AZ-900 exam cost and booking: why no single fee is printed here, and the rules that cost candidates the fee anyway

AZ-900 candidates rarely lose money on the exam itself. They lose it around the exam. A course and a second attempt arrive after a budget built on the fee alone, and a date moved with 20 hours' notice forfeits the whole fee.

This page explains why no single fee is printed here, what to budget for and the booking rules as Microsoft Learn states them. They were checked against Microsoft's documents in October 2026.

How much does the AZ-900 exam cost?

There is no single answer, and this page will not invent one. Microsoft sets exam prices by the country or region where you take the exam. The price shown when you schedule is the one that applies.

A figure copied from a forum may be another country's price, or an old one. Check Microsoft Learn's exam pricing page for your country before you plan, and again when you book. Allow for any tax on top.

What the fee buys matters more than its size: one attempt. A failed exam is paid again, which is why the fee is only one line of the budget.

What does the full budget look like?

There are six cost categories. Most candidates plan for the first and meet the rest later.

The three budgets differ in training, not in the exam fee. The economy budget uses Microsoft's free Learn path, practice assessment and sandbox, and a free account. The standard budget adds one paid course or question bank. The intensive budget adds an instructor-led course. In every budget, keep a reserve for a second attempt.

Then cut where it does not risk the pass. Ask your employer to pay, especially if it is a Microsoft partner, a firm that resells or manages Azure for clients. Microsoft has at times offered free or discounted vouchers through training events and student programmes. Check the current offers, and read each voucher's expiry date and which exams it covers.

Students may also find discounted exams through their school and Certiport, the provider for exams taken through schools.

Money is the easier risk. Your profile is the one that can end exam day before it starts.

What must your Microsoft Learn profile and ID show?

You book through your Microsoft Learn profile, the account where you schedule exams and see results. Two details decide whether the booking holds.

First, Microsoft strongly recommends a personal Microsoft account, not a work or school account. If you leave that organisation, records held under its account are lost and cannot be recovered.

Second, the profile must hold your legal name exactly as it appears on your identity document. If the names do not match, you will not be able to sit the exam.

Pearson VUE, the company that delivers Microsoft exams, checks your identity before every exam. Bring a current, government-issued photo ID with your name exactly as on your profile. Pearson VUE sets the detailed rules by country, so read its identification rules for yours when you book.

Can you get extra time?

AZ-900 is offered in 13 languages, including English, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. If it is not offered in your preferred language, the study guide states that you can request an additional 30 minutes.

Candidates with a documented disability can request accommodations, such as extra time. Request either before you schedule. Processing can take up to 20 days, so start the week you decide.

How do booking, rescheduling and retakes work?

Book in five steps, in this order:

1. Sign in to Microsoft Learn with your personal Microsoft account and check your legal name.
2. Request extra time or any accommodation first, if you need one.
3. Open the Azure Fundamentals page and choose to schedule with Pearson VUE.
4. Choose your language, a test centre or online delivery, and a date that fits the end of your plan.
5. Pay, or apply a voucher, then save the confirmation and set reminders.

You can book no more than 90 days ahead, and hold at most two Microsoft exam appointments through Pearson VUE at a time. Students taking the exam through their school may book through Certiport instead.

Reschedule or cancel through your Learn profile at least 24 hours before the appointment. With less notice, the fee is forfeited, and so is a voucher if you used one.

If you fail, you can retake the exam after 24 hours. After that, you must wait 14 days between attempts. You may take the same exam no more than five times in 12 months, and you pay for each attempt. Once you pass, you cannot retake the exam while your certification is valid.

What happens on exam day and after?

At a test centre, bring your ID and arrive early. Centres check your identity and photograph you before the exam. Everything else goes in the locker you are given.

Online, run Pearson VUE's system pre-check on your computer before you register, then the system test again on the day. You need a private room, a clear desk, a webcam and a stable connection. Close every other application and start the exam from your Learn profile.

The exam clock keeps running during any break. After a break, you cannot return to the questions you saw before it, so answer everything first.

For most exams, Microsoft shows your result within minutes of finishing. The score report shows your overall score, pass or fail and a bar chart of your performance in each skill area. Results reach your Learn profile within 24 hours, and Microsoft issues a digital badge you can share.

What to do next

Open your Microsoft Learn profile today. Check which account it uses and whether your legal name matches your ID exactly. If you need extra time, request it now. Then look up the price for your country and fill in three budget levels, including the retake reserve.

Chapter 9 of the book lists every cost, and the budget template in Appendix C sets out all three levels for your own prices. Appendix D holds message templates for name, voucher, extra time, result and question-challenge problems. To choose a date your hours can support, read the AZ-900 study plan. For the weeks that follow, see what to do after you pass AZ-900.