How to prepare the Microsoft Exam MD-100 (2021-2023)

This post explains how to pass the exam MD-100 “Windows Client”, organized by Microsoft.

IMPORTANT NOTE: MD-100 was an exam that was available since at least 2022 until 31 July 2023. After that, this exam was no longer available as it was then substituted by MD-102 “Endpoint Administrator”.

Until July 2023, Microsoft Associate Certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate” was obtained by passing both exams MD-100 “Windows Client” and MD-101 “Managing Modern Desktops”.

To read more information about how to get the Microsoft Associate Certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate” between 2021 and 2023, please read this post.

To read more information about how to prepare the Microsoft exam MD-101 “Managing Modern Desktops”, please read this post.

FAQs about how to pass Microsoft Exam MD-100

What did I need to complete MD-100 exam?

To complete MD-100, you need:

  • An ID document that is valid in the country you are performing the test
  • A Microsoft account (e.g., Outlook, Hotmail, etc.)

How could I prepare the exam?

There are two ways to prepare the exam:

  • Free online course
  • Instructor-led paid course

The free online course related to exam MD-100 is called “Microsoft 365 – Modernize your enterprise deployment with Windows devices and Microsoft 365 Apps” and can be found on this link.

MD-100T00: Windows Client” is an instructor-led paid course organized by Microsoft. You can find more about this course on this link.

Official preparation material is uploaded to the portal Skillpipe Web Reader. You need a user and the corresponding authorization (granted after purchase) to access the exam material.

Official virtual labs for courses are done in platform go deploy. The access to this lab is limited to a given time.

There are also private academies that teach this course. You can find them by searching it in a search engine and the name of your nearest city.

How was the exam?

It is a multi-choice test exam.

It takes a maximum of 140 minutes (2h20m).

Exam is organized by Pearson VUE.

What was the passing score?

The passing score is 700. Maximum score is 1,000.

The scoring system is complex, so we cannot say that if you answer a 70% of the questions correctly you pass.

To know more about the Microsoft scoring system, read this link.

My recommendation is not to worry about the passing score and focus on studying the content and test the exams.

What was asked in the exam?

The questions in the exam are based on the “Skills measured” that is published on the exam official page. Link to MD-100 official page here.

There are topics asked and a percentage of questions on those topics. As of MD-100 on May 2022, the exam skills measured were:

  • Install and configure Windows (20–25%)
  • Configure and manage connectivity and storage (15–20%)
  • Maintain Windows (30–35%)
  • Protect devices and data (25–30%)

You can find a link here to the list of exam skills outline for MD-100 as of May 2022.

Was there any community to prepare MD-100 exam?

Microsoft Training Support site has a Microsoft Certification / Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) forum where MD-100 is a common topic. You can visit it on this external link.

You can filter by Support Area “Exam” or “Certification” and any other of the Topic subcategories.

Cloud Champion is a portal sponsored by Microsoft Spain that offers preparation courses for different Microsoft exams, with contents in Spanish. You can find the portal on this external link.

Microsoft Tech Community has two communities that would match the topic:

However, I have not found many discussions about MD-100 at Microsoft Tech Community.

On LinkedIn, there is the “MD-100 – MD-101” group, but it has only 30 members.

Was the exam on-site or remote?

There are two possibilities:

  • Proctor exam / Online at my home or office (OnVUE)
  • On-site exam / At a test center

How much was the exam fee?

The exam fees are $165.

Was the content of the exam always the same?

Questions in the exam are partially renewed periodically.

This post explains how to pass the exam MD-100 “Windows Client”, organized by Microsoft.

IMPORTANT NOTE: MD-100 was an exam that was available since at least 2022 until 31 July 2023. After that, this exam was no longer available as it was then substituted by MD-102 “Endpoint Administrator”.

Until July 2023, Microsoft Associate Certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate” was obtained by passing both exams MD-100 “Windows Client” and MD-101 “Managing Modern Desktops”.

To read more information about how to get the Microsoft Associate Certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate” between 2021 and 2023, please read this post.

To read more information about how to prepare the Microsoft exam MD-101 “Managing Modern Desktops”, please read this post.

FAQs about how to pass Microsoft Exam MD-100

What did I need to complete MD-100 exam?

To complete MD-100, you need:

  • An ID document that is valid in the country you are performing the test
  • A Microsoft account (e.g., Outlook, Hotmail, etc.)

How could I prepare the exam?

There are two ways to prepare the exam:

  • Free online course
  • Instructor-led paid course

The free online course related to exam MD-100 is called “Microsoft 365 – Modernize your enterprise deployment with Windows devices and Microsoft 365 Apps” and can be found on this link.

MD-100T00: Windows Client” is an instructor-led paid course organized by Microsoft. You can find more about this course on this link.

Official preparation material is uploaded to the portal Skillpipe Web Reader. You need a user and the corresponding authorization (granted after purchase) to access the exam material.

Official virtual labs for courses are done in platform go deploy. The access to this lab is limited to a given time.

There are also private academies that teach this course. You can find them by searching it in a search engine and the name of your nearest city.

How was the exam?

It is a multi-choice test exam.

It takes a maximum of 140 minutes (2h20m).

Exam is organized by Pearson VUE.

What was the passing score?

The passing score is 700. Maximum score is 1,000.

The scoring system is complex, so we cannot say that if you answer a 70% of the questions correctly you pass.

To know more about the Microsoft scoring system, read this link.

My recommendation is not to worry about the passing score and focus on studying the content and test the exams.

What was asked in the exam?

The questions in the exam are based on the “Skills measured” that is published on the exam official page. Link to MD-100 official page here.

There are topics asked and a percentage of questions on those topics. As of MD-100 on May 2022, the exam skills measured were:

  • Install and configure Windows (20–25%)
  • Configure and manage connectivity and storage (15–20%)
  • Maintain Windows (30–35%)
  • Protect devices and data (25–30%)

You can find a link here to the list of exam skills outline for MD-100 as of May 2022.

Was there any topic I should pay special attention?

There are some topics that you need to know by heart, because they are prone to enter in the exam. They are, at least:

  • GPO application order
  • Default local user groups
  • Backup methods
  • Configuration methods
  • Deployment methods
  • Update methods
  • NTFS and shared permissions, and its combination
  • Tools included in Windows ADK
  • Tools included in Microsoft Endpoint Manager
  • Windows Defender products
  • Boot system commands
  • Troubleshooting tools
  • Command-line tools
  • PowerShell commands

Was there any community to prepare MD-100 exam?

Microsoft Training Support site has a Microsoft Certification / Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) forum where MD-100 is a common topic. You can visit it on this external link.

You can filter by Support Area “Exam” or “Certification” and any other of the Topic subcategories.

Cloud Champion is a portal sponsored by Microsoft Spain that offers preparation courses for different Microsoft exams, with contents in Spanish. You can find the portal on this external link.

Microsoft Tech Community have two communities that would match the topic:

However, I have not found many discussions about MD-100 at Microsoft Tech Community.

On LinkedIn, there is the “MD-100 – MD-101” group, but it has only 30 members.

Was the exam on-site or remote?

There are two possibilities:

  • Proctor exam / Online at my home or office (OnVUE)
  • On-site exam / At a test center

How much was the exam fee?

The exam fees are $165.

Was the content of the exam always the same?

Questions in the exam are partially renewed periodically.

How did I pay for the exam?

There are two ways to pay for the exam:

  • Buy a voucher before exam registration
  • Make payment during exam registration

Unlike direct payment, voucher purchase allow check and bank transfer payments

How did I buy an exam voucher?

You can buy a voucher for Microsoft from Pearson Vue on this link.

Exam pricing depends on different variables:

  • Country
  • Exam type: it can be either MCP/Dynamic or Fundamentals. According to this link, MD-100 is MCP.
  • License type: it can be either Commercial or Academic. To ascertain which license type applies to your company, you can ask internally or query Microsoft All Partner Center from this link.

There is one Excel file that  displays all pricing for these variables. Check what is the price that applies for you.

Then fill the PDF applying for your region with your data and submit the info.

In case of any doubt, you can contact Pearson VUE from this link.

To redeem the exam voucher, please read the next question.

How did I register for the exam?

To schedule the exam, go to the MD-100 website, find the “Schedule exam” section, select your country in the dropdown list and press the button “Schedule exam”. You may need to enter your Microsoft account credentials.

You may need to create a certification profile linked to your Microsoft account if you have not done it yet.

If you perform a proctor exam, you should test your computer before taking the exam.

You can enter voucher/promotion codes on the payment screen.

Once you have paid or redeemed the voucher, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

How did I test if my Computer was correctly set up for the exam?

During the registration process, you will an option to test your PC for the exam.

It is highly recommended use a personal laptop instead a work laptop with restriction policies during the exam. You must also test the computer you are going to use before it. Prepare a backup laptop, just in case.

You need to install the OnVUE on the computer where you are going to perform the exam. It is important that you have user rights to install the application and to add the firewall exception.

You can check or enter the exam after being registered on this address from the Pearson VUE page for Microsoft on this link.

Then click “Login”, then “Sign in”. Enter your Microsoft credentials.

Could I change the Exam Date once it had been registered?

Yes, you can change the exam date once you have been registered, but you must do it 24 hours before your exam starts.

How could I change the exam date?

You must visit the Microsoft Learning dashboard on this link, find your exam date in the “Appointments” section and then click on “Reschedule”.

How did I enter the online exam once I have registered?

Follow the link in the confirmation e-mail.

Alternatively, visit the Microsoft Learning dashboard on this external link, find your exam date in the “Appointments” section and then click on “Start online exam”.

Were there Test Exams?

You can purchase the Microsoft Certified Official Practice Test MD-100 at Mindhub portal on this external link. It costs between €91 and €100.

Once you buy the exam practice, you must access portal MeasureUp to do them.

You can find exam questions and discussion and explanations about the correct answer at ExamTopics, on this external link.

I also heard that there are paid exams offered by online academies.

I really encourage to take these tests, as questions from the tests are very different to the theory content. For example, Group Policies, user authorization and PowerShell commands are briefly seen in the course but they are intensively asked in the exam.

What could I do if you fail MD-100?

If you failed MD-100, there are two possiblities:

  1. Claim the exam
  2. Retake the exam

How did I claim the exam MD-100?

Complete and submit the exam item challenge form on this link.

You should get a reply in up to 10 business days.

How did I retake the exam MD-100?

You must reschedule the exam from the Microsoft certification dashboard.

Read the exam retake policies on this link.

What should I do once I passed MD-100?

Once you pass MD-100 exam, if you have passed MD-101 you can use both of them to request certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate”.

Did exam MD-100 achievement expire?

Microsoft exam achievements do not expire (e.g., MD-100, MD-101), but you must renew periodically the certifications you get with these exams (e.g., Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate).

To renew a certification you do not need to repeat the exams, but you need to do a single renewal exam that is different to the initial exam(s).

You might also be interested in…

External references

How did I pay for the exam?

There are two ways to pay for the exam:

  • Buy a voucher before exam registration
  • Make payment during exam registration

Unlike direct payment, voucher purchase allow check and bank transfer payments

How did I buy an exam voucher?

You can buy a voucher for Microsoft from Pearson Vue on this link.

Exam pricing depends on different variables:

  • Country
  • Exam type: it can be either MCP/Dynamic or Fundamentals. According to this link, MD-100 is MCP.
  • License type: it can be either Commercial or Academic. To ascertain which license type applies to your company, you can ask internally or query Microsoft All Partner Center from this link.

There is one Excel file that  displays all pricing for these variables. Check what is the price that applies for you.

Then fill the PDF applying for your region with your data and submit the info.

In case of any doubt, you can contact Pearson VUE from this link.

To redeem the exam voucher, please read the next question.

How did I register for the exam?

To schedule the exam, go to the MD-100 website, find the “Schedule exam” section, select your country in the dropdown list and press the button “Schedule exam”. You may need to enter your Microsoft account credentials.

You may need to create a certification profile linked to your Microsoft account if you have not done it yet.

If you perform a proctor exam, you should test your computer before taking the exam.

You can enter voucher/promotion codes on the payment screen.

Once you have paid or redeemed the voucher, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

How did I test if my Computer was correctly set up for the exam?

During the registration process, you will an option to test your PC for the exam.

It is highly recommended use a personal laptop instead a work laptop with restriction policies during the exam. You must also test the computer you are going to use before it. Prepare a backup laptop, just in case.

You need to install the OnVUE on the computer where you are going to perform the exam. It is important that you have user rights to install the application and to add the firewall exception.

You can check or enter the exam after being registered on this address from the Pearson VUE page for Microsoft on this link.

Then click “Login”, then “Sign in”. Enter your Microsoft credentials.

Could I change the Exam Date once it had been registered?

Yes, you can change the exam date once you have been registered, but you must do it 24 hours before your exam starts.

How could I change the exam date?

You must visit the Microsoft Learning dashboard on this link, find your exam date in the “Appointments” section and then click on “Reschedule”.

How did I enter the online exam once I have registered?

Follow the link in the confirmation e-mail.

Alternatively, visit the Microsoft Learning dashboard on this external link, find your exam date in the “Appointments” section and then click on “Start online exam”.

Were there Test Exams?

You can purchase the Microsoft Certified Official Practice Test MD-100 at Mindhub portal on this external link. It costs between €91 and €100.

You can find exam questions and discussion and explanations about the correct answer at ExamTopics, on this external link.

I also heard that there are paid exams offered by online academies.

I really encourage to take these tests, as questions from the tests are very different to the theory content. For example, Group Policies, user authorization and PowerShell commands are briefly seen in the course but they are intensively asked in the exam.

What could I do if you fail MD-100?

If you failed MD-100, there are two possiblities:

  1. Claim the exam
  2. Retake the exam

How did I claim the exam MD-100?

Complete and submit the exam item challenge form on this link.

You should get a reply in up to 10 business days.

How did I retake the exam MD-100?

You must reschedule the exam from the Microsoft certification dashboard.

Read the exam retake policies on this link.

What should I do once I passed MD-100?

Once you pass MD-100 exam, if you have passed MD-101 you can use both of them to request certification “Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate”.

Did exam MD-100 achievement expire?

Microsoft exam achievements do not expire (e.g., MD-100, MD-101), but you must renew periodically the certifications you get with these exams (e.g., Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate).

To renew a certification you do not need to repeat the exams, but you need to do a single renewal exam that is different to the initial exam(s).

You might also be interested in…

External references

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