Overview#
SC-500 earns the Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate credential — “Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads.” It’s the successor to AZ-500 (which retires August 31, 2026) and the first Microsoft security exam to test AI workload security as its own discipline. Domains span identity and access, governance, storage/database/network/compute security, posture management, and monitoring with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Sentinel, and Security Copilot — the same ground my Cloud > Labs walkthroughs cover hands-on.
Status: In progress
Recommended Resources#
Microsoft Learn — SC-500 Study Guide & Training#
Start here. The official study guide lists exactly what’s measured, and the free self-paced learning paths cover every domain — the authoritative baseline for a Microsoft exam.
- Type: Official study guide + training
- Cost: Free
- Link: learn.microsoft.com — SC-500 study guide
John Savill’s Technical Training#
YouTube deep-dives and exam “study cram” videos that consistently explain the nuances Microsoft Learn glosses over. The best free video resource for Microsoft security exams.
- Type: Video course
- Cost: Free
- Link: youtube.com/@NTFAQGuy
Tutorials Dojo — SC-500 Study Guide#
A community-compiled study path and cheat-sheet-style breakdown of the exam domains, useful for structuring your prep and spotting gaps.
- Type: Study guide + practice
- Cost: Free guide (paid practice)
- Link: tutorialsdojo.com — SC-500 study guide
Charbel Nemnom — SC-500 Exam Study Guide#
A detailed, regularly updated study guide from a Microsoft security MVP, with curated links per exam objective — strong for going deeper than the official modules.
- Type: Study guide
- Cost: Free
- Link: charbelnemnom.com/sc-500-exam-study-guide
Hands-on: Your Own Azure Tenant#
No substitute for building it yourself. A free/pay-as-you-go Azure subscription lets you practice Entra ID, Conditional Access, PIM, RBAC, and networking controls directly — exactly the approach in my SC-500 lab series.
- Type: Hands-on practice
- Cost: Free tier + pay-as-you-go
- Link: azure.microsoft.com/free