AZ-500 · ● Retiring (Aug 31, 2026) · Associate · Microsoft
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD $165 |
| Duration | 150 minutes |
| Questions | 40–60 (mixed format) |
| Passing | 700/1000 (scaled score) |
| Format | Multiple choice, case study, drag-and-drop, short answer |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE / OnVUE |
| Languages | English and additional languages via Pearson VUE |
| Valid | 3 years from issue date |
| Renewal | Pass SC-500 or equivalent, or retake AZ-500 before Aug 31, 2026 |
| Prerequisites | None; prior Azure experience strongly recommended |
| Released | October 2018 (current v1.1) |
| Retiring | August 31, 2026 — migrate to SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate) |
Vendor source — Microsoft Learn — Azure Security Engineer Associate ↗
Official exam guide — Study Guide for Exam AZ-500 ↗
Exam objectives — Exam Objectives (Microsoft Learn) ↗
About
The Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) validates your ability to implement, manage, and monitor security for resources in Azure, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. This Associate-level certification is designed for IT professionals and security engineers responsible for securing Azure infrastructure, identities, data, and operations. As of August 31, 2026, AZ-500 will retire and be replaced by SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer), which expands coverage to include AI security posture and governance alongside traditional cloud security. Organizations using Azure should plan migrations to SC-500 before the retirement deadline.
Domain context — Cloud Security
Enterprise cloud security at the Associate level focuses on implementing platform-native security controls, identity governance, and compliance monitoring within Azure and hybrid cloud architectures. AZ-500 is the primary Associate certification for Azure security practitioners.
Read full deep dive — Microsoft Azure Ecosystem →
Topics covered
The AZ-500 exam is weighted across four core security domains, reflecting real-world Azure security responsibilities:
- Secure Identity and Access (15–20%) — Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) configuration, role-based access control (RBAC), conditional access policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), managed identities, service principals, and hybrid identity synchronization.
- Implement Platform Protection (20–25%) — Network security groups (NSGs), Azure Firewall, DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall (WAF), virtual network segmentation, and bastion hosts.
- Secure Compute, Storage, and Databases (20–25%) — Azure Key Vault, encryption at rest and in transit, confidential computing, container security, Azure Container Registry, SQL/Cosmos DB security, and storage account hardening.
- Manage Security Operations (30–35%) — Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, threat detection, security alerts, incident response workflows, vulnerability management, and compliance monitoring.
Source: AZ-500 Study Guide (Microsoft Learn) ↗
Common skills at Cloud Security · Associate
Shared competencies for cloud security roles at Associate level — not specific to Azure.
- Identity and access governance in cloud environments
- Network segmentation and perimeter security
- Encryption and key management
- Vulnerability scanning and threat detection
- Compliance monitoring and audit logging
- Incident response and forensics
Recommended courses at Cloud Security · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn (official) | AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies learning path | Free | ↗ |
| Pluralsight | AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies | $299/year or $29/month | ↗ |
| YouTube (John Savill) | AZ-500 Study Cram — John Savill's Technical Training | Free | ↗ |
| O'Reilly / Tim Warner | AZ-500 Crash Course — Tim Warner | $49–$99 | ↗ |
| Coursera | Exam Prep AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate | $39–$99 | ↗ |
| A Cloud Guru / Pluralsight | AZ-500 hands-on labs | $299/year | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: Each course must be specifically for AZ-500 (not generic Azure). Free Microsoft Learn modules are the official starting point; Pluralsight and Tim Warner provide deep dives; John Savill's YouTube videos are excellent free overviews.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MeasureUp | Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500) Practice Test | $99–$129 | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Practice Tests | $49–$99 | ↗ |
| Microsoft MindsHub | Official Microsoft Practice Test for AZ-500 | $99 | ↗ |
| ExamTopics | AZ-500 Exam Questions (community-curated) | Free (limited); Premium $15–$20 | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam Ref AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies, 2nd Ed. | Yuri Diogenes, Orin Thomas | Pearson | 2023 | 978-0137834464 | ↗ |
| MCA Microsoft Certified Associate Azure Security Engineer Study Guide: Exam AZ-500 | Shimon Brathwaite | Sybex (Wiley) | 2023 | 978-1119870371 | ↗ |
| AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Guided Cert Prep | Yuri Diogenes, Orin Thomas | O'Reilly | 2023 | 978-0138041038 | ↗ |
Book rule: All titles reference the current AZ-500 exam. Diogenes and Thomas are the primary Microsoft authors; Brathwaite's Sybex guide is a comprehensive independent study resource. Both are updated regularly.
Typical job titles at Cloud Security · Associate
Azure Security Engineer · Cloud Security Engineer (Azure) · Senior Security Engineer (Cloud) · Cloud Compliance Engineer · Identity and Access Engineer
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list AZ-500 or equivalent Azure security certification as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $154,202–$232,047 | Glassdoor ↗ · ZipRecruiter ↗ |
| GBP | £110,000–£165,000 (est. UK parity) | Industry equivalents (no region-specific AZ-500 data; use general Azure Security Engineer benchmarks) |
| EUR | €115,000–€165,000 (DE/NL average) | Industry equivalents; regional variation significant |
| ZAR | R2.1M–R3.2M (est. via PPP adjustment) | No direct South African AZ-500 data available; derived from USD parity and local market research |
Salary rule: USD figures come from Glassdoor (Feb 2026, 13 reported salaries) and ZipRecruiter. International ranges are estimated from parity adjustments and general cloud security engineer benchmarks, as AZ-500-specific salary surveys are not widely published outside North America. Use these as reference points; actual salaries vary by region, company size, and experience.
Skills validated
AZ-500-specific technologies and security practices tested in the exam.
- Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) identity management and governance
- Azure role-based access control (RBAC) and privilege access management
- Network security groups, Azure Firewall, and DDoS Protection
- Azure Key Vault and encryption services
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud threat detection and remediation
- Microsoft Sentinel security information and event management (SIEM)
- Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, and storage security
- Azure container registry and container runtime security
- Compliance monitoring and security baselines
- Incident response and forensic investigation in Azure
Related certifications
- Prerequisite for: SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate ↗ (replacement certification post-Aug 2026)
- Stacks with: AZ-104 Azure Administrator Associate ↗ · AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals ↗
- Equips for: AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect Expert ↗ (security-focused architecture track)
- Replaces: None (successor to legacy role-specific certs; replaced by SC-500 from Aug 31, 2026)
- Vendor overview: Microsoft Azure Ecosystem ↗
Sources
- Microsoft Learn — Azure Security Engineer certification ↗
- AZ-500 Study guide ↗
- Microsoft Learning announcements — AZ-500 retirement (Aug 31, 2026) ↗
- Glassdoor — Azure Security Engineer salary data ↗
- ZipRecruiter — Azure Security Engineer salary ↗
- Pearson VUE testing platform ↗
- MeasureUp practice exams ↗
- Whizlabs practice tests ↗
- Amazon — Exam Ref AZ-500 (Diogenes & Thomas) ↗
- Wiley — Sybex Study Guide AZ-500 (Brathwaite) ↗
Last verified: 2026-05-01 Parent ecosystem: Microsoft Azure Ecosystem ↗ Parent domain: Cloud Security ↗ Vendor overview: Microsoft Vendor Overview ↗ Retirement notice: SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate) becomes the primary Microsoft cloud security credential post-August 2026.