AZ-802 exam format: questions, score and cost
AZ-802 gives you 120 minutes, requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1000 to pass, is offered in English only, and is priced per country at the booking step. Microsoft does not publish the number of questions. Here is everything else it publishes, and what it means for your preparation.
| Exam title | Administering Windows Server |
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Administrator Associate |
| Level | Intermediate (associate) |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1–1000 |
| Number of questions | Not published by Microsoft |
| Languages | English |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE, proctored |
| Price | Set per country or region; shown at booking |
| Renewal | Every 12 months, free, on Microsoft Learn |
| Official practice assessment | Not available yet |
The seven domains
| Domain | 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% |
Three domains carry most of the weight: AD DS, storage and file services, and monitoring and troubleshooting. Between them they can account for up to 65% of the exam. The other four sit at 10–15% each, which still means several questions apiece. None of them is safe to skip.
Storage deserves a special mention. It looks like one domain, but it spans three quite different areas: Azure Files and Azure File Sync, Windows Server file shares with DFS and FSRM, and the storage stack itself, from Storage Spaces Direct to iSCSI and BitLocker. It has more objectives than any other domain.
One exam instead of two
AZ-802 replaces AZ-800 and AZ-801, which Microsoft retires on 30 September 2026. The new outline keeps most of the core administration and security topics, and drops whole areas the old pair covered: containers, migration, failover clustering as a domain of its own, Azure Backup and Site Recovery, and Microsoft Entra Connect. See AZ-802 vs AZ-800 and AZ-801 for the detail.
Microsoft ran AZ-802 as a beta in the summer of 2026 and scheduled the live exam for September 2026. Early exams change more often than established ones, so check the study guide’s date before you book, and again a week before the exam.
No practice assessment yet
Microsoft states that the official practice assessment for this exam is not currently available, and that practice assessments usually appear within eight weeks of an exam leaving beta. Until it does, the exam sandbox is the only official way to see the interface. It shows the question types without testing any content. For content, use the sample questions and the practice test in this section.
Question types
Expect the usual Microsoft mix:
- Single-answer and multiple-answer multiple choice
- Drag-and-drop ordering, for example the steps to create a group managed service account
- Dropdown completion of PowerShell commands
- Yes/no statement series about one scenario, where you usually cannot go back once answered
- Case studies with several questions sharing one long scenario
Microsoft notes that the exam may have interactive components. The audience profile names Windows Admin Center, Hyper-V, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, Azure Update Manager and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, so expect to read cmdlets and to choose between tools, not just name a feature.
The passing score is scaled
700 of 1000 is not 70% correct. Microsoft scales scores and weights questions differently, and does not publish the conversion. Aim for a consistent 80% or more on realistic practice material rather than trying to work out a margin.
Time management
120 minutes is generous compared with many associate exams, but the case studies are long: a forest with several sites, a list of servers and a page of requirements. Move steadily through the standalone questions, keep a reserve for the case study, and never spend more than a couple of minutes on one item. Troubleshooting questions reward a fixed routine: name resolution first, then connectivity, then authentication, then the service itself.
Preview features
Most questions cover generally available features, but Microsoft states that preview features may appear if they are commonly used. Hybrid tooling changes fastest: Windows Admin Center in the Azure portal, Azure Arc and Azure Update Manager. Read the current documentation rather than old blog posts.
English only, and extra time
AZ-802 is offered in English only. If English is not your first language, you can request an additional 30 minutes because the exam is not available in your preferred language. Arrange that before you book.
Retakes and renewal
If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours. Later retakes carry longer waiting periods under Microsoft’s retake policy. Once you pass, the certification is valid for 12 months and renews through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
If you already hold the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification, you do not need to take AZ-802. Microsoft notes that passing it anyway resets your expiry to one year from the pass date, and that your next renewal assessment will cover the new skills.
For what to do on the day itself, see the exam day guide.