AB-731 exam format: questions, score and cost
AB-731 gives you 45 minutes, requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1000 to pass, and is priced per country or region at the booking step. Microsoft’s exam page does not publish the number of questions. The exam is proctored and is offered in 13 languages. Below is everything Microsoft publishes, and what it means for your preparation.
| Exam title | AI Transformation Leader |
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader |
| Level | Beginner |
| Role | Business leader |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1–1000 |
| Number of questions | Not published by Microsoft |
| Languages | English, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish |
| Delivery | Proctored; scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Price | Set per country or region; shown at booking |
| Status | Generally available (no beta label on the exam page) |
| Outline last updated | July 22, 2026 |
| Renewal | Not stated on the exam page; see the note below |
The three skill areas
| Skill area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Identify the business value of generative AI solutions | 35–40% |
| Identify benefits, capabilities, and opportunities for Microsoft’s AI apps and services | 35–40% |
| Identify an implementation and adoption strategy for Microsoft’s AI apps and services | 20–25% |
Every objective begins with “identify”, “describe”, “understand”, “explain” or “establish”. That sets the depth: you choose and justify, you do not build. The weights work out as follows for revision:
- Business value (35–40%). Read the business value guide. It is the vocabulary exam: tokens, fine-tuning, grounding, RAG, prompt techniques, data quality and the risks.
- Microsoft AI apps and services (35–40%). Read the Microsoft AI apps guide. It is the product-matching exam: Copilot versions, Copilot Studio, Graph, Researcher and Analyst, Foundry Tools.
- Implementation and adoption (20–25%). Read the adoption guide. It is the smallest area, but its scenarios (AI council, champions, barriers, licensing) are easy marks if you have read them once.
Forty-five minutes
Microsoft’s role-based associate exams run much longer. At 45 minutes, a leader exam rewards decisive reading: identify the business need in the scenario, note any constraint (data sensitivity, no code, budget, speed), and eliminate answers that violate it. Flag and move on rather than spending minutes on one item. The exam tips page covers pacing and wording traps.
Question types
Microsoft says the exam may have interactive components. Expect the usual Microsoft mix of single-answer and multiple-answer multiple choice, yes/no statement sets, matching items and dropdown completions. Microsoft’s exam sandbox lets you try the interface without any exam content. The exam page does not say whether Microsoft Learn is available during the sitting, so assume it is not and prepare from memory.
The passing score is scaled
A score of 700 is not 70% correct. Microsoft scales results and does not publish how marks convert. Aim for a steady 80% or more on realistic practice material instead of calculating a margin.
Free practice assessment
The certification page links a free official practice assessment. It shows Microsoft’s wording and difficulty. Take it once early to see the style, and again near the end as a readiness check. Do not memorise it; the real exam asks different questions about the same objectives.
Updates, preview features and language
Microsoft states that most questions cover generally available features, but preview features may appear if they are commonly used. Localised exams are updated about eight weeks after the English version. If your language is not offered, you can request an additional 30 minutes; arrange that before booking.
Current outline. As of October 9, 2026 the newest published outline is the one dated July 22, 2026. Microsoft’s change log lists minor changes to the audience profile, the Foundry Tools objectives and the AI adoption planning objectives; the other areas are unchanged. No later English update is announced on the exam page. If Microsoft publishes a newer outline, these guides will follow it and say so here; check the exam changes page too.
Booking, retakes and renewal
You schedule through Microsoft Learn and Pearson VUE. Microsoft strongly recommends a personal Microsoft account rather than a work or school account, because records tied to an organisational account are lost if you leave the organisation. If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours; later attempts need 14 days between them, with at most five attempts in 12 months, and each attempt is paid in full.
On renewal: Microsoft’s renewal page says associate, expert and specialty certifications renew annually through a free online assessment, and that fundamentals certifications do not expire. The AB-731 page itself lists the level as Beginner and states no expiry, so check your Microsoft Learn profile for the exact terms on your certificate. For the day itself, see the exam day guide; for costs in general, see certification costs.