Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) — Exam Guide, Cost & Study Plan

AZ-500 validates skills across identity, platform protection, security operations, and data/application protection on Azure. It is the dominant Azure security credential and pairs naturally with SC-100 (Cybersecurity Architect Expert) for senior roles. ## What the exam covers - Manage identity and access (Entra ID, conditional access, PIM) - Secure networking (NSGs, Azure Firewall, Front Door WAF, DDoS Protection) - Secure compute, storage, and databases (Defender for Cloud, Key Vault, BYOK) - Manage security operations (Sentinel, Defender XDR, KQL) ## Prerequisites - Recommended: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) or equivalent hands-on Azure experience ## Study plan Plan 6–10 weeks. Microsoft Learn AZ-500 path (free) + John Savill's AZ-500 master class on YouTube. Build hands-on: Sentinel workspace + KQL hunting queries, conditional access policies, Key Vault with HSM-backed keys, Privileged Identity Management approvals. ## Cost (UK 2026) Exam fee approx. £130 (vendor list price; bundles + corporate discounts vary). ## Format 40–60 questions, 100 minutes, scaled score 700/1000 to pass

Frequently asked questions

AZ-500 vs SC-200 vs SC-100 — which order?›

AZ-500 first (engineer bar), then SC-200 if you focus on SOC/Sentinel, then SC-100 for architect-level.

Is AZ-500 valid for UK public sector roles?›

Yes — heavily preferred for NHS, MoD-adjacent, and central government Microsoft estates, often paired with SC clearance.

Does AZ-500 expire?›

Yes — annually. Microsoft offers a free online assessment to renew within 6 months of expiry.

How much KQL do I need for AZ-500?›

Working fluency — at minimum write join, summarize, project, where, and parse statements against Sentinel tables. Expect 4–6 KQL-heavy questions.

Frequently asked questions

Practice Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) interview questions