Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about renewal

Do all Microsoft Certifications have the option to renew?

Microsoft associate, specialty, and expert certifications that have been available for more than six months have a renewal option. For details, visit our certification renewal blog.

Is there a cost to renew Microsoft Certifications?

No. Certification renewal is free to anyone with a valid Microsoft associate, specialty, and expert certification.

Do I need to renew my Microsoft fundamentals certification?

No. Renewal does not apply to fundamentals certifications as they do not expire.

Why do role-based certifications expire after one year?

Certifications expire after one year to ensure that tech professionals keep skills up-to-date with evolving technology.

Can I renew my certification by passing a beta exam or by retaking an exam before my certification expires?

No. You must pass the renewal assessment for your certification on Microsoft Learn before your certification expires; no alternative paths are available to renew your certification. There are no exceptions to this policy.

My expert-level certification requires achieving an associate-level certification as a prerequisite. If the associate-level certification expires, will my expert-level certification automatically expire, too?

No. Your expert-level certification will not automatically expire if your associate-level prerequisite certification expires. Each certification must be renewed separately by passing the associated renewal assessment.

My certification expired. What happens now?

If your certification expires, you must earn the certification again by passing the required exam(s). For more information, visit our Certification expiration policy.

Renewal process questions

Are there different ways to renew my certification?

No. The only way to renew a Microsoft Certification is by passing the free, online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn.

Can I renew my certification more than six months before it expires?

No. The renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn is only available once you're eligible six months before your certification expires (expiration dates and times are in UTC).

We recommend taking the renewal assessment well before expiration to allow time for any unforeseen events, such as medical emergencies, technical issues, or multiple retakes.

Where do I go to check what certifications are available for renewal?

Sign into your Learn profile, select the photo avatar, and choose Profile from the dropdown menu. Choose Certifications inside the profile menu and look for the blue Renew button as you scroll through your certifications.

Note: If we have an email on the Learn Profile and you agreed to our communication terms you’ll receive email notifications as your certifications become eligible for renewal.

Questions about renewal assessment

How many times can I retake the assessment?

There is no limit to renewal assessment retakes. Just be sure to pass before your certification expires. If you don’t pass, you can try again immediately. After the second try, you'll need to wait at least 24 hours between future attempts.

Once I pass the renewal assessment, how long does it take to update my certification to show the new expiration date?

Once you pass the renewal assessment, the expiration date for your certification will be immediately updated on your Microsoft Learn profile.

Are the renewal assessments aligned to the regular exam update cadence?

Yes. Updates to the assessments are aligned with certification exam updates.

Which languages are assessments available in?

Renewal assessments on Microsoft Learn will be available in the same language(s) as their corresponding certification exams.

I have heard renewal assessment is shorter. How do I prepare for the renewal assessment?

The renewal assessment is shorter because it focuses only on relevant updates. Renewal assessments take about 45 minutes to complete. Prepare by using the learning modules on the certification’s renewal page on Microsoft Learn.

Certification Retirement and the Impact on Renewable Certification

Why does Microsoft occasionally retire certifications?

Several factors influence retirement decisions.

• Relevancy: Technology and associated job roles are evolving more quickly than ever before. To keep the certification program relevant, exams and certifications are regularly reviewed to ensure they reflect the latest skills technologies. A certification will be retired when it is deemed to have lost relevancy.
• Product Alignment: Product groups may decide to depreciate a product. With that, all learning content and related certifications must be taken out of the market in a timely manner. 
• Instructional Design: Sometimes, content teams evolve the strategy for earning a certification. For example, multiple exams could be merged down to one, which may result in certifications being retired.

Is the renewal program changing? No. This update is only focused on deploying a smoother process for retiring certifications. The certification renewal program continues to focus on providing renewal assessments to all learners who have a role-based certification. The assessments are free to take, and there are no limits to attempts. To keep the certification active, the learner must pass the renewal assessment before the certification expires. This window opens 6 months before expiry.

What was the change that was made?

This update enables Microsoft to provide a more user-friendly way of retiring a certification. For instance, because of this work, the system will suppress any renewal reminders for retiring certs, as these reminders would be potentially confusing. In addition, in the case of a retiring certification, the window to renew may be shortened for some users, based on their certification anniversary date. This update ensures Microsoft is always communicating accurate dates for renewal activity on Learn.

How will I know if I have a certification that is retiring?

Alerts will be visible on Learn, just as they are today. With this update to the system, the “renew by” messaging will take into consideration retirement dates. For instance, if a certification retirement date precedes the expiration date for a certification, the learner will be instructed to renew before certification retirement.

Several legacy certifications have already retired before this capability was enabled. How are those being handled?

It is true that several renewable certifications have retired, meaning learners can no longer earn the certifications. However, until now, there has been no mechanism to disable renewal assessment portion. With this update, there will be a bulk retirement of all renewal assessments related to the previously retired certifications. Learners who possess any of the retired certifications will receive a direct email from Microsoft along with guidance on how long the renewal assessment will be available.