Certification study paths
A reading order through the guides for each current Microsoft 365 exam. These are not the official skills outlines — Microsoft publishes those, with weightings, on each exam page and revises them without notice. Use the path to build the understanding; use the outline to check coverage.
- ms-900FundamentalsMicrosoft 365 FundamentalsMicrosoft 365 Certified: FundamentalsBuyers, project managers, sales and support staff, and new admins who need the vocabulary and the shape of the platform.25 guides in 4 sections
- sc-900FundamentalsMicrosoft Security, Compliance, and Identity FundamentalsMicrosoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity FundamentalsAnyone who needs to talk about Entra, Defender, Sentinel, and Purview without running them — and admins starting the SC track.21 guides in 3 sections
- md-102AssociateEndpoint AdministratorMicrosoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator AssociateIntune and modern-workplace admins managing Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Replaced the MD-100 + MD-101 pair.28 guides in 4 sections
- ms-700AssociateManaging Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator AssociateTeams administrators responsible for the collaboration and meetings estate, including the policy model and app governance.24 guides in 3 sections
- ms-721AssociateCollaboration Communications Systems EngineerMicrosoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer AssociateVoice and meeting-room engineers: Teams Phone, PSTN connectivity, Rooms, and the network underneath. Replaced MS-720.16 guides in 3 sections
- sc-200AssociateMicrosoft Security Operations AnalystMicrosoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst AssociateSOC analysts and security admins who triage, hunt, and respond with Defender XDR and Sentinel.25 guides in 4 sections
- sc-300AssociateMicrosoft Identity and Access AdministratorMicrosoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator AssociateEntra ID administrators: authentication, Conditional Access, app integration, and identity governance.37 guides in 4 sections
- sc-401AssociateAdministering Information Security in Microsoft 365Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator AssociatePurview administrators: sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, insider risk, and the data-security side of Copilot. Replaced SC-400.21 guides in 4 sections
- ms-102ExpertMicrosoft 365 AdministratorMicrosoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertTenant administrators who own identity, security, and compliance day to day. Replaced the MS-100 + MS-101 pair.36 guides in 4 sections
- sc-100ExpertMicrosoft Cybersecurity ArchitectMicrosoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect ExpertArchitects designing Zero Trust across identity, endpoints, data, and operations. Requires one associate SC certification as a prerequisite.26 guides in 4 sections
Retired exams
Still searched for, no longer offered. Where there is a successor, the current path covers the same ground.
- MS-100 / MS-101Microsoft 365 Identity and Services / Mobility and SecurityMerged into the single MS-102 exam. Study path for MS-102 →
- MD-100 / MD-101Windows Client / Managing Modern DesktopsMerged into MD-102. Study path for MD-102 →
- MS-500Microsoft 365 Security AdministrationRetired without a single successor; the ground is now split across SC-300 (identity), SC-200 (operations), and SC-401 (information security).
- SC-400Microsoft Information Protection AdministratorSucceeded by SC-401, which drops most records-management depth and adds AI data security. Study path for SC-401 →
- MS-720Microsoft Teams Voice EngineerSucceeded by MS-721, which adds meeting rooms to the voice scope. Study path for MS-721 →
- MS-740Troubleshooting Microsoft TeamsRetired. Teams troubleshooting knowledge now sits inside MS-700 and MS-721.
Frequently asked
- Are these the official exam skills outlines?
- No. Microsoft publishes the official outlines with weightings on each exam page and revises them without notice. The reading orders here are our mapping of this site's guides to the current outline — use the path to build the understanding, then use Microsoft's outline to check coverage before booking the exam.
- Which exam should I start with?
- MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals) is the standard on-ramp for anyone new to the platform. From there: MS-102 for tenant administrators, MD-102 for device admins, SC-300 for identity, SC-200 for security operations. Expert-level SC-100 comes after two or more of the associate certs.
- How current are these paths?
- The exam codes and the section headings match Microsoft's live catalogue as of the last review of this page. When Microsoft retires an exam we keep the path as a redirect note pointing at the successor — see the 'Retired exams' section at the bottom.
- Are these enough on their own to pass?
- No single site is. The guides cover the concepts and the operational reality; Microsoft Learn covers the click-paths in the current portal; hands-on practice in a trial or dev tenant covers muscle memory. All three matter — the certifications page links back to the official exam pages and to Learn's own study guides.
This site is independent and not affiliated with Microsoft. Exam names, codes, and certification titles are Microsoft's; the reading orders are ours.