AZ-800 Training: Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure

The AZ-800 exam costs $165 USD, which is the price for most of Microsoft’s associate-level certification exams. If you’re pursuing the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, you’ll need to pass two exams: AZ-800 and AZ-801, so the total cost is closer to $330. That price is only for the tests themselves, so you’ll want to take structured AZ-800 training like this to make sure you’re ready to pass on the first try. It’s also worth seeing if your employer will reimburse your certification exams and training, especially if the skills relate directly to your job.

The best way to pass the AZ-800 exam is to approach it like a practical systems administrator, not a memorization exercise. The exam focuses on real tasks: managing Active Directory, administering Windows Server workloads, handling hybrid networking, and working with Azure-integrated tools. An online course like this that gives you hands-on experience with Windows Server environments, especially things like identity management, virtualization, storage services, and hybrid connectivity is crucial. At the same time, don’t forget that it is still a multiple-choice test, so you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the exam blueprint and take a few practice exams to make sure you’re prepared.

AZ-800 and AZ-801 are the two exams you’ll need to pass if you want to earn the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification, and they focus on different parts of the job. AZ-800 concentrates on core administrative tasks which is why this course focuses on managing Windows Server workloads, identity services, storage, networking, and virtualization in hybrid environments. It’s about operating and maintaining the infrastructure day to day. AZ-801 builds on that foundation by focusing more on advanced services and hybrid integration like migration strategies, disaster recovery, high availability, and security across on-premises and Azure environments. This AZ-800 course doesn’t cover AZ-801, but CBT Nuggets does offer an AZ-801 course as well.

In January 2026, Microsoft updated AZ-800 by adding and removing specific skills and tool familiarity; this AZ-800 course is up to date with all changes. The exam now places more emphasis on modern hybrid administration, including service account management, SSH and RDP access, newer virtualization features like GPU partitioning, container support with WSL and AKS, and updated networking and storage capabilities like SMB over QUIC, iSCSI, and others. At the same time, several older or overly detailed configuration tasks were removed or consolidated, with newer tools like Azure Arc, Microsoft Defender, and Azure Update Manager replacing legacy integrations. In addition, many of Microsoft’s product and feature names have changed, and have been updated in this new material (e.g., Azure Active Directory is now Entra ID.)

The main difference between Windows Server and Windows Server Core is the interface and how much of the operating system is installed. A standard Windows Server installation includes a full graphical interface (GUI) and desktop-style management tools. Windows Server Core is a minimal installation option that removes the GUI and is managed mostly through command-line or remote administration tools. Because it includes fewer components, Server Core uses less disk space, requires fewer updates, and has a smaller attack surface. That makes it a common choice for production environments where stability and security matter, though it tends to raise the minimum required skill for administrators working on it, which is where a course like this one comes in. If you use administrative tools such as Windows Admin Center as included in this course, you can remotely manage Server Core servers in largely the same way as if it were a full desktop server installation.