Forum Discussion
The new MD-102 and the missing labs
Hi.
This complete rewrite of MD-102 has been long underway and very much wanted. The new courseware arrived on time, but much to our disappointment, we discovered that labs will first arrive in the next 30-60 days.
Clients will not be happy with a 5 days course without labs.
If this is the new norm, then it will render the Courseware Title Plan useless, if we only get part of the course on the dates mentioned.
2 Replies
I am delivering the 'new' course this upcoming week. (November 2026) I am extremely disappointed with the total disconnect between the powerpoints and the labs that the students will complete.
1) the powerpoint slides are more 'planning' and theory and not doing with troubleshooting and a full description of why and how
2) the labs are ONLY available to the students for 7 days (that is NOT sufficient time to expose themselves to the environment when prepping for the exam
3) there are long periods of lab time (IE: 100 minutes) where students will actuall forget the goal of the labs, instead of shorter labs/hands on, with more power point/discussions.
I have had to create a 14 page list of web references, and YOUTUBE videos to supplement the students.Hi, I agree that a five-day technical course without labs is a tough sell. For MD-102, the hands-on piece is a big part of the value for both learners and training partners.
I would raise this through the Learning Partner/courseware support channel and ask for a firm lab availability date, not just a general 30-60 day window. For classes already booked, I would be transparent with customers and supplement with Microsoft Learn exercises, tenant demos, or partner-built lab guides where licensing allows.
Your point about the Courseware Title Plan is fair too. If labs are not ready on courseware release day, that needs to be visible in the plan so partners can schedule responsibly.
