30-Day Hands-On Practice Plan for Microsoft 365 Admin

By | December 8, 2025

WEEK 1 – Identity & User Management (Microsoft Entra ID Basics)

🎯 Goal: Understand identity, users, groups, roles, and basic administration.


Day 1 – Introduction to Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Hands-on:

  • Explore Microsoft 365 Admin Center
  • Check all admin portals (Entra, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Intune)
  • View service health, reports, settings

Checklist:

  • What is a tenant?
  • What is a user?
  • Global Admin vs. other roles

Day 2 – Create & Manage Users

Hands-on:

  • Create cloud-only users
  • Assign licenses
  • Set password options
  • Block/unblock a user
  • Restore deleted users

Day 3 – Manage Groups

Hands-on:

  • Create Microsoft 365 group
  • Create Security group
  • Create Distribution list
  • Add/remove members
  • Test group-based email

Day 4 – Role-Based Access (RBAC)

Hands-on:

  • Assign admin roles using Entra ID
  • Understand Global Admin, User Admin, Teams Admin, Exchange Admin
  • Try β€œPIM” (Privileged Identity Management) trial

Day 5 – User Authentication & Password Management

Hands-on:

  • Reset user password
  • Configure MFA (via Security Defaults)
  • Explore β€œAuthentication methods” in Entra
  • Enable Self-Service Password Reset

Day 6 – User Productivity & Usage Reports

Hands-on:

  • Check usage reports
  • Check sign-in logs in Entra
  • Identify risky sign-ins
  • Learn to read audit logs

Day 7 – Weekly Review

  • Can you create/manage users confidently?
  • Can you check sign-ins/logs?
  • Do you understand licensing?

WEEK 2 – Email & Collaboration (Exchange + SharePoint + OneDrive)

🎯 Goal: Learn real-world tasks an M365 Admin performs daily.


Day 8 – Exchange Admin Center Overview

Hands-on:

  • Open EAC
  • Explore mailboxes, groups, contacts
  • Check mailbox properties

Day 9 – Email Flow Troubleshooting

Hands-on:

  • Run message trace
  • Create mail flow rule
  • Block a domain
  • Allow a domain
  • Update mailbox permissions

Day 10 – Shared Mailboxes

Hands-on:

  • Create a shared mailbox
  • Assign Send As / Send on Behalf
  • Map shared mailbox in Outlook

Day 11 – OneDrive for Business Admin

Hands-on:

  • Restore deleted files
  • Access a user’s OneDrive as admin
  • Explore storage limits
  • File sharing policies

Day 12 – SharePoint Admin Center

Hands-on:

  • Create a SharePoint site
  • Manage permissions
  • Configure external sharing
  • Understand hub sites vs. team sites

Day 13 – Teams Admin Center

Hands-on:

  • Create a new team
  • Manage policies
  • Control meeting policies
  • Check call logs

Day 14 – Weekly Review

  • Can you perform message trace?
  • Can you manage shared mailboxes?
  • Can you manage SharePoint sites?

WEEK 3 – Security & Compliance (Identity Protection + Zero Trust)

🎯 Goal: Master core security concepts every admin must know.


Day 15 – MFA + Security Defaults

Hands-on:

  • Enable Security Defaults
  • Check who has MFA enabled
  • Enforce MFA for a test user

Day 16 – Conditional Access (If P1 license available)

Hands-on:

  • Create basic CA policy
    • Block legacy authentication
    • Require MFA for all users
  • Test with a user

Day 17 – Entra ID Protection

Hands-on:

  • Check risky sign-ins
  • Check risky users
  • Explore risk policies

Day 18 – Microsoft Secure Score

Hands-on:

  • Check Secure Score
  • Complete at least 5 recommended items
  • Track improvements

Day 19 – Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Hands-on:

  • Create a DLP policy
  • Test by sending sensitive info
  • Check alerts

Day 20 – Compliance Center Overview

Hands-on:

  • Explore Content Search
  • Create a retention policy
  • Configure retention labels

Day 21 – Weekly Review

  • Do you understand MFA, CA, DLP?
  • Can you troubleshoot blocked access?

WEEK 4 – Intune, Automation, and Real-World Admin Skills

🎯 Goal: Device management + scripting + real admin experience.


Day 22 – Microsoft Intune Overview

Hands-on:

  • Explore Intune Admin Center
  • Understand devices, apps, policies

Day 23 – Device Enrollment

Hands-on:

  • Enroll a Windows device
  • Check compliance
  • Check device inventory

Day 24 – Compliance Policies

Hands-on:

  • Create a compliance policy
  • Block non-compliant devices
  • Enable device health attestation

Day 25 – App Deployment

Hands-on:

  • Deploy a Win32 app (or MSI like Chrome)
  • Check installation status

Day 26 – PowerShell for Microsoft 365 (Beginner Level)

Hands-on:

  • Connect-MsolService
  • Connect-ExchangeOnline
  • Get-MsolUser
  • Get-Mailbox
  • Export mailbox permissions

Day 27 – Audit + Reporting

Hands-on:

  • Export audit logs
  • Export mailbox reports
  • Export sign-in logs

Day 28 – Backup & Recovery Basics

Hands-on:

  • Recover deleted user
  • Restore SharePoint deleted site
  • Restore OneDrive deleted items

Day 29 – Real-World Scenarios Practice

Hands-on:
Pick 5:

  • User can’t receive email
  • User unable to login
  • License conflict
  • Blocked by Conditional Access
  • Shared mailbox permission issue
  • OneDrive not syncing

Day 30 – Final Review + Certification Plan

  • Review all 4 weeks
  • Prepare for MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator
  • Create your personal lab workbook
  • Post your achievement on LinkedIn

πŸŽ‰ Conclusion

This 30-Day Microsoft 365 Practice Plan is designed to take you from absolute beginner to job-ready Microsoft 365 Administrator.

If you follow this consistently, you will confidently handle:

  • User & group management
  • Email administration
  • Teams & SharePoint
  • Security & Compliance
  • Intune device management
  • PowerShell automation

You will have more skills than many working admins.

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