SC-900 exam pattern is the first thing you should clearly understand before scheduling the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification. Knowing the syllabus, official module-wise weightage, passing score, and question format helps you prepare smartly, avoid confusion, and focus on the areas that matter most in the exam.
This guide explains the latest SC-900 exam structure for 2025, aligned with Microsoft’s official blueprint and written from a practical, real-world perspective rather than copied documentation.
What Is the SC-900 Exam?
SC-900 is a fundamentals-level Microsoft certification that validates your understanding of security, identity, and compliance concepts across Microsoft cloud services.
The exam does not test hands-on configuration. Instead, it evaluates whether you understand:
- How identity protects access
- How Microsoft security solutions work together
- How compliance and governance protect organisational data
From a professional standpoint, SC-900 validates security awareness and architectural understanding, not operational expertise.
SC-900 Exam Pattern (Latest)
The SC-900 exam follows Microsoft’s standard fundamentals format.
You can expect:
- Approximately 40 to 60 questions
- 60 minutes of exam duration
- A passing score of 700 out of 1000
- Question types including multiple choice, multiple answer, drag-and-drop, and scenario-based questions
There are no labs or simulations. Questions are knowledge-based, but many are framed as real-world scenarios, testing your ability to choose the most appropriate concept or solution.
Microsoft uses a scaled scoring model, meaning not all questions carry equal weight.
SC-900 Exam Difficulty Level
SC-900 is officially a beginner-level exam, but the perceived difficulty depends on your background.
For freshers and non-IT candidates, the challenge lies in understanding new concepts such as Zero Trust, Conditional Access, and Data Loss Prevention.
For system administrators and infrastructure engineers, the challenge is answering from a fundamentals mindset without overthinking based on advanced technical experience.
The exam rewards clarity of understanding, not depth of configuration knowledge.
SC-900 Syllabus With Official Weightage (4 Modules)
Microsoft currently divides the SC-900 exam into four distinct modules. Understanding this structure is critical for both exam accuracy and preparation planning.
Module 1: Describe the Concepts of Security, Compliance, and Identity (10–15%)
This module establishes the foundational security mindset used throughout the exam.
Key topics include:
- Shared responsibility model
- Defense in depth
- Zero Trust principles
- Authentication vs authorisation
- Identity concepts and identity types
- Differences between security and compliance
Although this module has the lowest weightage, these concepts appear indirectly across all other sections. Weak understanding here often leads to confusion in later modules.
Microsoft uses this domain to ensure you understand why security controls exist, not just what they are called.
Module 2: Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Entra (25–30%)
This module focuses exclusively on identity as a security control, which is why Microsoft treats it as a separate domain.
Topics covered include:
- Microsoft Entra ID overview
- Multi-Factor Authentication
- Conditional Access
- Identity Protection
- Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- Access reviews
- Password protection and identity governance
From a real-world perspective, this module reflects how most Microsoft security incidents are identity-driven. It carries significant weight and should not be underestimated.
Many scenario-based questions ask how Entra capabilities reduce risk or enforce access decisions.
Module 3: Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Security Solutions (35–40%)
This is the highest-weightage module in the SC-900 exam and the most critical for scoring.
Topics include:
- Microsoft Defender XDR overview
- Defender for Endpoint
- Defender for Office 365
- Defender for Identity
- Defender for Cloud Apps
- Microsoft Sentinel
- Threat detection and response concepts
You are not expected to know configuration steps. Instead, you must understand:
- What each Defender solution protects
- How signals are correlated across services
- Why Sentinel exists as a SIEM solution
- How Microsoft delivers unified threat protection
Most scenario-based questions in the exam come from this module.
Module 4: Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Compliance Solutions (20–25%)
This module focuses on data protection, governance, and regulatory readiness.
Key topics include:
- Microsoft Purview overview
- Sensitivity labels
- Data Loss Prevention
- Retention policies
- Audit logs
- Compliance Manager
- Insider Risk Management
- eDiscovery concepts
Many candidates underestimate this domain, but it has direct scoring impact. Microsoft expects candidates to understand how organisations protect data continuously, not reactively.
SC-900 Module Weightage Summary
Security, Compliance, and Identity Concepts: 10–15%
Microsoft Entra Capabilities: 25–30%
Microsoft Security Solutions: 35–40%
Microsoft Compliance Solutions: 20–25%
More than 60% of the exam focuses on security and compliance platforms, with identity playing a central role across all modules.
Understanding the SC-900 Passing Score
Microsoft uses a scoring scale of 1 to 1000.
A score of 700 indicates that you have demonstrated sufficient understanding across all four modules. You do not need perfect scores in every section, but ignoring a high-weightage module significantly reduces your chances of passing.
There is no negative marking, so every question should be attempted.
Common SC-900 Exam Mistakes
Candidates commonly fail due to:
- Memorising definitions without understanding scenarios
- Ignoring compliance topics
- Confusing Microsoft Entra with Defender solutions
- Overthinking simple questions
- Treating Conditional Access as a single feature instead of a concept
SC-900 evaluates decision-making, not memory alone.
How to Prepare for SC-900 Based on Weightage
An effective preparation strategy includes:
- Spending maximum time on Microsoft Security Solutions
- Giving strong focus to Microsoft Entra capabilities
- Ensuring compliance concepts are clearly understood
- Building identity fundamentals without over-studying them
Preparation should align with weightage, not topic comfort.
How Much Time Is Enough to Prepare?
Preparation time varies by background.
Freshers and non-IT candidates usually need 2–3 weeks of consistent study.
System administrators and infrastructure engineers typically need 1–2 weeks.
Security professionals may need only a few focused revision days.
Consistency is more important than total hours.
Microsoft provides official documentation and learning paths for SC-900 candidates. To stay aligned with the latest exam objectives, it is always recommended to refer to Microsoft’s official resources:
• Microsoft SC-900 official exam page
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/sc-900/
• Microsoft Learn SC-900 learning path
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/describe-concepts-of-security-compliance-identity/
Final Thoughts on the SC-900 Exam Pattern
The SC-900 exam pattern is designed to validate foundational security thinking in Microsoft environments.
It ensures you understand:
- Identity as the new perimeter
- Security as an integrated platform
- Compliance as a continuous process
- Microsoft’s Zero Trust-aligned security approach
Passing SC-900 prepares you for advanced certifications such as SC-300 and SC-200, and for real-world security discussions in Microsoft-centric organisations.
Also read our aticle on what is SC-900?
What’s Next in the SC-900 Series
Next, we will cover:
SC-900 vs AZ-900 vs SC-300: Which Certification Should You Choose?
This post will help you choose the right certification path, not just the next exam.