Microsoft Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate
The SC-500 exam is designed for professionals who implement and configure Security. It validates your ability to manage identity, access, and governance, secure storage, databases, and networking, secure compute, and manage and monitor security posture.
Exam details
- Certification
- Microsoft Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate
- Exam code
- SC-500
- Level
- Associate
- Duration
- Approximately 100 minutes
- Questions
- Typically 40–60 questions
- Passing score
- 700 out of 1000
- Cost
- USD $165 — typical price; the exact fee varies by country/region and currency, and local taxes may apply.
- Prerequisites
- None required. Azure, hybrid, Entra ID, and Microsoft 365 administration experience are expected.
- Languages
- English (additional languages may be available)
- Delivered by
- Pearson VUE
- Renewal
- Free online assessment, every 12 months
Skills measured
Manage identity, access, and governance (20–25%)
- Secure access with Entra ID, PIM, Conditional Access, MFA, app identities, and managed identities.
- Deploy and govern Key Vault, including Defender CSPM secret scanning.
- Enforce Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud compliance, resource locks, and RBAC.
Secure storage, databases, and networking (25–30%)
- Secure storage accounts and Azure SQL, including Defender for Storage and Databases.
- Implement NSGs, Firewall, Private Link, VPN, Virtual WAN, and Entra Private Access.
Secure compute (20–25%)
- Secure Copilot, Copilot Studio agents, Entra Agent ID, Foundry, and Defender for AI.
- Harden VMs and hybrid servers with Bastion, JIT, Arc, and Defender for Servers.
- Secure AKS, containers, Functions, Logic Apps, App Service, WAF, and API Management.
Manage and monitor security posture (20–25%)
- Use Defender CSPM, workload protection, multicloud connectors, and EASM.
- Collect and automate signals in Microsoft Sentinel.
- Configure Microsoft Security Copilot workspaces, plugins, and agents.
Study resources & practice tests
Frequently asked questions
Who should take SC-500?
SC-500 is for cloud security engineers and AI security engineers who protect Azure, hybrid, and AI workloads. Most work in banks, government, large enterprises, and security consultancies. Microsoft replaced AZ-500 with SC-500 after AZ-500 retired on 31 August 2026. The SC-500 syllabus includes Copilot, Entra Agent ID, Foundry, and Defender for AI alongside classic cloud security controls.
What is the average salary for a Cloud and AI Security Engineer?
This is a new job title in 2026. Closest published bands are cloud and information security engineers. As of 2026, US mid-level security engineers commonly earn about $115,000 to $150,000. In the United Kingdom, Barclay Simpson places information security engineers around £70,000 to £85,000. Western European information security pay is often about €60,000 to €90,000. There is no single published EMEA average.
Where do I find exam questions to practice?
You will find websites selling exam dumps or brain dumps that claim to be real SC-500 questions. Those materials are not official. Microsoft treats using brain dumps as cheating. It can invalidate your score, revoke certifications you already hold, and ban you from future exams. A Microsoft Practice Assessment is not currently listed for this exam. You can try the Microsoft exam sandbox to see the question types and timer, but it does not use real exam questions. Practise the skills measured in Azure, Defender for Cloud, and a Microsoft 365 tenant rather than memorising leaked items.
Does the exam include official labs I can use to practice?
Microsoft does not publish a stable list of which certification exams include labs, and a lab can be dropped for a candidate if the live environment is unavailable. Role-based Azure and security exams such as SC-500 may include performance-based labs in a live cloud environment. You only find out at the start of your sitting. For practice, Microsoft Learn modules for this exam often include a free Azure sandbox, and official instructor-led SC-500 training delivered by a Microsoft Learning Partner includes labs. Those labs are for the course, not a copy of the exam. The Microsoft exam sandbox shows traditional question types only. It does not give you the lab virtual machine.