, you will receive a printed report that provides your exam score and feedback on the skills measured. The exam provider will forward your score to Microsoft within five working days of your test.

Beta exam results: You will be notified by mail of your beta exam results about 8-10 weeks after the beta period ends. Some beta exams require additional time for results to be processed. Call your test registration center for more information.

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If you do not pass a certification exam and want to retake it, review the exam preparation guide and continue to practice the necessary skills. When you are ready, call your test registration center to schedule a retake in accordance with our retake policy. Note that you must pay for each exam you retake.

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Microsoft Certification exams include various formats and question types, which are applied on a per-item basis to accurately evaluate the candidate's knowledge and skills.

Microsoft is continually introducing innovative testing technologies.

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No. Microsoft does not identify the formats of any given exam at the time of registration. Also, we adopt new testing technologies and question types periodically. Both practices help us protect exam security and the value of Microsoft Certification.

To get a feel for the exam testing technologies, we encourage you to take Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) practice tests offered through Microsoft Certified Practice Test Providers. The following tips may also help you.

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Selectable elements are marked with a border and shaded when you move your cursor over them.

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Click an element to select it. The area around the element will become dim to indicate that it has been selected. Click the element again to cancel the selection. To reverse all selections, click the Reset button.

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You can use the split bar to resize panes. In some cases, you might need to use the scroll bar to view the entire text of the question or the entire graphic.

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To fill in a text box, drag the appropriate text element to the text box. To replace the text in a text box, drag another text element to the text box. To remove the text, drag the text element back to its original location.

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To select an option or a check box, you can either click the option or check box or click the text of the option or text box.

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To clear an option, you can either click another option within the same group or click the text of another option within the same group. To reverse all selections, click the Reset button.

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To clear a check box, you can either click the selected check box or click the text of the selected check box.

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You can use the split bar to resize panes. In some cases, you might need to use the scroll bar to view the entire text of the question or the entire graphic.

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In some active-screen questions, not all elements in the dialog box will be active.

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Drag the appropriate source objects to the correct target locations in the answer area. Target locations are indicated by a dimmed box. When a source object is within a target, an outline will appear around the dimmed box. The object will snap into position when you release the mouse button.

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You can either drag the object back to its original position or select the object and press the DELETE key. To replace objects that have been positioned on a target, you can also drag another object into its position. To reverse all selections, click the Reset button.

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You can use the split bar to resize panes. In some cases, you might need to use the scroll bar to view the entire text of the question or the entire graphic.

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You might not need to use all source objects or targets provided. Depending on the question, plausible distractors may be included in either list.

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Some source objects can be used only one time, while some can be used more than once. A source object will appear deactivated when its use limit is reached. To use this source object again, remove an instance of it from the answer area.

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Drag source objects from the list of choices to the answer list, and arrange the objects in the correct order. You can also click a source object to select it, and then click the LEFT ARROW key to move the object from the list of choices to the bottom of the answer list.

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To reorder objects in the answer list, drag an object to the correct location in the answer list. You can also click an object to select it, and then use the arrow buttons to move the object. Note that the arrow buttons might be unavailable based on the location of the selected object.

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To remove an object from the answer list, drag the object from the answer list to the list of choices. You can also select the object and press the DELETE key, or select the object and then click the LEFT ARROW key. In all these cases, the object will be returned to the list of choices.

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To remove all objects from the answer list, click the Reset button.

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The case study exam format uses complex scenarios that more accurately simulate what Microsoft Certified Professionals do on the job. A case study model also allows us to test your ability to analyze and synthesize information to make decisions.

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No, you will not be able to review a case study after you move to the next one. When you complete a case study and its associated questions, a review screen will appear. This screen lets you review your answers and make changes before you move to the next case study.

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Scenario-based questions are designed to test your ability to analyze and synthesize information in order to make decisions—not to test memory. You can refer to scenario details as frequently as necessary while you are working on questions in a case study.

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Click one of the round buttons in the left pane. If a list of sections (for example, Business Requirements or Company Information) appears under the button, click one of them to display its content. To return to a question from a case study, click the Question button in the left pane.

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Traditionally, Microsoft uses the format for exam items that most accurately evaluates the candidate's knowledge and skills. Such formats may include:

There are certain skills that are more accurately validated through direct hands-on methods like simulations and lab-based testing. This varies from exam to exam.

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To date, the following exams include performance-based items:

Note that this list is subject to change at any time. Some exceptions apply in selected regions.

In the future, most Microsoft technical certification exams will include performance-based items.

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Simulations restrict you to a small number of expected paths to complete exam tasks, whereas virtual labs allow for any path and tool available in a real computing environment, as long as the result is correct.

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At this time, only Exam 83-640 includes virtual labs testing items. This exam is currently available in English only and in certain countries. Since the virtual labs testing items validate the same skills and knowledge as the multiple-choice items, candidates should not take any different approach to exam preparation.

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Not at this time. Note that when enough testing centers in a region have demonstrated that they can deliver performance-based exams, only the performance-based version of the exam will be available to customers in that region. In other words, all of the testing centers in a given region will deliver the performance-based version of the exam.

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Performance-based exams will eventually be available in all testing centers.

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The decision to apply performance-based testing is made on an exam-by-exam basis when Microsoft determines that it is the best method to validate a particular skill. Some exams have many performance-based questions, and some exams have few or none.

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There are certain skills that are better tested by more traditional formats, such as multiple-choice questions. The number of hands-on tasks in an exam depends on the skills being measured.

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No. The skills that are tested do not change; therefore, retesting is not necessary.

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No. As with non-lab-based exams, we recommend that you use exam preparation guides to find out the subject areas, knowledge, and skills that are required to pass the exam. When an exam is updated with a new lab-based testing item, the skills measured remain the same.

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Yes, these exams are typically longer than exams that do not contain performance-based items.

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Here is some general information about exam scoring:

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There are several important pieces of information on the score report:
Your scaled score and pass/fail status: All Microsoft Certified Professional exams are scaled so that a passing score is 700. Any score of 700 or greater is a "pass." Any score below 700 is a "fail." Different passing scores do not reflect different levels of examinee knowledge.

Because of the way Microsoft sets the cut score, we cannot guarantee that an examinee who scores 900 is more knowledgeable in the exam's topic area than an examinee who scores 800. We can only say that both examinees are at least minimally qualified. The same is true for failing scores. An examinee who scores 400 is not necessarily less knowledgeable in the exam's topic area than an examinee who scores 600. In this case, both examinees fail to meet the minimum qualifications for the certification. This is why your exam scores do not appear on your transcript.

Your section scores: The bars on the score report show your relative performance in the various subject areas covered by the exam--the longer the bar, the stronger your performance in that area. The length of the bars does not correspond to the number of questions you answered correctly on that subject. Additionally, because the subject areas contain varying numbers of items, the length of any bar or combination of bars does not correspond directly to your overall exam score or Pass/Fail status.

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The score report details the areas in which a candidate demonstrates technical strength and the areas in which the candidate shows a need for improvement. The report provides a numeric score for overall exam performance as well as a bar graph for each subject area of the exam.

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Microsoft provides numeric scaled scores on all exams that provide the candidate with some indication of their level of performance on the exam. Microsoft has worked with customers and testing industry experts to create an exam scale that would be consistent across all exams. The scale requires a minimum passing score of 700 on all exams. If you receive a score of 700 or above, it means that you are at least minimally qualified; if you receive a score below 700, it means that you are not minimally qualified. Because of the way we set our cut scores, no other judgments about the numerical score obtained can be made.

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The bars indicate how strongly an examinee performed on each skills section of the exam. The closer the bar comes to the strong end of the continuum, the higher the score on that skills section. The closer the bar is to the "needs development" end of the continuum, the lower the score in that skills section.

These results will help all examinees determine areas where they have strengths and where they need improvement. The skills sections listed on the score report correspond to those listed in the skills matrix provided in the Exam Preparation guide.

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No. The score report provides a numerical score to reflect pass/fail status only, in order to prevent confusion. Because exam sections often contain a different number of questions, combining their numerical results would rarely provide an accurate final exam result. As an alternative to providing a numerical score for each section, we provide score bars to show an overview of areas of strength and weakness relative to overall performance.

On upgrade exams, however, candidates must pass all sections in order to pass the exam because each section represents a feeder exam. As a result, these candidates receive a numerical score for each component exam.

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Each section of the exam may contain a different number of questions; therefore, the relative results on individual exam sections might 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.

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In most cases, each item is worth one point; however, some questions or question types may be worth more than one point. Microsoft does not provide information about how many points specific items are worth.

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No. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers; if you answer incorrectly, you will simply not earn the credit associated with answering correctly.

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Microsoft is committed to continually updating exam content and utilizing innovative testing techniques. Our goal is to increase the relevance of our exams, offer a more comprehensive and valuable certification, and ensure the security of exam content. To gather the data needed to update and improve the quality of exams, we need to present new content to candidates without counting the results toward their score.

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No, it does not indicate an error. It is not uncommon for candidates to obtain similar or identical scores on multiple attempts of an exam. Receiving the same score on multiple attempts does not indicate that the program computing the results is in error.

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The number of questions that appear for each section is determined by subject matter experts. As a result, some sections have more questions than others. It is not uncommon to score zero when a section contains relatively few questions.

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In some cases, you may experience a delay of up to a minute while your next question loads. Prometric's software is designed to accommodate this event. A delay between questions does not impact the responses you have recorded. Your exam will be scored correctly regardless of delays between questions.

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No. By not providing this information, we are better able to maintain exam security.

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Although Microsoft Certification exams provide feedback about the areas where examinees need to develop their skills further, Microsoft Certification exams are not designed to provide detailed feedback. We encourage you to use practice tests from Microsoft Certified Practice Test Providers (PTPs) as diagnostic tools to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

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To help protect exam security and the value of Microsoft Certification, we cannot share information about which items you missed. This is a standard practice in the certification industry. The bars on the score report show your relative performance in the various subject areas covered by the exam.

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Our exam-retake policy helps to ensure that candidates take the necessary time to prepare for their exam, and to prevent unauthorized use and/or piracy of the exams or any of their content.

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No. Exams cannot be rescored. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please submit an Item Challenge form.

If you experienced technical difficulties during the exam, please contact Prometric customer service.

To offer other types of feedback, please contact your regional service center or the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Program Help Center.

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

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Periodic replacement of exam content helps ensure that the most up-to-date information is included in the exams and allows for technical updates to exams.

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Performance-based testing requires candidates to perform tasks rather than simply answer questions. This discourages candidates from memorizing questions.

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Cheating is any activity that negatively affects the integrity and/or security of the Microsoft Certification program or enables an unqualified candidate to pass an exam.

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As explained to all exam candidates at the testing centers, if a candidate violates testing rules, the candidate is permanently ineligible for any Microsoft Certification and may lose any Microsoft Certifications the individual already holds. Proctors at testing centers are authorized to respond immediately and appropriately against candidates who are caught violating testing rules. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to, using notes brought into the testing center (whether on crib sheets or electronically), copying test questions, bringing any electronic equipment (such as cell phones) into the testing room, and looking at the monitors of other test takers.

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A "braindump," as it relates to the certification exams, is the practice of copying and sharing actual certification exam questions—or questions that are very similar to the actual questions. Braindump providers, including Web sites and printed study materials, are in violation of Microsoft intellectual property rights and non-disclosure agreements.

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Braindump users may have memorized enough information to pass an exam, but they do not have the requisite knowledge to manage Microsoft software or systems effectively. Hiring managers find this out eventually. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. Please inform Microsoft if you think you have discovered a braindump site.

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Proxy testing occurs when someone takes an exam for another candidate.

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

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Corrective action—up to and including removal from the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program and prohibiting the taking of any Microsoft Certification exams—will be taken against any candidate who obtains certification through proxy testing, even if the candidate did not intend to defraud the MCP program. Furthermore, giving your identification and credit card information to an unknown entity on the Internet could put you at risk of credit card fraud or identity theft. If you believe a Web site or company provides proxy test-taking services, please inform Microsoft immediately.

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

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If Microsoft determines that a candidate has falsified a score report, the candidate will be ineligible to take any future Microsoft exams and their MCP credentials may be revoked.

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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 is maintaining the security outlined by Microsoft and Prometric. 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 Prometric. If you have a concern about the security of your exam experience, please contact tctips@microsoft.com or Prometric.

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Test center administrators act inappropriately when they fail to follow through on any of the Microsoft and Prometric security policies. Examples could include, but are not limited to, overlooking inappropriate candidate identification; failing to ask for an ID from each candidate; failing to conduct periodic walkthroughs; failing 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.

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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.

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Send an e-mail message to tctips@microsoft.com, 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 Web sites have been terminated. Due to the volume of e-mail we receive, you may not always receive a personal response.

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We appreciate your feedback about the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program and your testing experience. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please submit an Item Challenge form.

To report a concern about a test center or technical difficulties experienced during your exam, please contact Prometric customer service.

To offer other types of feedback, please contact your Regional Service Center or the MCP Program Help Center.

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We work closely with Prometric to ensure that each and every test center delivers a satisfactory experience. Unfortunately, candidates may experience a technical issue during an exam. Prometric’s software is designed to accommodate this event and saves your responses after each item. If you have feedback about your testing experience, please contact Prometric's customer support. Prometric will work with the testing center to investigate and resolve the issue.

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If you believe a question on a Microsoft Certification exam is invalid, you can request an evaluation of that question. You must submit your request within three calendar days of taking the exam. The evaluation process helps us identify and correct problematic questions, and adjust exams accordingly. However, exams cannot be rescored.

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A Microsoft employee will conduct an initial evaluation. If additional evaluation is needed, an independent subject-matter expert (technical and job-function expert) will review and evaluate the challenge. This process may require evaluation and input from a number of people.

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No. Microsoft applies a rigorous exam development process to ensure the technical accuracy, clarity, relevance, and objectivity of our certification exams. Furthermore, given the credentials of the independent subject-matter experts and the respect they garner from the IT community, we consider their evaluation final.

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No. By not providing this information, we are better able to maintain exam security.

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No. To help protect exam security, we keep the rationale for challenge decisions confidential. The evaluation remains a part of Microsoft records until the exam is retired. All feedback is compiled and carefully considered as Microsoft makes decisions on how to improve the overall quality of the exam.