Can You Reschedule a Microsoft Exam? Fees, Deadlines and No-Show Rules in 2026

Last updated: October 2026. Researched against the official Microsoft Learn reschedule and cancellation policy and Pearson VUE's OnVUE pages, accessed 1 October 2026.

TL;DR: The only standard Microsoft rule is a single deadline: reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours before your exam through your Microsoft Learn profile, and the fee is not forfeited. Act within 24 hours, no-show, or miss the OnVUE check-in window, and you lose the fee. Microsoft publishes no refund for missed appointments.

Plans change, and a booked certification exam is not set in stone. Whether you reserved a test-centre seat or an OnVUE online slot through Pearson VUE, you can move or cancel it, but one deadline decides whether it costs you anything. This guide sets out the real rules for how to reschedule a Microsoft exam, what Microsoft actually publishes, and where the internet gets it wrong.

The one rule that matters: the 24-hour deadline

Microsoft's reschedule and cancellation policy comes down to a single threshold. You must reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours before your scheduled exam, or the fee is forfeited [1]. There is no lower fee band and no graduated penalty on the Microsoft policy page: the rule is binary, 24 hours or more of notice versus less than 24 hours [1].

This matters because many third-party articles describe a tiered system, for example free changes six business days out, a smaller fee within five business days, and no changes within two days. Those bands could not be found on any official Microsoft policy page for standard paid or company-voucher exams [1]. The Microsoft page uses the phrase "24 hours", not "business days" [1]. Treat tiered business-day claims with caution, because they appear tied to specific promotional offers, not to general policy.

One honest caveat follows. Microsoft states "24 hours" but does not spell out whether that means exact clock hours or business hours, or which time zone the clock follows [1]. Build in a buffer. If your exam is at 09:00, do not leave your change until 09:00 the day before. Give yourself a comfortable margin so a time-zone technicality cannot cost you the fee.

Reschedule and cancellation outcomes at a glance

How to reschedule or cancel

You manage Microsoft exam appointments from your Microsoft Learn profile, not directly on the Pearson VUE site. The steps are the same whether you booked a test centre or an OnVUE online exam [1].

1. Sign in to your Microsoft Learn profile and choose Profile from the avatar menu [1].
2. Go to Credentials, then Certifications [1].
3. Scroll to the appointment and choose Cancel or Reschedule [1].
4. You are redirected to the exam delivery provider, Pearson VUE, to complete the change [1].

Your Learn profile is the single place to reschedule, cancel, or begin an online exam [2]. Pearson VUE itself directs candidates back to the Microsoft programme site or Learn to schedule, reschedule and cancel [7][8]. If you booked through a different route, check who your delivery provider is: self-funded and training-programme candidates use Pearson VUE, while students, academic members and Microsoft Office Specialist candidates use Certiport [2]. Certiport's own rules are outside the scope of this guide. For a full walkthrough of the booking process itself, see our guide to how to book a Microsoft certification exam.

Cancellation and refunds: what you actually get back

For a cancellation made 24 hours or more ahead, Microsoft's policy page confirms the fee is not forfeited [1]. It does not spell out, on that page, whether a self-paid candidate receives a full refund to the original payment method or a credit for a future booking. So do not assume the money simply reappears. It is more accurate to say the fee is "not forfeited" than to say it is "refunded" [1].

What Microsoft is explicit about is when you get nothing back. It does not refund exams you do not pass or appointments you miss [3]. If you paid the commercial price before verifying your student status, that is not refunded either [3]. And a late cancellation forfeits the fee, with a company-purchased voucher forfeited along with it [1].

No-shows and forfeiture

A no-show is the most expensive outcome. If you simply do not attend, the fee is forfeited, and for voucher bookings Microsoft's wording is that your company may be charged a no-show fee [1]. Microsoft publishes no refund for a missed appointment [3].

Microsoft's policy page draws no distinction between a test-centre no-show and an OnVUE no-show [1]. The practical difference is how you can end up a no-show online without meaning to, and that comes down to the check-in window.

The OnVUE check-in window

For OnVUE online exams, the check-in window opens 30 minutes before your appointment and stays open up to 15 minutes after your scheduled start time [5]. Pearson VUE's guidance is to begin check-in 30 minutes before your appointment, and if any requirement is not met you cannot test and the fee is forfeited [7]. Check-in and launch take around 15 minutes, so start early [5].

Miss that window, arriving more than 15 minutes after your start time, and you can no longer begin, which leaves you a no-show with the fee forfeited [5][7]. The same forfeiture applies if your exam is revoked for a policy violation during the session [7]. For everything involved in a smooth online sitting, read our Microsoft online proctored exam guide.

A 2026 note for OnVUE candidates: Microsoft's online-exam page now describes AI-assisted monitoring and facial comparison during OnVUE sittings [5]. This is not a reschedule change, but candidates who prefer not to be monitored this way are directed to book a test centre instead, which is a decision to make before you book, not after [5].

Scheduling limits that interact with rescheduling

Two booking limits shape your options. You can have a maximum of two Microsoft Certification exams scheduled at any one time through Pearson VUE, a limit in effect since 16 January 2023, and exams can be scheduled no more than 90 days in advance [2][3][8]. After you take or cancel one booking, you can register for another [2].

These limits matter when you reschedule. If you are already holding two future bookings, you work within that cap when moving dates, and you cannot push a rescheduled exam beyond the 90-day horizon.

Vouchers: company and event terms are stricter

If you booked with a voucher rather than a card, the stakes are higher. A company-purchased voucher is forfeited if you cancel or reschedule late, on the same 24-hour threshold as a paid booking [1]. Event and promotional vouchers go further and carry their own terms. The Microsoft Build 2026 voucher terms, for example, state that a no-show, or a cancellation or reschedule made at 72 hours or less before the exam, may forfeit the voucher so that it cannot be used again [6]. Those terms also fix the redemption window and do not permit extensions [6].

Here is the important point. That 72-hour clause belongs to specific event vouchers, not to Microsoft's general policy, so do not apply it to a standard paid booking. Always read the terms attached to your specific voucher. Our guide to Microsoft AI certification vouchers and discounts covers where these vouchers come from and what to watch for.

Technical failures and the retake waiver

A dropped connection mid-exam does not automatically mean you lose your fee, but the relief is conditional. During an OnVUE exam, use the in-exam chat to reach your proctor, who cannot pause or extend your exam or troubleshoot your device or network, but can help you relaunch if the software freezes [7]. If you cannot reach a proctor within 30 minutes, use Pearson OnVUE Support live chat [5].

Microsoft grants a retake waiting-period waiver only for internet connectivity issues or equipment failures where a Pearson VUE case was created, and you must quote that case number when you contact Microsoft Training, Certification, and Program Support [4]. No case number means no waiver, so if something goes wrong, make sure a case is opened before you leave the session.

Do reschedules count against your retake limit?

No, and this is a common worry worth settling. Microsoft's retake rules govern attempts you actually take: you wait 24 hours after a first failure, 14 days between each later attempt, and you may take an exam a maximum of five times within 12 months of your first attempt [4]. Rescheduling moves an appointment you have not yet sat, so it is not an attempt and does not consume one. For the full picture after a failed attempt, see our Microsoft exam retake policy guide.

Related situations to plan around

A few adjacent rules save trouble if you know them before you book:

• Accommodations: request and have any testing accommodations confirmed before you schedule, not after. Processing can take up to 20 days, with Pearson VUE review taking up to 10 business days [9][2].
• Name and ID match: the name on your Microsoft Learn profile must exactly match your government-issued ID, or you will not be allowed to test [5][2].
• Breaks: the exam clock keeps running during the sitting, with about five minutes built in, and you may only leave the camera view using the break function, or the exam is revoked [11].
• Beta exams: a beta exam may be taken once during its beta period, and a fail means retaking it once the exam goes live [4][10]. Candidates in China, India, Pakistan and Turkiye are not eligible for beta exams [10].

Is anything different in 2026?

No policy change to the standard reschedule and cancellation rules was found for 2026. The Microsoft policy page was last updated on 9 February 2024 and still states the 24-hour threshold [1]. Related pages refreshed during 2026, covering online exams, scheduling and retakes, show no change to that threshold [2][4][5]. The main 2026-era update affecting online candidates is the AI-assisted monitoring notice on the OnVUE page, which influences whether you choose online or a test centre rather than how you reschedule [5].

One global point is worth stating plainly: this is a worldwide policy, and only pricing is localised. Microsoft notes that Associate and Expert exams are typically priced around US$165, set by country and region, with taxes possibly added and prices subject to change [3]. The 24-hour rule, however, reads the same wherever you sit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you reschedule a Microsoft exam, and how late can you do it?

Yes. You can reschedule a Microsoft exam through your Microsoft Learn profile, which redirects you to Pearson VUE. The only published deadline is 24 hours: reschedule at least 24 hours before your appointment and the fee is not forfeited. Leave it later than that and you lose the fee [1].

Do you lose your money if you cancel a Microsoft exam?

Only if you cancel late. Cancel at least 24 hours before the exam and the fee is not forfeited. Cancel within 24 hours and you forfeit it [1]. Microsoft does not refund exams you fail or appointments you miss, and does not refund commercial-price bookings made before you verified student status [3].

What happens if you miss (no-show) a Microsoft exam booked through Pearson VUE?

A no-show forfeits the fee, and a company-purchased voucher is forfeited too [1]. Microsoft publishes no refund for a missed appointment [3]. For OnVUE online exams, arriving after the check-in window closes, 15 minutes past your start time, counts as a no-show because you can no longer begin [5][7].

How do you reschedule an OnVUE online-proctored Microsoft exam?

Rescheduling is the same for OnVUE and test-centre exams. Sign in to your Microsoft Learn profile, open Profile, go to Credentials, then Certifications, find the appointment, and choose Reschedule. You are redirected to Pearson VUE to confirm the new slot [1][2]. Do this at least 24 hours ahead.

What happens to my voucher if I reschedule late or miss the appointment?

A company-purchased voucher is forfeited if you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours, or no-show [1]. Event and promotional vouchers carry stricter terms. The Microsoft Build 2026 voucher terms state that a no-show, or a cancel or reschedule at 72 hours or less before the exam, may forfeit the voucher [6].

If my internet drops during an online exam, do I get a free retake?

Possibly. Microsoft grants a waiting-period waiver only for internet connectivity or equipment failures where Pearson VUE opened a case, and you need that case number [4]. During the exam, use the in-exam chat to reach the proctor, then contact Microsoft Training, Certification, and Program Support with the case reference [4][7].

Does rescheduling affect the 14-day retake waiting period?

No evidence suggests it does. Microsoft's retake rules count attempts you actually take: 24 hours after a first fail, 14 days between later attempts, and a maximum of five attempts within 12 months [4]. Rescheduling moves an appointment you have not yet sat, so it does not consume a retake.

Conclusion

Rescheduling or cancelling a Microsoft exam is straightforward once you internalise the single rule: act at least 24 hours ahead through your Microsoft Learn profile and you keep your fee, leave it later or miss the appointment and you lose it. Vouchers, especially event vouchers, can be stricter, so always read their terms, and give yourself a time-zone buffer rather than cutting the deadline fine.

When you are ready to turn planning into preparation, browse Examinotion's Microsoft AI exam preparation courses, or start practising for AB-730 if that is the exam on your calendar.

Sources

1. Reschedule and cancellation policies - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
2. Register and schedule an exam - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
3. Exam frequently asked questions - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
4. Exam and Applied Skills assessment lab retake policies - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
5. About online exams with Pearson VUE - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
6. Microsoft Build 2026 Certification Exam Voucher Terms and Conditions - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
7. Microsoft OnVUE online testing information - Pearson VUE, accessed 1 October 2026
8. Microsoft Certification Exams - Pearson VUE, accessed 1 October 2026
9. Request exam accommodations and frequently asked questions - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
10. About beta Certification exams - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026
11. Exam duration and exam experience - Microsoft Learn, accessed 1 October 2026