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.
This site is independent and not affiliated with Microsoft. Exam names, codes, and certification titles are Microsoft's; the reading orders are ours.