SC-200
SC-200 is Microsoft's associate-level exam for security operations analysts who triage, investigate, and hunt threats across Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR, and Defender for Cloud. It is one of the few SOC credentials that proves you can actually drive Microsoft's security stack — not just read about it — which is why hiring managers and managed-security providers lean on it. Unlike a multiple-choice trivia test, SC-200 leans hard on KQL queries, live incident response, and case studies, so a single weak domain can sink an otherwise strong attempt. This page breaks down exactly what's tested, how it's delivered, and how to pass it the first time.
Pay Only After You Pass
No upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. We advertise guaranteed results — 100% pass guaranteed or money back.
How the SC-200 is built — at a glance
100
You have 100 minutes to work through roughly 40–60 items. Microsoft does not publish a fixed count, and the case-study questions eat time fast — pacing matters.
700
Scored 1–1000. A 700 is a scaled threshold, not a raw 70% — harder items carry more weight, so it's a single pass/fail result with no per-domain minimum.
3
Manage a security operations environment, respond to security incidents, and perform threat hunting — updated by Microsoft on 16 April 2026.
Expect standard multiple-choice and multiple-response items, drag-and-drop ordering, build-list and hot-area questions, and a case-study scenario with several linked questions. Once you submit a case study you usually can't return to it, so read the full scenario before answering. KQL snippets and Defender XDR / Sentinel portal screenshots show up throughout.
Microsoft uses scaled scoring from 1 to 1000 with a single 700 cut to pass — there's no negative marking, so answer every question. Your score report shows a bar chart of relative strength per skill area, but there's no separate minimum per domain. If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours; longer waits apply to later attempts, and each retake means paying the exam fee again.
Three weighted domains (Microsoft, as of 16 April 2026) — bars show each domain's share of the exam
Configure automation, playbooks, and analytics rules in Defender XDR and Sentinel; set up data connectors, retention, and workbooks; and build custom detections mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK matrix.
Investigate and remediate incidents across Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, Cloud, Identity, Entra ID, and Purview; run device live response; and triage multi-stage attacks, including with embedded Copilot for Security.
Write Kusto Query Language (KQL) advanced-hunting queries, pick the right tables, build hunting graphs and blast-radius views with Sentinel Graph, and hunt in Notebooks and the Data lake.
Note: Microsoft refreshed these objectives on 16 April 2026, merging the older "Configure settings / Manage assets" and Security Copilot groups into the three domains above. The biggest single bucket is now managing the SOC environment, but the exam rewards people who can actually write KQL and reason through a live incident — not just recall portal menus.
Two ways to sit the exam — and what to expect on test day
You schedule SC-200 through your Microsoft Learn profile and Pearson VUE, then sit it in a quiet, monitored center. Staff verify your government photo ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. You're provided an erasable noteboard. This is the most stable option if your home connection is unreliable.
You take the exam from a private room at home through Pearson VUE's OnVUE software, monitored by a remote proctor. You install OnVUE, run a system check ahead of time, complete an ID check and a 360° room scan, and clear your desk. No scratch paper — an on-screen whiteboard is provided. A stable connection is essential.
A valid, unexpired government photo ID with a name matching your Microsoft Learn / Pearson VUE profile exactly. The proctor captures a photo before the exam unlocks.
A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone within reach, and a full webcam scan of the room. No one else may enter, and you must close all other apps before OnVUE launches.
Stay in frame and on-camera the whole time. There are no scheduled breaks in the 100-minute window. Talking aloud, leaving the seat, or losing connection can flag or revoke the session.
SC-200 is built for working SOC and blue-team roles
No formal requirements — but it's hands-on
Difficulty: SC-200 is widely rated harder than its "associate" label suggests, because it tests applied portal workflows, KQL, and incident-response judgment rather than memorizable facts. Candidates without daily hands-on time in Sentinel and Defender XDR commonly invest 60–100 hours of lab-heavy prep — exactly the kind of pressure point our help is designed to remove.
SC-200 is a hands-on, time-boxed exam sitting between you and a SOC role or a renewal deadline. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted Microsoft security specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your delivery method (test center or OnVUE), your test date, and whether this is a first attempt or a retake. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and target and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a Microsoft security specialist who maps the work around the three SC-200 domains, the KQL hunting tasks, and the OnVUE environment — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official Microsoft score report. No verified result, nothing owed.
Tell us your exam date and delivery method — we'll give you an honest feasibility answer first.
Straight answers about the SC-200 exam
Get help, then compare sibling security certifications
Pair with a vetted Microsoft security specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified passing result.
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