12.5 Scoring, Retakes, and After-Exam Decisions
Key Takeaways
- A score of 700 or greater is required to pass, and Microsoft uses scaled scoring.
- Microsoft does not publish an official SC-900 pass-rate percentage.
- After a first failed attempt, Microsoft requires a 24-hour wait before retaking; later attempts require a 14-day wait, up to five attempts in a 12-month period from the first attempt.
- Candidates cannot take the same exam again after passing merely to improve a score because Microsoft Fundamentals certifications do not expire.
Treat the Score as Scaled, Not Raw Percentage
Microsoft requires a score of 700 or greater to pass SC-900. Do not translate that into a raw percentage of questions correct. Microsoft uses scaled scoring, and the source brief does not provide a raw-correct formula. Your final review should focus on objective coverage and scenario accuracy, not on trying to reverse engineer the score model.
Microsoft also does not publish an official SC-900 pass-rate percentage. If you see a claimed pass rate in a course ad, forum post, or social media thread, do not turn it into a study assumption. Your target is competence against the current skills measured: concepts, Entra, security solutions, and compliance solutions. Practice scores are diagnostic, not official predictions.
| Rule | Current source-brief fact | What it means for candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Passing score | 700 or greater | This is the scaled passing threshold. |
| Raw percentage | Not provided by Microsoft | Do not equate 700 with a raw percent. |
| Official pass rate | Not published | Ignore unsupported pass-rate claims. |
| First failed attempt | 24-hour wait before retaking | Use the wait to review misses. |
| Later failed attempts | 14-day wait between subsequent attempts | Plan deeper remediation. |
| Attempt limit | Five attempts in a 12-month period from the first attempt | Do not use attempts as casual practice. |
| After passing | No repeat attempt merely for a higher score | Fundamentals credentials do not expire. |
If You Pass
- Save your result and certification information according to Microsoft account guidance.
- Record which domains felt weak so your next certification path starts with a useful baseline.
- Do not schedule the same exam again just to chase a higher score.
- Move from fundamentals review into role-based or workload-specific learning only after checking current Microsoft pages.
If You Do Not Pass
- Use the waiting period as a structured review window.
- Sort weak areas by official domain rather than rereading everything equally.
- Rebuild product-selection rules from the questions you remember conceptually.
- Take another timed set only after you have repaired the largest gaps.
Retake planning should be calm and factual. A failed first attempt requires a 24-hour wait. Subsequent attempts require 14 days between attempts, and a candidate may not take a given exam more than five times in a 12-month period from the first attempt. Those limits make it inefficient to treat the live exam as practice. Use practice assessments and chapter quizzes for rehearsal, then schedule when your weak patterns are specific and shrinking.
The non-expiring nature of Microsoft Fundamentals certifications is also important. It means SC-900 is a durable foundation credential rather than a credential with a recurring renewal cycle. After passing, the better next step is to choose a follow-on learning path that fits your work goal, such as security operations, identity, compliance, or Azure security, while verifying that the target certification is current.
What does a score of 700 or greater represent for SC-900?
After a first failed SC-900 attempt, what waiting period does the source brief identify before retaking?
Why should candidates avoid relying on an official SC-900 pass-rate percentage?