If you are studying for the Microsoft Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification, the ground just shifted under you. Microsoft is retiring both AZ-800 and AZ-801 and replacing the two-exam path with a single new exam, AZ-802. If you have already booked a test date or you are halfway through a study plan, you need to know exactly what is changing before you spend another pound on prep.
Here is the short answer. AZ-800 and AZ-801 both retire on 30 September 2026. From then on, the only way to earn the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate credential is the new AZ-802 exam, which folds the content of both older exams into one sitting. Whether you should finish the old path or wait for AZ-802 depends entirely on how far along you already are. This guide walks through the details, the timeline, and a clear decision framework so you do not waste your effort.
Exam Tip: The retirement date to circle is 30 September 2026. That is the last day you can sit AZ-800 or AZ-801. Miss it and the two-exam path is gone for good.
What Is Actually Changing With AZ-800, AZ-801 and AZ-802?
For years, the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification has required two separate exams. AZ-800 covered core infrastructure, and AZ-801 covered advanced services. You had to pass both to earn the badge, and that meant two exam fees, two booking dates, and two lots of exam-day nerves.
AZ-802 changes that. Microsoft is consolidating the full scope of AZ-800 and AZ-801 into a single exam titled Administering Windows Server Hybrid Infrastructure. Instead of passing two exams, you sit one. The certification you earn at the end is the same Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate credential, so nothing changes about what appears on your transcript or your CV.
The headline benefits of the consolidation are straightforward:
- One exam instead of two. You book once, revise for one blueprint, and sit one test.
- One fee instead of two. At roughly 165 USD per exam, the old path cost around 330 USD in exam fees alone. AZ-802 halves that.
- Updated content. AZ-802 is expected to reflect current hybrid cloud management, including Azure Arc and AI-inclusive infrastructure tooling, rather than the older skills measured that had drifted out of date.
The trade-off is that everything is now packed into a single exam, so the breadth you need to revise in one go is wider than either AZ-800 or AZ-801 alone.
The Retirement Timeline You Need to Know
Timing is the single most important factor in your decision, so let us lay it out clearly. The dates below combine Microsoft's official retirement announcement with the beta and launch window reported by exam-tracking sites.
| Milestone | Expected date | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| AZ-802 beta exam | Around June 2026 | Early testers can sit the beta at a reduced fee; scores are delayed until the exam goes live |
| AZ-802 general availability | Around August 2026 | The standard, fully scored AZ-802 exam becomes bookable |
| AZ-800 and AZ-801 retirement | 30 September 2026 | Final day to sit either legacy exam; the two-exam path closes |
Two of these dates matter most. The 30 September 2026 retirement is confirmed by Microsoft. The beta and launch window come from third-party exam trackers, so treat June and August as approximate until Microsoft publishes the final exam page. The practical takeaway is that there is a short overlap window in the second half of 2026 when both the old exams and the new AZ-802 are live at the same time, and you can choose which to sit.
Exam Tip: If you sit the AZ-802 beta, expect to wait several weeks for your result. Microsoft holds beta scores back until it has analysed enough data to set the passing standard. Do not book a beta if you need a fast result for a job application.
What Does AZ-802 Cover?
Because AZ-802 absorbs both predecessor exams, it is useful to see what those exams tested. AZ-800 focused on core hybrid infrastructure, and AZ-801 focused on advanced services. Together they define the scope you will face in the single AZ-802 exam.
AZ-800 domains (core infrastructure)
- Deploy and manage Active Directory Domain Services in on-premises and cloud environments (30 to 35 per cent)
- Manage Windows Servers and workloads in a hybrid environment with Azure Arc (10 to 15 per cent)
- Manage virtual machines and containers (15 to 20 per cent)
- Implement and manage on-premises and hybrid networking (15 to 20 per cent)
- Manage Windows Server storage and file services (15 to 20 per cent)
AZ-801 domains (advanced services)
- Secure Windows Server on-premises and hybrid infrastructures (25 to 30 per cent)
- Implement and manage Windows Server high availability (10 to 15 per cent)
- Implement disaster recovery (10 to 15 per cent)
- Migrate servers and workloads (20 to 25 per cent)
- Monitor and troubleshoot Windows Server environments (20 to 25 per cent)
AZ-802 is expected to draw from all of these areas, with weightings updated for current hybrid and Azure Arc scenarios. Microsoft had not published the final AZ-802 skills-measured document at the time of writing, so use the combined blueprint above as your best planning guide until the official page is live.
Expected AZ-802 exam format
Based on the format of comparable single-exam Microsoft associate certifications and early third-party reporting, you should plan for the following:
- Cost: around 165 USD in the United States, with regional variation
- Questions: roughly 40 to 60 items, including multiple choice, drag and drop, and case studies
- Duration: approximately 120 minutes
- Passing score: 700 out of 1000, in line with Microsoft's standard scoring scale
Treat the question count, duration, and passing score as expected values until Microsoft confirms them on the official exam page.
Should You Wait for AZ-802 or Finish the Old Path?
This is the question everyone is really asking. The right answer depends on where you are in your journey right now. Work through these four scenarios and find the one that matches you.
Scenario 1: You have not started yet
Wait for AZ-802. If you have not begun serious preparation for AZ-800, there is little reason to chase a retiring two-exam path. You would be revising for exams that disappear in September 2026, paying two fees, and sitting two tests. AZ-802 gives you the same certification for one fee and one exam. Start planning your study around the AZ-802 blueprint and aim to sit it once it reaches general availability.
Scenario 2: You have already passed AZ-800
Finish AZ-801 before 30 September 2026 if you realistically can. You are one exam away from the full credential on the current path. If you can prepare for and pass AZ-801 before the retirement date, you complete the certification without needing to absorb the entire combined AZ-802 blueprint. If the deadline is tight and you cannot revise properly in time, do not panic. Your options after retirement will still let you earn the credential through AZ-802.
Scenario 3: You are deep into AZ-801 study
Push through and sit it before the deadline. If you are already well into AZ-801 preparation, switching to AZ-802 means re-learning the AZ-800 core content on top of what you have already covered. Book AZ-801 as soon as you are ready and get it done before 30 September 2026.
Scenario 4: You already hold the certification
Use the AZ-802 renewal assessment. Microsoft has confirmed that existing Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate holders can renew through the AZ-802 renewal assessment rather than sitting the full exam. The renewal assessment is a shorter, free, online assessment on Microsoft Learn that you take before your certification expires. You do not need to retake a full proctored exam to stay current.
Exam Tip: Renewal assessments are unproctored, open for a window before your expiry date, and free. Set a calendar reminder for six months before your certification lapses so you never miss the window.
Old Path Versus AZ-802 at a Glance
Here is the decision summarised in one table so you can see the trade-offs side by side.
| Factor | Old path (AZ-800 plus AZ-801) | New path (AZ-802) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of exams | Two | One |
| Approximate exam fees | Around 330 USD | Around 165 USD |
| Availability | Until 30 September 2026 | From around August 2026 onward |
| Content freshness | Older skills measured | Updated hybrid and Azure Arc focus |
| Best for | People already partway through the two-exam path | People starting fresh or renewing |
The pattern is clear. If you have momentum on the old path, protect it and finish before the deadline. If you are starting from zero, aim straight at AZ-802.
How to Prepare Whichever Path You Choose
The good news is that the core knowledge does not change. Whether you sit AZ-801 before it retires or AZ-802 afterwards, you are being tested on real Windows Server hybrid administration skills: Active Directory, Azure Arc, virtual machines, hybrid networking, storage, security, high availability, disaster recovery, migration, and monitoring.
To prepare efficiently:
- Build your plan around the combined blueprint. Even if you only need AZ-801, understanding the full picture makes you a stronger administrator and future-proofs you against AZ-802.
- Practise with exam-style questions. Microsoft associate exams lean heavily on scenario and case-study items. Reading documentation is not enough. You need to practise applying knowledge under exam conditions.
- Get hands-on. Spin up a lab, deploy AD DS, connect servers with Azure Arc, and configure failover clustering. Hybrid administration rewards practical familiarity.
- Track the official exam page. Once Microsoft publishes the AZ-802 skills measured document, align your final revision to the confirmed weightings.
CertCrush is built for exactly this kind of preparation. Our Azure and Microsoft certification courses give you realistic, exam-style practice questions with detailed explanations, so you walk into the test centre knowing how the questions are actually phrased. If you want a broader view of where Microsoft certifications are heading this year, our guide to the smartest Microsoft exam to spend a free voucher on is a useful companion read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my AZ-800 pass still count if I do not finish AZ-801 in time? A single passed exam does not by itself grant the certification, so if AZ-801 retires before you sit it, you will earn the credential through AZ-802 instead. Your effort learning the AZ-800 material still counts because that content is part of AZ-802.
Is AZ-802 harder than AZ-800 or AZ-801? AZ-802 is not necessarily harder per question, but it covers a wider scope in one exam because it combines both blueprints. Expect broader revision rather than deeper difficulty.
Does AZ-802 give me a different certification? No. You earn the same Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification. Only the exam route changes.
Ready to Start Practising?
The move from AZ-800 and AZ-801 to a single AZ-802 exam is one of the clearer certification changes of 2026: one exam, one fee, updated content, and a firm 30 September 2026 deadline on the old path. Your job now is simply to pick the right lane and prepare properly for it.
Whether you are racing to finish AZ-801 before it retires or planning your run at AZ-802, the way to pass is realistic, exam-style practice. Create your free CertCrush account and start working through practice questions built to mirror the real exam, so nothing on test day catches you out. Explore the full range of certification courses and turn this exam change from a worry into an easy win.