Short answer
- Cheap to earn: fundamentals exams cost $99 in the US; associate and expert exams “typically cost US$165” (Microsoft Learn).
- Cheap to keep: “There’s no cost to renew.” Associate and expert certifications expire after a year and renew with a free online assessment; “Fundamentals certifications do not expire” (Microsoft Learn).
- The risk is retirement, not price. Microsoft retired 12 certifications between March and August 2026, including Azure AI Engineer, Azure Developer and Azure Security Engineer (Microsoft Learn). A retired certification stays valid until it expires but can’t be renewed.
- Worth it if your job or target jobs run on Microsoft technology (Azure, Microsoft 365, Power BI) and you pick a certification that isn’t on the retirement list.
Whether a certification is “worth it” comes down to three numbers: what it costs to earn, what it costs to keep, and how long it stays useful. For Microsoft, the first two are unusually low. The third changed in 2026. This guide covers all three with Microsoft’s own pages, which we checked on September 22, 2026, and compares them with other IT certifications in our Certification Cost Index.
What Microsoft certifications cost
| Level | Examples | US exam price | Valid for | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals | AZ-900, AI-901 | $99 | does not expire | none needed |
| Associate | AZ-104, PL-300, AI-103 | $165 | 1 year | free online assessment |
| Expert | for example Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert | $165 per exam | 1 year | free online assessment |
Sources: Microsoft certification FAQ, AZ-900, AZ-104, AI-901, renewal.
Prices are “based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored,” Microsoft offers academic pricing for students, and it “does not offer refunds for exams you do not pass.” For expert certifications, check the certification page for the exams and prerequisites involved.
Free renewal, with one condition
Microsoft’s renewal model is the main reason these certifications are cheap to keep:
- Associate and expert certifications “expire after one year.”
- You can renew “any time during your six-month eligibility window” before the expiration date, by passing a free, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn. It takes about 45 minutes and you can retake it without limit.
- A successful renewal extends the certification “one year from the expiration date,” not from the day you renew.
- If you miss the window, “you must earn the certification again by passing the required exam(s),” which means paying $165 again.
Sources: Microsoft renewal, renewal FAQ.
Over three years, an associate certification costs $165 if you renew on time. For comparison, CompTIA charges $150 per three-year renewal cycle for Security+, and ISC2 charges an annual maintenance fee of $135 for the CISSP (Certification Cost Index).
The 2026 retirements
The trade-off for free renewal is that Microsoft retires certifications often. Its retirement list, updated August 31, 2026, shows twelve retirements so far this year:
| Certification | Retired |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals | March 31, 2026 |
| Azure Data Scientist Associate | June 1, 2026 |
| Azure AI Engineer Associate | June 30, 2026 |
| Power Platform Solution Architect Expert | June 30, 2026 |
| Power Automate RPA Developer Associate | June 30, 2026 |
| Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert | June 30, 2026 |
| Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Functional Consultant Expert | June 30, 2026 |
| Dynamics 365 Field Service Functional Consultant Associate | June 30, 2026 |
| Azure Developer Associate | July 31, 2026 |
| Dynamics 365 Customer Experience Analyst Associate | July 31, 2026 |
| Azure Security Engineer Associate | August 31, 2026 |
| Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate | August 31, 2026 |
Source: Microsoft credential retirement. Next on the list: Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert, on November 30, 2026.
If you earned one of these before its retirement date, it stays active until it expires, but it can’t be renewed. That’s why the most important check before you study is the certification’s page on Microsoft Learn, not the course you’re about to buy. Our guide to the AI-900 retirement and its replacement AI-901 shows what such a change looks like: the new fundamentals exam expects knowledge of Python syntax, which the old one didn’t.
When a Microsoft certification is worth it
| Situation | Our take |
|---|---|
| Your employer runs on Azure, Microsoft 365 or Power BI | Worth it. $165 once, then a yearly free assessment that keeps you current. |
| You’re new to IT and want a first credential | A fundamentals certification ($99, no expiry) is a low-risk start. |
| The certification is scheduled for retirement | Wait for or choose the successor; you won’t be able to renew it. |
| You won’t do the yearly renewal | Consider a fundamentals certification, or a credential with a longer cycle. |
| You want to teach Microsoft courses | That’s the Microsoft Certified Trainer program, a different thing (see below). |
Microsoft Certified Trainer is a program for trainers
Some guides answer this question by describing the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). The MCT is “an annual membership program for professionals who train Microsoft customers,” not a technical certification. To join, you need a qualifying credential that “must include either the AB-730 or AB-731 certification,” proof of instructional skills, a 3-day onboarding course taught by existing MCTs (with exceptions, for example for recently active MCTs), and the MCT program fee. To stay in, you deliver at least six trainings per renewal period (MCT, MCT enrollment, MCT renewal). Microsoft doesn’t publish the fee amount on these pages.
Certifications vs. Applied Skills
Microsoft also offers Applied Skills credentials. “Certifications typically validate 4-6 skill sets while Applied Skills validate one specific skill set” (Microsoft Learn). The assessment is a lab of 30 minutes (beginner) or 45 minutes. Applied Skills retire too: Microsoft retired 15 of them between January and July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Are Microsoft certifications worth it for beginners?
A fundamentals certification is a low-risk start: $99, no prerequisites and no expiry. For a specific job, an associate certification that matches the role (for example AZ-104 for Azure administration) covers that job’s tasks.
How much does a Microsoft certification cost?
$99 for a fundamentals exam and typically $165 for associate and expert exams in the US. Prices vary by country, and failed exams aren’t refunded.
Do Microsoft certifications expire?
Associate and expert certifications expire after one year and renew for free with an online assessment. Fundamentals certifications don’t expire.
What happens when Microsoft retires my certification?
It stays active until its expiration date, but you can’t renew it. After that, you’d need a different certification.
Is the Microsoft Certified Trainer worth it?
Only if you want to deliver Microsoft training. It’s an annual membership for trainers, with a program fee and a minimum of six trainings per renewal period.
How we checked these facts. Prices, renewal rules, the retirement list and the MCT requirements come from Microsoft Learn, checked on September 22, 2026. The US fundamentals price comes from Microsoft’s exam pages for AZ-900 and AI-901 (checked September 21, 2026). Comparison figures come from our Certification Cost Index. Certificate Quest is not affiliated with Microsoft and earns nothing from links on this page.