Microsoft administration training programme

Complete one current associate-level certification aligned with your main responsibility, then study the AB-650 Microsoft 365 and AI administration curriculum; pursue MS-102 only if you can satisfy its prerequisite and pass it before November 30, 2026.

Recommended certification sequence

1. Select one associate certification as your specialization:
   • SC-300 — Identity and Access Administrator: best fit if Microsoft Entra ID, authentication, Conditional Access, identity governance, PIM, and hybrid identity are central to your work. The certification also expects familiarity with Microsoft 365, AD DS, PowerShell, and KQL. ^1^
   • MD-102 — Endpoint Administrator: choose this for Intune, device enrollment, compliance, applications, Windows Autopilot, endpoint security, and automation through PowerShell/Microsoft Graph. ^2^
   • MS-700 — Teams Administrator: choose this if Teams governance, meetings, calling, applications, policies, collaboration, and troubleshooting are your primary responsibilities. ^3^
   • SC-401 — Information Security Administrator: choose this for Microsoft Purview, sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, insider risk, information security alerts, and protection of Microsoft 365 and AI data. ^4^
   For a general Microsoft 365 administrator, SC-300 is usually the closest first choice because identity and access underpin Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, licensing, and administrative access. Choose MD-102 instead if device management is a major part of your job.
2. Treat MS-102 as an optional, time-limited final step.
   The Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert credential requires MS-102 plus one eligible associate certification. Both MS-102 and the expert certification retire on November 30, 2026, after which they cannot be earned or renewed. ^5^ The exam alone does not award the expert certification; the prerequisite associate credential must also be active.
3. For a durable post-retirement curriculum, prepare around AB-650.
   The AB-650 study guide covers tenant and licence administration, users and groups, Entra authentication and Conditional Access, Exchange mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Defender for Office 365, Purview, Microsoft Graph PowerShell, Copilot, and agent administration. ^6^ Microsoft also lists AB-650T00: Administer Microsoft 365 and AI services as the replacement course for MS-102T00. ^7^

Training plan by subject

1. Tenant, users, licences, roles and security
   • Complete the intermediate MS-102 Microsoft 365 Administrator material while it remains available. It covers tenant configuration, accounts, licences, security groups, administrative roles, identity synchronization, Defender, and Purview. ^8^
   • Use the current AB-650 objectives as the checklist for skills that must remain relevant after MS-102 retires.
2. Entra ID
   • Work through the SC-300 learning paths, especially authentication, Conditional Access, identity governance, access reviews, entitlement management, PIM, and monitoring. ^9^
3. Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive and PowerShell
   • Complete Manage Microsoft 365 services by using Windows PowerShell. Its modules cover:
     • Entra users, groups, and licences
     • Exchange Online mailboxes and roles
     • SharePoint Online users and groups
     • Teams creation and permissions ^10^
   • Study OneDrive together with SharePoint administration rather than looking for a separate OneDrive certification; Microsoft’s OneDrive administration material is integrated into the broader Microsoft 365 and SharePoint route. ^11^
4. Device management
   • If this is part of your role, take MD-102T00-A, which covers Intune, Entra, Autopilot, application deployment, compliance policies, Defender for Endpoint, and Windows/non-Windows devices. ^12^
5. Security and compliance
   • Add SC-401 if you administer Purview extensively.
   • For smaller, practical credentials, use Microsoft Applied Skills such as implementing information protection and DLP. This validates a specific hands-on Purview scenario rather than broad role knowledge. ^13^

Practical experience plan

Build a task log around operations you can perform safely in a test tenant or an approved non-production scope:

• Create users and groups and assign licences through group-based licensing.
• Delegate workload-specific roles rather than using Global Administrator.
• Configure and test MFA, SSPR, Conditional Access, and PIM.
• Create a shared mailbox, Team, SharePoint site, and OneDrive sharing policy.
• Enrol a test device in Intune and deploy a configuration, compliance policy, and application.
• Create test sensitivity, retention, and DLP policies.
• Repeat bulk user, licence, Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams operations with PowerShell.
• Record the objective, configuration, expected result, evidence, rollback method, and lessons learned for each lab.

Microsoft recommends combining training with hands-on experience before taking an exam, and the exam study guides provide current objective lists and free practice-assessment links. ^14^

If structured teaching is preferable, select the corresponding instructor-led course from a Microsoft training partner; these courses use Microsoft Official courseware delivered by Microsoft Certified Trainers. ^15^

References

1. Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate - Certifications
2. Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate - Certifications
3. Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate - Certifications
4. Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate - Certifications
5. Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert - Certifications
6. Study guide for Exam AB-650: Administering Microsoft 365 and AI Services
7. Course retirement | Microsoft Learn
8. Course MS-102T00-A: Microsoft 365 Administrator - Training
9. SC-300: Plan and implement an identity governance strategy - Training
10. Manage Microsoft 365 services by using Windows PowerShell - Training
11. Does Microsoft have OneDrive Admin training? - Microsoft Q&A
12. Course MD-102T00-A: Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator - Training
13. Microsoft Applied Skills: Implement information protection and data loss prevention by using Microsoft Purview - Applied Skills
14. Study guide for Exam MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator
15. Prepare for an exam