Azure and hybrid administration experience
RecommendedPractical experience administering compute, network and storage in Azure and hybrid environments.
Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (SC-500)
Validates knowledge of securing Azure, hybrid and AI workloads through identity, data, network and compute controls and monitoring.
Summary
SC-500 is Microsoft's associate certification for security engineers who protect Azure, hybrid and AI workloads, including Copilot, agents and Microsoft Foundry. It is the role-based security engineering credential in Microsoft's path and counts toward the Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification.
Good fit if
- You already administer or secure Azure or hybrid environments
- You need to secure Copilot, AI agents or Microsoft Foundry
- You want Microsoft's current cloud security credential
Salary & jobs
Prerequisites
Cost
What holders say
The current Microsoft cloud security credential
Candidates describe SC-500 as the path Microsoft wants people to follow after AZ-500, and several switched their AZ-500 plans to it.
Harder than most associate exams
Pass and fail reports call SC-500 harder than AZ-500, and one SC-200 and SC-300 holder says that background helped less than expected.
No credit for AZ-500
AZ-500 holders note that their old certification does not convert, so they prepare for SC-500 as a new exam.
Certification path
Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate is one of three certifications that qualify you for Cybersecurity Architect Expert.
Renewal
SC-500 is valid for one year.
- Validity
- 1 year
- Renewal requirement
- Free online assessment
- Renewal fee
- $0 USD
The renewal assessment opens six months before expiry. It is unproctored, open book and shorter than the exam, and you can retake it. Passing extends the certification by one year from the expiry date.
Renew your Microsoft certification ↗Alternatives
AWS Certified Security – Specialty$300 required · Advanced
The equivalent security-specialist credential if your organization runs AWS instead of Azure.
CompTIA Security+$439 required · Entry
Vendor-neutral alternative if you want a security baseline that isn't tied to one cloud platform.
SC-200$165 required · Intermediate
Microsoft's associate credential for security operations and SOC work instead of cloud and AI security engineering.
SC-300$165 required · Intermediate
Microsoft's associate credential for identity-focused security work instead of cloud and AI security engineering.
FAQ
How much does the SC-500 exam cost?
$165 in the US. Microsoft sets the price by the country you test in, and you see it when you schedule.
Is SC-500 the same as AZ-500?
No. SC-500 is the successor to AZ-500, which retired on August 31, 2026. It has its own skills list with a new AI security section, and AZ-500 does not convert to it.
Is there an SC-500 practice assessment?
Not yet. Microsoft says practice assessments usually arrive within eight weeks of an exam leaving beta. Use the exam sandbox and a third-party question set until it appears.
Do I need AZ-500 or SC-300 first?
No. There is no formal prerequisite. Microsoft recommends practical Azure administration experience and strong Entra ID familiarity.
Last updated October 2026