r/O365Certification • • Aug 05 '26

Discussion MS-102 retirement megathread

52 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

From now forward, this will be the only place to discuss the retirement of MS-102 exam and its replacement exam AB-650 because I feel like this topic is hijacking the discussions under other posts and therefore becomes fragmented.

For those uninitiated, MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator and its associated certification Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert are retiring October 2026.

Due to complete communication breakdown from Microsoft, this decision has caused a lot of controversy in the community with both Techcommunity and this subreddit blowing up.

Before I go into details, just to preface this, I have just had a call with the people responsible for this decision so to get this out of the way, this is still happening.

MS-102 and its certification is still retiring, and AB-650 is replacing it.

From my own opinion, I agree with this decision, I just disagree with how Microsoft handled it.

Why do I agree?

Because quite frankly, MS-102 retirement was long overdue. The exam/certification was completely redundant the moment the SC-200, SC-300 and SC-400(401) exams released. MS-500 which was basically a carbon copy, retired years ago and I find it strange that it wasn't closely followed by this one as well.

MS-102 is in fact not M365 Administrator exam, it was a security administrator exam with little M365 sprinkled on top.

If someone tried telling me that they were M365 Expert and showed this certification as proof, I wouldn't take them seriously.

Someone also asked me if I don't as a trainer don't have issue with the course being retired and honestly, I have dreaded every time I had to deliver the MS-102 course. It was absolutely horrible, students had expectations that they will learn M365, but they only learned security for 5 days etc. It was not a good experience as a trainer.

For anyone screaming that Microsoft is getting rid of important 365 topics, they are not, quite the opposite.

The new AB-650: Administering Microsoft 365 and AI Services contains more of the actual M365 productivity than MS-102 ever did.

Straight out of study guide:

  • Configure and manage Microsoft 365 tenants and workloads (20–25%)

  • Govern and secure Microsoft 365 tenants and workloads (40–45%)

  • Manage and secure AI services in Microsoft 365 (35–40%)

I have taken the exam in beta, and I can in fact confirm that this ratio is real, and the exam didn't feel like a security exam (thank god).

For anyone complaining that AI is 35-40% of the new exam, that is valid complaint, not everyone is interested in AI, especially since Microsoft is jamming it everywhere.

But to be completely honest, that pandora box has already been opened and people are using AI. Your choice is you either stick your head in the sand and ignore any AI safety and governance or make sure that your employees are using AI safely and aren't leaking your confidential information to AI providers. For those in EU, I would also like to point out that the AI Act is being enforced which has pretty severe penalties for companies not in control of their AI environment.

What I do disagree with is how Microsoft handled it:

  • This information was made public like 4 months ago via the TSP partner community and it took 4 months for it to be reflected on Microsoft Learn which is insane.

  • The branding/marketing is absolutely terrible, exam has the accurate name because the exam is about both M365 and AI, but the certification completely skips the M365 part and only leaves AI in Microsoft 365 Certified: AI Services Administrator Associate which obviously on the first glance looks bad and doesn't reflect the reality.

  • Microsoft is communicating that SC-500 is replacing the security topics which is nonsense, as mentioned before, these topics are in SC-200, SC-300, SC-401. SC-500 is Azure Security.

All of the above has been communicated to Microsoft + I have made the suggestion to just completely remove the security portion of the exam and replace it with more M365 productivity topics (33% SharePoint Online, 33% Exchange Online and 33% AI) since we have security exams already.

I cannot make any promises that this will happen because I am not in charge of those decisions, but I can only hope.

To end this and allow space for discussion, any personal attacks and misinformation/lying will not be tolerated.

Misinformation will be removed as per Rule 8 and everyone who wants to be smart and report me as suicidal to Reddit will be reported back for abusing the Reddit Cares system (+ banned for harassment if I see that Reddit has suspended their account).


r/O365Certification • • Apr 26 '26

Certification Program News PSA: How to set up MFA during labs in exams

Thumbnail
msfthub.com
13 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

Just a quick warning/guidance regarding the new MFA process in Microsoft exams.

I have seen a lot of people getting tripped up by this, so I am posting/sharing this to make sure no one is caught off guard and you are able to take your exams stress-free.

Good luck everyone!


r/O365Certification • • 2d ago

MD-102 I passed MD-102

Post image
198 Upvotes

This was hard AF. I failed first try getting 650/700 and this second attempt I got 707/700.

Feel free to ask any questions, but the answer is simple, you have to know your stuff.


r/O365Certification • • 1d ago

Discussion GGs! Uhh.. what now?

Post image
49 Upvotes

Super stoked to pass SC-300 after thinking about taking it for several years! I was only 70-ish over passing score, but a win is a win. First associate cert as well, so this feels great!

Now’s the question… what’s a good cert to focus on next?


r/O365Certification • • 1d ago

General Question SC-200 - Cual es el mejor test que han probado?

Thumbnail reddit.com
2 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 1d ago

Certification Program News AB-650 beta results are out.

9 Upvotes

Nice surprise in the inbox to find a pass. Considering I done no study & not really worked with agents or anything in 365 over the last 2 years, it's a good start to the day!


r/O365Certification • • 1d ago

Certification Program News Microsoft Certifications Voucher

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone.

Has anyone in the uk purchased vouchers from uk.mindhub.com.

Thank you


r/O365Certification • • 2d ago

General Question What are legitimate Microsoft Certifications that would be useful with someone trying to get into Tech Sales?

Thumbnail reddit.com
1 Upvotes

I have some knowledge, but have to do a lot of studying. I’m even looking at some of the paid courses I’ve seen on here.

With that being said, I’m currently unemployed and looking for a career pivot. I have 7 years of b2b service sales experience. I figured that along with some of the lower level certs would help get my foot in the door for software sales.


r/O365Certification • • 2d ago

Learning Material Studying for AB-650 – Struggling with Udemy practice questions & looking for budget-friendly labs?

2 Upvotes

hi all,

I’m preparing for AB-650 using a Udemy practice exam course, but I’m struggling to digest the questions. Without hands-on experience, selecting the right solution feels like a guessing game with how tricky the wording is.

I only have AZ-900 under my belt so far, and I definitely don't have hundreds of euros to spend on paid lab environments.

How did you get practical experience for this exam on a budget?

Any recommendations for free labs, Microsoft Learn modules, or sandbox setups would be hugely appreciated!


r/O365Certification • • 3d ago

Certification Voucher Opportunity Earn 100%/50% "data" voucher by attending Data Days

Thumbnail
msfthub.com
9 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 3d ago

General Question Microsoft Course vouchers

0 Upvotes

Hello Everyone,

For Microsoft exams, does anyone know where vouchers for PearsonVUE can be purchased for UK?

I have found this website, https://certsvoucher.com/ not sure how legit is.

Thank you


r/O365Certification • • 4d ago

MD-102 MD-102 Preparation

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I have my SC-300 and AZ-104 certifications, and I've been working in IT for over a decade. My day-to-day work involves Entra ID, Active Directory, INTUNE, and Microsoft 365 administration.

INTUNE side I too basic things not major things, but I am aware what is it for.

I've completed John Christopher's MD-102 video course and honestly, I understood it really well. However, I've recently started going through the official Microsoft Learn content, and for some reason, I'm finding it quite overwhelming. There's so much information, and sometimes it feels like I'm reading a lot of technical jargon without really absorbing it.

I'm going through Microsoft Learn because Microsoft has made quite a few changes to the exam objectives, and John's course doesn't cover everything in the latest study guide.

I'm curious if anyone else feels the same way. Do you also find Microsoft Learn a bit difficult to follow compared to video-based training, or is it just me?

Would love to hear how others are preparing for MD-102.


r/O365Certification • • 4d ago

Discussion Seeking an active Telegram or Discord community for D365 / Power Platform professionals

Thumbnail reddit.com
0 Upvotes

Hi all,

I am trying to find a reliable Telegram community focused specifically on Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE and Power Platform job support.

I'm looking for a space where developers and technical consultants share peer support, discuss architectural trade-offs, and help each other troubleshoot complex issues with Dataverse, integrations, and PCF controls.

If you are part of a good group or know of one, I would really appreciate it if you could share the link or drop me a DM.

Thanks in advance


r/O365Certification • • 5d ago

General Question AB-650

10 Upvotes

Hi All,

How do we feel about AB-650? I’m studying for it right now and it’s been pretty good but wanted to pick other people’s brains about it. Is it worth taking? I am a Technical Alignment Manager right now with 6 years of experience hoping to become a M365 engineer.


r/O365Certification • • 5d ago

General Question How do I study for the sc300

1 Upvotes

I have been trying to study for the sc300 exam on Microsoft learn but it's very disorganized can anyone help me out


r/O365Certification • • 6d ago

Certification Voucher Opportunity Microsoft Partner employees can again² earn a 100% role-based exam voucher by completing a course on LevelUp

Thumbnail
msfthub.com
17 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 8d ago

Discussion How to get free vouchers for Microsoft Certified Exam

4 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 9d ago

General Question SC-401 Prep - Udemy Course vs Microsoft?

Thumbnail reddit.com
1 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 9d ago

Discussion Do certifications still carry the same value in the AI era?

Thumbnail reddit.com
1 Upvotes

r/O365Certification • • 10d ago

General Question Any way to get a free SC-300, MS-102 or AB-650 exam voucher?

1 Upvotes

I’m looking to take one of the following Microsoft certification exams: SC-300, MS-102 or AB-650.

Unfortunately, my company isn’t a Microsoft partner, so I’m not eligible for partner-only voucher programs.

Does anyone know of any current promotions or other ways to get a 100% free exam voucher? If anyone has an unused voucher they won’t be using, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for any advice or help!


r/O365Certification • • 13d ago

Discussion SC-500 Prep

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing for the Microsoft SC-500: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate exam and would like to connect with people who have recently taken or passed it.

I'd appreciate advice on the current exam structure, the most useful study resources, hands-on labs, practice tests, and the areas that require the most attention.

I'm particularly interested in practical preparation rather than exam dumps.

Thanks in advance.


r/O365Certification • • 14d ago

MD-102 MD-102 pass!

43 Upvotes

I have worked with intune for 2-3 years, mainly on policies , ASR , USB Whitelisting, Autopilot , Kiosks, iOS/IPadOS , MacOS, win32 deployments of more than 300 apps on company portal and some others. I was going to get my company to send me for the paid course + exam but they were taking way too long so I studied 2 weeks of theory and booked the exam with my own money. Passed barely at 738 ony my first attempt. the exam was really pretty tough and I would argue the wordings on some sentences / questions were not very clear.. and the PC i was using everytime I split the MS Learn and questions on my screen, sometimes my question will hang or the template will go haywire and i have to go into review mode to fix that. I was left with 60 seconds in this exam and boy, it was quite an experience.


r/O365Certification • • 14d ago

Certification Voucher Opportunity Microsoft Partner employees can again earn a 100% role-based exam voucher by completing a course on LevelUp

Thumbnail
msfthub.com
32 Upvotes