MS-102expertMicrosoftRetiring

Microsoft 365 Administrator

Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert

⚠Status: retiring 2026-11-30

Questions

40–60 *

Duration

100–120 min *

Passing score

700 / 1000

Price (USD)

$165 *

Validity

Cannot be earned or renewed after Nov 30, 2026

What this exam is like

Who it's for

Senior engineers and architects.

Prerequisites

One associate cert: Endpoint Admin (MD-102), Teams Admin, Identity and Access Admin (SC-300) or Information Security Admin (SC-401). Retires Nov 30, 2026 — consider AB-650 instead.

What it tests

Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant25-30%

Implement and manage Entra identity and access25-30%

Manage security and threats with Defender XDR30-35%

Manage compliance with Microsoft Purview10-15%

Prep roadmap

1
Read the study guideWeek 1–2
Go through the official skills-measured list on Microsoft Learn and tick off each objective.
▶ video ✎ blog
2
Build a labWeek 3–6
Use a free Azure account or Microsoft 365 trial tenant and practise every objective hands-on.
▶ video ✎ blog
3
Cover the domainsWeek 7–9
Start with the heaviest domains: Manage security and threats with Defender XDR and Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant.
▶ video ✎ blog
4
Practice assessmentWeek 10–12
Take the free Microsoft Learn practice assessment until you consistently score 80%+.
▶ video ✎ blog
5
Book and sit the exam
Schedule through Microsoft Learn with Pearson VUE — online proctored from home or at a test centre. Take the free Microsoft Learn practice assessment first.
▶ video ✎ blog
✓
Certified 🎉
Add it to LinkedIn and your CV — then pick the next step on the certification path.

What you can do after

✓Manage Microsoft 365 tenants and devices
✓Secure endpoints and apps

RolesM365 AdministratorEndpoint Engineer