As businesses worldwide move toward hybrid work environments, seamless communication has become more critical than ever. Microsoft Teams is now a central hub for collaboration, but behind the scenes, it takes certified professionals to design, configure, and manage the complex voice systems that power it.
The Microsoft MS-721 exam, officially titled Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer, is designed for professionals responsible for deploying and managing Microsoft Teams Phone, Direct Routing, and enterprise-grade calling solutions. It validates your ability to design voice architecture, troubleshoot quality issues, and ensure compliance in global environments.
If your goal is to build a career in Unified Communications or elevate your Microsoft 365 skillset with a specialization in voice solutions, this certification is a strategic milestone. In this guide, you will find everything you need to prepare effectively for the MS-721 exam—from exam structure and key topics to a step-by-step study plan and recommended resources.
What is the Microsoft MS-721 Exam?
The Microsoft MS-721 Exam is officially titled the Microsoft Teams Voice Engineer Exam. It is a role-based certification designed for IT professionals who specialize in enterprise voice solutions within the Microsoft Teams environment.
Successfully passing this exam earns you the Microsoft Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate credential, validating your expertise in designing, implementing, and maintaining modern telephony systems using Microsoft 365 technologies.
This exam focuses on advanced collaboration tools, particularly Teams Phone, and is ideal for professionals who are responsible for deploying and managing voice architecture in hybrid or cloud-based environments.
What Does the Exam Cover?
The MS-721 exam tests your ability to:
- Plan and design Teams Phone solutions for enterprises of all sizes
- Configure Direct Routing, Operator Connect, and Microsoft Calling Plans
- Manage PSTN connectivity, voice routing policies, and emergency calling features
- Deploy and support Teams-certified devices such as desk phones, headsets, and meeting room equipment
- Monitor and troubleshoot call quality issues using tools like CQD (Call Quality Dashboard) and Teams Admin Center
- Implement governance, voice compliance, and retention policies for voice communications
This certification is best suited for those with hands-on experience in Microsoft Teams administration, particularly in organizations where telephony is integrated into Microsoft 365.
Who Should Take the MS-721 Exam?
The MS-721 exam is tailored for IT professionals who manage enterprise-level communication systems using Microsoft Teams. It is especially relevant for those involved in planning, deploying, and maintaining Teams Phone solutions within cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments.
This exam is ideal for professionals who:
- Design and implement Teams Phone architectures with Direct Routing, Operator Connect, or Calling Plans
- Support Microsoft-certified Teams devices, including phones, headsets, and Teams Rooms equipment
- Monitor call quality and voice-related performance issues
- Ensure compliance, retention, and governance policies are correctly applied to voice communications
- Collaborate with network engineers, administrators, and compliance teams to maintain high availability and performance
Recommended Background
While there are no official prerequisites, Microsoft recommends candidates have:
- Experience with Microsoft Teams administration
- Familiarity with networking and telephony concepts (VoIP, SBCs, PSTN)
- Knowledge of PowerShell scripting for automation and policy deployment
- Ideally, prior certification such as MS-700: Teams Administrator Associate (helpful but not required)
Professionals working in Unified Communications (UC), voice engineering, or Microsoft 365 administration will find the MS-721 exam particularly valuable as it positions them for senior technical and consulting roles in collaboration infrastructure.
Exam Structure and Details
The Microsoft MS-721 exam is a certification assessment designed to evaluate your ability to plan, implement, manage, and monitor Microsoft Teams Phone and enterprise voice solutions. Understanding the format and logistics of the exam is critical to preparing effectively.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Code | MS-721 |
| Official Title | Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Exam |
| Certification Awarded | Microsoft Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate |
| Duration | Approximately 100–120 minutes |
| Number of Questions | Around 40–60 |
| Question Types | Multiple-choice, case studies, drag-and-drop, scenario-based |
| Passing Score | 700 out of 1000 |
| Exam Fee | USD 165 (may vary by region) |
| Delivery Options | Online (remote proctored) or at a Pearson VUE test centre |
Types of Questions You Can Expect
- Scenario-based questions that test real-world judgment
- Configuration tasks involving licensing, routing, and PSTN planning
- Matching and drag-and-drop questions to map technical concepts to solutions
- Questions involving PowerShell and Teams Admin Centre features
Languages Available
The exam is typically offered in English, with support for additional languages depending on Microsoft’s regional availability.
Exam Registration
- You can schedule the exam through the Microsoft Certification Dashboard
- Choose between online proctored or in-person testing based on your preference and location
Understanding the structure helps you simulate the exam experience and tailor your preparation to focus on scenario-based thinking and configuration-level decision-making.
Skills Measured in the MS-721 Exam
The Microsoft MS-721 exam tests your ability to design, deploy, manage, and monitor Microsoft Teams Phone solutions in enterprise environments. The focus is on both technical configuration and strategic planning, especially in hybrid and cloud-based telephony.
1. Plan and design collaboration communications systems (30–35%)
Plan and design Teams meetings
- Plan and design Teams meeting policies and settings (Microsoft Documentation: Manage meeting and event policies in Microsoft Teams)
- Plan for PSTN audio conferencing (Microsoft Documentation: Plan your Teams voice solution)
- Plan for Teams webinars, live events, and town halls (Microsoft Documentation: Plan for live events in Microsoft Teams)
- Recommend when to use Teams Premium
- Recommend when to use Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 in Teams
- Recommend meeting types based on business requirements, including virtual appointments, webinars, town halls, and meetings (Microsoft Documentation: Overview of meetings, webinars, and town halls)
- Recommend methods for assigning policies (Microsoft Documentation: Assign policies in Teams – getting started)
- Plan and design Teams policy packages
Plan and design Teams Phone and PSTN connectivity
- Identify licensing requirements to enable Teams Phone for users, shared devices, and Teams resource accounts (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses, Microsoft Teams Shared Devices licensing, Manage resource accounts for service numbers)
- Identify PSTN connectivity requirements (Microsoft Documentation: PSTN connectivity options)
- Recommend when to use Teams Phone Mobile
- Plan for Operator Connect (Microsoft Documentation: Plan for Operator Connect)
- Recommend an appropriate billing method for communications consumption
- Plan for Shared Calling
- Plan usage scenarios for service and user phone numbers (Microsoft Documentation: Manage phone numbers for users)
- Plan for porting and/or acquiring phone numbers
- Recommend Teams Phone devices
- Plan for and recommend analog devices, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) handsets, and SIP devices
- Recommend when to use Survivable Branch Appliances (SBAs) (Microsoft Documentation: Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) for Direct Routing)
- Plan and design Direct Routing call flows (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Teams call flows)
- Recommend a Session Border Controller (SBC) solution based on PSTN connectivity
- Identify an appropriate compliance recording solution
- Identify an appropriate certified contact center solution (Microsoft Documentation: Contact center integrations for Microsoft Teams)
Plan and design Teams-certified device solutions
- Recommend a room configuration based on the meeting space
- Recommend a room configuration based on customer and business requirements
- Choose between Teams Rooms Basic and Teams Rooms Pro
- Recommend a Teams Rooms device platform, including Windows and Android
- Recommend Teams-certified devices
- Recommend Teams Rooms certified components (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Teams Rooms security, Plan Microsoft Teams Rooms)
- Recommend when to use Cloud Video Interop (CVI)
- Recommend when to use Direct Guest Join
- Recommend an update strategy for Teams Meeting Room devices
- Identify the requirements for a Microsoft Teams Rooms resource account
- Identify the enrollment requirements for Microsoft Intune (Microsoft Documentation: Enrollment guide: Microsoft Intune enrollment)
- Plan for advanced features on shared devices
Prepare the network for the deployment of Teams
- Perform a network analysis by using the Microsoft Teams Network Assessment Tool (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft 365 network assessment)
- Determine network readiness for Teams (Microsoft Documentation: Prepare your organization’s network for Microsoft Teams)
- Recommend when to use Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN)
- Specify the network configuration for certified devices
- Determine network requirements by using the Network planner for Teams (Microsoft Documentation: Use the Network planner for Microsoft Teams)
- Specify the optimal network architecture for Teams
- Specify Teams Quality of Service (QoS) requirements and policies
- Configure Teams for QoS (Microsoft Documentation: Implement Quality of Service (QoS) in Microsoft Teams)
- Configure Media Bit Rate (MBR)
- Create and assign a network roaming policy
- Configure the network topology
- Configure tenant data upload for the Microsoft Call Quality Dashboard (Microsoft Documentation: Upload tenant and building data in Call Quality Dashboard (CQD))
- Configure reporting labels for Call Analytics
2. Configure and manage Teams meetings, webinars, and town halls (15–20%)
Configure and manage Teams meetings
- Create and manage meeting policies, including policy packages and group policy assignment (Microsoft Documentation: Manage meeting and event policies in Microsoft Teams)
- Configure meeting settings
- Configure avatars for Teams meetings
- Configure Microsoft Mesh meetings in Microsoft Teams
- Configure and manage meeting features, including meeting apps, polls and forms, Q&A, breakout rooms, and Teams Premium features
- Create and manage Teams meeting templates and meeting template policies (Microsoft Documentation: Manage team templates in the admin center)
- Configure controlled content meeting policies
- Configure Cloud Video Interop policies
- Configure meeting recording and transcription to support Copilot for Microsoft 365
- Configure virtual appointments, including advanced features
Configure and manage audio conferencing
- Configure audio conferencing for Teams
- Configure a default audio conferencing bridge (Microsoft Documentation: Change the settings for an Audio Conferencing bridge)
- Configure an audio conference bridge number
- Configure a toll-free conference bridge number (Microsoft Documentation: Change the phone numbers on your Audio Conferencing bridge)
- Assign a specific audio conferencing number to a user (Microsoft Documentation: Manage phone numbers for users)
- Configure toll-free audio conferencing
- Configure the audio conferencing numbers included in meeting invitations (Microsoft Documentation: Set up Audio Conferencing for Microsoft Teams)
Configure and manage Teams webinars
- Configure webinar roles and presenter and attendee experience
- Manage access to scheduling Teams webinars
- Configure policies for Teams webinars
- Configure in-org vs public webinars
- Configure advanced webinar features
- Configure attendee interaction for webinars
Configure and manage Teams Town halls
- Configure Town Hall settings
- Configure a Microsoft eCDN for Town halls
- Configure advanced Town hall features
- Configure Town halls with Teams, Viva Engage, and Microsoft Stream
3. Configure and manage Teams Phone (25–30%)
Configure Teams Phone policies
- Create a dial plan
- Configure calling policies (Microsoft Documentation: Calling policies in Teams)
- Configure call park policies
- Configure caller ID policies (Microsoft Documentation: Manage caller ID for users)
- Configure IP Phone policies
- Configure mobility policies
- Configure voicemail policies
- Configure call hold policies
- Configure outbound call restrictions
- Configure inbound call blocking (Microsoft Documentation: Block inbound calls)
- Configure routing of unassigned numbers
- Configure compliance recording policies
Configure auto attendants and call queues
- Design call flows for auto attendants and call queues
- Configure Teams Phone resource accounts (Microsoft Documentation: Manage resource accounts for service numbers)
- Assign licenses to resource accounts
- Assign phone numbers to resource accounts, including toll-free phone numbers (Microsoft Documentation: Manage resource accounts for service numbers)
- Assign a resource account to an auto attendant or call queue
- Choose an appropriate call queue routing method
- Configure holidays for auto attendants and call queues (Microsoft Documentation: Plan for Teams Auto attendants and Call queues)
- Configure custom Music on Hold (MoH)
- Assign a dynamic caller ID policy for call queues (Microsoft Documentation: Create a Call queue in Microsoft Teams)
- Configure voice applications policies for auto attendants and call queues
Configure dynamic emergency calling
- Design a solution for dynamic emergency calling (Microsoft Documentation: Plan and configure dynamic emergency calling)
- Configure emergency calling locations
- Configure emergency call routing policies
- Configure emergency calling policies (Microsoft Documentation: Plan and configure dynamic emergency calling)
- Configure networks and locations (Location Information Service (LIS))
- Validate emergency address and emergency calling from Teams clients (Microsoft Documentation: Emergency addresses for remote locations)
- Troubleshoot dynamic emergency address
Configure and manage users for Teams Phone
- Assign a Teams Phone Standard license
- Assign a Teams Calling Plan (Microsoft Documentation: Set up Microsoft Calling Plans)
- Assign user dial plans
- Assign phone numbers to users by using the Microsoft Teams admin center (Microsoft Documentation: Manage phone numbers for users)
- Assign phone number in bulk by using PowerShell
- Assign a verified emergency address location (Microsoft Documentation: Manage emergency locations for your organization)
- Assign a calling policy to a user
- Assign a Shared Calling policy to a user
- Assign a private line to a user
- Assign a voice routing policy to a Direct Routing user (Microsoft Documentation: Manage call routing policies for Direct Routing)
Configure and manage calling features for Teams Phone
- Configure voicemail (Microsoft Documentation: Set up your voice mail)
- Configure group call pickup
- Configure Call Forwarding (Microsoft Documentation: Configure call settings for your users)
- Configure Simultaneous Ring
- Configure call delegation
- Configure audio conferencing for a user (Microsoft Documentation: Manage the Audio Conferencing settings for a user in Microsoft Teams)
- Assign a Dial-out from meetings policy for a user
- Assign a call hold policy (Microsoft Documentation: Calling policies in Teams)
- Configure Shared Calling
Configure and manage Direct Routing for Teams Phone
- Configure connectivity for Teams Phone to a SBC
- Create and configure a PSTN gateway (Microsoft Documentation: Configure Direct Routing)
- Create PSTN usage records (Microsoft Documentation: Manage call routing policies for Direct Routing)
- Create and configure a voice route
- Create and configure voice routing policies (Microsoft Documentation: Manage call routing policies for Direct Routing)
- Validate Direct Routing SBC connectivity (Microsoft Documentation: Connect your Session Border Controller (SBC) to Direct Routing)
- Troubleshoot Direct Routing by using the Teams admin center
- Design and configure Location-Based Routing (LBR) (Microsoft Documentation: Plan Location-Based Routing for Direct Routing)
- Design and configure Local Media Optimization (LMO)
- Configure trunk translation rules (Microsoft Documentation: Translation rules in Skype for Business Server)
- Configure on-network conferencing for Direct Routing
- Configure an SBA (Microsoft Documentation: Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) for Direct Routing)
- Manage emergency call routing policies for Direct Routing
4. Configure and manage Teams Rooms and devices (25–30%)
Maintain Teams Rooms and devices
- Configure device settings
- Configure local network settings
- Configure device updates (Microsoft Documentation: Configure Windows Update for Business)
- Recommend Conditional Access Policy MFA exceptions for Resource accounts (Microsoft Documentation: Common Conditional Access policy: Require MFA for all users)
- Configure meeting room settings by using the Microsoft Teams admin center or the local Teams application settings
- Manage Teams Rooms from the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro Management portal
- Specify Intune configuration requirements for Teams devices
- Deploy common area phones, user phones, conference phones (Microsoft Documentation: Set up common area phones for Microsoft Teams)
- Create and manage Teams device tags (Microsoft Documentation: Manage Microsoft Teams device tags)
- Configure SIP Gateway and provision SIP devices (Microsoft Documentation: Configure SIP Gateway)
- Monitor Teams device health
- Troubleshoot authentication issues (Microsoft Documentation: Troubleshooting Authentication Issues)
- Troubleshoot update issues
- Troubleshoot remote provisioning issues (Microsoft Documentation: Known issues for provisioning in Microsoft Entra ID)
- Troubleshoot Bluetooth beaconing
Configure and manage Teams Android devices
- Configure IP phone policies
- Create and configure device configuration profiles for Android based devices
- Enable hotline for shared space devices
- Deploy Android devices remotely
Configure and manage Teams Windows devices
- Specify domain group policy exclusions for Teams Rooms on Windows
- Configure custom displays for Teams Rooms on Windows
- Customize meeting room settings by using XML files on Windows
- Configure settings for peripherals for Teams Room on Windows
Configure optional features for Teams Rooms and devices
- Configure HDMI ingest and options (Microsoft Documentation: The HDMI ingest status is Unhealthy)
- Configure a content camera
- Configure Teams casting (Microsoft Documentation: Prepare your environment)
- Auto accept a proximity join
- Configure room remote
- Configure Direct Guest Join (Microsoft Documentation: Enable Teams Rooms devices to join third-party meetings)
- Configure hot desking on Teams shared devices (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Teams Shared Devices licensing)
- Configure AI-enabled voice and video capabilities for shared space devices
How Difficult is the MS-721 Exam?
The Microsoft MS-721 exam is considered moderately to highly difficult, especially for candidates who have limited exposure to voice technologies or Teams Phone deployment in real-world environments. While the exam is not overly technical in the traditional sense (like configuring routing protocols or writing complex code), it tests your ability to apply enterprise-level communication planning and configuration under realistic scenarios.
Why Some Candidates Find It Challenging
1. Scenario-Based Questioning
Many questions involve multi-step business scenarios where you must select the best configuration approach—not just based on technical knowledge, but on licensing, compliance, and service continuity considerations.
2. Teams Voice Architecture is Complex
Even experienced Microsoft 365 administrators may be unfamiliar with PSTN connectivity models, voice routing, and Session Border Controllers (SBCs). The MS-721 expects a deep understanding of:
- Direct Routing and Operator Connect
- Emergency calling policies
- Hybrid voice integration with on-premises infrastructure
3. Monitoring and Troubleshooting Are Examined in Detail
The exam includes questions on interpreting data from the Call Quality Dashboard (CQD), troubleshooting SIP issues, and optimizing call flows. These areas often require practical experience to fully grasp.
4. PowerShell and JSON Policies
Although GUI-based management is covered, the exam may test your familiarity with PowerShell commands, configuration scripts, and JSON-based policy structures used for Teams automation.
Who Might Find It Easier
- Professionals with experience in Unified Communications (UC) or VoIP systems
- Candidates who have passed MS-700 (Microsoft Teams Administrator Associate)
- Microsoft 365 engineers with hands-on experience configuring Teams Phone and Direct Routing
Step-by-Step Study Plan for the MS-721 Exam
Preparing for the MS-721 exam requires a combination of theoretical learning and hands-on practice in Microsoft Teams Phone and related technologies. This 6-week study plan is designed for working professionals aiming to balance their time while covering all core domains effectively.
Week 1: Understand the Exam Structure and Teams Phone Basics
- Download the official exam skills outline
- Review Microsoft’s Teams Phone documentation and licensing options
- Set up a Microsoft 365 Developer Tenant (E5 trial) for lab practice
- Understand PSTN connectivity options: Calling Plans, Operator Connect, Direct Routing
Week 2: Plan and Design Teams Phone Solutions
- Study call flow design, emergency calling, and survivable branch appliance concepts
- Learn to map user and site requirements to Direct Routing or Operator Connect
- Review how to configure number plans, voice policies, and location-based routing
Hands-on:
- Simulate emergency location policy creation
- Explore the Teams Admin Center configuration for voice routing
Week 3: Configure Teams Phone Features
- Configure auto attendants, call queues, voicemail, call forwarding, and group calling
- Understand Caller ID policies, shared line appearance, and delegation
- Learn Direct Routing setup, including SBC configuration principles
Hands-on:
- Create a call queue and test basic routing
- Configure a custom dial plan with normalization rules
Week 4: Monitor and Troubleshoot Teams Phone
- Study Teams Admin Center reports, Call Quality Dashboard (CQD), and Power BI integration
- Understand how to interpret poor call quality indicators and troubleshoot SIP issues
- Review how to monitor device health and meeting room usage
Hands-on:
- Analyze CQD reports
- Test call analytics for individual users and meetings
Week 5: Compliance and Voice Governance
- Study policies for retention, voice recording, lawful intercept, and audit logging
- Understand security features related to Teams Phone
- Review PowerShell commands used to manage Teams Phone configuration
Hands-on:
- Configure a Teams retention policy
- Use PowerShell to assign a phone number and configure policies
Week 6: Final Review and Practice Exams
- Take at least two full-length practice tests
- Review Microsoft Learn modules for any missed areas
- Revisit weak topics with scenario-based questions
- Practice reading JSON policy formats and common PowerShell commands
| Activity | Recommended Time |
|---|---|
| Reading/Video Learning | 1–1.5 hours/day |
| Lab Practice | 1–2 hours/session (3–4 sessions/week) |
| Mock Tests/Review | 2–3 times in Week 6 |
Here are some of the recommended resources –
| Category | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Official Learning | Microsoft Learn – MS-721 Path | Free, structured modules aligned with exam domains |
| Documentation | Microsoft Teams Phone Docs | Comprehensive reference for Teams Phone configuration and policies |
| Practice Lab Access | Microsoft 365 Developer Program | Provides a free E5 tenant for real-world lab practice |
| CQD & Analytics | Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) | Tools to monitor and analyze Teams call quality and performance |
| Practice Exams | Skilr | Practice tests with scenario-based questions |
| PowerShell Guide | Microsoft Teams PowerShell | Official guide to scripting and managing Teams settings using PowerShell |
| Community Forums | Microsoft Tech Community, Microsoft Q&A, Reddit r/MicrosoftTeams | Peer discussion, tips, and answers to technical questions |
Career Opportunities After the MS-721 Exam
Passing the Microsoft MS-721 exam positions you as a certified Teams Voice Engineer, specializing in modern enterprise telephony using Microsoft 365. This role sits at the intersection of cloud communications, network infrastructure, and collaboration technology, making you valuable across industries adopting hybrid work solutions.
Common Job Titles
| Job Title | Primary Focus |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams Voice Engineer | Planning and managing enterprise voice and telephony via Teams |
| Unified Communications (UC) Engineer | Overseeing audio/video calling infrastructure across Microsoft and non-Microsoft platforms |
| Cloud Voice Engineer | Managing PSTN connectivity, SBCs, and hybrid calling infrastructure |
| Microsoft 365 Collaboration Engineer | Administering Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange across hybrid or cloud environments |
| Enterprise Communications Architect | Designing scalable, compliant communication platforms for large organizations |
| Teams Room & Device Specialist | Deploying and supporting Teams Rooms and certified voice/video devices |
Career Progression Pathways
You can evolve in multiple directions depending on your interests and organization needs:
1. Unified Communications & Collaboration
Next Steps:
- Specialize in Teams Rooms, Direct Routing, and hybrid deployments
- Expand into Zoom/VoIP/Polycom integrations
- Move toward technical leadership in communication modernization
Relevant Certifications:
- Microsoft Teams Rooms Technical Solutions Specialist
- Vendor certifications (e.g., AudioCodes, Ribbon SBCs)
2. Microsoft 365 Architecture and Consulting
Next Steps:
- Grow into M365 solution design, tenant migrations, and compliance strategy
- Advise enterprises on Teams governance and adoption
Relevant Certifications:
- MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator
- SC-300: Identity and Access Administrator
- MS-700: Teams Administrator (if not already held)
3. Cloud Infrastructure and Voice Security
Next Steps:
- Combine voice expertise with cloud infrastructure or security
- Work in DevSecOps, voice encryption, and secure collaboration
Relevant Certifications:
- AZ-104: Azure Administrator
- AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer
- SC-200: Security Operations Analyst
Industries That Demand MS-721 Professionals
- IT Services and Consulting Firms
- Healthcare and Education (for secure telephony and compliance)
- Financial Institutions and Insurance Companies
- Government and Public Sector Projects
- Global Enterprises migrating from legacy PBX systems
Conclusion
The Microsoft MS-721 exam is not just a technical certification—it is a strategic investment in your future as a specialist in modern enterprise communication. As companies transition from legacy telephony to integrated cloud-based calling through Microsoft Teams, certified professionals who understand voice architecture, PSTN connectivity, and Teams compliance are in high demand.
This exam is challenging but entirely manageable with the right approach. By understanding the exam structure, focusing on the core skills measured, setting up hands-on labs, and leveraging the right study resources, you can build both confidence and competence.
