Exam prep articles

Microsoft Certifications Exam Blog

Microsoft certification exam prep with study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and coverage for Microsoft 365, Azure, Power Platform, security, data, AI, and role-based credentials.. Read targeted articles, then continue into the matching free practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, glossary terms, and comparison resources.

14

Blog articles

19

Related exam IDs

2

Authors

Latest Microsoft Certifications exam prep articles

Articles are ordered by publish date and mapped back to exam IDs when they are exam-specific.

Technology11 min read

Is PL-300 Worth It in 2026? Power BI Salary & Career Reality

An honest 2026 ROI breakdown of the Microsoft PL-300 Power BI Data Analyst certification: who it pays off for, real salary ranges, Power BI vs Tableau job market, and the DP-600 next step.

May 15, 2026Read
Technology13 min read

Microsoft MS-721 Exam Guide 2026: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer

Current 2026 MS-721 guide for Teams Phone, meetings, Rooms, devices, Direct Routing, Operator Connect, CQD, official Microsoft links, and free practice.

May 14, 2026Read
Technology8 min read

SC-200 2026: Microsoft SOC Workflow Study Guide

A current SC-200 guide for security operations analysts: the 2026 Microsoft skills outline, July 28 2026 update, price, languages, Sentinel, Defender XDR, incident response, KQL, and threat hunting.

May 4, 2026Read
Technology12 min read

PL-400 Exam Guide 2026: Skills, Format, and Renewal

A current, official-source guide to Microsoft PL-400, including its active status, six skills domains, 100-minute assessment, regional pricing, renewal rules, and a practical developer study plan.

Apr 25, 2026Read
Technology17 min read

MS-900 Retired 2026: FREE Guide + AB-900 Pivot

MS-900 retired March 31, 2026. FREE 2026 guide — final 4 MS-900 domains, AB-900 successor path (3 domains, Copilot + Purview DSPM for AI), Microsoft Learn paths, unlimited free practice.

Apr 24, 2026Read
Technology12 min read

PL-200 Exam Guide 2026: Skills, Retirement, and Renewal

A current, official-source guide to Microsoft PL-200, including its August 2026 retirement, four skills domains, 100-minute assessment, regional pricing, renewal limits, and a focused study plan.

Apr 24, 2026Read
Technology19 min read

PL-900 Exam Guide 2026: Current Outline and Free Prep

Prepare for PL-900 in 2026: the outline in effect now (through July 23, 2026), the new Copilot Studio agents domain replacing Power Pages on July 24, 2026, free practice, and a 4-6 week plan.

Apr 24, 2026Read
Technology27 min read

FREE DP-600 Exam Guide 2026: Pass Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer (Direct Lake, DAX, Semantic Models)

Free 2026 DP-600 study guide: Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate exam format, $165 fee, 700/1000 passing score, verified July 2026 skills (Maintain 25-30%, Prepare Data 45-50%, Semantic Models 25-30%), and 8-12 week study plan.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology24 min read

FREE MD-102 Exam Guide 2026: Pass Microsoft Endpoint Administrator (Intune, Autopilot, Windows 11)

Free 2026 MD-102 study guide: Microsoft Endpoint Administrator exam format, $165 fee, 700/1000 passing score, Intune + Autopilot + Windows 11 deployment + Conditional Access, MD-100/MD-101 replacement, and 8-12 week study plan.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology24 min read

FREE MS-102 Exam Guide 2026: Pass Microsoft 365 Administrator (Entra, Defender XDR, Purview)

Free 2026 MS-102 study guide: Microsoft 365 Administrator exam format, $165 fee, 700/1000 passing score, Entra ID + Defender XDR + Purview skills, MS-100/MS-101 replacement, and 8-12 week study plan.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology32 min read

SC-401 Exam Guide 2026: Pass Microsoft Info Security FREE

Complete 2026 Microsoft SC-401 guide: $165 fee, 100 min, 700/1000 pass, 3 skills (Info Protection, DLP + retention, Risk/Alerts) at 30-35% each. FREE practice + 10-week plan.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology28 min read

SC-900 Exam Guide 2026: Pass Microsoft Security Cert FREE

Complete 2026 Microsoft SC-900 guide: $99 fee, 40-60 questions in 45 min, 700/1000 passing score, 4 domains (SCI concepts, Entra, security, compliance). FREE practice + 4-week study plan.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology28 min read

Tableau Desktop Specialist Exam Guide 2026: Now "Desktop Foundations" (FREE Study Plan)

Complete 2026 guide to the exam formerly called Tableau Desktop Specialist, renamed Salesforce Certified Tableau Desktop Foundations in the July 2025 Trailhead Academy migration: 45 questions, 60 minutes, $75 USD, 750/1000 scaled passing score, 4 domains (Connecting 25%, Exploring 35%, Sharing 25%, Concepts 15%). FREE practice + 4-6 week study plan + Tableau Public hands-on strategy.

Apr 23, 2026Read
Technology28 min read

PL-300 Power BI Data Analyst Exam Guide 2026 (FREE)

FREE 2026 PL-300 study guide: skills measured (25-30% each domain), $165 cost, 100-min exam, DAX, Power Query, case study tips, pass-rate data, salary.

Apr 21, 2026Read

Related free exam resources

Use the blog for context, then move into matching practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, glossary terms, and comparisons.

Microsoft Certifications blog FAQ

What should I read first for Microsoft Certifications?

Start with the article that matches your exact exam or decision point. This hub includes 14 articles mapped to 19 related exam IDs, including Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst, Microsoft Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer (MS-721), Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200), Microsoft Power Platform Developer (PL-400), Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals.

Do Microsoft Certifications blog articles replace practice questions?

No. Blog articles help you understand requirements, strategy, and common mistakes. Use the matching practice questions and study guides after reading to improve exam readiness.

Why are multiple Microsoft Certifications exams grouped together?

OpenExamPrep groups related exams by taxonomy family so candidates can compare close variants, state versions, and related credentials without mixing unrelated topics.

How are Microsoft Certifications blog articles selected for this page?

Articles appear here when their related exam IDs belong to this taxonomy family. That keeps the page focused on the underlying exam relationship rather than a loose editorial category.

Need active practice?

Move from reading into timed questions and exact exam resources.

Practice Questions