Did AZ-802 replace AZ-800 and AZ-801? +
Yes. AZ-800 and AZ-801 retired on September 30, 2026, and can no longer be used to earn or renew the certification. AZ-802 is now the single exam for the Windows Server Administrator Associate certification, which is the renamed Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. If you passed only one of the old exams, you now need to plan around AZ-802 and its own objectives.
How hard is AZ-802? +
The difficulty comes from breadth. The exam spans seven domains covering both on-premises roles and hybrid tooling. AD DS is the heaviest at 20-25%, so domain controllers, Group Policy and hybrid identity still matter a lot. At the same time, Azure Arc, Azure Update Manager, Defender for Servers, Azure File Sync and Windows Admin Center all appear. Admins who know only one side of that split find the other half hard.
What is the AZ-802 exam format and passing score? +
The exam runs 120 minutes. It is proctored online or at a Pearson VUE test center and uses Microsoft's usual question types: multiple choice, drag-and-drop, hot-area items and case studies. You need 700 on a scaled 1 to 1000 scale, which is not the same as 70% correct. Microsoft does not publish a fixed question count, so check the exam page for current details.
What domains does AZ-802 cover? +
There are seven domains: deploy and manage AD DS (20-25%), manage storage and file services (15-20%), monitor and troubleshoot Windows Server environments (15-20%), and four domains at 10-15% each - hybrid instances and workloads, virtual machines, on-premises and hybrid networking, and securing Windows Server infrastructure. Use the Microsoft Learn study guide as your checklist.
Can I use AZ-800 and AZ-801 study material for AZ-802? +
Only as a supplement. AZ-802 reshuffles the objectives into seven new domains, and community guidance warns against using the old hybrid administrator learning paths as your main curriculum. Recycled notes leave quiet gaps. Map any old material against the AZ-802 skills outline line by line, and fill what is missing from current Microsoft Learn content.
How much does AZ-802 cost and what is the retake policy? +
Associate-level Microsoft exams cost $165 in the US, and pricing varies by country, so confirm on the Microsoft Learn page. If you fail a Microsoft exam, you can retake it after 24 hours. After that, each further retake requires a 14-day wait, with a maximum of five attempts in any 12-month period. The certification renews annually through a free online assessment.