This post has been updated, please check the updated version at https://intunedin.net/2020/08/31/preparing-for-the-md-101-managing-modern-desktops-exam-august-2020-update/
Seeing that the MS-100 and MS-101 exam prep posts have been pretty popular, I’ll turn my attention to the MD-100 Windows 10 exam which is currently in beta. If you have already sat and passed 70-698: Configuring Windows 10, you don’t need to sit this exam, instead you can sit MD-101 to help you earn the new Modern Desktop Administrator Associate certification.
Based on the exam objectives, this exam might seem like it’s a straightforward refresh of areas covered in 70-697 and 70-698, but one of the key differences to note is that the exam page also includes the following…
“As an administrator, candidates typically collaborate with the M365 Enterprise Administrator to design and implement a device strategy that meets the business needs of a modern organization.
Candidates must be familiar with M365 workloads and must be proficient and experienced in deploying, configuring, and maintaining Windows 10 and non-Windows devices and technologies.”
What does this mean? It means that if you go in to the exam without thinking about the implications of capabilities delivered via other components of Microsoft 365, you are placing yourself in a disadvantageous position. For this exam it means at least having an understanding and some exposure to Azure Active Directory and Intune, but they aren’t the core focus of this exam.
As with the previous two exam guides, I’ll try to stick to content on docs.microsoft.com as much as possible because it’s updated and has plenty of links to related material, and I’ll also recommend downloading the Modern Desktop Deployment and Management Lab Kit from the Microsoft Evaluation Center, especially if you are also planning on sitting MD-101 as well.
For the latest updates to exam prep guides please check https://intunedin.net/exams
Deploy Windows (15-20%)
- Install Windows 10
- Perform a clean installation
- Perform an in-place upgrade (using tools such as MDT, WDS, ADK, etc.)
- Select the appropriate Windows edition
- Perform post-installation configuration
- Configure Edge and Internet Explorer
- Configure mobility settings
- Customize the Windows desktop
- Troubleshoot activation issues
- Configure printers and external devices
- Configure Windows 10 by using provisioning packages
- Configure Microsoft Store settings
- Configure application settings
- Configure and manage services
Manage Devices and Data (25-30%)
- Manage users, groups, and devices
- Manage local groups
- Manage local users
- Manage users, groups, and devices in Active Directory Domain Services
- Manage users, groups, and devices in Azure Active Directory
- Configure sign-in options
- Configure devices by using local policies
- Implement local policy
- Troubleshoot group policies on devices
- Configure Windows 10 settings by using group policy
- Manage Windows security
- Configure user account control (UAC)
- Configure Windows Defender Firewall
- Implement encryption
- Configure Windows Defender Antivirus
Configure Storage and Connectivity (15-20%)
- Configure networking
- Configure client IP settings
- Configure mobile networking
- Troubleshoot networking
- Configure data access and protection
- Configure NTFS permissions
- Configure shared permissions
- Configure local storage
- Manage and optimize storage
- Configure file and folder permissions
- Configure OneDrive/OneDrive for Business
Maintain Windows (30-35%)
- Configure system and data recovery
- Perform file recovery
- Recover Windows 10
- Troubleshoot startup/boot process
- Create and manage system restore points
- Manage updates
- Troubleshoot updates
- Select the appropriate servicing channel
- Configure Windows update options
- Plan for Windows Updates
- Configure updates by using Windows Update for Business
- Monitor and manage Windows
- Configure and analyze event logs
- Manage performance
- Manage Windows 10 environment
- Configure local registry
- Schedule tasks
- Configure remote connectivity
- Manage Windows 10 remotely by using Windows Admin Center
- Configure remote assistance tools including Remote Assist and Quick Assist
- Manage Windows remotely by using Windows Remote Management and PS remoting
- Configure remote desktop access
For the latest updates to exam prep guides please check https://intunedin.net/exams
intunedin.net 
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
Do you intend to make publish the content for the MD-101?
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Yep, that’s up next! My suspicion is that it’s going to be easier to get put together the supporting material for MD-101 because so much of MD-100 is the core/fundamental skills that don’t get as much attention these days in terms of updated documentation.
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Awesome, thanks for that! I’m scheduled to take the exam on January 15th. I wonder how much of the soon to be retired 697 and 698 exams would be in the MD-101 exam. Did you take it yet?
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I’ve got MD-101 booked for the 7th of Jan. It’s been a while since I took 697 and 698 so I’m sure they had been updated since then, but it’s hard to put together a new exam that doesn’t have some overlap with what it replaces. One of the things that I think we are seeing with MD-100 and MD-101 is that multiple items that were listed as individual skills in the old exams are being combined into categories eg instead of referencing EFS, Bitlocker and Bitlocker to Go in the exam description, instead you see “enable encryption”. It gets tricker though because encryption could also be referencing other OS capabilities as well. It will be good to compare the objectives once the exams are out of beta to see if any changes were made.
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Thanks Mark, I’ll try n get the rest of the links sorted 🙂
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Hi Mark, Here are a few more links to add to the blog:
Modern Desktop Lab Kit MS DOC main page:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/enterprise/modern-desktop-deployment-and-management-lab
From that link there are more that go through to pretty much everything needed for the exam, as this is the latest exam based upon the “Modern Desktop” methodology from MS and very much aligned to its 365 Windows as a Service offering, this is the route I am going down for study.
I think that doing this and running through the lab should get through the exam OK, if already sufficient experience with older OS/ConfigMgr/AD/GPO/USMT etc.
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Can MD-100 and MD-101 be used as credit towards MCSE? If you do the old versions, 70-698 and 70-697, you just have to add 70-695 (Deploying Windows Desktops and Enterprise Applications) to be an MCSE.
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Hi Jason – the new exams count towards the Modern Desktop Administrator Associate, but if you also do the MS-100/101 exams you can go for the M365 Enterprise Admin Expert – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/community-blog-post.aspx?BlogId=8&Id=375182
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Hi, great guide, I’ve been slowly plodding through it in preparation of taking the exam. Does anyone have any indication on when this exam may be out of BETA?
Thanks for the great work on the guide Mark.
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Soon hopefully, I’m at the point where I can’t even remember too much about the exam.
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That is a great link, thank you for your efforts.
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In case anyone is here wondering, I’ve had confirmation from Pearson that the course material for MD-100 & MD-101 will be available some time in the last two weeks of May (to the start of June)
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can you pass the exam using the 2nd edition book for 70-698?
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Hi Rick. I’m not sure what that book covers but it should have some overlap. I wouldn’t rely on it alone though.
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Has anyone sat this exam have any tips I am sitting it this Tuesday
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Adam, how did it go?
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Not too bad passed with a 788 lots of permission questions a few deployment ones some basic stuff as well sitting the 101 on Wednesday so will see how that goes
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Not too bad passed with a 788 lots of permission questions a few deployment ones some basic stuff as well taking the 101 on Wednesday so will see how that goes
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Congrats! I mentioned in the MS-500 comments that I wasn’t really prepared for the roles/permissions questions in this exam, but the expanding list of AAD roles is important to know, so I made sure I was pretty comfortable with them prior to MS-500.
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Hi!
Just wanted to say thank you for alot of great information.
Tip: I found this post: https://www.inthecloud247.com/free-online-courses-for-microsoft-365-and-azure/
If you scroll down to the MD-100, you can find links to the openedx training for this exam.
😀
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Is this only available to people in the USA? When I click on the links and reach ‘Enroll’, I click on it, it takes me to the openedx website, where the courses don’t seem to exist?
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Hi Dave – enrollment is working from me, I’m in Australia so it doesn’t seem to be a US only restriction.
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I worked it out! I need to be signed in!
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Thanks for the guide. Any tips on taking this exam? I am trying to figure out how to approach this exam. Would this guide be enough to pass the the exam.
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If you’ve got existing Windows 10/8/7 skills that cover off some of the items in the exam objectives, you should be able to use these docs references to fill in the gaps without too much trouble.
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I have already attempted this cert once and got 678 points when minimum is 700 points.
I am worried I wont pass the second time.
Apparently the areas that I need to improve on is
Deploy Windows 10
Configure System and Data Recovery
Manage Updates
IS there any tips regarding these at all?
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https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/enterprise/modern-desktop-deployment-and-management-lab#download-the-windows-and-office-deployment-lab-kit
This may be helpful
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