AB-900 is the exam behind Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals, the certification that validates foundational knowledge of supporting, securing, and protecting an AI-enabled Microsoft 365 environment. It reached general availability in February 2026, and if the retired MS-900 was on your plan, this is where that plan now starts.
This page covers what the exam tests, how the 45-minute format works, the free official resources worth your time, and how to prepare with structure.
Updated June 2026 against the official Microsoft Learn exam page and AB-900 study guide.
What is the AB-900 exam?
AB-900 (full name: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals) is the beginner-level Microsoft certification exam for administrators of AI-enabled Microsoft 365 environments. It is a 45-minute proctored exam delivered through Pearson VUE, generally available since February 2026, and it validates foundational knowledge of administering Copilot and agents alongside the classic Microsoft 365 services. The headline facts:
- 45-minute proctored exam, scheduled through Pearson VUE, or through Certiport for students and educators.
- Beginner level. No prerequisite certification. You should be familiar with Microsoft 365 core services and the admin centers (Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, Entra, Purview).
- Passing score: 700 or greater on Microsoft’s scale, per the official study guide.
- Delivered in English as of the June 2026 check of the exam page. If an exam is not available in your preferred language, Microsoft lets you request an additional 30 minutes to complete it.
- The credential earned is a fundamentals certification: Microsoft’s annual renewal requirement applies to associate, expert, and specialty certifications, not this tier.
- Exam pricing is published on the Microsoft Learn exam page for your country or region when you schedule.
Two Copilots share a name, so one disambiguation up front: AB-900 is the Microsoft 365 Copilot administration exam. The GitHub Copilot certification is a different exam (GH-300), offered by GitHub.
The exam entered beta in November 2025 and went GA in February 2026, which makes it one of the newest exams in the Microsoft catalog. That matters for preparation: the material targets current product behavior, and study resources that predate the November 2025 beta do not exist for it.
Copilot vs agents: what AB-900 means by each
- Copilot is the built-in AI assistant across Microsoft 365 apps. Admins license it, control its features, and monitor its usage.
- Agents are custom AI workers that organizations build and deploy. Admins approve, monitor, and manage them across the Microsoft 365 admin center and the Power Platform admin center.
AB-900 tests the administration of both.
What replaced MS-900, MB-910, and MB-920?
AB-900 is the closest current fundamentals exam for the space those retirements left, on the Microsoft 365 administration side. The dates, per Microsoft’s retired certifications list:
- November 2025: AB-900 enters beta.
- December 31, 2025: MB-910 and MB-920 (Dynamics 365 Fundamentals, CRM and ERP) retire.
- February 2026: AB-900 reaches general availability.
- March 31, 2026: MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals) retires.
Compared with MS-900, the material is updated for what administration looks like in 2026: Copilot licensing, agent governance, and AI data protection sit next to the classic users-groups-mailboxes material. If your study plan said “start with MS-900,” the current equivalent move is to start here.
MB-910 and MB-920 covered Dynamics 365, not Microsoft 365 administration. If that was your track, the maker-side entry point is PL-900, still offered with no retirement announced as of June 2026 (free PL-900 training here), and our Power Platform certification guide maps the rest of that path.
AB-900 study guide: what the exam covers
The official study guide breaks the exam into three skill areas, with the weights Microsoft publishes:
| Skill area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Identify the core features and objects of Microsoft 365 services | 30-35% |
| Understand data protection and governance tasks for Microsoft 365 and Copilot | 35-40% |
| Perform basic administrative tasks for Copilot and agents | 25-30% |
Skills measured change over time; this table was checked against the official study guide in June 2026.
What each area means in practice:
Microsoft 365 core services (30-35%)
- Licensing effects on feature access, org settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center
- Exchange Online mailboxes and distribution lists; SharePoint sites, libraries, and permissions; Teams admin center objects
- Security principles: Zero Trust, authentication methods, conditional access, single sign-on (SSO)
- Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Defender XDR (extended detection and response), audit logs, and Privileged Identity Management
Data protection and governance (35-40%)
- Microsoft Purview capabilities: Information Protection, data loss prevention (DLP), Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, data security posture management (DSPM) for AI, Data Lifecycle Management
- Sensitivity labels, data classification, and retention
- How Copilot accesses data through Microsoft Graph and respects permissions; responsible AI principles
- Oversharing detection and data access governance reports in SharePoint
Copilot and agent administration (25-30%)
- Copilot versus agent capabilities; the monthly license model versus pay-as-you-go
- Enabling and disabling Copilot features; use cases for Researcher, Analyst, and custom agents
- Assigning licenses, billing policies, and monitoring usage with Copilot Analytics
- The agent lifecycle: access configuration, creation, approval, and monitoring across the Microsoft 365 and Power Platform admin centers
If you administer Microsoft 365 today, roughly a third of this is ground you already walk. The data protection and governance section carries the heaviest weight and is the newest material, so plan most of your study time there.
Free AB-900 study resources on Microsoft Learn
Start with what Microsoft gives you at no cost:
- The official study guide lists every skill measured, with the bullet-level detail the table above summarizes.
- The free official practice assessment. Take it before you study to find your gaps, and again before you schedule.
- The exam sandbox lets you walk through the exam interface itself, so question mechanics are not a surprise on test day.
- Microsoft Learn self-paced paths for Microsoft 365, Copilot, and Purview documentation cover every topic on the guide.
These are genuinely sufficient for an experienced Microsoft 365 administrator with the discipline for self-study.
AB-900 practice exam options
For practice questions, the order to exhaust them in:
- The free official practice assessment above. Always first: it is free, official, and scored against the real skill areas.
- A paid practice test if you want a larger question bank and repeated full-length runs: MeasureUp lists an official AB-900 practice test.
- Structured prep with an instructor, if self-study stalls or you want the material connected to real tenant administration rather than memorized. That is the course we are building (below).
A caution that applies to every Microsoft exam: avoid “dumps” sites that promise real exam questions. They violate the exam agreement and can cost you the certification.
Prepare with a Microsoft Learning Partner
Citizen Development Academy is a Microsoft Learning Partner. Partner status governs the courseware and trainer standards we operate under; it does not mean Microsoft endorses or reviews our courses or this guide.
We have trained Power Platform and Dynamics 365 professionals through the PL-900 path and the wider course catalog for years, in live online classes delivered by Microsoft Certified Trainers. AB-900 prep is the newest addition to that line.
AB-900 training: live instructor-led prep course
Our AB-900 training course is in development, built on the official AB-900 study guide and Microsoft Learn paths and delivered live by Microsoft Certified Trainers. The format follows the rest of our catalog: live online sessions, hands-on admin-center walkthroughs, and a practice-assessment review before you schedule the real exam.
The waitlist gets first access to the schedule and enrolment when it opens.
AB-900 FAQ
How long is the AB-900 exam?
45 minutes, proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE (Certiport for students and educators).
What score do I need to pass?
700 or greater, per the official study guide.
What languages is it offered in?
English, as of the June 2026 check of the exam page. If an exam is not offered in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes of exam time.
Does the certification expire?
Microsoft’s annual renewal requirement applies to associate, expert, and specialty certifications. AB-900 earns a fundamentals certification, which is not on that list.
How much does the AB-900 exam cost?
Exam pricing varies by country or region and is published on the Microsoft Learn exam page when you schedule, through Pearson VUE (Certiport for students and educators).
Is AB-900 the same as the GitHub Copilot certification?
No. The GitHub Copilot exam is GH-300, run through GitHub. AB-900 is the Microsoft 365 Copilot and agent administration exam.
Is AB-900 the replacement for MS-900?
MS-900 retired on March 31, 2026. AB-900 is the current fundamentals exam for the Microsoft 365 administration space, with Copilot and agent administration added to the classic core-services and security material.
Is there a free practice test?
Yes. Microsoft publishes a free official practice assessment, plus an exam sandbox that demos the test interface.