AZ-802 Certification Guide: The Windows Server Exam That Replaced AZ-800 and AZ-801
• Nathaniel Miller
AZ-802 is now the exam for Microsoft’s Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. AZ-800 and AZ-801 retired on September 30, 2026. If you are starting today, you sit one exam, Administering Windows Server, not the old two-exam split.
Microsoft lists the exam at 120 minutes, with a passing score of 700 or higher. It is an associate certification for people who already administer Windows Server, including hybrid work with Azure. Confirm the live study guide on Microsoft Learn before you schedule. If you need the retirement timeline and what existing holders should do, that lives in our AZ-800 and AZ-801 retirement guide. This page is the exam guide.
One exam now. Do not build a study plan around AZ-800 plus AZ-801.
What Is the AZ-802 Certification?
Exam AZ-802: Administering Windows Server proves you can deploy, manage, and troubleshoot Windows Server on-premises, in Azure, and in a hybrid setup. The job covers identity, security, compute, networking, storage, and monitoring.
Microsoft expects hands-on experience with Windows Admin Center, Hyper-V, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, Azure Update Manager, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, plus familiarity with Active Directory Domain Services. The certification page says candidates should have several years with Windows Server. This is not a fundamentals exam.
Passing AZ-802 earns Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. Associate certifications expire unless you renew them. Renewal is a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, not a second sitting of the full exam.
AZ-802 at a Glance
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Exam code | AZ-802 |
| Exam name | Administering Windows Server |
| Credential | Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate |
| Level | Associate (intermediate) |
| Exams required | AZ-802 only |
| Exam time | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 or higher |
| Cost (US) | Associate exams on this track have been $165 USD. Confirm the AZ-802 price in Pearson VUE before you book. |
| Language | English |
| Retirement date | None published |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE |
Register with a personal Microsoft account if you can. Microsoft warns that records tied to a work or school account can be lost if you leave that organization. A failed attempt can be retaken 24 hours later. Later retakes follow Microsoft’s standard policy, and each attempt is a new fee.
AZ-800 and AZ-801: What Changed
Until September 30, 2026, the associate credential took two exams: AZ-800 for hybrid core infrastructure and AZ-801 for advanced services. Both are retired. You cannot schedule them.
- You already hold the associate credential from AZ-800 and AZ-801. You keep it. Renew on Microsoft Learn when your window opens, against the current skills.
- You passed only one of the two. That half no longer completes the credential. AZ-802 is the exam to schedule.
- You have not started. Ignore older study plans that say “take both.” Use the AZ-802 outline.
The retirement guide walks through the cutover in more detail. The skills in those two exams did not vanish. AZ-802 consolidates them into one blueprint, with hybrid tools called out by name: Azure Arc, Azure Update Manager, Azure Monitor, and Windows Admin Center.
Who Should Take AZ-802?
- Windows Server administrators who run identity, file services, Hyper-V, and networking and now also connect those systems to Azure
- Hybrid admins who already use Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, or Update Manager and need the credential to match the job
- People who were midway through AZ-800 or AZ-801 when those exams retired
- Engineers who collaborate with architects on migrations and need a shared hybrid checklist, not a cloud-only badge
Skip AZ-802 if you do not administer Windows Server yet. Start with platform training such as Windows Server 2022 Administration, then come back to the exam. If the gap is Azure vocabulary rather than Windows Server operations, AZ-900 is the shorter first step. It will not replace AZ-802.
What AZ-802 Covers
These weights are from the AZ-802 study guide. The older certification page still lists extra headings such as high availability, disaster recovery, and migration as separate lines. Study the seven domains below. High availability shows up inside virtual machines, storage, and troubleshooting, not as its own exam section.
| Domain | Weight | What to be able to do |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy and manage AD DS | 20 to 25% | Domain controllers on-premises and in Azure, RODCs, FSMO roles, sites and replication, trusts, users and groups, Group Policy |
| Manage storage and file services | 15 to 20% | Azure Files and Azure File Sync, SMB including SMB over QUIC, DFS, Storage Spaces Direct, Storage Replica, deduplication, ReFS and NTFS |
| Monitor and troubleshoot | 15 to 20% | Performance Monitor, Windows Admin Center alerts, Azure Monitor, VM Insights, AD replication, Kerberos, SYSVOL and Directory Services Restore Mode |
| Hybrid instances and workloads | 10 to 15% | Windows Admin Center, PowerShell remoting and JEA, SSH, Azure Arc, Azure Update Manager, Automation runbooks |
| Manage virtual machines | 10 to 15% | Hyper-V memory, checkpoints, Replica, virtual switches, plus Azure VM size, availability, Bastion, and just-in-time access |
| On-premises and hybrid networking | 10 to 15% | DNS integrated with AD DS, forwarding, DNSSEC, hybrid name resolution, DHCP scopes, reservations, and DHCP high availability |
| Secure Windows Server | 10 to 15% | Credential Guard, Application Control, LAPS, Defender for Servers, Windows Firewall, password policies, and hardening domain controllers |
AD DS is the largest block. Candidates who only practice Azure portal tasks and skip sites, replication, and Group Policy usually feel that on exam day. The hybrid domain is smaller by weight and still easy to miss, because the tools (Arc, Update Manager, JEA) are newer than the AD DS objectives.
How to Prepare for AZ-802
- Download the current AZ-802 study guide and ignore any plan that still says you must pass AZ-800 and AZ-801.
- Start with AD DS. Domain controllers, RODCs, FSMO, sites, trusts, and Group Policy are a fifth to a quarter of the exam.
- Pair each on-premises skill with the hybrid version. DNS and DHCP, then hybrid name resolution. File shares, then Azure Files and File Sync. Local updates, then Azure Update Manager.
- Practice recovery, not just build steps. AD Recycle Bin, Directory Services Restore Mode, SYSVOL, replication, and Kerberos failures are explicit objectives.
- Use a lab that can break. Hyper-V nested inside a lab, plus a test Azure subscription for Arc and Monitor, beats reading the outline twice.
- Take Microsoft’s practice assessment and exam sandbox before you book the 120-minute sitting.
Do not use exam dumps. The outline moved when the two exams collapsed into one, and memorized questions from AZ-800 or AZ-801 will not match AZ-802 item for item.
How StormWind Studios Approaches AZ-802 Prep
StormWind’s AZ-802: Administering Windows Server course follows the current exam, not the retired two-exam path. It covers Active Directory deployment and troubleshooting, hybrid management with Windows Admin Center and Azure Arc, Hyper-V, on-premises and hybrid networking, storage and file services, Windows Server security, and the monitoring work that keeps an environment healthy.
That mix is the point of a live course on this exam. An instructor can show the on-premises domain controller and the Azure Arc connection in the same session, instead of leaving you to stitch two retired study guides together. Teams can ask about their actual sites, file servers, and update process.
If the group still needs Windows Server itself before exam drills, use Windows Server 2022 Administration first. AZ-800 and AZ-801 courses remain in the catalog as skill training. They are not a way to book those exams.
Next Steps
If you already hold the associate credential, watch your renewal date and use the free assessment. If you do not, schedule AZ-802 against the current study guide and confirm the Pearson VUE price for your country.
StormWind Studios offers instructor-led AZ-802 training for individuals and teams. Explore the AZ-802 course, or contact [email protected] for enrollment questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AZ-802?
AZ-802 is Administering Windows Server, the single exam for the Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. It covers identity, hybrid management, virtual machines, networking, storage, security, and troubleshooting.
Did AZ-800 and AZ-801 retire?
Yes. Both retired on September 30, 2026. AZ-802 replaces them. Details for people who already hold the credential are in the AZ-800 and AZ-801 retirement guide.
What certification does AZ-802 earn?
Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. One exam completes it. The credential renews with a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
How long is the AZ-802 exam?
Microsoft lists 120 minutes on the certification page. It is proctored and may include interactive questions. A score of 700 or higher passes.
How much does AZ-802 cost?
Microsoft prices the exam by the country where it is proctored. Associate exams on this Windows Server track have been $165 USD in the United States. Confirm the AZ-802 amount in Pearson VUE before you schedule.
I passed AZ-800 but not AZ-801. Do I still need AZ-802?
Yes. The associate credential required both retired exams. One passing score does not finish it. Schedule AZ-802.
Is AZ-802 for beginners?
No. Microsoft describes candidates as Windows Server administrators with several years of experience, including Active Directory. Newer admins should take Windows Server administration training before this exam.