Two certification changes arrive before the end of November 2026. CompTIA's Security+ V8 exam is expected to launch on or around 17 November, and Microsoft retires the Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert certification, and the MS-102 exam behind it, on 30 November. Several other Microsoft credentials retired earlier in the year, including Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals in March and the Azure Security Engineer Associate in August. An MSP that funds certifications for its offshore technicians without checking those dates can pay for an exam that has no value by the time it is passed.
This post sets out which certifications make sense at each stage from L1 to L2 for MSP technicians, what the exams involve, how Microsoft's renewal rules work, and how to structure training support so it improves service and keeps good people. It is written for MSP owners deciding what to fund, and the same framework applies to onshore staff.
What Certifications Do and Do Not Tell You
A certification shows that a person has studied a defined body of knowledge and passed a test on it. It does not show that they can work a queue, communicate with a frustrated user, or know when to escalate. For an MSP, the useful role of certification is structure: it gives a technician a clear path for closing a skill gap, gives you a shared vocabulary for what L1 and L2 mean, and gives the technician something portable that belongs to them. Treat it as one input alongside ticket quality and supervisor review, and not as a substitute for either. Konnect's guide to vetting Filipino IT technicians covers how to weigh credentials against practical screening when you hire.
The financial logic is also different from training for its own sake. A certification takes a technician's study time, an exam fee, and sometimes a retake, and it makes them more marketable. That last point is why the support you offer should come with a visible career path. Konnect's piece on why Filipino professionals stay discusses the cultural side of retention, and a defined route from L1 to L2 is part of the answer.
The Foundation: CompTIA A+ for New L1 Technicians
CompTIA A+ is the standard entry credential for help desk and IT support roles. According to CompTIA's page for the current version, A+ V15 requires two exams, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), and both must come from the same version. Each exam has a maximum of 90 questions, including multiple-choice and performance-based items, with 90 minutes allowed. The passing scores are 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2 on a scale of 900. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role, launched this version on 25 March 2025, and estimates retirement in 2028.
Core 1 covers mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud, and hardware and network troubleshooting. Core 2 covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures, which includes documentation and communication. For a new L1 hire with less than a year of experience, A+ is a reasonable first target because the content matches the daily work of a helpdesk queue. For a technician who already has several years in MSP support, it adds less, and the time is better spent on the Microsoft track below. CompTIA estimates that its practice-only product takes 10 to 20 hours and that its fullest learning-and-labs product takes 30 to 60 hours, which gives you a basis for planning protected study time.
The L2 Step: Microsoft 365 Endpoint and Identity
Most MSP helpdesk work lives in Microsoft 365, so the Microsoft track carries the most direct value at L2. The certification most closely tied to day-to-day endpoint work is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate, earned with a single exam, MD-102. Microsoft's certification page describes it as covering how to plan and execute an endpoint deployment strategy using modern management, co-management, and Microsoft Intune, and says candidates should have experience with Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 technologies, including Intune, and with deploying and maintaining Windows client and non-Windows devices. It lists a 12-month renewal frequency and says renewal is free through an online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
The renewal rule matters for planning. Microsoft's role-based certifications expire after a year unless renewed, so a certification is a recurring commitment of study time, not a one-off purchase. The renewal assessment is free and online, which keeps the cost low, but the technician needs time to do it. Put renewal dates in a shared calendar so that a credential does not lapse because nobody noticed.
Microsoft also publishes a list of certifications scheduled for retirement. Its credential retirement page lists the Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert, retiring on 30 November 2026, and shows recently retired certifications that include Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals (31 March 2026) and Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (31 August 2026). The page notes that the information is subject to change. Check it before approving any Microsoft exam, and before a technician starts a long study plan that depends on a credential Microsoft is about to retire. Where a technician already holds a credential that retires, it stays on their transcript until it expires.
The Security Step: Security+ and a Timing Decision
For a technician moving toward security analyst work, CompTIA's Security+ is the common vendor-neutral choice. CompTIA's page for Security+ V8 lists exam code SY0-801, an expected launch on or around 17 November 2026, a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900, and a recommended background of a security administrator with two years of hands-on experience. The V8 objectives add a dedicated objective on the security risks of artificial intelligence, and they weight the domains as general security concepts 16 percent, threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks 24 percent, security architecture 19 percent, security operations 27 percent, and program management and oversight 14 percent. CompTIA estimates V8 will retire about three years after launch.
The decision for an MSP is whether a technician who is already studying should sit the current exam, SY0-701, before it retires, or move to V8. CompTIA's V7 page lists 11 June 2027 as the English retirement date for SY0-701, so confirm that date on CompTIA's site before you book. A technician who can be ready well before then and has study materials in hand can sit SY0-701 and earn the same Security+ credential. A technician who is starting from scratch now, or who will not be ready until the spring, is better off studying the V8 objectives from the start, since a booking close to the retirement date leaves no room for a retake. Security+ is a knowledge-based exam and does not replace hands-on experience with your own EDR, SIEM, and identity tools.
A Roadmap by Role
The table below maps these credentials to the roles MSPs most often staff offshore. The sequence is a suggestion, and the right path depends on what each technician already holds and what your clients actually need. For NOC work, the usual CompTIA step beyond A+ is Network+, and you should check CompTIA's site for the current exam version before funding it.
| Role | First six months | Six to eighteen months | Later |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 helpdesk | Learn your PSA, RMM, and runbooks. CompTIA A+ if the technician has little formal grounding. | Microsoft 365 endpoint administration (MD-102) once the technician has real Intune exposure | Identity and access credentials for L2 work |
| L2 Microsoft 365 support | MD-102 Endpoint Administrator Associate | Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate | Cloud and security specialisms, chosen by client demand |
| NOC analyst | Monitoring tools and runbooks. A+ if foundational knowledge is thin. | CompTIA Network+, then a vendor networking credential that matches your clients' equipment | Security+ for staff moving into security monitoring |
| Security analyst | Your EDR, SIEM, and alert playbooks first | Security+ (V7 before retirement or V8, per the timing above) | Role-specific security credentials once the technician has two years in security work |
Facts to Check Before You Approve an Exam
Exam details change, and a funding decision made from memory can be wrong. The table below summarizes the verified details for the credentials discussed here as of late October 2026, and it is worth checking the provider's page again before you book.
| Credential | Format | Recommended background | Lifecycle and renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompTIA A+ V15 (220-1201 and 220-1202) | Two exams, each up to 90 questions and 90 minutes, passing scores of 675 and 700 out of 900 | 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role | Launched 25 March 2025, retirement estimated for 2028 |
| CompTIA Security+ V8 (SY0-801) | One exam, up to 90 questions and 90 minutes, passing score of 750 out of 900 | Security administrator with two years of hands-on experience | Expected launch on or around 17 November 2026, retirement estimated about three years later |
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate (MD-102) | One exam covering Intune-based endpoint management | Experience with Entra ID, Microsoft 365, and Intune, plus Windows and non-Windows device management | Renews every 12 months through a free online assessment |
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102) | One exam, plus a prerequisite associate certification | Tenant-level Microsoft 365 administration | Retires 30 November 2026 and cannot be earned or renewed afterward |
How to Structure Training Support
Decide the terms before you promise anything, and write them down. Settle first whether the exam fee is paid up front or reimbursed after a pass, and whether a failed attempt is covered. Settle second how many hours of paid time each week the technician gets for study, because a certification plan that depends on unpaid evenings tends to stall. Third, agree who owns the credential: it belongs to the technician, and it goes with them if they leave, which is a reason to build the career path alongside it instead of trying to hold people with paperwork. If you are considering a repayment agreement for training costs, have Philippine counsel check it first, since rules on pay deductions and enforceability vary.
If you work through a staffing provider, ask who funds training, who schedules it, and how study time is handled, since the answer affects your costs and the technician's availability. These questions apply to any provider, including us. Then tie the certification to something visible in your operation: a technician who passes MD-102 might take on Intune-related tickets, and one who passes Security+ might begin shadowing alert triage. Without that link, a certificate is just a line on a profile.
Where This Does Not Fit
Certifications are a poor use of money in several situations. A technician with years of MSP experience may gain little from an entry-level credential, and the time is better used on your own tooling and runbooks. Vendor-specific training for your PSA, RMM, and security stack often matters more to daily work than any general certification, so budget for that first. Chasing credentials that are about to retire wastes the money and the study time. And a certification does not fix a process problem: if tickets bounce because runbooks are missing, an exam will not repair that. Finally, a more qualified technician is also a more marketable one, so be prepared to match their growth with pay and responsibility, or accept that some will leave.
A Thirty-Day Plan
In the first week, list each offshore technician's current certifications and expiry dates, and what each person wants to do next. In the second week, pick one target per technician that matches a real gap in your operation, and check the provider's lifecycle page for each. In the third week, agree the funding and study-time terms in writing and put the exam and renewal dates in a shared calendar. In the fourth week, book the first study block, link the credential to the work it will unlock, and decide how you will review progress. At the end of the month, you should be able to say what each technician is working toward, by when, and what you will do differently once they succeed.
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If you want to map a certification path for an offshore L1 or L2 technician against the clients you serve, bring your current role definitions and the credentials your team already holds to the call, and we will go through what to fund first and how to structure the support.
About the Author
Vilbert Fermin is the founder of Konnect, a remote staffing company connecting North American and Australian businesses with top Filipino talent. With deep expertise in IT support and remote team management, Vilbert helps MSPs access skilled technical professionals without the overhead of full-time domestic IT staff. His mission is to showcase Filipino excellence while helping businesses stay protected, productive, and competitive through strategic remote staffing.
Related Resources
Security+ Certification V8, Launching November 2026 (CompTIA)
Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate (Microsoft Learn)
Credential Retirement (Microsoft Learn, updated June 30, 2026)
How to Hire the Right Filipino IT Technician: Vetting, Interview Questions, and Red Flags (Konnect)
Why Filipino Professionals Stay: Understanding Loyalty and Long-Term Employment Culture (Konnect)
