The short version
AB-730 gives you 45 minutes of exam time and a proctored session booked through Pearson VUE. You need 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000 to pass. Microsoft does not publish how many questions you will see, so plan around time rather than a question count. Facts here come from Microsoft Learn pages checked on October 18, 2026.
Exam at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam time | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 on a 1 to 1,000 scale |
| Delivery | Proctored; scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Languages | English, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish |
| Interactive items | The exam page says you may have interactive components |
| Questions | Not published for AB-730 |
Microsoft’s page says the price depends on the country or region where you sit the exam. We do not list prices here, so look on the booking page.
Time and number of questions
Microsoft’s general exam-experience page says most certification exams contain 40 to 60 questions, but that the number varies by exam and can change. For fundamentals-level exams it lists 45 minutes of exam time and 65 minutes of seat time. Seat time includes reading the instructions, accepting the candidate agreement and leaving comments at the end. AB-730 shows 45 minutes, which matches that row, but the AB-730 page itself does not publish a question count.
In practice, treat the 45 minutes as a pace check. If you saw 50 questions, you would have a little under a minute each. Scenario questions take longer than definition questions, so a quick first pass with the review flag works better than getting stuck early.
Delivery
AB-730 is proctored and booked through Pearson VUE. Microsoft recommends registering with a personal Microsoft account rather than a work or school account, because exam records tied to an organizational account can be lost if you leave that organization. The booking flow on Microsoft Learn shows which delivery options are available for your region.
Question types
Microsoft says it does not name the exact question types before the exam. It points to its exam sandbox, where you can try the interface with the kinds of items that can appear. The sandbox lists multiple choice, drag and drop, hot area, build list, active screen and case studies as samples. Do not assume AB-730 uses all of them. The sandbox is the way to get comfortable with the buttons, the review screen and the timer.
Multi-part questions can give partial credit, so if a question asks for several answers, it is worth answering every part.
Breaks
Microsoft’s page says you can take unscheduled breaks on exams. Five minutes are built into the exam time, but the clock keeps running while you are on a break, and you cannot return to questions you saw before the break. So breaks are for emergencies, and you should answer or flag what you have seen before you start one.
Scoring
Scores run from 1 to 1,000, and 700 passes. Microsoft stresses that this is a scaled score and may not equal 70 percent of the points, so do not convert it to a percentage. A few more points from Microsoft:
- There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.
- Some questions may be unscored trial items. You will not know which, so treat each one as if it counts.
- Multi-part questions usually give one point per correct part.
- The score report shows your overall score, pass or fail, and a bar chart of performance per skill area. It does not show which questions you missed.
Results usually arrive within minutes of finishing for most exams.
Retakes
If you do not pass, you can retake the exam after 24 hours. After that, Microsoft imposes 14 days between further attempts, up to five attempts in 12 months from the first attempt. You cannot retake an exam you have passed unless the certification has expired. Retakes are paid.
Study guide and updates
The English exam changes on October 20, 2026. Microsoft says other languages are updated about eight weeks after English, and that you can ask for an extra 30 minutes if the exam is not available in your language. Read the domains explained page to see what the new outline covers.
More guides for AB-730
- AB-730 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is the AB-730 Exam Hard? An Honest Look
- AB-730 Prerequisites and What to Know First
- AB-730 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is AB-730 Worth It? An Honest Look
- AB-730 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- AB-730 vs AB-731: Which Exam First?
Next step
Plan your weeks with the study plan. To practice under a time limit, try our AB-730 practice tests; each set has its own timer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Microsoft Learn or Copilot during the exam?
Assume not. Microsoft says access to Learn is not available on fundamentals exams, and AB-730’s timing matches that group. Check the instructions in your booking, and the AB-730 page does not say otherwise.
Do I see my score right away?
For most Microsoft exams, results arrive within minutes, and your score also appears in your Learn profile within 24 hours.
Is 700 the same as 70 percent?
No. It is a scaled score, and the number of questions you need right depends on the exam form.