The current Microsoft credential for Intune-centered endpoint administration is Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate, earned by passing Exam MD-102: Endpoint Administrator. There is no separate current Microsoft “SCCM certification.” Microsoft Configuration Manager (the product formerly called SCCM) remains important in hybrid environments and is included in MD-102 preparation.
The English-language MD-102 objectives were materially updated on July 24, 2026. A current plan must therefore cover modern Intune, Intune Suite capabilities, Windows 365, automation, reporting, Microsoft Defender, and newer security features—not just older Windows or SCCM material.
Which certification covers Microsoft Intune?
“Intune certification” is informal shorthand. Microsoft’s official credential is Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate, and its associated exam is MD-102: Endpoint Administrator. Microsoft describes the role as managing devices and client applications in a Microsoft 365 tenant, primarily through Intune, while also using Windows, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Defender, Configuration Manager, PowerShell, Microsoft Graph and Windows 365.
See the current credential details on Microsoft’s Endpoint Administrator certification page.
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MD-102 is a broad endpoint-administration exam, not a narrow product badge. It tests how identity, enrollment, applications, security, compliance, updates, automation and reporting work together.
Is there a separate SCCM or Configuration Manager certification?
Not a current standalone Microsoft certification comparable to MD-102. “SCCM” is the common former name for Microsoft Configuration Manager. The product remains widely used for software distribution, operating-system deployment, updates, inventory, collections, client health and hybrid management.
Configuration Manager knowledge is still valuable when an employer uses co-management, task sequences, traditional application deployment or a migration to Intune. Microsoft includes Configuration Manager in MD-102-related learning, including its official Configuration Manager deployment module.
The practical path is to learn Windows and identity fundamentals, add Configuration Manager where your environment needs it, build Intune skills, then prepare for MD-102. Studying only SCCM can leave gaps in cloud management, automation, security and analytics; studying only surface-level Intune can leave gaps in application deployment, servicing and hybrid troubleshooting.
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Microsoft’s current study guide measures skills as of July 24, 2026, and the certification page identifies the same English-language update date. The official guide is the controlling syllabus: MD-102 study guide.
- Intune Suite capabilities and expanded endpoint analytics.
- Windows 365 Cloud PCs.
- Windows Backup and Restore through Intune.
- Security Copilot and Intune agents.
- Microsoft Graph and PowerShell automation.
- Microsoft Cloud PKI and Microsoft Tunnel for Mobile Application Management.
- App Control for Business.
- Windows Autopatch and Hotpatch policies.
- Broader monitoring, reporting, alerting and proactive remediation.
These features can appear in preparation objectives even when an employer does not deploy them. Learn each capability’s purpose, prerequisites, configuration concepts, monitoring and licensing boundaries. Do not assume every listed feature receives equal exam coverage; Microsoft publishes domains and ranges, not a question count for each feature.
What does the current MD-102 exam cover?
| Domain | Microsoft weighting | Practical focus |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare infrastructure for devices | 20–25% | Entra ID and Microsoft 365 relationships, enrollment, Autopilot, Enrollment Status Page, restrictions, co-management, Configuration Manager integration, profiles, Group Policy analytics and assignment filters. |
| Manage and maintain devices | 25–30% | Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android and specialty devices; profiles, remote actions, BitLocker recovery, local administrator password management, Windows 365, upgrades, backup, update rings, Autopatch, Hotpatch and Delivery Optimization. |
| Protect devices | 15–20% | Antivirus, firewall, encryption, attack-surface reduction, security baselines, Defender for Endpoint, endpoint detection and response, App Control for Business, compliance and Conditional Access relationships. |
| Manage and secure applications | 15–20% | Win32, Microsoft 365 Apps and line-of-business deployment; dependencies, supersedence, detection rules, requirements, assignments, app protection and configuration policies, Managed Google Play, Apple workflows and Enterprise App Catalog. |
| Optimize operations through automation, monitoring and reporting | 10–15% | PowerShell, Graph, Endpoint Analytics, proactive remediations, exports, workbooks, dashboards, filters, alerts, tenant health, service communications, Security Copilot recommendations and KQL device queries. |
Infrastructure preparation
Expect scenarios involving device registration and enrollment, platform restrictions, Autopilot deployment, Enrollment Status Page behavior, dynamic or enrollment-time grouping, assignment filters, Group Policy migration and the relationship between Intune and Configuration Manager.
Device management and servicing
Preparation should extend beyond Windows. Review platform-specific enrollment, profiles, applications, compliance and update concepts for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android and specialty devices, including Teams Rooms, HoloLens 2 and Zebra devices. Practice remote sync, restart, retire, wipe and bulk actions, plus BitLocker recovery-key rotation and local administrator password management.
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Know how endpoint security policies, Defender integrations, compliance policies and Conditional Access depend on one another. A device can be configured correctly yet still fail an access decision because its compliance state, identity or policy assignment is wrong.
Applications
Application questions are operational: detection logic, requirements, dependencies, supersedence, assignment conflicts and troubleshooting matter as much as the initial upload. A Win32 app that installs but has incorrect detection rules is not a successful deployment.
Automation and reporting
Learn enough PowerShell, Graph and KQL to perform common administrative work, investigate device state and export useful data. Reporting, proactive remediation and alerting are part of operating an endpoint service, not optional extras.
What happened to MD-100 and MD-101?
The older Windows Client (MD-100) and Managing Modern Desktops (MD-101) exams were consolidated into MD-102. Microsoft support material describes MD-102 as combining material from those retired exams: Microsoft’s support explanation.
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Older books and videos can still explain Windows administration fundamentals, but they should not be your primary syllabus. Be especially cautious with MD-100 or MD-101 exam dumps, “Modern Desktop Administrator Associate” guides and pre-2026 MD-102 courses that omit Intune Suite, Graph, Security Copilot, Windows 365, Cloud PKI or current analytics objectives.
A current MD-102 learning plan
1. Establish prerequisites
Microsoft’s learning paths assume experience with Windows client administration, networking, application deployment, computer security, Active Directory Domain Services, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365 and basic PowerShell. The authentication and compliance path is an intermediate starting point for identity, Windows, Configuration Manager and Intune.
2. Turn the study guide into a checklist
Record each objective from the current, July 24, 2026 guide. For every item, identify one explanation, one product-documentation reference, one lab task and one troubleshooting scenario. This prevents a fragmented collection of videos from becoming your study plan.
3. Complete first-party Microsoft Learn content
- Explore endpoint management and device enrollment.
- Configure profiles for users and devices.
- Study application management.
- Use the authentication and compliance material.
- Complete the endpoint-security path, which covers data protection, Defender for Endpoint, Defender in Windows client and Defender for Cloud Apps.
- Work through the Configuration Manager deployment module.
4. Build a lab, not just a notes file
Use a properly licensed test tenant or lab environment to create users and groups, enroll Windows devices, configure Autopilot, deploy profiles and Win32 applications, write detection and remediation scripts, create compliance policies, integrate Defender, configure updates, test assignment filters, perform wipe/retire/restart/sync actions and review reports. Compare Intune-only management with co-management when possible.
5. Add automation, security and reporting practice
Reproduce common Graph or PowerShell tasks, investigate device health, export data, query devices and diagnose why a compliance result does not produce the expected Conditional Access outcome. Include non-Windows enrollment and application concepts so preparation is not Windows-only.
6. Use practice assessments diagnostically
Practice tests are useful for locating weak domains, but verify their update date and compare their coverage with the current study guide. Microsoft’s certification-help hub covers preparation, practice assessments, scheduling, score reports, retakes and retirement information.
Never use exam dumps or products advertised as “real questions.” They can contain obsolete or inaccurate answers, create security and ethics risks, and conflict with Microsoft’s candidate requirements. Understanding the control and reproducing it in a lab is safer and more durable than memorizing a question bank.
Hands-on skills checklist
- Enrollment: Entra registration, Autopilot, Enrollment Status Page, restrictions and assignment filters.
- Profiles: Settings Catalog, platform profiles, Group Policy analytics and conflict resolution.
- Applications: Win32 packaging, detection rules, dependencies, supersedence, requirements and mobile app workflows.
- Compliance: Device compliance, Conditional Access relationships and troubleshooting.
- Security: BitLocker, antivirus, firewall, attack-surface reduction, security baselines, Defender and EDR.
- Updates: Rings, feature and quality updates, Delivery Optimization, Autopatch and Hotpatch.
- Autopilot and Cloud PCs: Deployment profiles, provisioning behavior and Windows 365 concepts.
- Co-management: Workload switching, Configuration Manager client health, collections and hybrid dependencies.
- Automation: PowerShell, Graph, remediation scripts and KQL device queries.
- Operations: Endpoint Analytics, dashboards, workbooks, exports, alerts and service health.
How to choose preparation resources
| Option | Best for | Limitations and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn | Most self-directed candidates needing first-party, updateable material. | Content can be fragmented and does not automatically provide a complete lab or deep troubleshooting practice. |
| Instructor-led training or a Learning Partner | Employers training teams, structured schedules and instructor-supported labs. | More expensive; verify that the course reflects the July 24, 2026 objectives. |
| Third-party video course | Learners who benefit from demonstrations and visual explanation. | Check recording date, current admin-center interfaces and coverage of newer objectives; reject “100% guaranteed coverage” claims. |
| Practice assessments | Diagnosing weak domains after studying. | They cannot replace labs; confirm legitimacy and update date, and avoid unauthorized exam content. |
| Paid lab or tenant | Hands-on deployment and troubleshooting. | Costs and licensing vary; purchasing production Intune licensing solely for exam preparation may be unnecessary. |
For licensing context, Microsoft’s Intune pricing page explains plan and add-on relationships. Availability depends on subscription, geography, agreement and plan conditions; do not assume Intune Suite features are included in every tenant.
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Common preparation mistakes and recovery
Using an old guide
Compare every book, course and question bank with the July 24, 2026 study guide. Replace material that omits current Intune Suite, Windows 365, Security Copilot, Graph, Cloud PKI, Tunnel or analytics objectives.
Treating Configuration Manager as obsolete
Learn its client deployment, applications, collections, updates, troubleshooting and co-management relationship. Hybrid scenarios remain part of endpoint work.
Assuming Microsoft Learn mirrors the exam exactly
Visible modules do not guarantee scenario-solving ability. Add product documentation, labs and troubleshooting for each objective.
Ignoring licensing boundaries
Separate what is technically configurable from what a subscription includes. Check current commercial documentation before planning a production deployment or lab.
Preparing only for Windows
Review enrollment, profiles, applications, compliance and update concepts for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android and specialty devices.
Confusing certification with job readiness
Passing MD-102 demonstrates knowledge against Microsoft’s objectives. It does not by itself prove that you can operate an endpoint service, package applications, troubleshoot enrollment or manage change in production.
Which path should you choose?
Choose an Intune-first plan when
- Your target role is cloud-first endpoint administration.
- The organization has little or no Configuration Manager estate.
- You already understand Windows deployment and identity fundamentals.
- You are prepared to learn co-management concepts for the exam.
Add substantial Configuration Manager study when
- Your employer uses co-management or is migrating from on-premises management.
- Traditional application deployment, task sequences, distribution points, boundaries or collections matter.
- Operating-system deployment, client health or update management is part of the role.
The best sequence for most candidates is the current MD-102 guide, Microsoft Learn, Configuration Manager fundamentals where relevant, a realistic lab, current practice assessments and then the exam. The credential is broad enough to validate modern endpoint administration while preserving the hybrid knowledge many employers still need.
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