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SC-200

Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) Exam Guide

A 3-week study plan aligned to official SC-200 exam domains.

Exam Information

120 minutes

Duration

60 questions (approx.)

Questions

700 (scaled)

Passing Score

See official exam pricing

Exam Cost

Recommended Study Plan

Week 1

Security Operations Environment

43% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: AMA (Azure Monitor Agent) replaces legacy Log Analytics agent for new deployments
Microsoft Sentinel workspace configuration
Data connectors and log ingestion
Analytics rules and alerts
Automation and SOAR playbooks
Microsoft Sentinel roles and permissions
Data retention and archival
Microsoft Security solutions integration

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#manage-security-operations

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 2

Incident Response

27% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: Prioritize active incidents affecting crown jewel assets first
Incident triage and prioritization
Investigation using entity pages
Threat intelligence integration
Microsoft Defender XDR unified incidents
Remediation actions and containment
Incident response playbooks
Post-incident activities and reporting

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#respond-to-incidents

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 3

Threat Hunting

30% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: Hunting bookmarks can be shared and promoted to incidents
KQL query language fundamentals
Advanced Hunting in Microsoft Defender XDR
Custom detection rules
Hunting queries and bookmarks
Threat indicators and watchlists
Live Response and investigation packages
Hunting across Microsoft security products

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#threat-hunting

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 4

Final Review & Practice Exams

All domains

8-10 hours

Complete all three full-length practice exams
Review incorrect answers and weak domains
Revisit flashcards for key terms
Timed review of highest-weight domains

Recommended Resources:

Practice exams

Flashcards

Study notes PDF

Exam Tips & Strategies

Domain Insight 1

AMA (Azure Monitor Agent) replaces legacy Log Analytics agent for new deployments

Domain Insight 2

Analytics rules create alerts; incidents group related alerts

Follow Domain Weights

Spend more study time on higher-weighted domains — they drive the majority of exam questions.

Practice Under Time Pressure

Use timed practice exams to build pacing before test day.

Key Topics to Master

Microsoft Sentinel workspace configuration

Data connectors and log ingestion

Incident triage and prioritization

Investigation using entity pages

KQL query language fundamentals

Advanced Hunting in Microsoft Defender XDR

For the most up-to-date exam information, visit the official exam guide.

View Official Exam Guide

SC-200

Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) Exam Guide

A 3-week study plan aligned to official SC-200 exam domains.

Exam Information

120 minutes

Duration

60 questions (approx.)

Questions

700 (scaled)

Passing Score

See official exam pricing

Exam Cost

Recommended Study Plan

Week 1

Security Operations Environment

43% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: AMA (Azure Monitor Agent) replaces legacy Log Analytics agent for new deployments
Microsoft Sentinel workspace configuration
Data connectors and log ingestion
Analytics rules and alerts
Automation and SOAR playbooks
Microsoft Sentinel roles and permissions
Data retention and archival
Microsoft Security solutions integration

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#manage-security-operations

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 2

Incident Response

27% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: Prioritize active incidents affecting crown jewel assets first
Incident triage and prioritization
Investigation using entity pages
Threat intelligence integration
Microsoft Defender XDR unified incidents
Remediation actions and containment
Incident response playbooks
Post-incident activities and reporting

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#respond-to-incidents

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 3

Threat Hunting

30% of exam

10-12 hours

Focus: Hunting bookmarks can be shared and promoted to incidents
KQL query language fundamentals
Advanced Hunting in Microsoft Defender XDR
Custom detection rules
Hunting queries and bookmarks
Threat indicators and watchlists
Live Response and investigation packages
Hunting across Microsoft security products

Recommended Resources:

Microsoft official objectives

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/notes#threat-hunting

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/practice

/certifications/microsoft/sc-200/study-guide

Week 4

Final Review & Practice Exams

All domains

8-10 hours

Complete all three full-length practice exams
Review incorrect answers and weak domains
Revisit flashcards for key terms
Timed review of highest-weight domains

Recommended Resources:

Practice exams

Flashcards

Study notes PDF

Exam Tips & Strategies

Domain Insight 1

AMA (Azure Monitor Agent) replaces legacy Log Analytics agent for new deployments

Domain Insight 2

Analytics rules create alerts; incidents group related alerts

Follow Domain Weights

Spend more study time on higher-weighted domains — they drive the majority of exam questions.

Practice Under Time Pressure

Use timed practice exams to build pacing before test day.

Key Topics to Master

Microsoft Sentinel workspace configuration

Data connectors and log ingestion

Incident triage and prioritization

Investigation using entity pages

KQL query language fundamentals

Advanced Hunting in Microsoft Defender XDR

For the most up-to-date exam information, visit the official exam guide.

View Official Exam Guide