The Jamf 100 course is the official entry-level certification pathway for Apple device management using Jamf Pro. It's designed for IT administrators, help desk technicians, and Apple-focused support staff who need to deploy, configure, and manage iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices in an enterprise or education environment. Earning the Jamf 100 credential validates your foundational knowledge of the Jamf platform and positions you for the Jamf 200 and 300 advanced tracks.
Our free Jamf 100 practice test PDF covers every core topic from the official course โ device enrollment methods, configuration profiles, policies, Smart Groups, Self Service, patch management, and Apple Business Manager integration. Download it, print it, and study wherever you are. It's the fastest way to identify knowledge gaps before your certification exam.
The Jamf 100 is a foundational certification that validates your ability to navigate and operate Jamf Pro for Apple device management. It is typically completed as part of the Jamf 100 online course available through Jamf's learning portal. The exam is proctored online and covers the key workflows taught in the course, including device onboarding, profile deployment, and fleet reporting. There is no strict work-experience prerequisite โ anyone setting up or managing Apple devices in a Jamf environment can pursue this credential.
Understanding enrollment is foundational to Jamf Pro. The Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) method โ formerly Device Enrollment Program (DEP) โ allows devices to enroll automatically out of the box through Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager (ASM). Devices enrolled via ADE are supervised, giving administrators a broader set of management capabilities including silent app installation and restrictions unavailable on unsupervised devices.
User-initiated enrollment (UIE) is the alternative for personally owned or non-ABM devices. Users navigate to the Jamf enrollment URL, authenticate, and install the MDM profile manually. UIE devices are generally unsupervised and have fewer management capabilities. Jamf also supports PreStage Enrollments that configure default settings applied automatically at ADE enrollment, including which configuration profiles and policies fire on first enrollment.
Configuration profiles are XML payloads pushed to devices by Jamf Pro to enforce settings without user interaction. Each profile can contain one or more payloads โ for example, Wi-Fi, VPN, restrictions, certificates, email accounts, or passcode requirements. Candidates must understand how scope controls which devices or users receive a profile (using criteria like Smart Group membership, department, or building), and how exclusions override scope to prevent profiles from deploying to specific targets.
Profiles can be user-level or device-level. Device-level profiles apply regardless of who is logged in; user-level profiles follow the user across devices when a directory service like Active Directory or LDAP is integrated. Knowing when to use each type is a common exam question area.
Policies are the primary mechanism for distributing software, running scripts, and triggering actions in Jamf Pro. Each policy has a trigger โ such as check-in, startup, login, logout, enrollment, or a custom trigger called via API or Self Service โ and a frequency that controls how often it runs (once per computer, once per user, ongoing, etc.). Scripts attached to policies can run at the start of the policy, at the end, or both, and support bash and zsh on macOS.
Common policy use cases include deploying packages, mapping printers, running maintenance scripts, and updating inventory. Candidates should know the difference between policy scope (who gets it) and frequency (when and how often), as well as how to use the policy log to diagnose failures.
Smart Groups are dynamic โ membership is determined automatically based on criteria you define (e.g., operating system version, last check-in time, installed application, or department). They update in real time as inventory data changes. Static Groups have fixed membership that administrators manually maintain by adding or removing computers or mobile devices. Smart Groups are far more commonly used in production environments because they eliminate manual upkeep and integrate cleanly with policy scope.
The Jamf 100 exam tests your ability to build Smart Group criteria using AND/OR logic, nest criteria, and understand how inventory data populates those criteria fields. You should also know how to use Smart Groups as policy scope targets and as exclusions.
Self Service is the end-user app catalog delivered by Jamf Pro. IT administrators publish apps, scripts, profiles, and configuration tasks to Self Service, where users can install or run them on demand without admin privileges. Customization options include categories, featured items, icons, and descriptions. On macOS, Self Service is a native application; on iOS/iPadOS, it is accessed through the Jamf Self Service app from the App Store (or silently installed via MDM on supervised devices).
While Jamf Pro manages both Apple mobile devices and Macs, the management models differ. iOS and iPadOS devices are fully locked down by default when supervised โ administrators can restrict apps, enforce passcodes, prevent unenrollment, and silently push App Store apps using Volume Purchase Program (VPP) / Apple Business Manager licenses. macOS management is less restrictive; users have more local control and many configurations require explicit user consent unless the device is supervised. Knowing these distinctions โ including which payloads are available only on supervised iOS vs. macOS โ is a high-frequency exam topic.
Jamf Pro's patch management feature lets administrators define patch policies that enforce specific software versions across the fleet. Patch titles come from Jamf's patch feed or can be defined manually. Reporting in Jamf Pro includes advanced search, smart reports, and the dashboard widgets that surface device compliance, OS version distribution, and last-check-in times. Candidates should understand how to build an advanced search to find non-compliant devices and how to export results for stakeholders.
Jamf Pro can be deployed as a cloud-hosted service (Jamf Cloud) or installed on-premise on a customer-managed server. Jamf Cloud removes the infrastructure burden โ Jamf handles hosting, backups, and upgrades. On-premise deployments give organizations full control over the environment and data residency but require internal resources to maintain the server, database, and SSL certificates. Most new Jamf deployments use Jamf Cloud. Candidates should know the key architectural differences and understand that the core features are identical regardless of deployment model.
Apple Business Manager (ABM) is the portal Apple provides to organizations for purchasing and distributing apps and books at volume, managing Apple IDs, and enrolling devices into MDM. Apple School Manager (ASM) serves the same purpose for educational institutions and adds Managed Apple IDs for students. Jamf Pro connects to ABM/ASM via a server token to access the device enrollment list and sync VPP licenses. Understanding this integration โ including how to assign apps to devices vs. users, how to handle license revocation, and how to troubleshoot enrollment failures โ is essential for the Jamf 100 exam.
Jamf 100 is the entry point. After Jamf 100, candidates typically pursue Jamf 200 (Apple Device Management โ deeper Jamf Pro administration) and then Jamf 300 (Advanced Administrator). Jamf 400 covers Jamf Expert topics including API use, advanced troubleshooting, and complex deployment architectures. Each level builds on the previous, and passing the associated exam is required to earn the credential. The Jamf 100 exam passing score is 70% or above.
Want to test your knowledge interactively? Try our Jamf 100 practice test online โ get instant feedback on each question, see your score by topic area, and focus your remaining study time where it counts most before your certification exam.