What is the AZ-900 passing score in 2026?

You need 700 or higher out of 1,000. Microsoft reports every technical exam on a 1 to 1,000 scale, and the exam scoring policy sets the 700 pass mark. The score is scaled, so 700 is a point on a curve that subject matter experts set against question difficulty. It is a threshold, not a percentage of questions answered correctly.

Does the AZ-900 passing score of 700 mean you got 70 percent of the questions right?

No. Microsoft says a scaled score may not equal 70% of the points, because an easier question form needs more points to pass and a harder form needs fewer. Your report gives one overall number and bars per skill area, and Microsoft says those bars cannot be used to work out how many questions you answered correctly. So no honest conversion into 35 of 50 exists.

How many questions can I get wrong and still pass the AZ-900?

Microsoft does not say, and it publishes no per-exam question count for the AZ-900. It publishes a general guideline of 40 to 60 questions for its exams. Plan against the skill weights instead. About a third to two fifths of the paper covers Azure architecture and services and another third covers management and governance. There is no penalty for guessing, so a blank answer scores nothing while a guess can score points.

How long is the AZ-900 exam, and how much time do you get per question?

You get 45 minutes of exam time inside a 65-minute seat, and 5 of those minutes are an optional break with the clock still running. Across a 40 to 60 question form that works out at about 67 seconds per question on a short form and 45 on a long one, or 60 and 40 if you take the full break. Microsoft Learn is closed during a Fundamentals exam, so you cannot look anything up.

What happens if you fail the AZ-900, and what does a retake cost?

You can book another attempt 24 hours after a first failure. Every attempt after that needs a 14-day gap, the exam is capped at five attempts in 12 months, and every attempt is charged in full at $99 in the US. A candidate who fails twice and passes on the third sitting spends $297 and loses about 15 days of waiting.

How do AZ-900 and the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner differ as a first cloud certification?

The AZ-900 is the shorter one. It runs 45 minutes for 40 to 60 questions, has no prerequisite and has no penalty for guessing. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam runs 90 minutes for 65 questions, but only 50 of those affect the score and the scoring is compensatory, so no section carries a minimum. Neither exam needs a prerequisite, and both use a 700 pass mark.

AZ-900 Passing Score - Is 700 Really 70% of Questions?

What is the AZ-900 passing score, and what does 700 mean?

The AZ-900 is the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam, a beginner-level credential with no prerequisite. Microsoft's exam scoring policy sets the bar at 700 or more, and the official AZ-900 study guide lists the skills tested.

Every Microsoft technical exam is reported on a scale of 1 to 1,000. The score is scaled, so it comes from a curve rather than a straight count. That policy says a scaled score "may not equal 70% of the points". Subject matter experts set the threshold against question difficulty. Easier forms need more points to pass. Harder forms need fewer.

Your report gives one overall number and a bar chart for each skill area. Microsoft says that chart cannot show how many questions you answered correctly.

Scaled score - a number from 1 to 1,000 that sits on a curve rather than counting correct answers
Unscored questions - some questions carry no points and are only checked for quality
Guessing - no penalty, since a wrong answer earns no points

The US list price is $99 per attempt, and every attempt is charged in full. Microsoft shows prices by country, so check yours on the exam page. You can sit again 24 hours after a first failure. Every attempt after that needs a 14-day gap. Five attempts cost $495 and add about 43 days of waiting. Two failures before a pass cost $297 and add about 15 days.

Is a scaled 700 the same as getting 70% of the questions right?

A percentage of questions right is simple. You count the correct answers and divide by the number of questions. A scaled score works differently. It is a number placed on a curve set for each exam form.

Because the curve moves, 700 can stand for a different share of the points on each form. That is why the shortcut of 700 equals 70 percent equals 35 of 50 questions fails. Microsoft's scoring policy gives two reasons. The scaled score may not equal 70% of the points. The skill-area chart cannot show a count of correct answers.

Skill area	Official weight	On a 40-question form	On a 50-question form	On a 60-question form
Describe Azure architecture and services	35 to 40 percent	14 to 16 questions	18 to 20 questions	21 to 24 questions
Describe Azure management and governance	30 to 35 percent	12 to 14 questions	15 to 18 questions	18 to 21 questions
Describe cloud concepts	25 to 30 percent	10 to 12 questions	13 to 15 questions	15 to 18 questions
Total	90 to 105 percent, since each weight is a range	about 40 questions	about 50 questions	about 60 questions

These are planning estimates, not published counts. The largest block is Azure architecture and services, at 14 to 24 questions depending on the form. Management and governance is next, at 12 to 21. Cloud concepts is the smallest, at 10 to 18.

How much time do you get per question in the 45-minute exam?

The exam clock runs for 45 minutes. The whole sitting is booked as 65 minutes, which includes the instructions and the agreement screens. Microsoft built a 5-minute break into that time and cut questions to make room. The break is optional. The clock keeps running while you are on break. You cannot return to a question you saw before the break.

Exam time - 45 minutes of timed questions
Optional break - 5 minutes built into the 45, with the clock still running
Microsoft Learn - closed during Fundamentals exams, with no extra time added

Divide the minutes by the number of questions to get your budget. The first figure below uses all 45 minutes. The second assumes you spend a full 5 minutes on a break.

Exam form	Questions	Seconds per question, no break	Seconds per question, 5-minute break
Smallest form	40	67	60
Mid form	50	54	48
Largest form	60	45	40

Microsoft Learn also stays closed during a Fundamentals exam, so you cannot look up an answer mid-test.

What happens if you fail the AZ-900?

If you miss the AZ-900 passing score on the first attempt, Microsoft's retake policy sets the rules. Wait 24 hours and you can book again. After that, every attempt needs a 14-day gap. You can take the exam five times in 12 months, and every attempt is paid in full.

That policy turns one weak morning into a calendar problem. It also gives you a plan, because you get 14 days and a report showing where you lost points. Read the skill-area bars and put your revision time into the lowest ones. Our guide to Azure certification cost covers the fees.

Should you book AZ-900 or AWS Cloud Practitioner first?

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Cloud Practitioner is the other common first cloud credential. It has no prerequisite either. The AWS Cloud Practitioner exam guide lists 65 questions in 90 minutes. Only 50 of them affect the score. The price is $100 in the US, and the pass mark is 700 on a scale of 100 to 1,000.

Two differences matter if cloud is new to you. The AZ-900 runs for half the time. The AWS exam scores 50 of its 65 questions. Its scoring is compensatory, so no section carries a minimum. AWS says up to six months of AWS exposure is expected, but not required.

Exam length - 45 minutes on the AZ-900, 90 minutes on the AWS exam
Pass mark - 700 on both, on a 1 to 1,000 scale for Microsoft and 100 to 1,000 for AWS

Choose AZ-900 when the jobs you want ask for Azure. Choose the AWS Cloud Practitioner when they ask for Amazon Web Services (AWS). If you are still unsure which cloud fits, read our guide to the best cloud certifications for career growth. To try the AWS side first, use our AWS Cloud Practitioner practice test samples.

Criteria	AZ-900 - Microsoft Azure Fundamentals	AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
Minimum passing score	700	700
Score scale	1 to 1,000	100 to 1,000
Exam duration	45 minutes	90 minutes
Seat time	65 minutes	Not published
Total questions	40 to 60, no published count	65, made up of 50 scored plus 15 unscored
Price in the US	$99	$100
Scoring model	Scaled and difficulty-adjusted	Compensatory, no section minimum

What should you do next?

Start with the free Practice Assessment on the exam page and score it under the 45-minute clock. Give your next study block to the skill area with the lowest bar. Put the 14-day rule in your calendar before you book, so a waiting period is planned. The next step after the AZ-900 is covered in our Azure Administrator Associate certification guide.

The AZ-900 passing score target is 700 on a scaled 1 to 1,000 scale, not a percentage of questions right. The published skill weights tell you where the points sit. The retake policy prices a failure in fees and waiting days.

Photo: kaboompics, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-grass-acer-digital-762548/)

AZ-900 Passing Score - Is 700 Really 70% of Questions?

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