Domain 1: Configure and manage a Teams environment
- Plan the network for Teams: estimate bandwidth, use the Network Planner, and apply Quality of Service (QoS) with DSCP markings so real-time audio, video, and sharing traffic is prioritized end to end.
- Pre-deploy the Teams client with a software distribution tool (Intune or Configuration Manager) and stagger updates to avoid saturating constrained WAN links; Delivery Optimization peer caching further reduces WAN usage.
- Configure org-wide Teams settings and coexistence (upgrade) modes for the Skype for Business to Teams migration - Islands, Teams Only, and the Skype for Business with Teams collaboration modes.
- Manage external access (federation for chat and calling with other domains/tenants) versus guest access (adding external users into teams), and understand which cross-organization scenario each one enables.
- Use shared channels (Microsoft Teams Connect) with cross-tenant access settings so a channel can be shared with another Entra tenant without guests or tenant switching.
- Assign least-privilege Teams admin roles (Teams Administrator, Teams Communications Administrator, Teams Communications Support Engineer/Specialist, Teams Devices Administrator) and manage Teams licensing.
- Govern the Teams lifecycle: team creation controls, team templates, naming and expiration policies (Microsoft 365 group expiration), archiving, and restoring deleted teams within the retention window.
- Apply Microsoft Purview information protection to Teams: sensitivity labels for teams/groups (privacy, guest access, unmanaged-device access) and container-level protection.
- Configure retention policies and eDiscovery for Teams chat and channel messages, and use Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to protect sensitive content shared in Teams.
- Implement information barriers and communication compliance to restrict or supervise communication between defined groups, and enable safe attachments and safe links for Teams.
- Configure guest access settings across Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, Entra ID, and SharePoint, since all four layers must allow guests for the experience to work.
Domain 2: Manage teams, channels, chats, and apps
- Create and manage teams from scratch, from an existing Microsoft 365 group, or from a team template, and manage owners and members (including bulk membership and dynamic membership groups).
- Choose the right channel type: standard (visible to all members), private (restricted membership within the team), and shared (Teams Connect, shared across teams or tenants).
- Manage channel settings, moderation, and who can create private channels; understand that each private and shared channel has its own SharePoint site.
- Apply messaging policies to control chat features - who can chat, edit/delete sent messages, use Giphy/memes/stickers, read receipts, and translation.
- Manage apps for Teams with app permission policies (which apps users may install/use) and app setup policies (which apps are pinned or pre-installed), created with New-CsTeamsAppPermissionPolicy and New-CsTeamsAppSetupPolicy.
- Publish and manage custom (line-of-business) apps and third-party apps through the Manage apps page and the org app catalog, and control app availability org-wide or per policy.
- Assign policies to users individually, in bulk, or through group policy assignment, and understand policy precedence when a user is targeted by more than one assignment.
- Use PowerShell (Microsoft Teams module) cmdlets such as New-Team, Add-TeamUser, and Set-Team to automate team and membership management at scale.
- Manage team and channel membership for guests and configure per-team guest permissions where org-level guest access is enabled.
- Control the creation of teams and Microsoft 365 groups by restricting group creation to specific security groups when self-service creation should be limited.
Domain 3: Manage meetings and calling
- Configure meeting policies (per-organizer/per-user) to control lobby behavior, who can present, recording, transcription, and content sharing, and use meeting settings for anonymous join and network ports.
- Set up live events / town halls and webinars, including who can schedule them, recording, and production options, plus meeting templates for consistent meeting experiences.
- Enable audio conferencing so participants can dial in by phone, and assign audio conferencing licenses and toll/toll-free numbers.
- Choose a Teams Phone (Phone System) PSTN connectivity option: Microsoft Calling Plans, Operator Connect, or Direct Routing with a certified Session Border Controller.
- Manage phone numbers: acquire and assign user (subscriber) and service numbers, and port existing numbers.
- Configure calling policies (making/receiving calls, call forwarding, delegation, voicemail) and emergency calling / emergency call routing policies with dynamic emergency addresses.
- Build cloud call queues and auto attendants with resource accounts, business hours, holidays, and routing to agents, users, or voice apps.
- Configure dial plans (normalization rules) and, for Direct Routing, voice routing policies, PSTN usages, and voice routes.
- Assign calling and meeting policies with the correct scope, and understand how caller ID policies mask or present numbers.
- Manage Teams-certified devices used for meetings and calling (Teams Rooms, phones, displays) through the Teams admin center.
Domain 4: Monitor, report on, and troubleshoot Teams
- Use Teams usage and activity reports in the Teams admin center and Microsoft 365 admin center to track adoption of teams, users, devices, and apps.
- Analyze call and meeting quality with the Call Quality Dashboard (CQD), which aggregates network-level quality trends across the organization.
- Investigate a specific user's or meeting's problems with per-user call analytics, which shows detailed session data (jitter, packet loss, round-trip time, devices, and network).
- Assign the Reports Reader role for users who need to view usage reports without broader admin rights, and the Teams Communications Support roles for helpdesk troubleshooting.
- Upload building/subnet and endpoint (tenant and building) data to CQD so reports map poor quality to specific network locations.
- Monitor Microsoft 365 service health for Teams incidents and advisories in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Troubleshoot common client and call problems: sign-in and authentication issues, audio/video device selection, and media connectivity affected by firewalls, proxies, or missing QoS.
- Use PowerShell and diagnostic logs (client debug logs) to gather data when escalating call-quality or connectivity issues.
- Interpret quality metrics (jitter, packet loss, latency/round-trip time) to distinguish network problems from device or client problems.
- Track policy assignment and configuration changes so a reported behavior change can be traced back to a recent policy or setting update.
MS-700 exam tips
- Learn the new blueprint weighting: Configure and manage a Teams environment is by far the largest area (40-45%), so prioritize network/QoS, external and guest access, admin roles, lifecycle governance, and the Purview security and compliance controls (sensitivity labels, retention, DLP, information barriers).
- Know external access vs guest access cold - external access (federation) is domain-to-domain chat and calling, while guest access adds an external person into a team. Shared channels (Teams Connect) are the modern answer for ongoing cross-tenant collaboration without guests.
- For calling, be able to pick the PSTN option from requirements: Calling Plans (Microsoft is the carrier), Operator Connect (your carrier, managed in the admin center), or Direct Routing (your SBC). Practice call queues and auto attendants with resource accounts.
- Distinguish the two monitoring tools: the Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) shows organization-wide trends, while per-user call analytics drills into one user's or meeting's sessions. Poor quality mapped to a location almost always means CQD with building data uploaded.
- Treat Skype for Business only as migration/coexistence context (upgrade modes), not as a current administration task. Memorize the coexistence modes and what each one routes.
- Match the admin role to the task: Teams Communications Support Engineer/Specialist for call troubleshooting, Reports Reader for usage reports, and the full Teams Administrator only when broad configuration is required.
Study guide FAQ
What are the current MS-700 exam domains and weightings?
As of the Microsoft Learn update on July 29, 2026, MS-700 covers four areas: Configure and manage a Teams environment (40-45%), Manage teams, channels, chats, and apps (20-25%), Manage meetings and calling (15-20%), and Monitor, report on, and troubleshoot Teams (15-20%). The environment domain is by far the largest, so weight your study time accordingly.
How is the exam scored and how long is it?
MS-700 uses Microsoft's scaled scoring from 1 to 1000, and you need 700 or higher to pass. Expect roughly 40 to 60 questions in a 120-minute session, including multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, and case study formats.
Do I still need to know Skype for Business for MS-700?
Only as migration and coexistence context. Skype for Business Online is retired, so the exam expects you to understand upgrade (coexistence) modes and how to migrate users from Skype for Business to Teams - not how to administer Skype for Business as a live service.