How I prepared for the Microsoft 365 Certified Security Administrator Associate (MS-500) exam!

Dear Microsoft 365 Security Friends,

Often the question arises: where, when, how do I start preparing for the exam. To be quite honest, I don't have a suitable answer. I'm interested in a topic (in this case Microsoft 365 security) and then I "throw" myself into it! For me personally, there is no greater feeling than to crown all the efforts you have put in with a certification!

Now to my preparations for the exam:

1. First of all, I looked at the Exam Topics to get a first impression of the scope of topics. These are really very extensive.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/ms-500

2. So that I can prepare for an exam I need a test environment (this is indispensable for me). You can sign up for a free trial here.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products

I chose the "Microsoft 365 Business Premium" plan for my testing.

3. Now it goes to the Microsoft Learn content. These learn paths (as you can see below, all 5) I have worked through completely and "mapped"/reconfigured as much as possible in my test environment.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/m365-identity/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/m365-security-threat-protection/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/m365-information-protection/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/m365-security-management/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/m365-compliance-insider/

4. Register for the exam early. This creates some pressure and you stay motivated

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/ms-500

5. This link describes the skills assessed on the MS-500 exam.

https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE3VEI3

6. Further I can only recommend to read as many Microsoft Docs articles as possible. These have helped me extremely in preparing for the exam. Like for example:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/?view=o365-worldwide

I know you've probably read and heard this many times: read the exam questions slowly and accurately. Well, that was the key to success for me. It's the details that make the difference between success and failure. If it says you need to set up Azure AD PIM (Privileged Identity Management) but in the description it says the tenant only has Azure AD Premium P1, then it is this information that must not be overlooked.

One final tip: When you have learned something new, try to explain what you have learned to another person (whether or not they know your subject). If you can explain it in your own words, you understand the subject. That is exactly how I do it, except that I do not explain it to another person, but record a video for YouTube!

I hope this information helps you and that you successfully pass the exam. I wish you success!

Kind regards, Tom Wechsler