SOFTWARE SKILLS

Microsoft 365 Administration test for hiring

See how candidates reason through everyday Microsoft 365 tenant settings.

10 minutes
15 questions
Intermediate
Multiple choice
Questions in English
Phone and desktop

Use this test free See the question formats

The short answer

The Microsoft 365 Administration test assesses practical knowledge of administering identity, mail, files and collaboration in Microsoft 365. Its scenario questions are designed for intermediate systems administrators, IT support and service desk engineers, Microsoft 365 support specialists, and other technical roles that look after an organization's services.

What it measures

Practical knowledge of administering identity, mail, files and collaboration in Microsoft 365.

Identity and access

Scenarios cover users, groups, admin roles and sign-in in Microsoft Entra ID.

Exchange Online

Questions cover mailboxes and mail flow in Exchange Online.

SharePoint and OneDrive

Scenarios ask about sites, sharing and files in SharePoint and OneDrive.

Microsoft Teams

Questions cover teams, channels and policies in Microsoft Teams.

Question formats

Multiple choice

The candidate: Reads a short situation, table or statement and picks the right answer, or every right answer.

You see: Whether the candidate knows the material well enough to apply it, not just recognize it.

15 questions in 10 minutes, served one at a time.

Roles this test fits

Systems administrators, IT support and service desk engineers, Microsoft 365 support specialists, IT managers who still administer the tenant, and other technical roles that look after an organization's Microsoft 365 services.

What this test can show

Reasoning about settings
Small tables of users, permissions or settings ask candidates to work out what happens or which change is right.
Answers tied to stated licenses
Each question states any setting or license its answer depends on, so a candidate cannot get it right by guessing which Microsoft 365 plan the tenant is on.
Less reliance on interface memory
Plain-word descriptions and tables replace screenshots, so answers do not depend on remembering where a button sits in an admin center.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)Microsoft 365 Administration

70%Percentile 44. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 428

Identity and access65%

Exchange Online60%

SharePoint and OneDrive63%

Microsoft Teams90%

Integrity ScoreHigh confidence

Stayed on the test tab throughout
No pasted answers
Answered at a steady pace

Scores, profiles and integrity signals are evidence for you to review alongside an interview, never an automatic decision.

Use this test free

How the test handles integrity signals

Each candidate receives a different set of questions drawn from large pools. Questions appear one at a time, and answer keys stay on HireValid's servers. The server runs the timer; reloading brings back the same question with only the time left. Candidates cannot copy or select question text, and a blocked copy attempt is recorded in the timeline. HireValid records signals such as time away from the test tab, pastes into answers and answers faster than a question can be read. An Integrity Score and evidence timeline are provided for the employer to review; they do not decide on their own. With the candidate's consent, the employer can add webcam photos at random moments. Read how we build our tests.

How we prevent AI cheating · Integrity signals

Use the score as evidence

Review the score alongside a work sample and a structured interview, not on its own. For a work sample, give candidates a tenant scenario with a table of permissions or settings and ask them to explain a suitable change. You can compare the candidate's reasoning with the areas covered by the Microsoft Exchange Server test or Active Directory test when those are relevant to the role. See the pre-employment testing guide for more on using test results in hiring.

Structured interview questions

How would you investigate a user who cannot sign in to Microsoft 365?
Listen for a clear sequence that considers the user's account, sign-in and relevant settings in Microsoft Entra ID.
A mailbox is not sending mail as expected. How would you narrow down the cause?
Listen for practical troubleshooting steps related to the mailbox and mail flow in Exchange Online.
How would you respond to a request to change access to shared files?
Listen for how the candidate would consider site, sharing and file settings in SharePoint or OneDrive before making a change.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Questions describe settings and outcomes in plain words and small tables rather than screenshots, so they do not depend on memorizing where a button sits in an admin center. They use the services' current names, state any setting or license the answer depends on, and avoid features that differ between plans unless the question says which plan. Scenarios use placeholder domains, no money, and names from many backgrounds, and every question can be read on a phone.

You can give any candidate extra time as an accommodation. Results are evidence for a person to review, never an automatic decision.

Provisional: reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

Read our fairness approach

Test details

Short scenario questions on running a Microsoft 365 tenant day to day. The test covers users, groups, admin roles and sign-in in Microsoft Entra ID, mailboxes and mail flow in Exchange Online, sites, sharing and files in SharePoint and OneDrive, and teams, channels and policies in Microsoft Teams. Many questions show a small table of users, permissions or settings and ask what happens or which change is right.

Questions are in English.
No aids are needed.
Each question is answered once, in order, with no going back.
4 practice questions, 4 minutes, before the timed test.

Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, Active Directory, Exchange Online, Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, PowerShell, Microsoft Purview are trademarks of their owners. HireValid is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Frequently asked questions

What level is the Microsoft 365 Administration test?+

It is an intermediate test for roles that administer an organization's Microsoft 365 services. It may suit systems administrators, IT support and service desk engineers, Microsoft 365 support specialists, or IT managers who still administer the tenant.

How are questions in the Microsoft 365 Administration test presented?+

The 15 questions describe day-to-day tenant scenarios. Some have one correct answer and some ask candidates to pick every correct option. Many show a small table of users, permissions or settings and ask what happens or which change is right. Questions can be read on a phone.

What practice is available for the Microsoft 365 Administration test?+

Candidates can try a practice set of four questions with a four-minute limit. It is a way to see the question format, including scenarios about Microsoft Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint and OneDrive, or Microsoft Teams.

Does the Microsoft 365 Administration test require memorizing admin center screens?+

No. Questions use plain words and small tables instead of screenshots, so they do not depend on remembering button locations. They state settings or licenses that an answer depends on and avoid plan-dependent features unless the plan is specified.