Microsoft Certification Exam Cost in 2026: What You Will Actually Pay

Microsoft Fundamentals exams such as AZ-900 and SC-900 list at US$99, and Associate and Expert exams such as SC-200, AZ-104 and AZ-305 typically cost US$165. The price follows the country where you sit the exam, taxes may apply, every retake is paid, and renewing a role-based certification is free.

By MSCertQuiz Team · Last verified October 2026 · Published 2 October 2026

The full bill: every cost between you and the badge

Most “exam cost” pages stop at one number. The exam fee is the biggest line, but it is not the only one, and some lines are zero. This is the whole ledger for a typical candidate.

Why are there two price tiers?

Microsoft’s own FAQ says Associate and Expert exams “typically cost US$165” but are priced to local currency values, that prices can change, and that tax may be added in some countries. It does not print the Fundamentals figure in the same paragraph. The US$99 Fundamentals price comes from the Pearson VUE store, which sells Microsoft exam vouchers in exactly two products: a US$165 Microsoft voucher and a US$99 Fundamentals voucher. See the Microsoft FAQ and the Pearson VUE listing.

One practical consequence: a Fundamentals exam is not just easier, it is about 40 percent cheaper than an Associate exam, so a failed AZ-900 costs you less than a failed SC-200. If you are weighing a Fundamentals exam first, our AZ-104 value breakdown shows how the two tiers fit into a cert path.

Which tier is my exam in? Price table for all 57 certifications we cover

Microsoft’s exam pages show the price only after the page loads for your country, so the table below sorts each exam into the band that Microsoft’s own pricing statements support. “Check exam page” means we could not confirm the tier from a Microsoft source and would rather say so than guess. Each row links to the practice exam for that certification.

Retirement dates come from Microsoft’s exam retirement page, which as of this check lists MS-102 as the only exam scheduled to retire in the next 12 months. Update dates for SC-200 and AB-730 come from their SC-200 and AB-730 certification pages. A content update does not change the price, but it does change when your preparation goes stale.

How much do Microsoft exams cost outside the US?

Microsoft’s exam pages state that the price is based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored. Microsoft publishes a country price list at aka.ms/certificationExamPrice, and the cleanest way to see your number is to open the exam page and choose your country before you pay. We only quote local-currency figures we could attribute, so UK, euro-area, Canadian and Australian amounts are deliberately left out here rather than estimated from a US conversion.

SC-200 and other Associate exams in India

A volunteer Microsoft Q&A moderator answering a question about official India fees reported INR 3,691 for AZ-900 and INR 4,865 for AZ-104 and AZ-800 when India is selected on the exam page. That matches the shape of the US tiers: one lower Fundamentals price, one higher Associate price. Because Microsoft treats Associate and Expert exams as one tier, an Associate exam like SC-200should land in the INR 4,865 band, but the figure is a community-reported snapshot, tax can be added, and the SC-200 page is the final word. Two India-specific rules are worth knowing: Microsoft’s student discount excludes India and China, and beta exams are not open to candidates in China, India, Pakistan or Türkiye.

What does the exam fee include, and what does it not?

• Included: one attempt, delivered by Pearson VUE, online or at a test centre in most regions. Online proctoring is available in most but not all countries.
• Not included: a second attempt. You wait 24 hours after the first fail, then 14 days between later attempts, with a cap of five tries in 12 months, and you pay each time. The retake policy has the full rules; our passing score and question count guide covers what you need to score, so we will not repeat it here.
• Not included: a safety net for late changes. Reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours ahead or the fee is forfeited. You can also hold at most two scheduled Pearson VUE exams at a time and book no more than 90 days ahead, per Microsoft’s scheduling rules.
• Optional add-on: Exam Replay bundles one exam voucher with one retake of the same exam, both to be used within 12 months of purchase and bought through Pearson VUE. It is worth pricing against a possible second attempt if you are unsure you will pass first time. We have not quoted its price because Microsoft does not print it on that page.

Online proctored or test centre: does it change the price?

Microsoft quotes one price per country or region and does not publish a separate online discount or surcharge, so choose on logistics, not cost. Microsoft’s own description is that test centres suit people who want a pre-configured quiet room, while online suits those who can meet the room and software rules themselves. The costs that actually differ are indirect: travel to a centre, versus a possible second appointment if online check-in fails. If your exam is booked, confirm the final total at checkout.

Are there legitimate ways to pay less, or nothing?

There is no standing free voucher. What exists is a set of time-limited offers, and it pays to know which ones are real so you do not pay full price by default.

For the offers themselves, see Microsoft’s offers page and student discounts. Our walk-through of getting a Microsoft certification for free goes deeper on the practical steps, and our note on new beta exams in 2026 tracks which ones are currently open.

Does it cost anything to renew?

No. Microsoft says renewals are free: you pass a short, unproctored, open-book online assessment on Microsoft Learn inside a six-month window before expiry, and the certification extends by one year. There is no cap on renewal attempts as long as you pass before the certification expires, per the retake policy. Fundamentals certifications do not expire at all. So the ongoing cost of an Associate credential is your time, not a second exam fee. Our renewal guide covers the process, and do Microsoft certifications expire explains which ones lapse.

What does it cost to get certified, start to finish?

Three worked examples using the US tiers above and our real prices. They are arithmetic, not pass-rate claims: practice material lowers your odds of paying for a retake, it does not remove them.

Our own prices, from the pricing page: US$19.99 one-time per certification with lifetime access and 500 questions, or US$14.99 per month or US$110 per year for every certification. Each certification page lets you try 40 questions free before you pay, and a 7-day refund applies if you have completed under 25 percent of the questions (see the refund terms). Whether paid prep is worth it at all is a fair question, and free versus paid exam prep gives the honest comparison. If you are heading for a specific exam, start with its SC-200 study guide, cheat sheet and free practice questions, then the SC-200 practice exam. Browse the whole catalogue on the certifications hub.

Prices drift and exams change, so check our 2026 exam changes tracker if you booked weeks ago.

Frequently asked questions

How we verified this

Checked on 2 October 2026 by the MSCertQuiz Team against Microsoft Learn: the exam FAQ, retake policy, reschedule and cancellation policy, register and schedule, online exams, renewal, student discounts, beta exams, offers and retirement pages, plus the SC-200, AZ-900 and AZ-802 exam pages. The US$99 figure comes from the Pearson VUE store, and the India figures from a Microsoft Q&A moderator answer, so we label both as such. Exam prices are dynamic and subject to change, so treat the price on the Microsoft exam page for your country as final. Our own prices were read from the live pricing page and checkout.