What does it cost?
The SC-500 exam costs $165.
Exam fee
$165
Microsoft prices the exam by the country or region where it is proctored; $165 is the price in the United States.
Source: Microsoft exam page
Microsoft exam
SC-500 Exam facts
Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate
- Minutes
- 120
- Exam fee
- $165
- Passing score
- 700
Independent: not affiliated with Microsoft. These exam facts are free; the study bundle adds a study guide and two practice exams.
Short answer
Exam SC-500: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads is the exam for the Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate certification, for security engineers on Azure. The exam runs 120 minutes, costs $165 and takes 700 of 1,000 to pass.
Sources: exam page, exam guide
Published Microsoft facts for SC-500 on one page. Last updated
Study bundle
Prepare for SC-500
$19
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Your receipt has a license key. Enter it at overqual.com/download for the three PDFs, stamped with your email and order number. They are yours to keep.
Try 5 free sample questions first See 3 pages inside
- A 59-page study guide: every exam domain, weighted like the exam
- Two practice exams: 120 original questions, every answer explained
- Every bundle includes 6 months of access: download the PDFs, and any new editions, until 6 months after your purchase date.
Edition 1.0, October 2026
How many questions and how long?
The SC-500 exam runs 120 minutes. Microsoft has not published the number of questions.
Source: Microsoft page
The exam
- Questions
- Not published
- Time
- 120 minutes
- Languages
- English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish
What score do you need to pass?
The SC-500 passing score is 700, on a scale of 1-1,000.
1-699
700+ PASS
Source: Microsoft exam guide
What does the exam cover?
The SC-500 exam covers four domains, weighted 20-25% / 25-30% / 20-25% / 20-25%.
Source: Microsoft exam guide
D120-25%
Manage identity, access, and governance
D225-30%
Secure storage, databases, and networking
D320-25%
Secure compute
D420-25%
Manage and monitor security posture
Manage identity, access, and governance
- 1.1Secure access with Microsoft Entra ID
- 1.2Secure secrets and keys with Azure Key Vault
- 1.3Implement governance for security and regulatory compliance
Secure storage, databases, and networking
- 2.1Storage accounts
- 2.2Databases
- 2.3Azure network services
Secure compute
- 3.1Security for AI
- 3.2Servers and virtual machines
- 3.3Application platform services
Manage and monitor security posture
- 4.1Posture with Defender for Cloud
- 4.2Activity and event collection in Microsoft Sentinel
- 4.3Microsoft Security Copilot
Inside the study bundle
Study guide chapters
Ten chapters. Chapters 2 to 7 cover the four exam domains, weighted like the exam.
- 01 What the exam is p. 3
- 02 Identity, access and governance p. 7
- 03 Storage and databases p. 16
- 04 Network security p. 21
- 05 Securing AI workloads and agents p. 26
- 06 Servers, containers and application platforms p. 34
- 07 Security posture and monitoring p. 41
- 08 Final review p. 50
- 09 Sources p. 57
- 10 Edition and updates p. 59
Look inside the study guide
Three pages of the Edition 1.0 study guide: the contents and the first two pages of a chapter.
What is free here, and what is in the bundle?
The exam facts and 5 sample questions are free on this site. The study guide chapters and the two practice exams are in the bundle.
| Item | Free on this site | In the bundle |
|---|---|---|
| Exam facts and change log | Yes, with links to the Microsoft sources | Chapter 1 of the study guide sums up the exam's format and scoring. |
| 5 sample questions | Yes | No. None of the 5 appear in the practice exams. |
| Domain chapters and final review | No | Yes, in the study guide |
| Two practice exams with answer keys | No | Yes, 120 questions with an explanation for every answer |
Questions before you buy
Is this official?
No, the SC-500 bundle is not official. Overqual is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Microsoft.
Does it include real exam questions?
No, the SC-500 bundle contains no exam questions, and every practice question is original.
How is the SC-500 bundle different from Microsoft's free materials?
Microsoft's free pages set out what the SC-500 exam covers. The SC-500 bundle adds a 59-page study guide that covers every exam domain, and two practice exams with 120 original questions, every answer explained. When Microsoft revises the exam, a new edition follows if the changes warrant it, included while your access lasts.
How do I get updates?
Updates to the SC-500 bundle arrive as new editions. Every bundle includes 6 months of access: download the PDFs, and any new editions, until 6 months after your purchase date. Download each new edition at overqual.com/download with the license key from your receipt email. The change log on the exam facts page says what changed.
Can I get a refund?
No. Sales of the SC-500 bundle are final, because downloaded PDFs cannot be returned. Read the free exam facts and try the 5 free sample questions first. If a download fails or you paid twice by mistake, contact Overqual to have the download fixed or the second payment refunded.
How is SC-500 different from AZ-500?
SC-500 replaces AZ-500 and adds a skill group on securing AI. Microsoft retired the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification and its exam on Aug 31, 2026 (AZ-500 certification page) and introduced SC-500 for the transition (Partner Center announcement). Compared with the AZ-500 outline (Microsoft's AZ-500 study guide), the SC-500 outline keeps Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Key Vault, Azure Policy, Azure network security, Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel, and adds Microsoft Entra Agent ID, Microsoft Foundry guardrails, the AI Gateway in API Management, Defender for AI Services, Microsoft Purview DSPM, Copilot Studio agent protection and Microsoft Security Copilot (Microsoft's SC-500 study guide). An AZ-500 certification you already earned stays valid, and on your transcript, until it expires (Microsoft Skills Hub post), but it can no longer be renewed.
Does SC-500 include labs?
Microsoft does not say whether SC-500 includes labs. The certification page says "You may have interactive components to complete as part of this exam" (certification page), and Microsoft publishes no list of exams with labs because labs can be removed at any time; the exam's overview screens say whether labs are included (exam duration page). The 120-minute duration matches Microsoft's row for associate exams that may contain labs, which lists a 140-minute seat time.
Can I use Microsoft Learn during the SC-500 exam?
Yes, SC-500 is an associate exam, and Microsoft Learn opens in a split screen during associate and expert exams, with everything on learn.microsoft.com available except Q&A, Practice Assessments and your profile. No extra time is added, the timer keeps running, and links to other domains are blocked (exam duration page).
Ready for SC-500?
Three PDFs, 106 pages: the study guide and two practice exams.
Which Microsoft services are in scope?
Microsoft's SC-500 study guide names these services and features in its skills outline, grouped here by exam domain. Microsoft adds that related topics may be covered and that commonly used preview features can appear.
Source: Microsoft's SC-500 study guide
Identity, secrets and governance
- Microsoft Entra ID: Privileged Identity Management, Conditional Access, authentication methods (MFA and passwordless)
- Microsoft Entra ID: enterprise applications, app registrations, OAuth permission grants and consent settings
- Managed identities for Azure resources
- Azure Key Vault: deployment, settings, access, firewall, keys, secrets and certificates
- Defender CSPM secret scanning and Microsoft Defender for Key Vault
- Azure Policy (built-in and custom definitions)
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud: regulatory compliance, security standards and recommendations
- Azure RBAC: built-in role assignments, custom roles and overprivileged access; Microsoft Entra custom roles
- Resource locks
- Azure Backup security features
- Infrastructure as code
Microsoft Entra ID is the current name of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD); Microsoft's SC-500 study guide uses only the new name.
Storage, databases and networking
- Azure Storage: account security, firewall rules, access policies
- Microsoft Defender for Storage
- Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance: platform security and auditing
- Microsoft Defender for Databases
- Network security groups and application security groups
- Azure Virtual Network Manager
- Azure Virtual WAN and VPN connections
- Microsoft Entra Private Access
- Azure private endpoints and Private Link services
- Azure Firewall
- Azure Network Watcher diagnostics
Compute and AI
- Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and SharePoint data overexposure
- Real-time protection for Microsoft Copilot Studio agents
- Microsoft Entra Agent ID: Conditional Access, access management, blast-radius analysis in Defender XDR
- AI Gateway in Azure API Management for Microsoft Foundry
- Defender for AI Services and the Data and AI security dashboard in Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Guardrails for agent security in Microsoft Foundry
- Agent management in the Microsoft 365 admin center
- Disk encryption, Azure Bastion and just-in-time VM access
- Azure Arc and Microsoft Defender for Servers (vulnerability scanning, EDR, agentless scanning)
- VM security features (secure boot, vTPM, integrity monitoring, security type) and Azure Machine Configuration
- Microsoft Defender for Containers, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Container Registry, Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Apps
- Azure Functions, Azure Logic Apps and Azure App Service
- Azure Web Application Firewall and API Management back-end API protection
Microsoft Foundry was formerly named Azure AI Foundry, so older Learn content uses that name.
Posture and monitoring
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud: Defender CSPM, security frameworks, workload protection plans
- Defender for Cloud connectors for Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform
- Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
- Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management (EASM)
- Microsoft Sentinel: workspaces, roles, content hub solutions, data connectors
- Microsoft Sentinel: syslog and CEF collection, Windows Security events (data collection rules and WEF), custom log tables
- Microsoft Sentinel: automation rules, playbooks, data retention
- Microsoft Purview Audit in Defender XDR
- Microsoft Security Copilot: workspaces, roles, plugins, Microsoft agents and Security Store agents
How is it delivered?
The SC-500 exam is proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE.
- Delivery
- Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE
- Languages
- English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish
- Prerequisites
- None listed
- Validity
- 1 year
- Retakes
- 24 hours after a first failed attempt; 14 days between later attempts; at most 5 attempts in 12 months
- Test aids
- Microsoft Learn is available during the exam in a split screen (everything on learn.microsoft.com except Q&A, Practice Assessments and your profile); no extra time is added and the timer keeps running
Source: Microsoft exam page
What are the key dates?
The dates Microsoft has published for SC-500.
- Aug 31, 2026
- AZ-500 retires
Source: Microsoft exam page
Fact sheet
Show the 23 factsHide the facts
- Time
- 120 minutes Source: Microsoft exam page
- Fee
- $165 Source: Microsoft exam page
- Passing score
- 700 Source: Microsoft exam guide
- Score range
- 1-1,000 Source: Microsoft page
- Languages
- English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish Source: Microsoft exam page
- Delivery
- Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE Source: Microsoft exam page
- Validity
- 1 year Source: Microsoft page
- Prerequisites
- None listed Source: Microsoft exam page
- Retakes
- 24 hours after a first failed attempt; 14 days between later attempts; at most 5 attempts in 12 months Source: Microsoft page
- Test aids
- Microsoft Learn is available during the exam in a split screen (everything on learn.microsoft.com except Q&A, Practice Assessments and your profile); no extra time is added and the timer keeps running Source: Microsoft page
- Domain weights
- D1 20-25% / D2 25-30% / D3 20-25% / D4 20-25% Source: Microsoft exam guide
- Renewal
- Free, online, unproctored, open-book renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn, available during the six months before the certification expires; a pass extends the certification one year from its expiration date Source: Microsoft page
- Breaks
- Five minutes of break time are built into the exam time; the clock keeps running during a break, and questions seen before a break cannot be revisited Source: Microsoft page
- Labs
- Not stated for SC-500. Microsoft publishes no list of exams with labs because labs can be removed at any time; the exam's overview screens say whether labs are included Source: Microsoft page
- Scoring rules
- No penalty for guessing; some questions may be unscored; most multi-part questions give one point for each correctly answered component, and a question worth more than one point says so Source: Microsoft page
- Extra time if the exam is not in your language
- 30 minutes on request Source: Microsoft exam guide
- Practice Assessment
- Not available yet; Microsoft says one usually follows within 8 weeks of general availability Source: Microsoft exam page
- Exam sandbox
- Demo of the exam interface and question types at aka.ms/examdemo Source: Microsoft exam guide
- Preview features
- Most questions cover features that are generally available; the exam may contain questions on preview features if those features are commonly used Source: Microsoft exam guide
- Registration account
- Microsoft strongly recommends registering with a personal Microsoft account; exam records registered to a work or school account are lost, and cannot be recovered, if you leave the organization Source: Microsoft exam page
- Price basis
- Price based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored Source: Microsoft exam page
- Certification earned
- Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate, earned by passing Exam SC-500 Source: Microsoft page
- Instructor-led course
- Course SC-500T00-A: Implement end-to-end security controls for cloud and AI workloads (4 days) Source: Microsoft page
What has changed, and when?
Changes to the exam and to the products it covers, newest first.
- Microsoft announced the certification and the SC-500 beta, with general availability planned for July 2026. Microsoft page
- Microsoft announced that AZ-500 and the Azure Security Engineer Associate retire on Aug 31, 2026, introducing SC-500 for the transition. Microsoft page
To watch Microsoft directly, check the exam page.