Microsoft · SC-300
Design, implement, and operate an organization's identity and access management using Microsoft Entra ID, including implementing identity governance and Zero Trust principles.
Questions
489
Duration
100 minutes
Passing Score
700/1000
Difficulty
AssociateLast Updated
Jan 2025
Use this SC-300 practice exam to prepare for Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300) with realistic questions, detailed explanations, and focused study modes. The practice bank includes 489 questions for Microsoft SC-300, so you can review the exam steadily instead of relying on one long cram session.
As you practice, pay extra attention to recurring topics such as Implement and manage user identities, Implement authentication and access management, Plan and implement workload identities, and Plan and implement identity governance. Start with short sessions to identify weak areas, then move into timed quizzes once your accuracy is consistent.
The explanations are especially useful when you want to connect exam wording to the responsibilities and scenarios described in the official certification guidance. Use the free preview first, then unlock the full question bank when you are ready to build a complete study routine.
The Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300) validates the ability to design, implement, and operate an organization's identity and access management using Microsoft Entra ID. Certified professionals configure and manage identities throughout their full lifecycles — covering users, devices, Azure resources, and applications — while enforcing Zero Trust principles across all identity and access solutions. The exam was last updated on November 7, 2025, reflecting current tooling including Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync, Global Secure Access, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps integration.
The certification spans four core competency areas: managing user identities and hybrid identity configurations (including Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and pass-through authentication), implementing authentication mechanisms and Conditional Access policies, managing workload and application identities such as managed identities and service principals, and governing access through entitlement management, Privileged Identity Management (PIM), and access reviews. Proficiency with PowerShell, Kusto Query Language (KQL), and Microsoft Entra admin center tooling is expected.
This certification is designed for IT professionals working as Identity Administrators, Security Engineers, or Enterprise Security Specialists who are responsible for identity infrastructure in Microsoft-centric environments. Candidates typically have hands-on experience administering Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Microsoft 365, and Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), and work closely with security, network, and application teams.
It is also well-suited for cloud architects or security professionals looking to formalize their expertise in identity governance, hybrid identity solutions, and Zero Trust implementation. Those aiming to progress toward advanced certifications such as the Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100) or Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) often pursue SC-300 as a foundational step.
Microsoft does not enforce formal prerequisites for SC-300, but candidates are expected to have practical experience with Microsoft Entra ID, Azure services, and Microsoft 365 workloads. Familiarity with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and core identity concepts — such as authentication protocols, federation, and directory synchronization — is strongly recommended before attempting the exam.
Candidates should also be comfortable using PowerShell for automation tasks and Kusto Query Language (KQL) for querying Azure Monitor and Log Analytics. Hands-on experience configuring Conditional Access policies, MFA, and identity governance features will significantly aid exam performance. Microsoft's free SC-300 learning path on Microsoft Learn and the official instructor-led course SC-300T00-A are the primary recommended preparation resources.
Exam SC-300 is a proctored assessment with a 100-minute time limit, delivered through Pearson VUE either online or at a testing center. The exam contains approximately 40–60 questions, which may include multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, case studies, and interactive lab-style components. Microsoft does not publicly disclose exact question counts, but community reports typically cite around 45–55 scored questions.
The passing score is 700 out of 1000. Scoring is not simply a percentage of correct answers — Microsoft uses a scaled scoring model. The exam is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional). Candidates who test in a non-English language may request 30 additional minutes. The exam costs $165 USD (pricing varies by country/region). Microsoft offers a free Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn (assessment ID 60) to help candidates gauge readiness before scheduling.
The SC-300 certification is directly applicable to Identity Administrator, Cloud Security Engineer, and IAM Specialist roles in organizations running Microsoft cloud or hybrid environments. According to PayScale data for 2026, IAM Administrators in the United States earn between $56,000 and $112,000 annually, with an average around $82,000. Job postings requiring SC-300 or equivalent Entra ID expertise frequently list salaries ranging from $79,600 to $143,300 depending on seniority, employer, and location. The certification is increasingly required or strongly preferred in enterprise security job postings, particularly in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and government.
SC-300 also serves as a natural stepping stone within the Microsoft security certification stack. It complements the Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) and Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate (MS-500), and is frequently cited as prerequisite experience for the Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100). As organizations accelerate Zero Trust adoption and Microsoft Entra ID deployments, demand for certified identity professionals continues to grow — making this one of the more career-relevant associate-level security certifications in the Microsoft ecosystem.
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. Start a practice session to test yourself across all 489 questions.
Preview — answers shown1. GlobalTech Inc. wants to implement self-service password reset but is concerned about security. They want to require multiple verification methods before allowing password reset. Which configuration should they implement?
Explanation
For enhanced security with self-service password reset, organizations should configure multiple verification methods (such as phone, email, security questions, and authenticator app) and require at least two methods for password reset. This provides strong identity verification while maintaining self-service capabilities. Requiring only one method reduces security, administrator approval negates the self-service benefit, and security questions alone are considered less secure.
2. GlobalRetail Corp has a licensing issue where users in the 'Marketing' group cannot receive Microsoft 365 E3 licenses due to conflicting service plans. Investigation reveals that many users already have Office 365 E1 licenses assigned directly, and the SharePoint Online plans in E1 and E3 conflict with each other. What is the best approach to resolve this service plan conflict?
Explanation
The most efficient solution is to disable the conflicting SharePoint service plans in the E3 group license assignment. This allows users to receive the E3 license while avoiding conflicts with their existing E1 SharePoint plans. Once the E3 license is successfully assigned, administrators can later remove the direct E1 assignments, and users will inherit the full E3 capabilities including the previously disabled SharePoint plans. Removing all direct assignments first could disrupt user access during the transition. Creating separate groups would be more complex and doesn't solve the underlying conflict. This isn't a license quantity issue that requires additional purchases - it's a service plan compatibility issue that requires configuration management.
3. A developer at 'AppBuilders Inc.' wants to write a PowerShell script to automate the process of creating new users in their Microsoft Entra tenant. They are working on a Windows machine and are most comfortable with PowerShell's object-oriented nature and its Verb-Noun command structure. Which command-line tool would be the most natural fit for this developer?
Explanation
The most natural fit for this developer is the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. This is the modern PowerShell module for interacting with Microsoft Graph, which is the API for Microsoft Entra ID. It follows the standard PowerShell Verb-Noun naming convention (e.g., New-MgUser, Get-MgGroup) and returns data as objects, making it the ideal choice for developers and administrators who are experienced with the Windows and PowerShell ecosystem. The Azure CLI uses a different syntax more akin to Bash. The admin center is a GUI. Bash is a shell, not the tool itself.
4. An organization wants to create a Conditional Access policy that ensures users can only access Microsoft 365 applications when they are connected through their tenant's Global Secure Access service. What feature enables this check?
Explanation
Global Secure Access introduces the concept of a compliant network. The 'Enable compliant network check with Conditional Access' documentation explains this feature ensures users connect via the Global Secure Access service for their specific tenant, allowing administrators to create policies that block access from non-compliant networks.
5. PrivilegedAccess Corp is implementing Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management for their IT department. They need to grant Security Administrator rights to their IT staff, but company policy requires all privileged access to go through an approval workflow before activation. What type of role assignment should be configured to meet this requirement?
Explanation
Eligible assignments are designed for scenarios requiring approval workflows before role activation. Users assigned as eligible must request activation and receive approval from designated approvers before gaining the privileged permissions. This satisfies the company policy requirement for approval-based privileged access while maintaining security through the approval process. Active assignments provide immediate access without requiring activation requests, which doesn't meet the approval requirement. Permanent assignments bypass the approval workflow entirely. Just-in-time assignments with automatic approval don't provide the human oversight required by the company policy.
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