Microsoft Certified: Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty to be retired

[Jenny_Horan]

As previously announced, we’re retiring the Microsoft Certified: Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification and its required Exam AZ-720: Troubleshooting Microsoft Azure Connectivity, on July 31, 2023, to better align with today’s in-demand job skills.

If you’re a support engineer who implements, manages, and monitors an organization’s Azure environment, we recommend that you instead pursue the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification. If you have skills in planning, implementing, and managing Azure networking solutions, the Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate certification could be a good next step.

Updates to the Microsoft Certified: Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification.

The following questions and answers can help you determine how this news impacts your learning journey:

Q. I’ve been preparing for Exam AZ-720. What are my options?

A. If you’ve been preparing for Exam AZ-720, be sure to pass it on or before July 31, 2023. If you pass Exam AZ-720 on or before July 31, 2023, you’ll earn the Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification and it will be active for one year.

Q. I’ve already earned the Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification. What happens now? 

A. If you’ve already earned the Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification, it will stay on your transcript. 

Q. What about renewal for the Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification? 

A. Learners with an active Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification can renew it for one year (one last time) up to six months after its retirement date of July 31, 2023. The renewal window ends on January 31, 2024. 

[#2]

Hello @Jenny_Horan Thank you so much for your post. I would have to renew this certification on May as deadline. May I be able to? 

[#3]

Shame this one retired. I think it bridged a gap in administrator, network engineer and security engineer. I can understand the reasons but I thought it was a nice speciality certification for those who like to fix problems. Just renewed mine to June 2025 so I expect I'll be one of the last ones with a valid badge. So long AZ-720, we barely knew her.

[#4]

"Thanks for the update! It's great to see the focus on aligning certifications with current industry needs. The shift towards Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate and Azure Network Engineer Associate certifications sounds like a strategic move, offering a broader skill set for Azure professionals. It's always valuable to evolve with the industry trends and demands."

[#5]

Hi Monaash. Yes you can, I did mine yesterday but it needs to be done by the end of January 2025. If I you haven't already I would do it as soon as you can in case it gets closed sooner or you need to retake.

[#6]

Hi Mikeparker, thanks a lot for your answer. In fact, recentlyby the end of May 2025. So, after that date, Could I retake again?