AB-900: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals

O'Reilly Live Learning course repository + AI-powered study buddy

This repository contains instructor materials for the O'Reilly Live Learning session on AB-900, plus an embedded GitHub Copilot study companion that generates exam-realistic practice questions, scenario walkthroughs, and personalized study plans.

Certification at a Glance

Exam Domains

Quick Start: AB-900 Cert Buddy

The cert buddy is a GitHub Copilot agent that runs inside VS Code. It requires no installation beyond cloning this repo and having GitHub Copilot access.

Setup (5 minutes)

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/timothywarner-org/ab900.git
   cd ab900
   

2. Open the folder in VS Code:

   code .
   

3. When prompted, install the recommended extensions (GitHub Copilot + GitHub Copilot Chat).

4. VS Code will prompt for a Context7 API key the first time a cert buddy command runs. Get a free key at https://context7.com and paste it when prompted. This enables version-specific M365 admin PowerShell and Graph API syntax lookups.

5. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I / Cmd+Alt+I).

Two Ways to Interact

Option A -- Slash commands (guided input form):

/ab900-practice-questions
/ab900-scenario-walkthrough
/ab900-study-planner

These open a guided form that collects inputs (domain, difficulty, confidence ratings, etc.) before generating content.

Option B -- Direct agent mention (free-form):

@ab900-cert-buddy-agent Give me a Domain 2 question about DSPM for AI at Apply level, medium difficulty.
@ab900-cert-buddy-agent Walk me through approving an agent submission in the M365 admin center.
@ab900-cert-buddy-agent Build me a study plan. I am weak on Domain 2 and moderate on the others.

Cert Buddy Features

Practice Questions

Questions use a two-phase interactive delivery that mirrors the real exam experience.

Phase 1 -- The agent presents a workplace scenario and four answer choices (A-D), then stops and waits for your reply.

Phase 2 -- After you answer, the agent reveals the correct answer, a 2-sentence rationale for every choice, and Microsoft Learn references.

Special commands during Phase 1:

After a set of questions the agent reports score, percent correct, and domains to review.

Scenario Walkthroughs

Walkthroughs simulate the admin center experience without requiring a live tenant. Each walkthrough:

• Sets a realistic admin scenario (for example: "Contoso needs to see what sensitive data Copilot has been accessing")
• Walks through 5-10 numbered steps with exact portal URL, navigation path, and correct setting
• Flags the AB-900 exam objective each step covers
• Notes the most common wrong answers (wrong portal, wrong nav path, wrong role)

Available scenario types:

• Copilot licensing and pay-as-you-go billing configuration
• Agent approval workflow (M365 admin center + Power Platform admin center)
• DSPM for AI dashboard review
• SharePoint oversharing identification and remediation
• Sensitivity label creation and policy assignment
• DLP policy review and alert response
• PIM role activation and Conditional Access policy review

Study Planner

1. The agent presents the three AB-900 domains with exam weights.
2. You rate your confidence in each: Strong / Moderate / Weak / Unknown.
3. The agent generates a prioritized study plan -- weakest first, Domain 2 flagged as highest weight.
4. Each domain entry includes estimated study hours, 2-3 Microsoft Learn module links, and key objectives.
5. The agent offers to start generating practice questions on your first priority domain.

Repository Structure

ab900/
├── .github/
│   ├── agents/
│   │   └── ab900-cert-buddy-agent.agent.md    # Main Copilot agent
│   ├── skills/
│   │   ├── ab900-item-creator/SKILL.md         # Practice question generation
│   │   ├── ab900-scenario-walkthrough/SKILL.md # Admin scenario walkthroughs
│   │   └── ab900-study-planner/SKILL.md        # Personalized study plans
│   ├── prompts/
│   │   ├── ab900-practice-questions.prompt.md  # /ab900-practice-questions command
│   │   ├── ab900-scenario-walkthrough.prompt.md # /ab900-scenario-walkthrough command
│   │   └── ab900-study-planner.prompt.md       # /ab900-study-planner command
│   ├── copilot-instructions.md                 # Workspace Copilot grounding rules
│   └── workflows/
│       └── validate.yml                        # CI: terminology + link validation
├── .vscode/
│   ├── mcp.json                                # MCP server config (3 servers, auto-loads)
│   ├── extensions.json                         # Recommended extensions
│   └── settings.json                           # Workspace settings
├── references/
│   ├── ab900-objectives.md                     # Official exam objectives (all 3 domains)
│   ├── fictional-companies.md                  # Microsoft fictional companies for scenarios
│   └── style-guide.md                          # Microsoft Writing Style Guide extract
├── course-plan.md                              # Live session plan (4 x 50 min on ON24)
├── docs/
│   ├── module-01-security-foundations.md        # Module 1 CliffsNotes
│   ├── module-02-core-services-admin.md        # Module 2 CliffsNotes
│   ├── module-03-data-protection-governance.md  # Module 3 CliffsNotes
│   ├── module-04-copilot-and-agents.md         # Module 4 CliffsNotes
│   ├── module-05-copilot-admin-tasks.md        # Module 5 CliffsNotes
│   ├── module-06-agent-admin-tasks.md          # Module 6 CliffsNotes
│   ├── session-agenda.md                       # Instructor delivery guide (4 x 50 min)
│   ├── demo-scripts.md                         # Click-by-click scripts for all 14 demos
│   ├── tenant-setup-guide.md                   # Learner tenant setup before the session
│   ├── new-features-deep-dive.md               # DSPM for AI, Researcher, Analyst, PAYG
│   └── exam-traps-cheatsheet.md                # One-page last-minute cheat sheet
├── shared-resources/
│   └── references/
│       ├── AB-900-EXAM-GUIDE.md                # Complete exam reference
│       ├── AB-900-SKILLS-BREAKDOWN.md          # Per-objective study notes
│       └── AB-900-PRACTICE-QUESTIONS.md        # 15 practice questions (5 per domain)
└── segment-0{1-4}-*/                           # Per-segment demos, labs, slides, resources

MCP Servers

Three MCP servers are configured in .vscode/mcp.json and load automatically on clone.

The Microsoft Learn MCP server (ab900buddy-mslearn) is the primary source of truth for all generated questions and walkthroughs. It provides grounding in official Microsoft documentation directly from the workspace configuration.

O'Reilly Live Learning Session

Duration: 4 segments x 50 minutes

For Learners

Before the session:

1. Follow the Tenant Setup Guide to get a working M365 admin tenant.
2. Clone this repo and open it in VS Code.
3. Set up the cert buddy (see Quick Start above).

Key resources:

• Exam Traps Cheat Sheet -- print or bookmark before the session
• New Features Deep Dive -- DSPM for AI, Researcher, Analyst, PAYG billing
• Practice Questions -- 15 scenario-based questions

For the Instructor

• Session Agenda -- full timing breakdown with cut guidance
• Demo Scripts -- click-by-click scripts for all 14 demos
• Tenant Setup Guide -- what learners need before arriving

Prerequisites

• Basic familiarity with Microsoft 365 services (email, SharePoint, Teams)
• Access to a Microsoft 365 tenant with Global Administrator rights -- see Tenant Setup Guide
• VS Code with GitHub Copilot for the cert buddy features
• No Azure infrastructure or data science experience required

Key Admin Portal URLs

About the Instructor

Timothy Warner is a Microsoft MVP and technology educator specializing in Microsoft 365, Azure, and AI.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.

Support

Open an issue in this repository for questions about course materials.