Match each Microsoft 365 service level agreement (SLA) term to its meaning.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Service is available at least 99.9% of the time monthly
Discount on bill if SLA is not met
Scheduled downtime for updates
Minimum spend or term length in contract
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Monthly Uptime Percentage: The percentage of total minutes in a month during which the service is available.
Correct matches: Monthly Uptime Percentage is the availability percentage, Service Credit is the compensation for not meeting that percentage, Downtime is the period of unavailability, and SLA is the overarching agreement. Common confusions involve swapping the definitions of Monthly Uptime Percentage and Service Credit.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Monthly Uptime Percentage: The percentage of total minutes in a month during which the service is available.
Why this is correct
This is the ratio of time the service is available to the total time in a month, typically expressed as a percentage. It excludes downtime windows that are due to customer actions or scheduled maintenance as defined in the SLA. For example, 99.9% uptime means no more than about 43.8 minutes of downtime per month.
Service Credit: A percentage of the monthly service fee credited to the customer if the service fails to meet the SLA.
Why this is correct
A service credit is a customer-facing remedy in the form of a billing discount or credit that the provider issues when the service fails to meet the committed SLA. It is calculated as a percentage of the monthly service fee, not the credit itself being a percentage of time. The credit is usually applied to a future invoice or refunded to the customer.
Downtime: Any period during which the service is not available for use.
Why this is correct
Downtime is any period when the service is not accessible or not operational for the customer, excluding planned maintenance and other exceptions defined in the SLA. This definition is critical because it forms the basis for calculating Monthly Uptime Percentage and determining whether service credits are owed. Downtime is measured in total minutes per month.
SLA: A contractual agreement between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service expected.
Why this is correct
An SLA (Service Level Agreement) is a formal contract that specifies the committed level of service, such as availability (uptime percentage), performance, and response times. It also outlines the penalties or credits if those commitments are not met, plus the process for claiming them. SLAs are legally binding and are a core component of Microsoft 365 enterprise agreements.
Monthly Uptime Percentage: A percentage of the monthly service fee credited if SLA is not met.
Why it's wrong here
This option incorrectly defines Monthly Uptime Percentage as a financial credit, which is actually the definition of Service Credit. Even though Service Credit is a percentage based on the monthly fee, the Monthly Uptime Percentage is strictly a measure of service availability, not a fee-based compensation. Mixing these terms can lead to misreading the SLA commitments.
Service Credit: The percentage of total minutes in a month during which the service is available.
Why it's wrong here
This option incorrectly defines Service Credit as the percentage of total minutes in a month during which the service is available, which is the definition of Monthly Uptime Percentage. In reality, Service Credit is a monetary compensation (a percentage of the monthly service fee) that Microsoft credits you when the actual availability falls below the committed SLA. The confusion likely arises because both concepts are expressed as percentages.
Go deeper
Learn chapter
Microsoft 365 Service Health Dashboard
Key term
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based cloud service from Microsoft that combines productivity tools like Office apps with security, device management, and online storage.
Key term
SLA
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the level of service expected, including metrics like uptime, response time, and penalties for non-compliance.
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