Administering Windows Server 2012 Practice Test

What the Administering Windows Server 2012 is and how it works

According to Microsoft, “Technical exams: All technical exam scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 1,000. A passing score is 700 or greater. As this is a scaled score, it may not equal 70% of the points.”^[1]

Administering Windows Server 2012 was a Microsoft technical exam about day-to-day server administration: directory services, Group Policy, network policy and services, file and print, and server deployment and maintenance.

Availability. The exam retired on January 31, 2021 and is no longer available. Microsoft's exam page sends candidates to its Browse Certifications and Exams page for current options, so check there if you need a certification you can still earn.

Delivery and scoring. When it was offered, candidates scheduled through Pearson VUE and chose either a test center or online proctored delivery. Microsoft reports technical exam scores on a scale that tops out at 1000, and a passing score is 700. Because the score is scaled, it is not a simple percentage of questions answered correctly. Results normally arrive within minutes of finishing.

Retakes. Microsoft's retake policy requires a wait of 24 hours before a second attempt and 14 days between attempts 3 to 5, with a maximum of 5 attempts in 12 months.

After you pass. The credential does not expire and has no renewal. It stays in the Active section of your Microsoft transcript for two years after retirement. Microsoft's pages are the source for all of this, so confirm details there.

Administering Windows Server 2012 Exam at a Glance

What changed for Administering Windows Server 2012 in 2026

• Nov 11, 2026: Validity changed to Stays on transcript; active for two years after retirement (previously Stays on transcript; Active section for two years after retirement).^[3]
• Nov 11, 2026: Eligibility changed to Retired January 31, 2021; no longer available (previously Retired – can no longer be taken).^[5]
• Nov 11, 2026: Renewal changed to Does not expire; no renewal (previously MCSA certifications do not expire; no renewal).^[3]

Administering Windows Server 2012 content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official Administering Windows Server 2012 content outline published by Microsoft. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through Administering Windows Server 2012 questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the significance of a code of conduct for Administering Windows Server 2012 professionals?

1. It limits professional freedom
2. It establishes expected behaviors and ethical standards that protect the public and profession
3. It is merely symbolic
4. It applies only to new practitioners

Answer: B. It establishes expected behaviors and ethical standards that protect the public and profession

Explanation:

The correct answer is that a code of conduct establishes expected behaviors and ethical standards that protect the public and the profession. It gives practitioners a shared reference for what is acceptable, and it gives others a basis for trust.

The option saying it limits professional freedom is wrong because the standards guide judgment rather than remove it. Calling it merely symbolic is wrong because codes are used to set expectations and to judge conduct when something goes wrong. Saying it applies only to new practitioners is wrong because standards apply to everyone in the field, whatever their experience.

The rule to remember: when a question asks why a professional standard matters, choose the answer about protecting people and setting clear expectations for everyone, not the answer that treats it as a restriction, a formality or a beginner topic.

Example 2

Question: What is the most effective communication approach for Administering Windows Server 2012 professionals?

1. Using technical language exclusively
2. Adapting communication style to the audience while maintaining accuracy and clarity
3. Minimizing all communications
4. Only written communication

Answer: B. Adapting communication style to the audience while maintaining accuracy and clarity

Explanation:

The correct answer is adapting communication style to the audience while keeping accuracy and clarity. A server administrator may explain the same outage to a colleague, a manager and an end user, and each needs a different level of detail, but none of them should get something inaccurate.

Using technical language exclusively is wrong because many audiences will not follow it. Minimizing all communications is wrong because people affected by a change or a fault need to be told. Only written communication is wrong because some situations call for a conversation, and a single channel is rarely best.

The rule to remember: good communication fits the audience and the situation, and it never sacrifices accuracy. Answers that say always or only, or that rely on one style, are usually wrong.

Example 3

Question: Which type of Group Policy Object (GPO) is processed last and therefore has the highest precedence?

1. Local GPO
2. Site GPO
3. Domain GPO
4. OU GPO

Answer: D. OU GPO

Explanation:

The correct answer is the OU GPO. Group Policy is applied in the order Local, Site, Domain, then organizational unit, often remembered as LSDOU. The policy applied last wins when two settings conflict, so the OU level has the highest precedence.

The Local GPO is wrong because it is processed first and is overridden by the others. The Site GPO is wrong because it is applied after local policy but before domain and OU policy. The Domain GPO is wrong because it is applied before the OU level, so an OU setting can override it.

The rule to remember: later processing means higher precedence, and the setting closest to the user or computer object usually wins. Settings such as enforcement or blocking inheritance can change the outcome, so check for them when a question mentions them.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official list of content areas shown above and the Microsoft learning material, and mark each area as comfortable, shaky or unfamiliar. Be honest with yourself here, because most people over-rate the areas they use at work.

Then work through our practice sets one topic at a time, beginning with your shakiest areas. Active Directory and Group Policy are good starting points because the other areas build on them. Read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right, and write down the general rule behind each miss rather than only the correct letter.

Next, move to the mixed free question set to check that you can recognize a topic without a label. If you have a lab, a virtual machine or a test server, repeat the tasks you got wrong by hand. Seeing a setting change behavior is far more memorable than reading about it.

Some of our sets cover general professional topics such as standards, communication and risk. Treat these as supplementary and give the technical sets most of your time, since the official content areas are technical.

Finally, remember that our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions. Use them to find gaps, then return to Microsoft's documentation to close them. Because the exam has retired, confirm with Microsoft whether you need it at all.

Sources & last verified

1. Microsoft — passing score, score release (official source). “Technical exams: All technical exam scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 1,000. A passing score is 700 or greater. As this is…” Verified Nov 11, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
2. Microsoft — retake policy (official source). “If you don’t pass an exam the first time, you must wait 24 hours before retaking it. A 14-day waiting period is imposed between all…” Verified Nov 11, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
3. Microsoft — validity, renewal (official source). “However, the credential will remain in the Active section of your transcript until it expires (if it has an expiration date) or for two years…” Verified Nov 11, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
4. home.pearsonvue.com — delivery (official source). “From the exam page, choose Schedule with Pearson and select the delivery option that works best for you—online or at a test center.” Verified Nov 11, 2026 · source checked Nov 9, 2026.
5. Microsoft — eligibility, other (official source). “This exam retired on January 31, 2021. For currently available options, please refer to the Browse Certifications and Exams page.” Verified Nov 11, 2026 · source checked Nov 8, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.