The SC 900 online exam runs 45 minutes and is booked through Pearson VUE, or through Certiport if you qualify as a student or educator. Microsoft's exam page does not spell out check-in steps, accepted ID, or online-proctoring rules directly, so those follow Pearson VUE's and Certiport's own standard candidate policies rather than anything specific to this exam.
Exam-day questions are where most official Microsoft exam pages go quiet, and SC-900 is no exception. Here is what is actually confirmed, and where you need to check Pearson VUE's or Certiport's own policies directly rather than trust a guess.
What is confirmed for SC-900 exam day
| Item | What we know |
|---|---|
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Booking routes | Pearson VUE (standard), Certiport (students and educators) |
| Delivery mode split | Not explicitly separated by Microsoft's exam page |
| Check-in and ID rules | Not published on the SC-900 exam page; follow your booking provider's policy |
| Retake if you fail | 24-hour wait before rebooking |
SC-900 online exam versus test center
Microsoft's SC-900 exam page offers scheduling "through Pearson Vue" and separately "through Certiport if you are a student or an educator," but it does not clearly state which of those routes is online-proctored and which is in-person at a test center. If the distinction matters to your plans, confirm it directly in the booking flow for your account and region before you commit to a date, rather than assuming either option based on general expectations about Microsoft exams.
Exam-day tips that do not depend on unpublished details
Even without official check-in specifics from Microsoft, a few things are true regardless of delivery route:
- Book your slot with margin before any work commitments, since check-in and setup for online-proctored exams typically take longer than test-center check-in.
- Test your equipment and connection ahead of time if you are taking an online-proctored route, since technical issues during the session are your responsibility to prevent, not the proctor's to fix mid-exam.
- Have your booking confirmation and government-issued identification ready regardless of route, since some form of photo ID is standard practice across Pearson VUE and Certiport bookings even though Microsoft's SC-900 page does not restate that policy.
- Arrive or log in with time to spare rather than exactly at your slot time, since a late start can affect your remaining exam time or eligibility to sit that day.
Where to check the actual online-proctoring rules
Because Microsoft's SC-900 exam page does not restate Pearson VUE's or Certiport's candidate policies, treat those providers' own current policy pages as the source of truth for anything specific: accepted identification, room and desk requirements, prohibited items, and what happens if your connection drops mid-exam. Do not rely on a secondhand summary, including this one, for those operational details — they change independently of the SC-900 exam itself.
After exam day
If you pass, your certification, Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals, is issued to your Microsoft account. If you do not pass, Microsoft's retake policy requires a 24-hour wait before rebooking, and the wait for later attempts varies, so check that policy directly before scheduling again. Either way, review the exam format and scoring page to understand your result, see cost and booking if you need to book a retake, and check validity and renewal to see how long your certification lasts once you have it.
If you are not ready yet
If reading through exam-day logistics has you wondering whether you are actually prepared, back up and check the exam objectives against your current knowledge, then follow a study plan before you book a date. Showing up on exam day with solid coverage of the material matters far more than any single logistics tip on this page.
Exam facts on this page come from Microsoft’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.