THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE JULY 2020 UPDATES – PLEASE CLICK HERE
The following post is based on the MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals April 2020 exam objectives refresh, and the state of the exam in May 2020. The good news is that the quality of questions has improved dramatically from the initial release, but it’s still going to be more challenging than you might expect if you’ve done other Microsoft Fundamentals exams such as as AZ-900.
Most candidates I’ve encountered need to take this exam as a job related requirement, and it usually means that it’s one of if, not the the first Microsoft exams they have to take. It’s also most likely that they don’t have a technical background, which means that they end up getting somewhat surprised in this exam for good reason. This exam does expect a deep understanding and preferably exposure to the administration of Microsoft 365, so it’s definitely not an exam you can over prepare for.
If your reason for sitting this exam isn’t a job requirement, but instead an entry point into Microsoft 365 certification and attaining work related skills, it would be a better option for you to look at MS-100 and then MS-101 exams. Focusing on an in depth knowledge of Azure Active Directory (AAD) is a good starting point regardless of which Microsoft 365 workload you decide to focus on, and when it comes to exams AAD skills are the gift that keeps on giving.
So, on to updated skills measured and some corresponding study materials. I’ve tried to stick with articles on docs.microsoft.com where possible, as that content will be refreshed and more accurate than aging blog posts or articles on third party sites. If you read the following articles, understand their content, and can apply this knowledge in the exam, you should pass this exam.
As of the time of this guide being posted the recent name changes of products such as Microsoft 365 Business to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or the Office 365 ProPlus to Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise is not reflected in this exam and shouldn’t have an impact on how you answer questions.
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Describe cloud concepts (10-15%)
Describe the different types of cloud services available
- describe Microsoft’s IaaS, and PaaS offerings
- describe where Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365 fit in to the Microsoft ecosystem
- cloud-based productivity solutions
Describe the benefits of and considerations for using a cloud service instead of onpremises services
- describe public, private, and hybrid scenarios
- identify scenarios when usage of cloud-based services is more beneficial than on-premises services
- compare costs of cloud-based services with on-premises services
- identify factors that drive organizations to move to the cloud
Describe Core Microsoft 365 Services and Concepts (30-35%)
Identify core Microsoft 365 capabilities
- productivity and teamwork (IM and chat, online meetings, email and calendaring, Office productivity apps, file storage and sharing, intranet and team sites, enterprise social, accessibility)
- business management (simplified management, business process automation, extensibility, business voice and phone systems, forms and workflow management, business intelligence, work management, customer scheduling and booking, mileage tracking and reporting)
- security and compliance (identity and access management, information protection and governance, threat protection, security management, insider risk management, compliance management, discover and respond
- describe the capabilities of the Microsoft 365 Admin center and Microsoft 365 user portal
Describe options for deploying and supporting Windows and Office
- describe the deployment and release models for Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS) including deployment rings
- describe the capabilities of Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and when it makes sense to implement WVD
- identify deployment and servicing methods for Microsoft 365 apps
Describe analytics capabilities in Microsoft 365
- describe capabilities of Workplace Analytics and MyAnalytics
- describe the reports available in the Microsoft 365 Admin center and other admin centers
Describe Microsoft 365 collaboration solutions
- explain how collaboration solutions in Microsoft 365 can drive personal and organizational productivity
- describe the capabilities for extending Office and Microsoft Teams with Power Platform and third-party apps and services
Explain Security, Compliance, Privacy, and Trust in Microsoft 365 (30-35%)
Explain zero-trust security principles for Microsoft 365
- identify key components that need to be protected within an organization’s cloud and on-premises infrastructure
- describe key security pillars of protection, including identity, documents, network, and devices
Explain unified endpoint management concepts
- explain device and application management
- describe bring you own device (BYOD), and application and device management
- explain the value of the Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEM) including Microsoft Intune and System Center
Explain identity and access management concepts
- describe concepts of cloud identity, on-premises identity, and hybrid identity
- describe the purpose and value of implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- describe the purpose and value of conditional access
Explain Threat Protection in Microsoft 365
- identify how Microsoft 365 services address the most common current threats
- describe the concepts of Cloud App Security
Describe the Service Trust portal, Security center, and Compliance Manager
- identify differences between the Service Trust portal, Microsoft 365 Security center, and Compliance Manager
- explain the trust relationship between Microsoft and service locations
- describe data protection options including data segregation
- describe how compliance scores are generated and how they can be used
- describe scenarios where knowing the compliance score benefits an organization
- describe the value and capabilities of the Service Trust portal
- explain insider risk management capabilities in the compliance score
- identify eDiscovery use cases and scenarios
- explain why privacy matters to Microsoft
- demonstrate the Security Center and Secure Score benefits and capabilities
Describe information protection and governance solutions
- explain information protection and governance
- identify the types of sensitivity labels and when to use each type
Describe Microsoft 365 Pricing and Support (20-25%)
Plan, predict, and compare pricing
- describe the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) pricing model for Windows and Microsoft cloud services
- explain available billing and bill management options including billing frequency and methods of payment
- optimize costs based on licensing options
Identify licensing options available in Microsoft 365
- describe the available licensing and management options for Microsoft 365
- describe additional capabilities available when a customer purchases Azure Active Directory P1, Azure Active Directory P2, and Azure AD Free
Describe the service lifecycle in Microsoft 365
- describe private, public preview, and General Availability (GA) options
- describe the correlation between lifecycle options and pricing
- describe use cases and capabilities for the Microsoft 365 Roadmap portal
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