This chapter covers Microsoft Forms and Microsoft Planner, two key productivity apps in Microsoft 365. Forms enables you to create surveys, quizzes, and polls with automatic result collection and analysis. Planner provides a lightweight project management tool for task organization and collaboration. For the MS-900 exam, these tools are part of Objective 2.4 (Describe productivity solutions in Microsoft 365), and typically 2-3 questions test your understanding of their capabilities, licensing, and integration. You should know what each tool does, how they are licensed, and how they differ from more advanced tools like Power Apps or Project Online.
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Microsoft Forms is like a digital clipboard with pre-printed survey forms. You (the creator) design the questions, set rules like required fields or branching logic, and hand the clipboard to respondents. Each respondent fills out their own copy, and the results are collected into a single digital stack. You can see real-time summaries and export the raw data. Microsoft Planner is like a physical Kanban board with columns for 'To Do', 'In Progress', and 'Done'. Each task is a sticky note with a title, description, assignee, due date, and checklist. You can move sticky notes between columns as work progresses. The board is shared among team members, and each person can see their own tasks across all boards in a personal view. The two tools serve different purposes: Forms collects structured data from many people; Planner organizes work among a team. They can be linked via Power Automate: when a form is submitted, a new task can be created in Planner, bridging the gap between data collection and action assignment.
What is Microsoft Forms?
Microsoft Forms is a web-based application within Microsoft 365 that allows users to create forms, surveys, quizzes, and polls. It is designed for simplicity and ease of use, requiring no coding or design skills. Forms can be used for collecting feedback, conducting quick polls, administering assessments, or registering participants for events. The tool automatically collects responses in real time and provides built-in analytics such as charts and summaries. Data can be exported to Excel for further analysis.
How Forms Works Internally
When you create a form in Microsoft Forms, the system stores the form definition in a SharePoint site associated with the form owner's OneDrive for Business or a group. Each form has a unique URL. Respondents access the form via a link or QR code. When a respondent submits a response, it is recorded as a new row in a hidden Excel workbook stored in the same SharePoint location. The response data is also available through the Forms web interface, where you can view individual responses and aggregate statistics. Forms supports branching logic: based on a respondent's answer to a question, you can direct them to a different set of questions. It also supports question randomization and time limits for quizzes.
Key Components of Forms
Question types: Choice (multiple choice, dropdown), Text (short answer, paragraph), Rating, Date, Ranking, Likert, Net Promoter Score, File upload, and Section (for grouping).
Settings: Require responses, accept multiple responses, show results automatically, shuffle questions, set start/end dates, customize thank-you message.
Quiz mode: Assign points, provide feedback for correct/incorrect answers, set time limits, and automatically grade quizzes.
Collaboration: Forms can be shared as templates or collaborated on with co-owners.
Distribution: Link, QR code, email, embed in a webpage, or share via Microsoft Teams.
Integration: Forms connects to Power Automate for automated workflows, Excel for data export, and Stream for video-based questions.
What is Microsoft Planner?
Microsoft Planner is a task management application that provides a visual Kanban board for organizing team work. It is part of Microsoft 365 and is included in most subscriptions (Business Basic, Standard, Premium, Enterprise E1/E3/E5, and Education). Planner allows teams to create plans, add tasks, assign them to members, set due dates, attach files, and track progress through buckets and checklists.
How Planner Works Internally
Each Planner plan is associated with a Microsoft 365 Group. The plan data is stored in a SharePoint site that is provisioned for that group. Tasks are stored as list items in a SharePoint task list. The Planner interface provides a board view (buckets as columns), a chart view (progress via pie charts), and a schedule view (Gantt-like calendar). When a user creates a task, it is added to the SharePoint list with properties like title, description, assignee, due date, priority, and checklist items. Changes are synced in real time via the Graph API.
Key Components of Planner
Plan: A container for tasks, tied to a Microsoft 365 Group.
Bucket: A column on the board representing a category or stage (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
Task: A single work item with title, description, assignee, due date, priority (Urgent, Important, Medium, Low), checklist, attachments, comments, and labels.
Labels: Color-coded tags for categorizing tasks (e.g., Red = High priority, Blue = Marketing).
Progress: Not started, In progress, Completed (can be updated manually or via checklist completion).
Charts: Visualize task distribution by assignee, progress, priority, or bucket.
My Tasks: A personal view across all plans showing tasks assigned to you, with filters for due date and progress.
Integration: Planner integrates with Microsoft Teams (as a tab), Outlook (tasks appear in To-Do), SharePoint (via web part), and Power Automate.
Licensing and Availability
Forms: Included in all Microsoft 365 subscriptions (Business, Enterprise, Education, and Government) as well as free with a Microsoft account. For commercial use, it is part of Office 365 and Microsoft 365.
Planner: Included in Office 365 Business Essentials, Business Premium, Enterprise E1/E3/E5, Education, and Government plans. Not available in Office 365 Business (the on-premises version) or F1 (Frontline) without additional licenses. It is also available as a standalone app with a subscription.
Interaction with Related Technologies
Both Forms and Planner can be extended with Power Automate. For example, you can create a flow that triggers when a new response is submitted in Forms and then creates a task in Planner. This bridges data collection and task assignment. Additionally, Forms can be embedded in SharePoint pages, and Planner can be added as a tab in Teams. Both tools use the Microsoft Graph API for programmatic access.
Common Exam Scenarios
Distinguishing between Forms (data collection) and Planner (task management).
Knowing that Planner requires a Microsoft 365 Group.
Understanding that Forms can be used for quizzes with automatic grading.
Recognizing that both tools are included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions without additional cost.
Configuration and Verification
To create a form: Go to https://forms.office.com, sign in, and click New Form.
To create a plan: Go to https://tasks.office.com, sign in, click New Plan, and name it. A new Microsoft 365 Group is created.
To verify a plan's group: In Planner, the plan name links to the underlying Group in Outlook or Teams.
PowerShell: Not typically used for Forms or Planner; management is via web interface or Graph API.
Limits and Quotas
Forms: Up to 200 forms per user (depending on license), 50,000 responses per form, 200 questions per form.
Planner: Up to 1,000 tasks per plan (soft limit), 2,500 plans per tenant (hard limit), 25,000 tasks per plan (hard limit). Each task can have up to 20 checklist items.
Security and Compliance
Both tools inherit security from Microsoft 365. Forms data is stored in Azure SQL Database and SharePoint. Planner data is stored in SharePoint. Both support Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies, retention labels, and eDiscovery. Forms can be configured to require authentication or allow anonymous responses. Planner tasks can be marked as sensitive with labeling.
Create a new form
Navigate to https://forms.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 credentials. Click 'New Form' to start a blank form. Enter a title and optional description. You can also choose a template from the gallery. The form is saved automatically to your OneDrive for Business in a hidden folder. The form ID is a GUID assigned by the system.
Add questions and settings
Click 'Add New' to insert questions. Choose from types: Choice, Text, Rating, Date, Ranking, Likert, Net Promoter Score, File upload, or Section. For each question, set required, allow multiple selections, or add subtext. Use the '...' menu to duplicate, delete, or set branching. In Settings, you can require sign-in, limit to one response per person, shuffle questions, set start/end dates, and customize the thank-you message. For quizzes, enable quiz mode to assign points and provide feedback.
Distribute the form
Click 'Collect Responses' to get a shareable link, QR code, or embed code. You can also email the form directly from the interface. The link can be shortened. If you require authentication, only users in your organization can respond. For anonymous forms, anyone with the link can submit. You can also share a template link so others can copy the form.
Review responses
Responses are collected in real time. Go to the 'Responses' tab to view summary charts (pie charts for choice questions, bar charts for rating, etc.). You can view individual responses in a list or open the results in Excel for detailed analysis. The Excel workbook is stored in the same OneDrive folder as the form. You can also print responses or delete them. For quizzes, you can see scores and export grades.
Create a new Planner plan
Navigate to https://tasks.office.com and click 'New Plan'. Enter a plan name and set privacy (public or private). A new Microsoft 365 Group is created with the same name. The plan is automatically added to the group's SharePoint site. You can add members to the plan by adding them to the group. The plan appears in Teams if the group has a Teams team.
Add buckets and tasks
By default, a new plan has three buckets: To Do, In Progress, and Done. You can rename, add, or delete buckets. To add a task, click 'Add Task' in a bucket. Enter a title, set due date, assignee, priority, and description. You can add checklists, attachments, comments, and labels. Tasks can be copied, moved between buckets, or deleted. Each task has a unique ID.
Track progress and collaborate
As work progresses, move tasks between buckets. Update task progress: Not started, In progress, Completed. Use the Charts tab to view workload distribution. Use My Tasks to see all tasks assigned to you across plans. Team members can comment on tasks and attach files. Use the Schedule view to see tasks on a calendar.
Enterprise Scenario 1: Employee Onboarding Survey
A large enterprise uses Microsoft Forms to collect new hire information. HR creates a form with sections for personal details, emergency contacts, and IT equipment needs. The form is set to require authentication and limit to one response per person. Branching is used: if the employee needs a laptop, they are directed to specify OS preference. Responses are automatically saved to an Excel file in HR's OneDrive. A Power Automate flow triggers when a response is submitted: it creates a Planner task in the IT onboarding plan with details like 'Set up laptop for [employee name]' and assigns it to the IT team. This automates the handoff from HR to IT. Common pitfalls: Not setting the correct permissions on the form, causing external users to be unable to submit. Also, forgetting to enable branching leads to irrelevant questions.
Scenario 2: Marketing Campaign Task Management
A marketing team uses Planner to manage a product launch campaign. The plan has buckets: Research, Content Creation, Design, Review, and Published. Each task has labels for priority (Red = High, Blue = Normal) and category (e.g., Social Media, Email). The team uses the Charts view to see who is overloaded. They integrate Planner with Microsoft Teams as a tab, so everyone can update tasks without leaving Teams. The schedule view helps track deadlines. Problems arise when tasks are not assigned—they remain unclaimed and get lost. Also, if the plan becomes too large (over 1,000 tasks), performance degrades. Best practice is to archive completed tasks regularly and use multiple plans for different campaigns.
Scenario 3: Training Quiz and Feedback
An educational institution uses Microsoft Forms for weekly quizzes in a course. Quizzes are set with time limits and automatic grading. Students receive instant feedback on correct answers. The instructor exports results to Excel to calculate final grades. After the course, a feedback form is sent via email. The feedback responses are analyzed using the built-in charts. Issues: If quiz mode is not enabled, no points are assigned, and automatic grading does not work. Also, if the form is set to anonymous, the instructor cannot identify who submitted which response—needed for grading. Proper configuration is critical.
The MS-900 exam tests your understanding of Forms and Planner under Objective 2.4: Describe productivity solutions in Microsoft 365. Specifically, you need to know: - What each tool is used for: Forms for surveys, quizzes, and polls; Planner for task management and project organization. - Licensing: Both are included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions (Business, Enterprise, Education). Forms is also free with a Microsoft account. Planner is not available in Office 365 Business (the on-premises version) or F1 without additional license. - Integration: Both integrate with Teams, SharePoint, and Power Automate. Planner requires a Microsoft 365 Group. - Limits: Forms: up to 200 questions per form, 50,000 responses. Planner: up to 2,500 plans per tenant, 25,000 tasks per plan. - Common wrong answers: 1. Choosing Project Online instead of Planner when the scenario involves simple task management. Project Online is for advanced project management with timelines, resources, and budgets. 2. Confusing Forms with Power Apps. Power Apps is for custom business apps, not simple forms. 3. Thinking Planner is included in all Microsoft 365 plans (it is not in Office 365 Business or F1 without extra license). 4. Believing Forms can be used for complex workflows (it cannot; use Power Automate). - Exam tips:
If the question mentions 'collecting feedback' or 'survey', answer Forms.
If the question mentions 'organizing tasks' or 'Kanban board', answer Planner.
Remember that Planner is tied to a Microsoft 365 Group; if the question involves a group, Planner is likely involved.
Both tools are low-code/no-code and require no developer skills.
Edge cases:
Forms can be used for quizzes with automatic grading—this is a specific exam point.
Planner tasks can be exported to Excel via the 'Open in Excel' option.
Both tools support mobile apps.
How to eliminate wrong answers: Look for keywords: 'survey', 'poll', 'quiz' → Forms. 'Task', 'assign', 'due date', 'bucket' → Planner. 'Project plan', 'Gantt chart', 'resource management' → Project Online. 'Custom app', 'database' → Power Apps.
Microsoft Forms is for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls; responses are collected and analyzed automatically.
Microsoft Planner is a Kanban-style task management tool tied to Microsoft 365 Groups.
Forms supports quiz mode with automatic grading and feedback.
Planner includes buckets, tasks, checklists, labels, and a My Tasks view.
Both tools are included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions without extra cost.
Forms can handle up to 200 questions and 50,000 responses per form.
Planner has a limit of 2,500 plans per tenant and 25,000 tasks per plan.
Both integrate with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Power Automate.
On the exam, match 'survey/quiz' with Forms and 'task management' with Planner.
Planner is not available in Office 365 Business (on-premises) or F1 without additional license.
These come up on the exam all the time. Here's how to tell them apart.
Microsoft Forms
Used for data collection: surveys, quizzes, polls.
Responses are stored in Excel and analyzed with charts.
Supports branching, randomization, and time limits.
No need for a Microsoft 365 Group; works with individual accounts.
Integrates with Power Automate for workflows.
Microsoft Planner
Used for task management and team collaboration.
Tasks are organized in buckets with progress tracking.
Supports assignments, due dates, priorities, and checklists.
Requires a Microsoft 365 Group; plan is tied to a group.
Integrates with Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Mistake
Microsoft Forms is only for surveys, not quizzes.
Correct
Forms includes a dedicated quiz mode where you can assign points, set correct answers, provide feedback, and auto-grade. Quizzes are a core feature.
Mistake
Microsoft Planner requires a separate license.
Correct
Planner is included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions (Business Basic, Standard, Premium, Enterprise E1/E3/E5, Education). It does not require an additional license, but it is not available in Office 365 Business (the on-premises version) or F1 without extra license.
Mistake
Planner can replace Project Online for complex project management.
Correct
Planner is a lightweight task management tool. It lacks resource management, budget tracking, dependencies, and Gantt charts. Project Online is for enterprise project management.
Mistake
Forms and Planner cannot be integrated.
Correct
They can be integrated using Power Automate. For example, a new form response can trigger creation of a Planner task. This is a common scenario.
Mistake
Forms responses are stored only in the Forms web interface.
Correct
Responses are also stored in an Excel workbook in the creator's OneDrive for Business. You can open this Excel file to see all raw data.
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Yes. In Forms, enable Quiz mode. You can assign points to each question, mark correct answers, and provide feedback for correct/incorrect responses. When respondents submit, they see their score and feedback. The quiz is auto-graded. You can also set a time limit and shuffle questions.
Planner is a lightweight task management tool for simple project tracking with Kanban boards, assignments, and due dates. Project Online is a full enterprise project management (EPM) solution with features like resource management, budget tracking, dependencies, Gantt charts, and reporting. Planner is included in most Microsoft 365 subscriptions; Project Online requires a separate license (Plan 1, Plan 3, or Plan 5).
Yes. Every Planner plan is associated with a Microsoft 365 Group. When you create a new plan, a new Group is automatically created (unless you choose an existing Group). The Group controls membership and permissions. This integration allows tasks to appear in Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
Yes. In the Responses tab, click 'Open in Excel' to download an Excel workbook containing all responses. The workbook is also automatically saved in the form creator's OneDrive for Business. You can also use Power Automate to export responses to other locations.
No. Planner is a cloud-only service. It is available in Office 365 Business Essentials, Business Premium, Enterprise E1/E3/E5, Education, and Government plans. It is not included in Office 365 Business (the on-premises version) or Office 365 F1 (Frontline) without an additional license.
You can share a form as a template. In Forms, open the form, click the '...' menu, and select 'Collaborate or duplicate'. You can send a link that allows others to edit the form. They must have a Microsoft 365 account. Alternatively, you can add co-owners via the form settings.
Per tenant: up to 2,500 plans. Per plan: up to 25,000 tasks. Each task can have up to 20 checklist items. There is no hard limit on the number of members, but performance may degrade with very large plans. It's recommended to archive completed tasks and use multiple plans for large projects.
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