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Renew your Microsoft Certification - FAQ
Frequently asked questions 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. If you earned your certification before the integration with Learn, you'll need to connect your Certification Dashboard with your Learn profile to begin your renewal assessment.
Note: You’ll receive email notifications as your certifications become eligible for renewal.
Questions about connecting profiles
Is it mandatory for me to connect my certification profile to my Learn profile?
Yes. Connecting your certification profile enables you to take the renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn. You will only need to do this once.
You must use the same personal Microsoft account (MSA) credentials for both your certification profile and Learn profile. Please note that only one certification profile can be connected to one Learn profile. If you have multiple certification profiles, please contact our certification support team to merge your Microsoft Certification profiles before connecting to your Learn profile.
What's the difference between my Microsoft Certification profile and Learn profile?
Your Microsoft Certification profile holds the record of your certification history with Microsoft, and you access it with a personal Microsoft account. If you’ve ever registered for a Microsoft Certification exam or accessed the Certification Dashboard, you have a Microsoft Certification profile. Your Certification Dashboard is now integrated with Learn. Your Learn profile includes activity across Microsoft Learn, including certification and exam activities, documentation, Q&A, and code samples.
I have a Microsoft Certification profile and a Learn profile, each associated with different personal accounts. How do I connect these two profiles?
Before connecting a Microsoft Certification profile to a Learn profile, choose a single personal account to be used for both. To review your options for connecting these accounts, please see Aligning accounts between Certification Profile and Learn Profile.
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 the certification artifacts and show the new expiration date?
It takes 24-48 hours for new expiration dates to be reflected in the artifacts. Certification badges issued by Credly will also be updated with the new expiration dates. Note that new certification badges are not issued—current badges are simply updated with the latest expiration dates.
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.
Frequently asked questions about renewal
Why do Microsoft role-based certifications expire after one year? Certifications expire after one year to ensure that tech professional s keep their skills current and stay up to date with evolving technology.
Do all Microsoft Certifications have the option to renew?
Microsoft associate, specialty, and expert certifications that have been available for more than six months require annual renewals. For details, visit our certification renewal blog.
Do I need to renew my Microsoft fundamentals certification?
No. Renewal does not apply to fundamentals certifications, as they do not expire.
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.
Is there a cost to renew Microsoft Certifications?
No. Certification renewal is free to anyone with a valid Microsoft role-based certification.
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 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
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 can I check which certifications are available for renewal?
Sign into your Microsoft 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. If you earned your certification before the integration with Microsoft Learn, you'll need to connect your Certification profile with your Learn profile to begin your renewal assessment.
Note: You’ll receive email notifications as your certifications become eligible for renewal.
Questions about connecting profiles
Is it mandatory for me to connect my certification profile to my Learn profile?
Yes. Connecting your certification profile enables you to take the renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn. You will only need to do this once. You must use the same personal Microsoft account (MSA) credentials for both your certification profile and Microsoft Learn profile. Please note that only one certification profile can be connected to one Microsoft Learn profile. If you have multiple certification profiles, please contact our certification support team to merge your Microsoft Certification profiles before connecting to your Learn profile.
What's the difference between my Microsoft Certification profile and Learn profile?
Your Microsoft Certification profile holds the record of your certification history with Microsoft, and you access it with a personal Microsoft account. If you’ve ever registered for a Microsoft Certification exam or accessed the Certification Dashboard, you have a Microsoft Certification profile. Your Certification Dashboard is now integrated with Microsoft Learn. Your Microsoft Learn profile includes activity across Microsoft Learn, including certification and exam activities, Docs, Q&A, and code samples.
I have a Microsoft Certification profile and a Learn profile, each associated with different personal accounts. How do I connect these two profiles?
Before connecting a Microsoft Certification profile to a Learn profile, choose a single personal account to be used for both. To review your options for connecting these accounts, please see Aligning accounts between Certification Profile and Learn Profile.