# Renew Microsoft Certifications for Free: Renewal Assessment Steps and Timing

> How to renew an expiring Microsoft associate, expert or specialty certification on Microsoft Learn: the six-month window, the free open-book assessment, retake limits and what happens if you miss it.

Source: https://www.epifive.com/blog/microsoft-certification-renewal-free-assessment · Published 2026-10-25 · EpiFive

## Key takeaways

- Microsoft associate, expert and specialty certifications are valid for one year, and renewing is free through an online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
- The renewal window opens six months before expiry, and passing extends the certification by one year from its expiration date.
- The assessment is unproctored and open book, takes about 45 minutes, and can be retaken without limit before the certification expires.
- If a certification expires you cannot renew it and must pass the required exams again, and Fundamentals certifications never expire.

You renew an expiring Microsoft associate, expert or specialty certification by passing a free, online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn before the certification expires. The assessment opens six months before the expiry date, is open book and unproctored, and passing extends the certification by one year from its current expiration date. This guide walks through the steps, the timing rules and what to do when something goes wrong.

## Who this is for and what you will have at the end

This is for anyone holding a Microsoft role-based certification, such as an associate or expert credential in Azure, Microsoft 365, security or data, who wants to keep it active without paying for or retaking the full exam. By the end you will know how to find the renewal option, when it becomes available, how the assessment behaves and how to recover from a failed attempt.

The information comes from Microsoft Learn's certification renewal page, renewal FAQ and credential expiration policy, checked on 2026-10-25. Microsoft can change these rules, so confirm against those pages if your situation is unusual.

## Which certifications expire and which can be renewed

| Credential type | Expires? | Renewal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fundamentals | No | Not needed |
| Associate, expert and specialty | Yes, one year after you earn it | Free renewal assessment |
| Applied Skills | No | Not needed |
| MOS and MCE | Every 5 years | Per the expiration policy |
| MTA, MCSA, MCSD, MCSE | No | Not needed |

Microsoft's expiration policy says role-based (associate and expert) and specialty certifications are valid for one year from the date you complete all requirements. The renewal FAQ adds that certifications available for more than six months have a renewal option. Renewal is not available through any other route: the FAQ states that retaking the exam or passing a beta exam before expiry does not renew the certification.

### Expert certifications and prerequisites

If an expert certification requires an associate certification as a prerequisite and the associate one expires, the expert certification does not automatically expire. Each certification is renewed separately by passing its own renewal assessment, so track each expiry date individually.

### Certifications earned through a beta exam

If you earned a certification by passing a beta exam, your achievement and expiration dates are based on the date the beta exam was rescored, roughly ten days after it goes live. Your expiry date can therefore fall slightly earlier than you expect if you count from the day you sat the exam.

## Prerequisites

- A Microsoft Learn profile that is linked to your certification profile. Microsoft's renewal page describes the first step as connecting your Microsoft Learn profile with your certification profile.
- A valid associate, expert or specialty certification that is inside its six-month renewal window.
- Time to complete an assessment of about 45 minutes, per the renewal FAQ.

## Step-by-step: renew your certification

### 1. Check your renewal timeline

Sign in to Microsoft Learn, select your profile picture and choose **Profile**. Open **Certifications** in the profile menu and scroll through your certifications. Each one shows its expiry date, and a blue **Renew** button appears when the certification is eligible.

Microsoft's shortcut for this page is `https://aka.ms/ManageCerts`. If you have an email address on your Learn profile and agreed to the communication terms, you also receive emails as certifications become eligible.

### 2. Wait for the window, then plan ahead

The assessment is only available once you are within six months of expiry, and you cannot renew earlier. Expiration dates and times are in UTC, so a certification that expires at the end of a day in your time zone may expire before then in UTC. Microsoft recommends taking the assessment well before expiry to leave time for unforeseen events such as technical issues or several retakes.

### 3. Refresh your skills

The renewal page for each certification links free, self-paced Learn modules that focus on recent updates. The assessment is shorter than the original exam because it concentrates on technology changes, and updates to the assessments are aligned with updates to the exams. Work through the modules for any product area you have not used recently.

### 4. Take the assessment

Select **Renew** and start the assessment. It is online, unproctored and open book. You do not need a testing centre or an exam voucher. Assessments are available in the same languages as the corresponding certification exams.

### 5. Confirm the new expiry date

Once you pass, Microsoft states the expiration date is updated immediately on your Learn profile. Passing extends the certification by one year from the expiration date, not from the day you passed. Taking the assessment early therefore costs you nothing: you keep the full year on top of your existing expiry.

## Retakes and timing rules

| Rule | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Cost | Free |
| Attempts | No limit before the certification expires |
| First retake | You can try again immediately |
| After the second try | Wait at least 24 hours between attempts |
| Format | Online, unproctored, open book |
| Typical length | About 45 minutes |

Because the retake limit is on time, not on number of attempts, a failed attempt on the last day is a real risk. If you fail twice, you need to wait 24 hours before the third attempt, so start early enough to absorb that delay.

## Verification

After passing, confirm the renewal in two places:

1. Open **Profile** and **Certifications** on Microsoft Learn and check that the expiry date has moved forward by one year.
2. If you share your credential through a transcript or digital badge, check that the shared page shows the new date.

## Troubleshooting

**There is no Renew button.** Microsoft says the assessment is available only within six months of expiry, so check the date on the certification card first. Also confirm that your Learn profile is connected to your certification profile, and note that retiring certifications can have a shortened window or suppressed reminders.

**You did not receive a reminder email.** Reminders are sent only if there is an email address on the Learn profile and you agreed to the communication terms. Do not rely on them: put the expiry date in your own calendar.

**The certification is retiring.** Microsoft states that when a retirement date comes before the expiration date, the Learn messaging tells you to renew before the retirement date, and the renewal window can be shortened for some users depending on their anniversary date. Read the date shown on your certification card rather than assuming a full six months.

**The certification has already expired.** Microsoft's policy is that after expiry you can no longer renew and must re-earn the certification by passing the required exams. The credential-expiration policy also notes that a retired credential stays in the Active section of your transcript until it expires.

**You failed the assessment.** You can retry immediately once, then wait at least 24 hours between later attempts. Use the learning modules on the renewal page to target the areas you missed.

## Renewal checklist

- List every associate, expert and specialty certification you hold and its expiry date.
- Link your Microsoft Learn profile and certification profile at the beginning of the process.
- Add a calendar reminder for the date the window opens, six months before expiry.
- Take the assessment early in the window, not in the final week.
- Confirm the new expiry date on your Learn profile after you pass.
- Renew each certification separately, including associate certifications that are prerequisites for expert ones.

If you are planning your next credential, the [SC-300 study guide](https://www.epifive.com/blog/sc-300-study-guide-identity-access-administrator) and the [AZ-400 study guide](https://www.epifive.com/blog/az-400-study-guide-devops-engineer-expert) cover two role-based certifications that follow the same one-year renewal cycle.

## References

- Microsoft Certification renewal: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/renew-your-microsoft-certification
- Renew your Microsoft Certification FAQ: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/renew-your-microsoft-certification-faq
- Credential expiration policies: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/credential-expiration-policy

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I renew a Microsoft certification?

Sign in to Microsoft Learn, open your profile, choose Certifications and select the blue Renew button next to the certification. You must pass the free online renewal assessment before the certification expires. There is no other renewal path.

### How early can I take the Microsoft renewal assessment?

The assessment opens six months before your certification expires. Expiration dates and times are in UTC. Microsoft recommends taking it well before expiry to leave time for technical problems or retakes.

### Do Microsoft Fundamentals certifications expire?

No. Fundamentals certifications do not expire, so there is nothing to renew. Renewal applies to associate, expert and specialty certifications.

### What happens if my Microsoft certification expires?

You can no longer renew it. You must earn it again by passing the required exam or exams. A beta exam or retaking the exam before expiry does not count as a renewal.