AZ-500 renewal unavailable after retirement date - options for certificate holders

Kshitij Bhausaheb Pawar 5 Reputation points
2026-09-03T15:14:27.2433333+00:00

Hello,

My Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) certification renewal assessment is showing as unavailable with a warning that the certification and related exams retired on August 31, 2026.

Since I already paid for and earned the original certification, I would like to understand what options are available now that the renewal assessment is closed. Is there any grace period, transition path, or voucher available for holders of the retired credential to update to the new replacement exam, or is retaking the full new exam path the only option?

Thank you for any guidance or clarification.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-03T15:14:42.8266667+00:00

    For AZ-500, the renewal assessment is no longer available after the certification retired on August 31, 2026. If a certification is eligible for renewal before retirement, it should be renewed before the retirement date; there is no option to renew after the certification retires.

    For expired certifications, the policy is also explicit: the renewal window cannot be extended or reopened, and there are no exceptions. If the certification expires, it must be earned again by passing the required exam(s).

    For existing AZ-500 holders, these are the supported facts:

    1. AZ-500 retired on August 31, 2026.
    2. If earned before retirement, it remains valid for one year.
    3. After retirement, the renewal assessment is not available.
    4. No grace period is described for reopening renewal.
    5. SC-500 is the replacement certification.

    The provided information does not describe any automatic transition, discounted upgrade, or voucher for AZ-500 holders to move to SC-500. Based on the available policy, the remaining path is to earn the replacement certification through its normal exam path.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Julian Sharp 42,721 Reputation points
    2026-09-03T17:49:29.4433333+00:00

    See https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/skills-hub-blog/the-ai-job-boom-is-here-are-you-ready-to-showcase-your-skills/4494128

    There is no grace period, transition, or discount for the new certification

    You need to pay for and pass the new SC-500 exam.

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  3. TP 163.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-03T18:49:14.87+00:00

    Hi,

    Please attend both days of Microsoft Security Virtual Training Day: Strengthen Cloud Security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and then you will have 50% discount for SC-500 exam.

    Below is link to register for event on September 14-15, 2026:

    https://msevents.microsoft.com/event?id=325258788

    Please click Accept Answer if the above was helpful.

    Thanks.

    -TP

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