Microsoft Certification Prep Guide
A practical preparation guide for Microsoft certification exams.
This page is a practical preparation guide for Microsoft certification exams. It is not a certification catalog. To choose a certification first, use the Microsoft certification guide.
Start with the official Microsoft pages
Use these pages as your source of truth before you pay for any exam.
- Microsoft Learn credentials browse
- Microsoft exam registration and scheduling
- Microsoft certification poster
How to choose your preparation path
If you are new to Microsoft cloud, start with a Fundamentals exam. If you already work with Microsoft products, choose by role and workload.
Study method
Use this sequence:
- Read the Microsoft Learn certification page first, and confirm the exam status, registration path, price, language support, and exam provider.
- Set a realistic target exam date to create some external pressure. The date does not need to be perfect, but it should be specific enough to give your study plan a clear rhythm.
- Review the measured skills or exam objectives.
- Turn the skills outline into your own preparation checklist and map it to the relevant Microsoft Learn modules.
- Master the underlying concepts. This step should not rely only on official documentation. Use strong books, product documentation, hands-on examples, and architecture materials when appropriate.
- Practice in the product when possible.
- Use high-quality practice questions to check whether you truly understand the exam objectives.
- Review weak areas by objective, not by random topic.
- Recheck the Microsoft Learn page before the exam in case status, language, price, or registration details have changed.
Before scheduling
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Exam code | Make sure the code matches the certification you want. |
| Status | Check whether the exam is active, beta, retiring, or replaced. |
| Price | Confirm the current price for your country or region. |
| Provider | Check whether Microsoft sends you to Pearson VUE or Certiport. |
| Language | Confirm that your preferred language is available for that exam. |
| Delivery | Check online proctored and test center availability. |
| Profile | Make sure your Microsoft Learn profile name matches your identification documents. |
Video preparation resources (Exam Readiness Zone)
Microsoft's official Exam Readiness Zone video series covers many exams episode by episode. Videos are in English. If your target exam is on this list, open its guide page for the direct episode links.
What this page does not include
This page does not include exam dumps, leaked questions, guaranteed-pass material, or unofficial claims about exact exam content. It also does not mix Microsoft Applied Skills into the certification path.