Microsoft security certification path 2026

Quick answer

Start with one associate exam, then go expert. Security operations and incident response: SC-200. Identity and access with Microsoft Entra: SC-300. Securing Azure, hybrid and AI workloads: SC-500. Any one of the three qualifies you for SC-100, the Cybersecurity Architect Expert exam. Each can be prepared for in 10 days with a focused plan.

3Starting exams

1Expert exam: SC-100

10 daysStudy plan

The path

Microsoft’s security track leads to one expert certification, Cybersecurity Architect Expert (exam SC-100). To earn it, you first need one of three associate certifications. AZ-500, the earlier Azure Security Engineer exam, was retired on August 31, 2026; SC-500, Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate, now covers that role.

SC-200 · AssociateSecurity Operations AnalystTriage, incident response and threat hunting with Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel.100 minutes · English update October 21, 2026 SC-300 · AssociateIdentity and Access AdministratorIdentity, authentication, access and governance with Microsoft Entra.100 minutes · English update October 28, 2026 SC-500 · AssociateCloud and AI Security EngineerSecurity controls for Azure, hybrid and AI workloads. Replaces AZ-500.120 minutes · New; no Microsoft practice assessment yet

SC-100 · ExpertCybersecurity Architect ExpertDesign a Zero Trust security strategy across identity, security operations, data, AI, applications and infrastructure.Requires one of the three above · English update October 21, 2026

Exam length, status and update dates checked on Microsoft Learn on 12 October 2026: SC-200, SC-300, SC-500, SC-100.

Which one to start with

You work in a SOC or on incident responseSC-200 You manage users, sign-in and access in Microsoft EntraSC-300 You secure Azure resources or AI workloadsSC-500

What these roles pay

These are the published figures from our salary guide. SC-500 has no published figure yet, so none is shown.

SC-100 · salary guide 2026$150K–$232KCybersecurity Architect. Median $188K.

SC-200 · salary guide 2026$120K–$205KSecurity Operations Analyst. Median $153K.

SC-300 · salary guide 2026$115K–$190KIdentity and Access Admin. Median $150K.

Source: CERTIFY-Pro Microsoft Certification Salary Guide 2026 (public aggregators, 2024–2026). These are US role bands, not per-exam figures.

Ready to start?

Practise for your security exam

Practice questions with explanations that teach you why, in a 10-day study plan.

Free Day 1 guide SC-200 SC-300 SC-500 SC-100

Questions people ask

Match it to your job: SC-200 for security operations, SC-300 for identity and access, SC-500 for securing Azure and AI workloads. Any one of them counts toward SC-100.

No. Microsoft retired AZ-500 and the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification on August 31, 2026. SC-500, Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate, covers that role now.

No. Microsoft requires at least one of SC-200, SC-300 or SC-500 before you can earn the Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification.

Each exam can be prepared for in 10 days with a focused plan. SC-200 and SC-300 are 100-minute exams; SC-500 is 120 minutes.

Written by the CERTIFY-Pro editorial team. Exam details checked on Microsoft Learn; salary sources named and dated above.