Is the MS-700 Worth It?

Microsoft Teams isn’t just a remote work tool anymore: it’s become the digital hub for collaboration, communication, and productivity across the modern enterprise. As organizations continue to rely on Teams to support hybrid workforces and streamline operations, IT professionals with deep Teams expertise remain incredibly valuable. 

That’s where the MS-700: Managing Microsoft Teams certification comes in. This cert is designed for admins who want to validate their ability to deploy, configure, and maintain Microsoft Teams as part of the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem. 

If you manage Teams today (or want to prepare for that role), this guide will help you understand what the MS-700 covers, who it’s for, and whether it’s worth the investment in 2025.

What is the MS-700?  

The MS-700 is the exam required to earn the Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate certification. It validates your ability to configure, deploy, and manage Microsoft Teams in a business environment.

As a Teams administrator, you’ll be responsible for managing chat, meetings, live events, audio conferencing, app integrations, and calling features. You’ll also work closely with other IT roles, especially identity, networking, and security teams, to ensure Teams is deployed securely and performs reliably.

The exam tests your skills in areas like PowerShell scripting, governance policies, device management, and integration with Microsoft 365 services like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD).

While you won’t be responsible for voice infrastructure like Direct Routing, you will need to coordinate with telephony engineers to ensure Teams voice services are functioning as expected.

Ultimately, the MS-700 is a practical certification for anyone who administers Teams environments and wants to align their skills with Microsoft’s best practices.

What Does the MS-700 Test?

The exam covers four key domains aligned with real-world Microsoft Teams administration tasks:

• Plan and configure a Microsoft Teams environment: 35-40%

• Manage Chat, Calling, and Meetings: 20-25%

• Manage Teams and App Policies: 15-20%

• Monitor and Troubleshoot: 10-15%

Plan and Configure a Microsoft Teams Environment 

This section has the most weight within the exam. It has a few large sections that you need to cover in detail.  

• Upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams: Choose the right upgrade path, configure coexistence, plan the migration, and troubleshoot transition issues.

• Plan and Configure Network Settings for Microsoft Teams: Use the Network Planner tool to assess bandwidth needs and ensure reliable delivery of voice, video, meetings, and live events.

• Implement Governance and Lifecycle Management for Teams: Create and manage team templates, group creation policies, naming and expiration rules, and archive or restore Teams as needed.

• Configure and Manage Guest Access: Set up guest permissions for meetings, messaging, and calling; manage Entra ID access and remove guests when needed.

• Manage Security and Compliance: Assign admin roles, configure retention policies, sensitivity labels, compliance alerts, information barriers, and review security reports.

• Deploy and Manage Microsoft Teams Endpoints: Install Teams clients on Windows and virtual devices, manage configuration profiles, device settings, firmware, and Teams Rooms.

• Monitor and Analyze Service Usage: Interpret usage and call quality reports with Call Analytics, the Call Quality Dashboard, and Power BI to troubleshoot performance issues.

Manage Chat, Calling, and Meetings  

This section of the exam outlines the common issues you will encounter with the communications side of Teams.  

• Manage Chat and Collaboration Experiences: Configure messaging policies, external access, team and private channels, email integration, and cloud storage settings (SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.).

• Manage Meeting Experiences: Set up meeting policies, Live Events settings, and configure conference bridge options.

• Manage Phone Numbers: Recommend PSTN solutions, assign or remove phone numbers, and configure emergency addresses, conference calling, and dynamic emergency dialing.

• Manage Phone System: Manage resource accounts, call queues, auto attendants, call parking, Caller ID, and direct routing settings.

Manage Teams and App Policies

This is one of the smaller exam objectives, but it is an integral part of the exam.

• Manage a Team: You must understand key components of Teams, such as team creation, existing resource upgrades, privacy levels, and how to manage organization-wide teams.

• Manage Membership to a Team: Manage users in a team, configure dynamic membership, and review access for all the team members in that segment.

• Implement Policies for Microsoft Teams Apps: You must be able to create and manage app permission policies and app setup policies.

Monitor and Troubleshoot 

While this section makes up the smallest portion of the exam, it’s especially important for administrators who are expected to support and maintain Microsoft Teams in a live environment. You'll need to know how to solve issues related to: 

• Client-side issues: Understand how to troubleshoot problems with Teams desktop and mobile apps, including installation failures, client cache issues, diagnostic tools, and sign-in errors.

• Collaboration features: Diagnose common problems with joining meetings, sending messages, and uploading or accessing file attachments within chats and channels.

• AI experiences: Be prepared to troubleshoot Copilot and other AI-driven features that integrate with Teams, including access and functionality problems.

• Call quality: Use tools like Call Analytics and the Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) to identify and resolve voice and video performance issues.

• Meetings and live events: Troubleshoot access issues, content sharing problems, and connectivity disruptions during Teams meetings and webinars.

How Much Does the MS-700 Exam Cost?

The exam costs $165, includes 40 to 60 questions, and must be completed within 100 minutes. The passing score is 700 (on a scaled score), which doesn’t necessarily mean 70% correct.

What Experience Do You Need for the MS-700?

There are no prerequisites for the associate-level exam, although holding a Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals certification (MS-900) may be advantageous.

You should have a good knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 administration, as this will help you understand how the Teams application fits into the broader context of the Microsoft 365 environment.

Who Should Take the MS-700?

The MS‑700 is ideal for IT professionals who manage or support Microsoft Teams within their organization, especially in hybrid or enterprise environments. If you're the go-to person for Teams issues, configurations, or user access, this certification can validate your expertise and expand your career options.

This cert is particularly relevant for:

• Teams administrators who are responsible for deploying, configuring, and maintaining Teams as part of a Microsoft 365 environment.

• System administrators who already manage Exchange, SharePoint, or Entra ID and want to deepen their knowledge of Teams and its integrations.

• IT support or help desk staff looking to level up into Teams administration roles by demonstrating their skills in troubleshooting and configuration.

• Hybrid work facilitators—those supporting remote and in-office users, managing devices, and helping maintain a seamless user experience.

Because Teams has grown far beyond basic chat and video calls—with voice services, webinars, live events, third-party app integrations, and even AI features like Copilot—admins are expected to handle a wider range of tasks than ever before. The MS‑700 helps ensure you’re prepared for those demands.

Even if Teams isn’t your main focus, this cert can be a smart addition if you’re already working in Microsoft 365 administration and want to broaden your skill set. 

Is the MS-700 Worth It?

If your organization relies on Microsoft Teams—and most do—the MS‑700 certification is absolutely worth considering. It gives you a comprehensive understanding of how Teams works behind the scenes and how to manage it effectively in a real-world enterprise environment.

Using the MS-700 to Learn Skills

For those newer to Teams administration, studying for the MS‑700 is also a great way to build practical skills. The exam covers core functions like calling, meetings, and app management, as well as more advanced areas like telephony integration, governance, compliance, and device management. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how Teams fits into the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Using the MS-700 to Validate Skills

If you are already maintaining a Teams installation in your current role, this certification will help validate your skills. Teams needs to be adequately understood in many positions, and by holding this certification, you show your employers that you not only have the skills and knowledge to make it work but also that your implementation is close to Microsoft's best practices and advice.

MS 700 Pros and Cons

If you're still on the fence about whether the MS‑700 is right for you, here’s a quick breakdown of the benefits—and the potential drawbacks—to help you decide. 

Final Thoughts 

Microsoft Teams continues to play a central role in many organizations. As the platform evolves—with deeper integrations, expanded telephony features, and AI enhancements—the need for skilled administrators has only grown.

The MS-700 certification is a smart way to prove you’re up to the task. Whether you’re already managing Teams or want to step into a more specialized role, this cert shows employers you have the knowledge to support and optimize one of Microsoft 365’s most critical tools.

It’s not the broadest Microsoft certification, but if Teams is part of your daily life—or if you want it to be—the MS-700 is absolutely worth it.

Start training today with CBT Nuggets Microsoft Teams Administrator Associate (MS-700) Training.