The Microsoft AB-650 exam costs $165 USD in the United States, the standard price for Microsoft’s Associate-level certification exams. Outside the US, Microsoft sets the price per country and region, adjusted for local currency and, in some places, added tax. The exact figure only appears at checkout on the official exam page .
A limited 80% beta discount code existed for the first 300 candidates who scheduled and completed the exam by August 18, 2026, but that window has closed. No official pass rate exists yet, because AB-650 is a beta exam, and Microsoft does not score beta results until roughly 10 to 12 weeks after the beta period begins, sometimes up to 14 weeks. Realistically, candidates with active Microsoft 365 admin experience should plan for 6 to 10 weeks of preparation, since only one attempt is allowed during the beta period.
Key Facts: Microsoft AB-650 Exam Cost at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
| Standard exam price (US) | $165 USD |
| Exam level | Associate |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000 |
| Beta discount | Closed (was 80% off, capped at 300 seats, deadline August 18, 2026) |
| Attempts allowed during beta | 1 only; retake possible after the exam goes live |
| Certification earned | Microsoft 365 Certified: AI Services Administrator Associate (beta) |
| Replaces | MS-102 (retiring November 30, 2026) |
| Countries currently excluded from the beta exam | China, India, Pakistan, Türkiye |
Want to get a better idea of what to expect from AB-650? Microsoft AB-650 exam guide can help.
What Is the Standard Price of the AB-650 Exam?
AB-650 sits in Microsoft’s Associate and Expert pricing tier, fixed at $165 USD in the United States This matches every other Associate-level Microsoft exam.
Two pricing tiers apply across the Microsoft certification catalog:
- Fundamentals exams: $99 USD
- Associate, Expert, and Specialty exams: $165 USD (AB-650 falls here)
Microsoft AB-650 has no Fundamentals-level equivalent. The official exam page does not list a fixed number outside the US; it states only that price is based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored.
How Much Does the AB-650 Exam Cost by Region?
Microsoft does not publish a global price list. Each exam page shows a rate set for the country or region tied to your Microsoft Learn profile, adjusted for local currency, with tax added at checkout in some countries (Microsoft Learn). Pearson VUE, Microsoft’s exam delivery partner, also confirms this at scheduling before you pay (Pearson VUE).
| Region | Price | Basis |
| United States | $165 USD | Official, fixed rate for Associate-level exams |
| Canada | Set in local currency at checkout | Microsoft’s regional pricing model applies; no fixed global figure is published |
| Australia | Set in local currency at checkout | Same regional pricing model as Canada |
| United Kingdom | Set in local currency at checkout | Local VAT may apply in addition to the base rate |
| European Union | Set in local currency at checkout | Local VAT may apply in addition to the base rate |
| India | Not currently available | Candidates located in India cannot sit AB-650 during its beta period, so no price is quoted |
Microsoft has adjusted regional pricing before. Effective November 1, 2024, it updated Certification exam rates worldwide, lowering the price in some countries and regions while leaving most unchanged. This confirms regional rates are actively managed rather than a simple currency conversion of the US price, but it also means any number quoted today should be reconfirmed at checkout rather than assumed to hold indefinitely.
What Factors Affect the AB-650 Exam Cost?
| Factor | How It Changes Your Cost |
| Country/region of your exam profile | Microsoft prices exams by country and region, adjusted for local currency; some regions add tax at checkout |
| Beta status | While AB-650 remains in beta, you get exactly one paid attempt; there is no way to buy a second attempt until the exam goes live |
| Number of failed attempts after GA | Once AB-650 exits beta, every retake costs the full fee again, with no discount |
| Student status | Verified academic status can unlock a discount on many exams, where the offer is available in your country |
| Optional prep materials | The official study guide, self-paced training, and exam sandbox are free; anything beyond that is an added cost you choose to take on |
| Beta seat discount timing | Microsoft periodically posts an 80 percent discount code for a 3 to 4 week window on new beta exams; missing that window means paying full price |
How Can You Reduce the Cost of the AB-650 Exam?
- Use Microsoft’s free preparation resources first. The Microsoft AB-650 study guide, self-paced training modules, and exam sandbox cost nothing and are the only materials verified against the actual exam blueprint. AB-650 does not have an official Practice Assessment yet, so paid third-party question banks are not more official, only more expensive.
- Check your student eligibility before paying full price. If your academic status is verified and academic pricing is available in your country, the discount applies automatically at checkout.
- Treat your one beta attempt as final. A failed attempt cannot be retaken until AB-650 goes live, so going in underprepared risks an open-ended wait plus a second full $165 fee later, rather than a quick 24-hour retry.
- Join Microsoft’s SME Profile database for future beta exams. It will not help with the closed AB-650 code, but qualified members receive a separate, higher-odds discount code for future beta exams announced on the Microsoft Learn blog.
- Ask about employer funding before self-paying. Certification fees are a common line item in professional development budgets; confirm with your organization before booking.
Is the AB-650 Beta Discount Code Still Valid?
No. The AB-650 SkyClub code offered 80% off to the first 300 candidates who scheduled and completed the exam on or before August 18, 2026. That discount would have reduced the fee from $165 to approximately $33 USD.
Candidates who used the code and passed also qualified for a separate 25 percent discount voucher toward their next exam, issued about two weeks after AB-650 goes live. That benefit only applies to people who already took the beta exam under the 80 percent code; it cannot be claimed retroactively.
As of today, the 300-seat cap has been reached and the deadline has passed. Beta discount codes are only ever posted on the Microsoft Learn blog, and a smaller, higher-odds code is sometimes issued to members of Microsoft’s SME Profile database.
- Important for candidates in India, China, Pakistan, and Türkiye: per Microsoft’s official beta exam policy, candidates located in these four countries are not eligible to participate in beta exams at all, for security reasons. AB-650 is currently unavailable to candidates in these locations, independent of the discount, until the exam exits beta.
How Much Does It Cost to Retake the AB-650 Exam?
Retake costs depend entirely on whether AB-650 is still in beta when you take it.
While AB-650 is in beta:
- You get one attempt only.
- If you fail, you cannot pay for a retake. You must wait until the exam officially goes live, then register and pay again.
After AB-650 goes live (general availability):
- The standard Microsoft retake policy applies: full exam fee for every attempt, no discount for retaking.
| Attempt | Waiting Period Before Next Attempt (post-GA) |
| 1st fail | 24 hours |
| 2nd fail | 14 days |
| 3rd fail | 14 days |
| 4th fail | 14 days |
| Maximum attempts | 5 per 12-month period |
Source: Microsoft Learn retake policy
Microsoft’s Exam Replay offer, which bundles an exam plus one retake, is available through the official Offers page once an exam is out of beta. It does not help during AB-650’s current beta period, since the beta retake policy overrides it and permits only one attempt regardless of what was purchased.
What Is the Total Cost to Get AB-650 Certified?
| Cost Component | Amount (US pricing) | Required? |
| Exam fee, first attempt | $165 | Yes |
| Retake, if needed (only possible after GA) | $165 | Only if you fail and wait for GA |
| Official Microsoft Learn training, study guide, sandbox | $0 | No, free |
| Optional third-party prep materials | Varies | Optional |
A candidate who passes on the first attempt using free Microsoft Learn material spends exactly $165 USD. A candidate who fails during beta cannot spend more money immediately; the next cost only appears once AB-650 goes live and a retake becomes available.
What Does the AB-650 Exam Cover?
| Domain | Weight | Key Topics |
| Configure and manage Microsoft 365 tenants and workloads | 20-25% | Tenant branding, licensing, Microsoft 365 Backup, Teams and SharePoint administration |
| Govern and secure Microsoft 365 tenants and workloads | 40-45% | Entra identities, Conditional Access, Defender for Office 365, Purview DLP |
| Manage and secure AI services in Microsoft 365 | 35-40% | Copilot enablement, Entra Agent ID, Microsoft Agent 365, Copilot Control System |
Recommended prerequisites, per Microsoft: hands-on experience with Microsoft 365 workloads and Microsoft Entra ID, familiarity with Defender XDR, and comfort using Microsoft Graph PowerShell.
How Difficult Is the AB-650 Exam, and What Is the Pass Rate?
No official or verified pass rate exists for AB-650 today. Microsoft does not score beta exams immediately; scores typically arrive about 10 days after the exam goes live, which is roughly 10 to 12 weeks after the beta period begins, and can take up to 14 weeks depending on when a candidate tested. Any specific pass percentage circulating for AB-650 right now is an estimate, not a verified figure.
Two structural signals point to above-average difficulty:
- Governance and security carries the heaviest weight of the three domains (40-45%), covering dense topics like Conditional Access and Purview DLP.
- The AI services domain (35-40%) tests brand-new features, including Microsoft Entra Agent ID and Microsoft Agent 365, with no official Practice Assessment available yet.
Candidates without prior Microsoft 365 admin or Entra ID experience should expect a steeper study curve, since Microsoft’s own prerequisite guidance assumes that baseline already exists.
Difficulty rating: Moderate to High. This reflects the Associate-level classification combined with a heavily weighted governance domain, a brand-new AI-services domain, and a one-attempt-only beta structure that removes the safety net of a quick retake.
Is AB-650 Worth It Compared to MS-102?
MS-102 retires on November 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time. AB-650 leads to the certification that succeeds it, the Microsoft 365 Certified: AI Services Administrator Associate (beta).
| Scenario | Recommended Path |
| Already passed MS-102 | No action needed; the credential stands as earned |
| Close to finishing MS-102 study, exam bookable before November 30, 2026 | Finish MS-102; a passed exam before retirement still counts |
| Just starting to study, no exam booked | Consider AB-650, since it earns its Associate certification in a single exam |
| Based in India, China, Pakistan, or Türkiye | AB-650 is not currently available to you; MS-102 remains bookable until its retirement date |
AB-650 earns its own Associate-level certification through a single $165 exam. MS-102, by comparison, was one half of the Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert credential and required a separate Associate-level prerequisite exam first.
Where Should You Register for the AB-650 Exam?
Register only through Microsoft’s official exam page and Pearson VUE. Using leaked or unauthorized exam questions violates the Microsoft Certification Exam Agreement and can result in a permanent ban from all Microsoft certification programs.
The $165 US fee, or its regional equivalent, is set entirely by Microsoft and Pearson VUE. No third party can legitimately offer a lower official exam price outside of Microsoft’s own discount programs described above.
Planning your AB-650 preparation? Our study plan can help you choose between a 4-week fast track and a 6-week full track.
Should You Register for AB-650 Now or Wait?
Register now if:
- You already have Microsoft 365 admin or Entra ID experience and can prepare thoroughly before your one beta attempt
- You were mid-study for MS-102 and haven’t booked an exam yet, and want the newer AI-governance credential instead
- You are not located in China, India, Pakistan, or Türkiye, since candidates there cannot currently sit AB-650
Wait if:
- You have no Microsoft 365 or Entra ID background; there is no official Practice Assessment yet, and a failed beta attempt cannot be retaken until the exam goes live
- You are located in China, India, Pakistan, or Türkiye; you will need to wait for AB-650 to exit beta
- You were relying on the beta discount code; the window is closed and a new public code is not guaranteed before general availability
Before you begin studying, it helps to know what you’re up against. Check out the AB-650 difficulty breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does the AB-650 exam cost in the US?
The cost of the Microsoft AB-650: Administering Microsoft 365 and AI Services exam is $165 USD, the standard Microsoft Associate-level exam price.
Is the Microsoft AB-650 exam still in beta?
Yes, as of August 2026. Microsoft’s exam page lists no retirement date and has not published an exact general availability date.
What is the passing score for AB-650?
The passing score of the Microsoft AB-650 exam is 700 out of 1000.
Does AB-650 replace MS-102?
AB-650 leads to the certification that succeeds MS-102’s certification path. MS-102 retires on November 30, 2026.
Can I still use the AB-650SkyClub beta discount code?
No. The code reached its 300-seat cap and its deadline of August 18, 2026, has passed.
What happens if I fail the AB-650 exam during beta?
You cannot retake it until AB-650 officially goes live. Once it does, the standard retake policy applies: pay the full fee again, wait 24 hours after a first fail and 14 days after each subsequent fail, up to 5 attempts per 12 months.
Can candidates in India take the AB-650 exam right now?
No. Microsoft’s official beta exam policy excludes candidates located in China, India, Pakistan, and Türkiye from participating in beta exams for security reasons
What certification do I earn by passing AB-650?
Microsoft 365 Certified: AI Services Administrator Associate (beta), earned through a single exam. Verified against official Microsoft Learn and Microsoft Tech Community sources as of August 24, 2026. Exam pricing, beta status, and eligibility rules are subject to change; confirm current details on the official AB-650 exam page before registering.
