- MD-102 is Microsoft's Endpoint Administrator Associate exam, delivered by Pearson VUE for $165 USD.
- You get 100 minutes and need a score of 700 or higher to pass.
- Five domains apply starting July 24, 2026, with Manage and maintain devices weighted heaviest at 25-30%.
- No formal prerequisites exist, but hands-on Intune, Entra ID, and Autopilot experience is expected.
What Is MD-102, Exactly?
MD-102 is the exam code for Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate, a Microsoft certification aimed at IT professionals who deploy, manage, and secure Windows and mobile endpoints across an organization. Passing Exam MD-102 earns the associate-level credential, which sits alongside other Microsoft 365 role-based certifications but focuses specifically on device lifecycle management, endpoint security, and application delivery at scale.
The exam is not a generic "IT support" test. It validates real operational skill with Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Entra ID, Windows Autopilot, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Windows 365, PowerShell, and Microsoft Graph. If you want a deeper breakdown of what each of those tools maps to on the exam, the MD-102 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas walks through every content area in detail.
Exam Format, Price, and Delivery
Microsoft administers Exam MD-102 through Pearson VUE, which offers both test-center and online-proctored delivery options. Candidates in the United States pay $165 for the exam, with regional pricing applied in other markets. A full cost breakdown, including what's included and what isn't, is available in the MD-102 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Once you're seated for the exam, here's what to expect:
- Time allotted: 100 minutes to complete the exam.
- Question format: The proctored exam may include interactive components, not just static multiple-choice items, so you should be comfortable with scenario-based and drag-and-drop style questions.
- Passing score: 700 or greater is required. The exact meaning of that number and how it's calculated is explained in the MD-102 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
- Scheduling windows: Because delivery is year-round through Pearson VUE, there's flexibility in when you sit the exam - details are covered in the MD-102 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
Book your MD-102 seat only after you can comfortably explain, not just recognize, Intune compliance policies, Autopilot deployment profiles, and Defender for Endpoint onboarding - the interactive question format rewards applied knowledge over memorized definitions.
The Five Skills-Measured Domains
Effective July 24, 2026, Microsoft's skills-measured outline for MD-102 uses five domains. The largest, by a meaningful margin, is device management itself - a sign of where Microsoft expects most of your exam-day time and real-world effort to go.
Domain 1: Prepare Infrastructure for Devices (20-25%)
Covers the foundational Entra ID and tenant configuration work that has to exist before any device gets managed.
- Entra ID join and hybrid join scenarios
- Enrollment prerequisites and Intune tenant setup
- Windows Autopilot deployment profiles
Domain 2: Manage and Maintain Devices (25-30%)
The largest domain on the exam. It centers on the day-to-day operational reality of running a fleet of endpoints.
- Configuration profiles, compliance policies, and update rings
- Monitoring device health and remediation actions
- Windows 365 provisioning and management
Domain 3: Protect Devices (15-20%)
Focuses on endpoint security posture using Microsoft's native security stack.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint onboarding and policy
- Security baselines and attack surface reduction
- Conditional Access as it applies to device compliance
Domain 4: Manage and Secure Applications (15-20%)
Covers application deployment and protection independent of, and alongside, full device management.
- App deployment types and assignment
- App protection policies for unmanaged and managed devices
- Microsoft Graph-based app reporting
Domain 5: Optimize Endpoint Operations Using Automation, Monitoring, and Reporting (10-15%)
The newest domain addition, reflecting Microsoft's push toward automated and agentic endpoint management.
- PowerShell and Microsoft Graph scripting for repetitive tasks
- Endpoint analytics and reporting dashboards
- Agentic tools and workflows for proactive remediation
For a section-by-section study plan mapped to these exact percentages, see the MD-102 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. If you're trying to gauge how tough the exam actually feels once you're inside the domains, the How Hard Is the MD-102 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 is a useful reality check before you commit to a test date.
| Domain | Weight | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare infrastructure for devices | 20-25% | Entra ID, tenant setup, Autopilot profiles |
| Manage and maintain devices | 25-30% | Configuration, compliance, Windows 365 |
| Protect devices | 15-20% | Defender for Endpoint, security baselines |
| Manage and secure applications | 15-20% | App deployment and protection policies |
| Optimize endpoint operations | 10-15% | Automation, monitoring, reporting |
Who Takes MD-102 and Who Hires for It
Microsoft sets no formal prerequisites for MD-102 - there's no required prior exam, degree, or certification you must hold before registering. That said, the audience profile Microsoft describes assumes candidates already have practical, hands-on experience managing endpoints in a real or lab environment, not just theoretical familiarity.
In practice, that means candidates are typically already working in or adjacent to roles like:
- Desktop or endpoint administrator
- Systems administrator managing Windows devices at scale
- IT support engineer moving into device management specialization
- Cloud administrator handling Intune and Entra ID configuration
Organizations hiring for these roles look for demonstrated comfort with the tools named directly in Microsoft's exam guide: Intune, Entra ID, Autopilot, Defender for Endpoint, Windows 365, PowerShell, and Microsoft Graph. If you want a fuller picture of eligibility expectations and how to know you're ready, the MD-102 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify covers that in depth, and the MD-102 Jobs article breaks down where this credential shows up in job postings.
Registration, Retakes, and Attempt Limits
Registering for MD-102 happens through Pearson VUE, where you choose between an in-person test center or online proctoring. Once scheduled, plan around these retake rules if things don't go your way on the first attempt:
- After a first failed attempt: a 24-hour waiting period before you can retake the exam.
- After subsequent failed attempts: a 14-day wait is required between each retry.
- Attempt cap: a maximum of five attempts within any 12-month period.
These policies matter for planning purposes - if you're budgeting time and money around a retake, factor in both the mandatory wait and the $165 fee each time you sit the exam again. The MD-102 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows article discusses what the available data suggests about first-attempt outcomes, without relying on invented numbers.
Renewal and Staying Current
Once earned, the Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate credential doesn't last forever unattended - it renews every 12 months. The renewal process is free and happens through a Microsoft Learn renewal assessment rather than a full exam retake, which keeps the credential current without repeating the entire MD-102 experience each year.
This annual renewal cadence is also a practical reminder that Microsoft updates the skills-measured outline periodically - as it's doing with the July 24, 2026 changes that add the automation and reporting domain. Certified professionals who stay engaged with renewal assessments tend to notice these shifts early rather than being surprised by them at exam time.
How to Sequence Your Preparation
Given the domain weights, the most efficient order to study is largely dictated by exam math: spend the most calendar time where the exam spends the most questions, then layer in the smaller domains around it.
Prepare Infrastructure for Devices
- Configure Entra ID join and hybrid join scenarios
- Build and test Autopilot deployment profiles
Manage and Maintain Devices
- Work through configuration profiles and compliance policies in a lab tenant
- Practice update ring configuration and Windows 365 provisioning
Protect Devices
- Onboard Defender for Endpoint in a test environment
- Review security baselines and Conditional Access ties to compliance
Manage and Secure Applications
- Deploy and assign sample apps with different protection policies
- Compare managed vs. unmanaged device app behavior
Optimize Endpoint Operations
- Write basic PowerShell and Graph queries for reporting
- Review endpoint analytics dashboards and remediation scripts
This isn't a rigid formula - some candidates with existing Intune experience can compress the middle weeks - but weighting your calendar to match domain weighting, especially giving Manage and maintain devices the most runway, mirrors how the exam itself is built. For a more granular week-by-week plan with checklists, see the MD-102 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and use our practice tests throughout each phase to check whether your lab work is translating into exam-ready recall.
Key Takeaway
Don't split study time evenly across all five domains. Manage and maintain devices carries the most weight, so it deserves proportionally more of your preparation calendar than any other domain.
Before locking in a study plan, it also helps to decide whether this certification fits your career goals at all. The Is the MD-102 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 article and the MD-102 Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both look at that question from different angles, and a quick pass through our MD-102 practice test platform can help you spot weak domains before you commit to a testing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Difficulty depends heavily on hands-on experience with Intune, Entra ID, and Autopilot going in. The exam requires a score of 700 or greater within 100 minutes, and the interactive question format rewards applied skill over memorization.
No. Microsoft sets no formal prerequisites for MD-102, though the exam assumes practical experience with endpoint management tools rather than purely theoretical knowledge.
The exam is $165 USD in the United States, with regional pricing applied in other countries. Delivery is handled through Pearson VUE at test centers or via online proctoring.
You must wait 24 hours before your second attempt, and 14 days before any attempt after that. You're allowed up to five attempts within a 12-month period.
No. The certification renews every 12 months through a free Microsoft Learn renewal assessment rather than a repeat of the full MD-102 exam.