AZ-802
AZ-802: Administering Windows Server
Everything you need for Microsoft exam AZ-802: format, passing score, the seven skill areas, a four-week study plan and free sample questions.
- Duration
- 120 min
- Passing score
- 700 / 1000
- Level
- Associate
- Languages
- English
AZ-802, Administering Windows Server, is Microsoft’s exam for the people who run Windows Server wherever it lives: in their own datacenter, as virtual machines in Azure, or on-premises but managed through Azure Arc. Passing it earns the Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Administrator Associate credential, the new name for what used to be the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate.
It is a consolidation. Until now the certification required two exams, AZ-800 and AZ-801. Microsoft retires both on 30 September 2026, and from then on AZ-802 is the single exam that earns the credential. Existing holders keep their certification; it simply takes the new name.
The exam covers Active Directory Domain Services, remote and hybrid management, Hyper-V and Azure virtual machines, DNS and DHCP, file and storage services, security hardening, and monitoring and troubleshooting. You are expected to know which tool does the job: Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, Azure Update Manager or Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
What the exam covers
| Skill area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Deploy and manage AD DS | 20–25% |
| Manage Windows Server instances and workloads in a hybrid environment | 10–15% |
| Manage virtual machines | 10–15% |
| Implement and manage an on-premises and hybrid networking infrastructure | 10–15% |
| Manage storage and file services | 15–20% |
| Secure Windows Server infrastructure | 10–15% |
| Monitor and troubleshoot Windows Server environments | 15–20% |
AD DS is the largest single area, and it shows up again in security and troubleshooting. Counted together, Active Directory touches close to half the exam.
Where to start
Read the exam format for the mechanics, then how AZ-802 compares with AZ-800 and AZ-801 if you studied for the old exams. The study plan fits in four weeks if you already administer Windows Server.
AZ-802 guides
- AZ-802 exam format: questions, score and costThe AZ-802 format: 120 minutes, passing score 700, English only, question types, pricing, and what the seven domain weights mean for your revision.
- AZ-802 vs AZ-800 and AZ-801AZ-802 replaces AZ-800 and AZ-801 on 30 September 2026. What carries over, what was dropped, what is new, and what it means if you passed one of them.
- AZ-802 study plan: pass in 4 weeksA four-week AZ-802 study plan: AD DS, hybrid management and Hyper-V, networking and storage, then security and troubleshooting, with a lab for every week.
- Free AZ-802 sample questions with answersFive free AZ-802 practice questions on RODC password caching, the PowerShell second hop, Hyper-V Replica, DHCP failover and the Recycle Bin.
- AZ-802 AD DS explainedThe AZ-802 AD DS domain explained: DCs in Azure, RODCs, FSMO roles, trusts, sites and replication, managed service accounts and Group Policy.
- AZ-802 hybrid management explainedThe AZ-802 hybrid management domain explained: Windows Admin Center, PowerShell remoting and the second hop, JEA, Azure Arc, Update Manager and runbooks.
- AZ-802 virtual machines explainedThe AZ-802 VM domain explained: Hyper-V memory, nested virtualization, checkpoints, switches, NIC teaming and Replica, plus Windows Server VMs in Azure.
- AZ-802 DNS and DHCP explainedThe AZ-802 networking domain explained: AD-integrated DNS, conditional forwarding, hybrid resolution, DNS policies, DNSSEC, DHCP scopes and DHCP failover.
- AZ-802 storage and file services explainedThe AZ-802 storage domain explained: Azure Files and File Sync, FSRM, DFS, SMB over QUIC, Storage Spaces Direct, Storage Replica and BitLocker.
- AZ-802 Windows Server security explainedThe AZ-802 security domain explained: App Control, Credential Guard, OSConfig, Windows LAPS, Defender for Servers, firewall rules and AD DS hardening.
- AZ-802 monitoring and troubleshootingThe AZ-802 monitoring domain explained: Performance Monitor, System Insights, data collection rules, and fixing time, SYSVOL and Kerberos issues.
- Is AZ-802 hard? Exam difficulty explainedHow hard AZ-802 really is: seven domains in one exam, Active Directory everywhere, PowerShell in the questions, and no official practice assessment yet.
- Is AZ-802 worth it? Who should take itIs AZ-802 worth taking? Who benefits, what it costs, what it proves, and why it is now the only route to Microsoft's Windows Server certification.
- Free AZ-802 practice test: 20 questionsA free 20-question AZ-802 practice test on AD DS, Azure Arc, Hyper-V, DNS, DHCP, file services, security and AD troubleshooting, with explained answers.
- AZ-802 study resourcesWhat to study for AZ-802: the official study guide and course, the Windows Server docs worth reading, how to filter old AZ-800/801 material, and six labs.
- AZ-802 cheat sheetA one-page AZ-802 reference: the seven skill areas, which Windows Server or Azure feature answers each requirement, key numbers and common traps.