In my previous article, I discussed how to prepare for Microsoft certification exams. In this article, I’m covering what you should do when actually taking the exams. 

This article offers exam-day advice, guidance and best practices. It is not a guarantee of success.

How to prepare for a Microsoft certification exam

Even if you’re as prepared as you can be for the technical content, there are still a few things to consider when getting ready to take the exam. 

First, do not stress yourself unnecessarily. Get a good night’s sleep. If you have made notes or summaries while studying, it’s fine to review them briefly, but avoid trying to learn large new topics at the last minute. Mental clarity is generally far more valuable than last-minute memorization. 

Second, make sure you are comfortable with the exam logistics. If you’re taking the exam at a testing center, arrive early and ensure you have the required identification with you. One advantage I used to find with testing centers is that they tend to handle hardware issues better than you can at home. The last time I took an exam this way, I was also allowed to write notes on a laminated sheet during the exam. If this is permitted, remember that you will not be able to take it with you afterward. 

However, I generally prefer to take exams online, from home, for convenience. If this is also your preference, you’ll need to be in a suitable environment with suitable equipment. First, you’ll need to be in a quiet and isolated space. The proctor may stop the exam if they see another person on-screen or if background noise can be heard.

Second, your webcam, microphone, and internet connection need to be reliable. Test them the day before the exam using the system checks provided by the exam vendor.

When taking an exam remotely, my experience is that you can usually enter the proctor queue before the official start time. I recommend joining the queue as soon as it becomes available so that the verification process can begin as early as possible. 

Taking a Microsoft certification exam – some points to note

One thing I really don’t like in the exams is that they often have a bunch of demographic questions before you start the real questions. I understand the need for these, but I find them a distraction. It’d be better if they were asked when booking the exam.

If you’re taking the exam remotely, you need to stay within the camera range and stay quiet. I used to like to read complex questions out loud to myself (I found it helped me sort through what matters), but stopped doing so after a proctor once gave me a warning for it.

How to answer Microsoft certification exam questions

My number one tip during the exam is this: if something in a question does not seem to make sense, read it again carefully. Candidates quite often struggle with a question, then complain about it post-exam, but in reality they just missed an important detail.

For example, they may have thought the question referred to ‘fields’ when it was, in fact, ‘files’. Similarly, there’s a big difference between an ‘activity run’ and a ‘pipeline run’. Small wording differences can completely change what the question is asking. 

Additionally, some candidates don’t think they should be required to write code or understand syntax, but I take a different view. If the certification exam is about a technology that involves coding, you should expect to need to demonstrate that you can read and understand code. 

More points of confusion in Microsoft certification exams – and how to avoid being caught out

Another common point of confusion relates to how dates and times are shown. Candidates sometimes expect to see them formatted the way they are used to in their own region. While I always tried to write dates in exam questions in YYYY-MM-DD format, they are often shown in US formats. When reading exam questions, pay close attention to the order of day, month, and year so you interpret the values correctly. 

Elsewhere, in multiple choice questions, bear in mind that the distractors are meant to be quite believable. In my experience, if I have 4 choices, 2 are often obviously wrong for some reason. I can then spend my time narrowing down the differences in the other two.

Candidates often assume that the exam writers can just make up plausible sounding (but nonsensical) answers. They can’t. However, they can take answers that could be valid somewhere else and use them as distractors in a different place. 

How to tackle case studies in Microsoft certification exams

I wasn’t a fan of exams with case studies when they were first introduced. For context, case studies present a large amount of background information about a company or scenario, followed by several questions about what’s happening or what actions should be taken. 

When I first encountered case studies, I’d would read the entire thing before looking at the questions. I quickly discovered that this approach left me mentally exhausted. Over time, I realized that many of the questions could be answered without carefully reading the entire case study. 

Strictly speaking, case study questions are supposed to reference the scenario, but sometimes the correct answer is obvious even without examining the details. When that happens, I prefer to answer those questions immediately and move on. 

My current approach is to go straight to the questions first. I answer any that are obvious, then refer back to the case study only for questions that require additional information. This approach has significantly reduced both the time I spend on these sections and the level of fatigue I experience during the exam. 

How to build lists in Microsoft certification exams

In some exams, there are groups of questions made up of lists you need to construct. You do this by ‘dragging’ items from a pool, into the list. 

However, what’s not immediately obvious to many people is that there are often multiple ways to do this correctly – despite the question making it look like there should only be one way (i.e, only one correct list order).

So, don’t spend too long agonizing over whether you have the 100% correct order. You might be working on something that doesn’t matter. 

How to manage your time in Microsoft certification exams

Managing your time well during an exam is essential. It’s very easy to get stuck on a difficult question and spend more time on it than you can afford. 

This has become even more common since Microsoft Learn content has been made available within the exam environment (but only in role-based exams). While this can be helpful, it’s easy to waste time searching through the material, particularly if you’re not familiar with where things are located. 

My approach is to move steadily through the questions, answering the ones I am confident about and marking others for review. Even when marking a question for review, I always select the answer I think is most likely to be correct. That choice has a much better chance of being right than leaving the question unanswered. 

How to efficiently review Microsoft certification exam questions

When you reach the end of a section, go back and review the questions you marked earlier. If you still have time available, that’s when it can make sense to consult the MS Learn content to clarify something you’re unsure about. One piece of advice here: make sure you’re comfortable using the search functionality in MS Learn before the exam.

To use it during the exam, select the ‘Microsoft Learn’ button on the exam question screen. This will open MS Learn in a split screen to the right of the exam question and you can then browse the website as you normally would. You can even make it full screen if you want, but that’s not my preference. 

A useful psychological tip: when reviewing your answers, do not change any of them without good reason! Your first instincts will often be correct. Additionally, keep in mind that exams often have ‘sections’. When it comes to reviewing, you won’t necessarily be allowed to return to a previous section should you need to.

How to manage break periods in Microsoft certification exams

Most exams now allow you to stop and take a short break. You don’t get extra time, but you can run off to the bathroom or deal with something you need to.  

However, when you take one of these breaks, you won’t be able to return to any previous questions in the exam. So, make sure you’ve completed a review of the questions/your answers before taking the break. 

What happens after a Microsoft certification exam?

After finishing a Microsoft certification exam, I often find I’m asked all sorts of questions about the test-taking experience before they reveal my results. Again, I wish they didn’t do that. Ask me in a survey later! When I get to that point, I often just click straight through to see the result. 

Hopefully, at this point, you’ll see that you have passed! If not, however, make sure you spend time checking out the breakdown in the score report. It will tell you the areas you really need to concentrate on to ensure you pass next time. Good luck!