MS-721 certification: exam, skills measured and passing score

What is the MS-721 certification?

The MS-721 certification is Microsoft’s associate-level credential for the engineers who run voice, meetings and meeting rooms on Microsoft Teams. Its full name is Microsoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate, and you earn it by passing a single exam, MS-721.

Microsoft describes the role as planning, deploying, configuring, maintaining and troubleshooting collaboration communication systems: Teams Phone, Teams meetings, webinars and town halls, Teams Premium, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams Rooms and other certified devices, and flexible workplaces. Microsoft lists the level as intermediate and the role as administrator.

The candidate Microsoft has in mind already understands networking, telecommunications, audio/visual and meeting room technology, and identity and access management, and works day to day in the Teams admin center, the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal, PowerShell and the Call Quality Dashboard.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 exam update on October 29, 2026

Microsoft has announced that the English version of this certification will be updated on October 29, 2026. The study guide already shows the skills measured as of that date, and its change log lists only minor changes — for example in planning and designing Teams meetings, and in assigning Teams Phone licenses, phone numbers and policies. The overall audience profile is marked “no change”.

For you this means: if you sit the exam after October 29, study from the current study guide. If you sit it before that date in English, check the study guide again when you book, because Microsoft does not publish the old weightings next to the new ones.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam MS-721. Checked 10 October 2026.

How much does the MS-721 exam cost?

Microsoft does not print a single price for MS-721. The exam page states that the price is based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored, and you see the binding amount when you schedule.

Renewal, by contrast, costs nothing: Microsoft states that you renew the certification at no cost by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn. A failed exam is a different matter — Microsoft’s retake policy says you must pay to retake the exam, where applicable.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam MS-721. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 exam format and passing score

You have 100 minutes to complete MS-721. Microsoft’s general guidance for associate role-based exams without labs is 100 minutes of exam time and about 120 minutes of seat time, which also covers the instructions and the candidate agreement.

A score of 700 or greater is required to pass. Microsoft does not publish the number of questions for MS-721; it says only that most of its certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions, and it deliberately does not reveal question types before the exam. The exam sandbox on Microsoft Learn lets you try the interface beforehand.

The exam is offered in English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam MS-721. Checked 10 October 2026.

What is on the MS-721 exam? Skills measured

The study guide splits MS-721 into four skill areas. Teams Phone is the heavyweight: at 30–35% it carries roughly a third of the exam, and it covers phone policies, auto attendants and call queues, emergency calling, licenses and phone numbers, calling features and Direct Routing.

Planning and design covers meetings, Teams Phone and PSTN connectivity, Teams-certified devices and preparing the network for Teams. The meetings area includes Audio Conferencing, webinars and town halls. The devices area covers Teams Rooms on Windows, Teams Android devices, optional room features, and BYOD spaces and bookable desks.

• Plan and design collaboration communications systems — 20–25%
• Configure and manage Teams meetings, webinars, and town halls — 15–20%
• Teams Phone (implement, configure and manage) — 30–35%
• Configure and manage Teams Rooms and devices — 20–25%

Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam MS-721. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 prerequisites

Microsoft lists no formal prerequisite for MS-721: you do not need another certification first. What the audience profile does expect is working knowledge of networking, telephony, audio/visual and room technology, and identity and access management.

In practice that profile matters more than any rule. Questions on Direct Routing, emergency calling or network readiness are hard to answer from reading alone, so hands-on time in a Teams tenant with Teams Phone is the realistic preparation.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam MS-721. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 training course and study materials

The official training course is MS-721T00-A, “Plan, configure, and manage collaboration communications systems with Microsoft Teams”. Microsoft lists it as a five-day, intermediate course and says you can prepare either through instructor-led training or self-paced study on Microsoft Learn.

Your study plan should be anchored on three free Microsoft resources: the MS-721 study guide, which is the authoritative list of skills measured; the free Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn; and the exam sandbox for the question interface. Microsoft also recommends hands-on experience before you take the exam.

Use the weighting to plan your study time. With Teams Phone at 30–35%, spending a third of your preparation on calling, numbers and Direct Routing is not excessive.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Course MS-721T00-A. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 dumps and exam security

MS-721 dumps break Microsoft’s rules. Microsoft defines a brain dump as a source containing exam content that was fraudulently obtained, and states that using such material to prepare for or during an exam constitutes cheating. Using brain dump sites is listed explicitly as an example of fraudulent activity.

The consequences Microsoft names are serious: a candidate may be banned from the Microsoft credentials program permanently, and any certifications and scores may be revoked. Exam content is Microsoft’s confidential intellectual property, and posting remembered questions is prohibited as well.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam and assessment security policies. Checked 10 October 2026.

How long is the MS-721 certification valid? Renewal and retakes

The certification is valid for 12 months. Microsoft states that associate, expert and specialty certifications expire annually and that you renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn before expiry.

If you do not pass, Microsoft’s retake policy applies: wait 24 hours before the second attempt, then 14 days between further attempts, with no more than five attempts within 12 months of the first. You cannot retake an exam you have already passed while the certification is still valid.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam retake policy. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 vs MS-700

MS-700 leads to Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate, which covers administering Teams as a collaboration platform. MS-721 goes deeper into voice, meetings and devices: Teams Phone, PSTN connectivity, Direct Routing, Teams Rooms and certified devices.

Both are associate-level, both renew every 12 months, and both receive English-language updates in late October 2026 (MS-700 on October 27, MS-721 on October 29). If your job is phones and meeting rooms, MS-721 is the closer fit.

Source: Microsoft Learn — Teams Administrator Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.

MS-721 practice questions

Certsqill’s MS-721 practice questions come with an explanation for every answer option and a readiness score per skill area, so you can see whether Teams Phone — a third of the exam — is really ready.

MS-721 questions people ask

What is the MS-721 certification?

Microsoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate, earned by passing exam MS-721. It covers Teams Phone, meetings, Teams Rooms and devices. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 10 October 2026.

How much does the MS-721 exam cost?

Microsoft publishes no single figure; the price depends on the country or region where the exam is proctored. Checked 10 October 2026.

How long is the MS-721 exam?

100 minutes. Source: Microsoft Learn exam page, checked 10 October 2026.

What is the MS-721 passing score?

A score of 700 or greater. Source: Microsoft Learn MS-721 study guide, checked 10 October 2026.

How many questions are on the MS-721 exam?

Microsoft does not publish the number for MS-721. It says most of its exams contain between 40 and 60 questions. Checked 10 October 2026.

Is there an official MS-721 training course?

Yes: course MS-721T00-A, a five-day intermediate course available as instructor-led training or self-paced study on Microsoft Learn. Checked 10 October 2026.

Is there a free MS-721 practice test?

Microsoft offers a free Practice Assessment for MS-721 on Microsoft Learn, linked from the study guide. Checked 10 October 2026.

Are MS-721 dumps allowed?

No. Microsoft states that using brain dump material constitutes cheating and can lead to a program ban and revoked certifications. Source: Microsoft exam security policies, checked 10 October 2026.

How do I renew the MS-721 certification?

Every 12 months, by passing a free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn before it expires. Checked 10 October 2026.