In today’s world, cyber threats are growing fast—and so is the need for skilled professionals who can stop them. Companies are looking for people who can detect and respond to attacks, protect sensitive data, and keep systems safe. This is where the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) exam comes in.
The SC-200 is a role-based certification from Microsoft. It is made for people who work in security teams and help defend organizations from cyberattacks. If you want to become a Security Operations Analyst or work in a Security Operations Center (SOC), this exam is a great way to show your skills.
In this blog, you will learn what the SC-200 exam is about, what topics it covers, who should take it, and how to prepare. Let us dive in!
What is the SC-200 Exam?
The SC-200 exam is officially known as the Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate certification.
It is designed for security professionals who help protect organizations by detecting, investigating, and responding to threats using Microsoft security tools. These tools include Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Microsoft Sentinel.
The main goal of the SC-200 exam is to validate your ability to reduce risk, respond quickly to active threats, and improve an organization’s security posture. Passing this exam shows that you can work as a key member of a Security Operations Center (SOC) and help defend against cyberattacks using Microsoft’s ecosystem.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Exam Code | SC-200 |
| Full Name | Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate |
| Target Role | Security Operations Analyst, SOC Analyst, Threat Hunter |
| Duration | Approximately 120 minutes |
| Question Format | Multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, scenario-based, case studies |
| Passing Score | 700 out of 1000 |
| Exam Fee | USD $165 (may vary by country) |
| Prerequisites | No formal prerequisites, but experience with Microsoft security tools helps |
| Languages Offered | English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), German, and more |
| Validity | Certification is valid for 1 year; renewal is available online |
| Delivery Method | Online proctored or at a testing center (via Pearson VUE) |
Who should take the SC-200 Exam?
The SC-200 exam is ideal for anyone who wants to build or grow a career in security operations using Microsoft technologies. It is best suited for:
- Security Operations Analysts who monitor and respond to threats in real time
- SOC (Security Operations Center) team members handling incident response and threat hunting
- Threat Hunters who proactively look for signs of attacks across systems and networks
- IT Administrators and Engineers who manage Microsoft security tools like Sentinel and Defender
- Cybersecurity professionals transitioning into Microsoft’s security ecosystem
- Students and learners aiming to start a career in cybersecurity with a Microsoft certification
You do not need to be an expert, but having basic knowledge of security principles and Microsoft 365 or Azure is helpful. If you are passionate about protecting organizations from digital threats, this certification is a great place to start.
Key Skills Measured: SC-200 Exam Outline and Documentation
The SC-200 exam tests your ability to detect and respond to threats using Microsoft security solutions. The skills are grouped into these main areas:
Manage a security operations environment (20–25%)
Configure settings in Microsoft Defender XDR
- Configure a connection from Defender XDR to a Sentinel workspace (Microsoft Documentation: Connect Microsoft Sentinel to Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Configure alert and vulnerability notification rules (Microsoft Documentation: Configure alert notifications in Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint advanced features
- Configure endpoint rules settings, including indicators and web content filtering (Microsoft Documentation: Web content filtering)
- Manage automated investigation and response capabilities in Microsoft Defender XDR (Microsoft Documentation: Configure automated investigation and response capabilities in Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Configure automatic attack disruption in Microsoft Defender XDR (Microsoft Documentation: Automatic attack disruption in Microsoft Defender XDR)
Manage assets and environments
- Configure and manage device groups, permissions, and automation levels in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (Microsoft Documentation: Configure automated investigation and remediation capabilities in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint)
- Identify and remediate unmanaged devices in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Manage resources by using Azure Arc (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Arc overview)
- Connect environments to Microsoft Defender for Cloud (by using multi-cloud account management)
- Discover and remediate unprotected resources by using Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Remediate recommendations)
- Identify and remediate devices at risk by using Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management (Microsoft Documentation: What is Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management)
Design and configure a Microsoft Sentinel workspace
- Plan a Microsoft Sentinel workspace
- Configure Microsoft Sentinel roles (Microsoft Documentation: Roles and permissions in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Specify Azure RBAC roles for Microsoft Sentinel configuration
- Design and configure Microsoft Sentinel data storage, including log types and log retention (Microsoft Documentation: Configure a data retention policy for a table in a Log Analytics workspace)
- Manage multiple workspaces by using Workspace manager and Azure Lighthouse (Microsoft Documentation: Centrally manage multiple Microsoft Sentinel workspaces with workspace manager (Preview))
Ingest data sources in Microsoft Sentinel
- Identify data sources to be ingested for Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Sentinel data connectors)
- Implement and use Content hub solutions (Microsoft Documentation: About Microsoft Sentinel content and solutions)
- Configure and use Microsoft connectors for Azure resources, including Azure Policy and diagnostic settings (Microsoft Documentation: Connect Microsoft Sentinel to other Microsoft services by using diagnostic settings-based connections)
- Configure bidirectional synchronization between Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Defender XDR integration with Microsoft Sentinel)
- Plan and configure Syslog and Common Event Format (CEF) event collections (Microsoft Documentation: Get CEF-formatted logs from your device or appliance into Microsoft Sentinel)
- Plan and configure collection of Windows Security events by using data collection rules, including Windows Event Forwarding (WEF)
- Configure threat intelligence connectors, including platform, TAXII, upload indicators API, and MISP (Microsoft Documentation: Connect your threat intelligence platform to Microsoft Sentinel)
- Create custom log tables in the workspace to store ingested data
Configure protections and detections (15–20%)
Configure protections in Microsoft Defender security technologies
- Configure policies for Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (Microsoft Documentation: Control cloud apps with policies)
- Configure policies for Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- Configure security policies for Microsoft Defender for Endpoints, including attack surface reduction (ASR) rules (Microsoft Documentation: Enable attack surface reduction rules)
- Configure cloud workload protections in Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Configure detection in Microsoft Defender XDR
- Configure and manage custom detections (Microsoft Documentation: Create and manage custom detections rules)
- Configure alert tuning (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate alerts in Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Configure deception rules in Microsoft Defender XDR (Microsoft Documentation: Configure the deception capability in Microsoft Defender XDR)
Configure detections in Microsoft Sentinel
- Classify and analyze data by using entities (Microsoft Documentation: Entities in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Configure scheduled query rules, including KQL (Microsoft Documentation: Create a custom analytics rule from scratch)
- Configure near-real-time (NRT) query rules, including KQL (Microsoft Documentation: Detect threats quickly with near-real-time (NRT) analytics rules in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Manage analytics rules from Content hub (Microsoft Documentation: Discover and manage Microsoft Sentinel out-of-the-box content)
- Configure anomaly detection analytics rules
- Configure the Fusion rule (Microsoft Documentation: Configure multistage attack detection (Fusion) rules in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Query Microsoft Sentinel data by using ASIM parsers (Microsoft Documentation: Using the Advanced Security Information Model (ASIM))
- Manage and use threat indicators (Microsoft Documentation: Work with threat indicators in Microsoft Sentinel)
Manage incident response (35–40%)
Respond to alerts and incidents in Microsoft Defender XDR
- Investigate and remediate threats to Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive (Microsoft Documentation: Threat investigation and response)
- Investigate and remediate threats in email by using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Microsoft Documentation: Email analysis in investigations for Microsoft Defender for Office 365)
- Investigate and remediate ransomware and business email compromise incidents identified by automatic attack disruption
- Investigate and remediate compromised entities identified by Microsoft Purview data loss prevention (DLP) policies
- Investigate and remediate threats identified by Microsoft Purview insider risk policies (Microsoft Documentation: Get started with insider risk management)
- Investigate and remediate alerts and incidents identified by Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Security alerts and incidents)
- Investigate and remediate security risks identified by Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate cloud app risks and suspicious activity)
- Investigate and remediate compromised identities in Microsoft Entra ID (Microsoft Documentation: Remediate risks and unblock users)
- Investigate and remediate security alerts from Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate Defender for Identity security alerts in Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Manage actions and submissions in the Microsoft Defender portal (Microsoft Documentation: Use the Submissions page to submit suspected spam, phish, URLs, legitimate email getting blocked, and email attachments to Microsoft)
Respond to alerts and incidents identified by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Investigate timeline of compromised devices (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate devices in the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Devices list)
- Perform actions on the device, including live response and collecting investigation packages
- Perform evidence and entity investigation (Microsoft Documentation: Perform evidence and entities investigations using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint)
Enrich investigations by using other Microsoft tools
- Investigate threats by using unified audit Log (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate threats by using audit features in Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Purview Standard)
- Investigate threats by using Content Search
- Perform threat hunting by using Microsoft Graph activity logs (Microsoft Documentation: Access Microsoft Graph activity logs)
Manage incidents in Microsoft Sentinel
- Triage incidents in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Navigate and investigate incidents in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Investigate incidents in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate incidents with Microsoft Sentinel)
- Respond to incidents in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Respond to an incident using Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR)
Configure security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) in Microsoft Sentinel
- Create and configure automation rules (Microsoft Documentation: Create and use Microsoft Sentinel automation rules to manage response)
- Create and configure Microsoft Sentinel playbooks (Microsoft Documentation: Automate threat response with playbooks in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Configure analytic rules to trigger automation (Microsoft Documentation: Migrate your Microsoft Sentinel alert-trigger playbooks to automation rules)
- Trigger playbooks manually from alerts and incidents (Microsoft Documentation: Supported triggers and actions in Microsoft Sentinel playbooks)
- Run playbooks on On-premises resources
Perform threat hunting (15–20%)
Hunt for threats by using KQL
- Identify threats by using Kusto Query Language (KQL) (Microsoft Documentation: Kusto Query Language (KQL) overview)
- Interpret threat analytics in the Microsoft Defender portal (Microsoft Documentation: Threat analytics in Microsoft Defender XDR)
- Create custom hunting queries by using KQL (Microsoft Documentation: Threat hunting in Microsoft Sentinel)
Hunt for threats by using Microsoft Sentinel
- Analyze attack vector coverage by using the MITRE ATT&CK in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Understand security coverage by the MITRE ATT&CK framework)
- Customize content gallery hunting queries (Microsoft Documentation: Advanced hunting query best practices)
- Use hunting bookmarks for data investigations (Microsoft Documentation: Keep track of data during hunting with Microsoft Sentinel)
- Monitor hunting queries by using Livestream (Microsoft Documentation: Detect threats by using hunting livestream in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Retrieve and manage archived log data (Microsoft Documentation: Restore archived logs from search)
- Create and manage search jobs (Microsoft Documentation: Search across long time spans in large datasets)
Analyze and interpret data by using workbooks
- Activate and customize Microsoft Sentinel workbook templates (Microsoft Documentation: Visualize and monitor your data by using workbooks in Microsoft Sentinel)
- Create custom workbooks that include KQL
- Configure visualizations
How to Prepare for the Microsoft SC-200 Exam?
Preparing for the SC-200 exam involves both theory and hands-on practice. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you study effectively:
Step 1: Review the Official Microsoft SC-200 Skills Outline
- Visit Microsoft’s official SC-200 exam page
- Download the skills measured document to understand exactly what topics are covered.
Step 2: Study with Microsoft Learn (Free Modules)
- Use Microsoft Learn’s SC-200 learning paths:
- Mitigate threats using Microsoft 365 Defender
- Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel
- These modules are interactive and aligned directly with the exam.
Step 3: Get Hands-On Experience
- Set up a free Microsoft 365 trial or Azure account
- Practice in real environments:
- Configure Microsoft Sentinel and connect data sources
- Create KQL queries for log analytics
- Explore incidents and alerts in Microsoft 365 Defender
Step 4: Watch Video Tutorials and Webinars
- Use Microsoft Security YouTube channels and community webinars
- Follow step-by-step labs and expert explanations of Defender and Sentinel
Step 5: Use Practice Tests
- Try sample questions to get familiar with the exam format
- Identify weak areas and focus your revision
- Use Microsoft’s official practice tests or Skilr
Step 6: Join Study Groups and Discussion Forums
- Connect with other learners through the Microsoft Tech Community, Reddit, or LinkedIn groups
- Ask questions, share notes, and stay updated on exam tips
Step 7: Schedule the Exam When Ready
- Register through Pearson VUE for an online or test center slot
- Take a final week to revise key topics, practice hands-on, and review KQL syntax
Here are the resources you can use –
| Resource Type | Name / Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Official Exam Guide | Microsoft SC-200 Exam Page | Contains skills outline, exam details, and registration info |
| Free Learning Path | Microsoft Learn: SC-200 Learning Paths | Official study modules aligned with the exam domains |
| Hands-on Practice | Microsoft 365 Defender & Sentinel Labs (GitHub) | Free lab exercises to practice threat detection and KQL queries |
| Microsoft Sentinel | Microsoft Sentinel Documentation | Full documentation for setup, analytics, hunting, and automation |
| KQL Reference | Kusto Query Language Docs | Reference for building powerful queries in Sentinel |
| Practice Tests | Skilr | Free and Paid mock exams to assess readiness and exam familiarity |
| Community & Forums | Microsoft Tech Community – SC-200 | Peer discussions, updates, and shared tips |
| YouTube Tutorials | Microsoft Security YouTube Channel | Visual guides and walk-throughs of real-world threat scenarios |
Career Benefits of SC-200 Certification
Earning the SC-200 certification offers several advantages for professionals looking to build a career in cybersecurity, especially within Microsoft environments:
- Industry Recognition
Proves your skills as a qualified Security Operations Analyst who can detect, respond to, and mitigate threats using Microsoft tools. - Expands Career Opportunities
Opens the door to key job roles such as:- SOC Analyst
- Incident Responder
- Threat Hunter
- Cloud Security Analyst
- Enhances Your Value in Microsoft-Based Teams
Shows that you are capable of working with Microsoft 365 Defender, Azure Defender, and Sentinel—making you a strong asset for companies using Microsoft’s security stack. - Leads to Better Pay and Career Growth
Certified professionals often qualify for higher-paying roles and have a clear path toward advanced certifications like:- SC-300: Identity and Access Administrator
- SC-100: Cybersecurity Architect
Whether you are just starting in cybersecurity or aiming to level up, the SC-200 certification adds credibility to your profile and helps you stand out in a competitive field.
Here is a salary comparison table for job roles related to the SC-200 certification, based on publicly available data from sources like Glassdoor, Payscale, and Microsoft job listings
| Country | SOC Analyst | Incident Responder | Threat Hunter | Cybersecurity Analyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $85,000 – $115,000 | $90,000 – $120,000 | $100,000 – $135,000 | $95,000 – $125,000 |
| United Kingdom | £45,000 – £65,000 | £50,000 – £70,000 | £60,000 – £80,000 | £55,000 – £75,000 |
| India | ₹8 – ₹15 LPA | ₹10 – ₹18 LPA | ₹12 – ₹20 LPA | ₹10 – ₹17 LPA |
| Canada | CA$80,000 – CA$105,000 | CA$85,000 – CA$110,000 | CA$95,000 – CA$120,000 | CA$90,000 – CA$115,000 |
| Australia | AU$95,000 – AU$125,000 | AU$100,000 – AU$130,000 | AU$110,000 – AU$140,000 | AU$105,000 – AU$135,000 |
| Germany | €60,000 – €85,000 | €65,000 – €90,000 | €75,000 – €100,000 | €70,000 – €95,000 |
Conclusion
The Microsoft SC-200 certification is a strong step forward for anyone looking to enter or grow in the field of cybersecurity. It validates your ability to detect, investigate, and respond to threats using Microsoft’s most powerful security tools—Microsoft 365 Defender, Defender for Cloud, and Microsoft Sentinel.
Whether you are aiming to work in a Security Operations Center (SOC), become a threat hunter, or transition into cybersecurity from another IT role, the SC-200 gives you both recognition and practical skills. With strong demand for security professionals globally, this certification can open doors to high-impact roles and better salaries.
If you are ready to take your cybersecurity career to the next level, the SC-200 is a certification worth pursuing.
