SC-200 certification: cost, passing score and exam details
SC-200 is the exam for Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate — investigating and mitigating threats with Microsoft Sentinel, Defender and Purview. Microsoft lists the SC-200 exam cost as $165 USD, priced by the country where the exam is proctored, and scores it out of 1,000 with 700 to pass.
- SC-200 exam cost
- $165 USD, priced by country or regionMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 24 September 2026
- Passing score
- 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000Microsoft Learn, exam scoring and score reports, checked 24 September 2026
- Certification earned
- Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst AssociateMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 24 September 2026
- Languages
- English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), ItalianMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 24 September 2026
- Booked through
- Pearson VUEMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 24 September 2026
- Renewal
- Free online assessment, six-month window before expiryMicrosoft certification renewal page, checked 24 September 2026
- Duration
- 100 minutesMicrosoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Number of questions
- Not published by MicrosoftThe certification page states no question count, checked 10 October 2026
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Why you can trust these SC-200 questions
What is SC-200?
SC-200 is the single exam behind Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate. It is the SOC-analyst certification in Microsoft’s security track: investigating, hunting and mitigating threats using Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview.
There is no prerequisite exam. Microsoft grants the certification on this one exam alone, and it stays valid for a year, renewable free of charge online.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 24 September 2026.
How much does SC-200 cost?
Microsoft lists $165 USD, with a footnote that the price is based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored. The binding figure appears at registration through Pearson VUE.
The exam fee does not include training. Microsoft publishes a free learning path on Microsoft Learn, and sells instructor-led training separately.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 24 September 2026.
What is the SC-200 passing score?
Microsoft reports technical exam results on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and requires 700 or greater to pass. That is a scaled score, not a percentage of questions answered correctly, so it does not translate into a fixed number of right answers.
Microsoft gives 100 minutes for the exam, stated on the certification page (checked 10 October 2026). What it does not publish is the question count. Any fixed number of SC-200 questions you see quoted comes from candidate reports, not from Microsoft.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam scoring and score reports. Checked 24 September 2026.
AZ-500 vs SC-200, and SC-200 vs SC-300
AZ-500 vs SC-200 splits by what you defend. AZ-500 is the Azure Security Engineer exam — securing the Azure platform itself: identity, network, compute, data protection. SC-200 is the analyst exam — detecting and responding to threats across Microsoft 365 and Azure with Sentinel and Defender. AZ-500 builds the defences; SC-200 watches them.
SC-200 vs SC-300 splits the same way inside the security track. SC-300 is the Identity and Access Administrator exam, focused on Entra ID, access management and governance. SC-200 is operations and response.
Both comparisons have the same practical answer: pick the one matching what your day looks like, since Microsoft requires neither as a prerequisite for the other.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 24 September 2026.
SC-200 study guide and preparation
Microsoft publishes the skills-measured list for the exam and a free learning path covering it, and both are updated when the exam changes. A third-party study guide is only as current as the skills list it was written against — check the date before you buy.
Microsoft also provides a sandbox environment so you can practise in the same interface you will see in the exam.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 24 September 2026.
SC-200 practice questions, practice exams and dumps
SC-200 practice questions on this site come with an explanation for every option.
What the bank does not carry is an exam dump: dumps are copied live questions, they breach the Microsoft certification agreement, and on a scaled exam they teach the answer rather than the product.
SC-200 questions people ask
How much does SC-200 cost?
$165 USD, priced by the country or region where the exam is proctored. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 24 September 2026.
What is the SC-200 passing score?
700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 24 September 2026.
How many questions are on SC-200?
Microsoft does not publish a question count for this exam. It states 100 minutes to complete it. Source: Microsoft Learn certification page, checked 10 October 2026.
What certification does SC-200 give you?
Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 24 September 2026.
AZ-500 vs SC-200 — which first?
Neither is a prerequisite for the other. AZ-500 secures the Azure platform; SC-200 detects and responds to threats with Sentinel and Defender.
SC-200 syllabus: the three skill areas
Microsoft does not call it a syllabus — the official name is “skills measured”, published in the SC-200 study guide. It is the complete scope of the exam, and it is short: three skill areas with weightings given as ranges.
Managing the security operations environment is the largest block, and most of it is Microsoft Sentinel configuration — connecting data sources, writing detections and setting up automation. If your day job is mostly triaging incidents in Defender, that is the part to study deliberately.
- Manage a security operations environment — 40–45%: configure automation for Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel, configure the Microsoft Sentinel SIEM and platform, ingest data into it, configure detections
- Respond to security incidents — 35–40%: respond to alerts and incidents in Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, investigate Microsoft 365 activities to identify threats
- Perform threat hunting — 20–25%: detect threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR and by using the Microsoft Sentinel platform
Source: Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam SC-200. Checked 9 October 2026.
The exam changes on 21 October 2026
Microsoft’s certification page carries a notice that the English language version of this certification will be updated on 21 October 2026. The study guide includes a change log comparing the skills before and after that date.
If you book for 21 October or later, read the change log before you rely on any notes or course you used earlier. Material that matches the skills list as of 21 October 2026 is the one that counts.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 9 October 2026.
Free official preparation from Microsoft
Two free tools on the certification page are worth using before you spend anything. The practice assessment, which Microsoft says gives an overview of the style, wording and difficulty of the questions you are likely to see, and the exam sandbox, which lets you click through the exam interface in advance.
Use the practice assessment as a format check, not as your only readiness signal: it is one set of questions, and a scaled 700 does not map onto a percentage.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 9 October 2026.
Using an SC-200 exam voucher
If your employer, a training programme or an event has given you an exam voucher or a discount code, you do not redeem it on Microsoft Learn itself. Microsoft’s instructions are to register and schedule through Pearson VUE as normal, then select “Add Voucher or Promo Code” on the payment screen.
Eligible discounts, according to the same page, are applied at checkout. Check any voucher’s terms with whoever issued it before you schedule.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Redeem discounts and vouchers. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is SC-200 worth it?
It depends on the job you do or want. SC-200 is worth it if your work happens — or will happen — inside Microsoft Sentinel and Defender: it is the Microsoft credential that maps directly onto SOC analyst work in that stack. If your organisation runs a different SIEM, the product-specific half of the exam will matter less to you.
The running cost is low compared with many vendors: one exam fee, then a free online renewal assessment every 12 months. Microsoft publishes no salary data for this certification, so we do not put a figure on its value.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Security Operations Analyst Associate. Checked 9 October 2026.
More SC-200 questions
Where is the official SC-200 syllabus?
In the SC-200 study guide on Microsoft Learn, under “skills measured”: three skill areas weighted 40–45%, 35–40% and 20–25%. Checked 9 October 2026.
How do I use an SC-200 voucher?
Register through Pearson VUE as usual and select “Add Voucher or Promo Code” on the payment screen. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 9 October 2026.
Is there a free SC-200 practice test from Microsoft?
Yes — Microsoft offers a free practice assessment and an exam sandbox, both linked from the certification page. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is the SC-200 certification worth it?
It is most useful if you work, or want to work, as a SOC analyst in a Microsoft Sentinel and Defender environment. Renewal is free every 12 months.
