SC-500 earns you Microsoft's Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate certification. It is an intermediate-level exam, so Microsoft expects practical experience administering Azure and hybrid environments, along with strong familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID. The "AI" in the name covers securing the platforms, data and identities that AI workloads rely on. The largest skill area is "Secure storage, databases, and networking", about 25 to 30 percent of the exam. Start with that area when you work through SC-500 exam questions, and give it the most time.
| The Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate Certification | |
|---|---|
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate |
| Certification level | Intermediate |
| Technology | Azure, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Defender XDR |
| Job roles | Security engineer |
| Exams required | SC-500 only |
| Prerequisites | None listed by Microsoft |
| Recommended experience | Practical experience administering Azure and hybrid environments, including compute, network and storage; strong familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID; and familiarity with Microsoft 365 administration |
| Certification validity | 12 months, as for all Microsoft role-based certifications, renewed free by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn |
| The SC-500 Exam | |
| Exam name | Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads |
| Exam code | SC-500 |
| Current exam version | The skills outline in Microsoft's SC-500 study guide, across four skill areas |
| Questions on the real exam | Typically 40 to 60, the range Microsoft gives for its exams |
| Question formats | Can include multiple choice, case studies, drag and drop, hot area, build list, active screen and problem-solution sets |
| Time allowed | 120 minutes (140 minutes seat time); 30 extra minutes can be requested if the exam is not in your preferred language |
| Scoring | 700 to pass, on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| How you take it | Proctored, with booking through Pearson VUE |
| Exam fee | USD 165 (Price vary by country or region) |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish |
| Retake policy | 24 hours after a first failed attempt, then 14 days between attempts, up to five attempts in 12 months |
| Our SC-500 Practice Questions | |
| Practice questions in our bank | 201 questions |
| Matched to | Kept in line with the current SC-500 skills outline |
| Question bank updated | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Formats | PDF and practice test (browser-based or Windows desktop), both in one purchase |
| Free demo | Available for both the PDF and the practice test |
| Free updates | 90 days from purchase, with longer periods available at checkout |
SC-500 booked for the coming weeks? Try the free demo of the PDF and practice test first and see which skill areas still need work.