The short version
SC-300 gives you 100 minutes and is proctored. You pass with 700 or more on a scale of 1 to 1,000. Microsoft does not publish the number of questions for this exam. It says most Microsoft exams have 40 to 60 and that the number can change. Everything below comes from Microsoft Learn pages checked on October 18 and 29, 2026, so confirm the details when you book.
Time and delivery
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam time | 100 minutes |
| Seat time | Microsoft suggests planning 120 minutes, which includes instructions, the candidate agreement, and optional comments |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Languages | 10: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional) |
Microsoft states that associate exams that may contain labs get 120 minutes instead of 100, and that it does not publish which exams have labs. For SC-300 the exam page says 100 minutes, and the time shown when you register is the one that counts. Read the overview screens at the start of the exam: they tell you whether labs are included.
Microsoft’s exam page also says the exam may include interactive components. If you need extra time or assistive devices, Microsoft has an accommodations process, and you need to request it before the exam.
The English update on October 28, 2026
Microsoft updated the English exam on October 28, 2026, and updates the localized versions about eight weeks later. The study guide now shows the skills measured as of October 28. The change log lists three areas with minor changes: user authentication, Global Secure Access, and privileged access. The audience profile and the other areas are unchanged. If you test in another language, the older objectives may apply for a while. If the exam is not offered in your preferred language, Microsoft says you can request an extra 30 minutes.
Question types
Microsoft does not say in advance which formats a given exam uses. It does list the formats you may meet across its exams: multiple choice, case studies, drag and drop, hot area, build list, active screen, and labs. Some multiple-choice questions ask for more than one answer, and some are problem-and-solution sets, where you judge whether a proposed solution works. The free exam sandbox lets you try each format before exam day, and it is worth ten minutes so the interface is not new to you.
Case studies present a company background and then several questions about it. Read the background once, note the constraints (licenses, hybrid or cloud-only, external users), and return to it for each question.
Scoring
- Scores are scaled from 1 to 1,000, and 700 passes. Microsoft stresses that this is not 70% of the points, and the passing level reflects question difficulty.
- On multi-part questions, you usually get one point per correct component, so partial credit is possible.
- There is no penalty for guessing, so answer everything.
- Some questions are unscored and used to test new items. You will not know which ones.
- You get a score report with your overall score, pass or fail, and a bar chart per skill area. It does not show a score per area or which questions you missed. Use the bars as a guide to what to revisit.
Breaks and Microsoft Learn
Microsoft builds five minutes of break time into the exam. You can take as many breaks as you like, but the clock keeps running, and after a break you cannot go back to questions you saw before it. You cannot break in the middle of a lab or a problem-and-solution set.
On associate and expert exams, Microsoft says you can open Microsoft Learn in a split screen during the exam. You can use the learn.microsoft.com domain, but not Q&A, practice assessments, or your profile. No extra time is added, and the clock keeps running. Microsoft says it is meant for looking up a detail now and then, and that using it for every question leaves too little time. Learn how to find things in the documentation before the exam, but do not plan to rely on it.
Retakes
- If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours.
- Later retakes need a 14-day wait, up to five attempts.
- No more than five attempts in 12 months from your first attempt.
- You cannot retake a passed exam unless the certification has expired.
Renewal
Microsoft says role-based certifications expire unless renewed. Renewal is free and happens through an unproctored, open-book online assessment on Microsoft Learn, available in a six-month window before expiry. A pass extends the certification by one year from the expiration date. The SC-300 certification page lists a 12-month renewal frequency.
More guides for SC-300
- SC-300 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is SC-300 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- SC-300 Prerequisites and Skills Self-Check
- SC-300 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is SC-300 Worth It? An Honest Look
- SC-300 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- SC-300 vs SC-500: Which Exam First?
Next step
See how the topics split across the exam in domains explained, then build a schedule with the study plan. To rehearse the timing, our SC-300 practice tests include timed full-length sets.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on SC-300?
Microsoft does not publish a number for this exam. The general range it gives for its exams is 40 to 60, and the count can change.
Can I use Microsoft Learn during the exam?
Microsoft says yes on associate exams like this one, in a split-screen window limited to learn.microsoft.com, with the clock still running.
What happens if I fail?
You can retake after 24 hours, then wait 14 days between later attempts. Use the skill-area bars on your score report to decide what to study.