For IT administrators
Certification study guides and practical tool courses for people who run systems, identities and networks.
Courses
AZ-802 Administering Windows Server study guide245 practice questions with every option explained, plus the AZ-800/AZ-801 change log Microsoft never published.Study guideIntermediate245 questions$47View
SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer study guide245 practice questions, every option explained, and what changed from AZ-500: the change log Microsoft didn't publish.Study guideIntermediate245 questions$47View
AZ-104 Azure Administrator study guide267 practice questions with explained answers, a 45-question mock exam and 14 guided labs.Study guideIntermediate267 questions$47View
Guides and articles
- How to choose your first Azure certification in 2026
Match the Azure certification to your job. Updated for 2026: AZ-204, AZ-500 and AI-900 retired, and these are the exams that replaced them.
- AZ-104 vs AZ-900: which Azure exam should you take first?
AZ-900 checks that you know what Azure is. AZ-104 checks that you can run it. How the two exams differ in 2026, who each is for, and whether to skip AZ-900.
- AZ-500 retirement: what retired, what happens to your certification, what's next
AZ-500 retired on August 31, 2026. What that means if you hold Azure Security Engineer Associate, if you were studying for it, and which exam comes next.
- AZ-500 vs SC-500: what changed, and which one to study now
AZ-500 retired on August 31, 2026, and SC-500 is Microsoft's recommended successor. How the two outlines differ and what to study if you began with AZ-500.
- How long to study for SC-500: an estimate built from the outline
Microsoft publishes no study-time estimate for SC-500. What its outline and free training add up to, and how long four common starting points need.
- SC-500 AI security objectives: what the 11 objectives cover and where each one lives
SC-500's AI security subgroup has 11 objectives across eight admin portals, several in preview. What each covers, where you set it up, and its release status.
- SC-500 vs SC-200: securing the platform or running the SOC?
SC-200 is for analysts who detect, respond and hunt. SC-500 is for engineers who configure the controls. Where the two exams overlap, and which one fits you.
- SC-500 vs SC-300: security engineer or identity administrator?
SC-300 goes deep on Microsoft Entra. SC-500 covers Entra more briefly, then secures Azure workloads and AI. Where they overlap and which to take first.
