As an IT pro, you know that staying ahead of the curve in today’s rapidly changing tech environment is critical. Your skills are key to your success—and the success of your team. Microsoft Learn has the tools, resources, and opportunities to help you build those skills and get the most value from Microsoft products and services. To keep pace with in-demand job roles and skills and to help ensure a close alignment with current workplace needs, we regularly review our training and certification portfolio. In today’s blog post, check out the latest updates.
Changing the name of the updated Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate certification and its associated exam
Security teams understand that compliance tools and features are essential for addressing the regional and industry-specific requirements that govern the collection and use of data. In a recent job-task analysis of the Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate certification and its associated Exam SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator, we recognized the need to expand this certification and exam to include compliance features. This resulted in the addition of two new functional groups (“Monitor and investigate data and activities by using Microsoft Purview” and “Manage insider and privacy risk in Microsoft 365”), which we’ve documented in the study guide for Exam SC-400. The updated exam that includes questions to support these groups was released on June 1, 2023.
Since the original titles don’t include the concept of compliance, we're updating the certification name to the Microsoft Certified: Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate certification and the exam name to Exam SC-400: Administering Information Protection and Compliance in Microsoft 365. These changes are effective August 22, 2023.
If you’re preparing for Exam SC-400, you’ll be interested to know that on June 2, 2023, we added two new learning paths to help you get ready to earn certification:
- SC-400: Monitor and investigate data and activities by using Microsoft Purview (six modules, 4.25 hours)
- SC-400: Manage Insider and Privacy Risk in Microsoft 365 (six modules, 4.75 hours)
The corresponding four-day instructor-led training, Course SC-400, was also updated on June 2, 2023, to support the new functional groups.
How might these updates impact you?
The following question and answer set can help you determine how this news impacts your learning journey:
Q. I’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate certification. What happens now?
A.If you’ve already earned the Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator Associate certification, the name will automatically update to Microsoft Certified: Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate on August 22, 2023, on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn.
Retiring the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification and its corresponding exam
Learners and organizations have shared their feedback that this certification should better align to current needs and the evolving business landscape. To focus on developing the right experience, we’ll retire the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification and its associated Exam MS-203: Microsoft 365 Messaging, on December 31, 2023. And we’ll invest in building new exams, certifications, and training to meet the needs of today’s workplace.
How might these updates impact you?
The following questions and answers can help you determine how this news impacts your learning journey:
Q. I’ve been preparing for Exam MS-203: Microsoft 365 Messaging. What are my options?
A. If you’ve been preparing for Exam MS-203, be sure to pass it before the end of December 2023. If you pass Exam MS-203 before the end of December 2023, you’ll earn the Microsoft Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification, and it will be active for one year.
Q. I’ve already earned the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification. What happens now?
A. If you’ve already earned the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification, it will stay on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn.
Q. What about renewal for the Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification?
A. Learners with an active Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate certification can renew it for one year (one final time) up to six months after its retirement at the end of December 2023. The renewal window closes at the end of June 2024.