Azure Certification Exams: A Comprehensive Guide

Azure certification exams are a great way to validate your skills and knowledge in the Microsoft Azure platform. There are currently 22 Azure certifications available, ranging from entry-level to expert-level.

To get started, you'll need to choose a certification path that aligns with your career goals and experience. The most popular certification paths are the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate and the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

Each certification has its own set of exams, with some requiring a single exam and others requiring two or more exams. The exams are a mix of multiple-choice questions, hands-on labs, and case studies, and they cover a range of topics, including cloud architecture, security, and data analytics.

For another approach, see: Azure Solutions Architect Expert Az-305

You can take the certification exam in multiple languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese (Taiwan), Italian, and Indonesian.

The exam measures your ability to design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions, design data storage solutions, design business continuity solutions, and design infrastructure solutions.

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The exam price varies based on the country or region where it's proctored, and it's recommended to register with a personal Microsoft Services Agreement (MSA) account to avoid losing exam records if you leave your organization.

You can take a free practice assessment to test your skills and prepare for the exam, and learn more about practice assessments on the website.

The AZ-900 exam is designed for those taking their first steps into cloud computing and its services, making it perfect for beginners.

This certification is ideal for demonstrating basic knowledge in both cloud computing and Microsoft Azure.

You can take this exam from scratch, but it's recommended that you already have skills and experience in IT, Data Science, and Software Development.

If you're looking to become an administrator, you may want to consider other certifications, such as the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty (AZ-120) or the Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140).

For those looking to gain a fundamental understanding, the Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) or Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) certifications may be more suitable.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Exam Ref Az-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Azure administrators play a crucial role in cybersecurity by enabling organizational security through technical implementation and governance.

They apply security controls across infrastructures, systems, and services based on company policies and industry regulations. This includes managing user access, configuring network security, enabling data protection, and hardening resources.

Azure administrators use Azure Policy, Blueprints, and Resource Manager to establish governance guardrails around security and compliance, bridging the gap between high-level directives and on-the-ground implementation.

They have visibility into the day-to-day operations, performance, and security posture of an organization's cloud environment, monitoring workloads, responding to alerts, investigating issues, and optimizing configurations.

Skilled Azure administrators are on the frontline, safeguarding cloud platforms by putting security measures into practice, assessing environments for risks, ensuring adherence to standards, and serving as an early warning system against threats.

For another approach, see: Azure Cloud Security Certification

If you're looking to specialize in Azure, the AZ-900 certification is just the beginning. You can opt for related certifications according to your area of specialization.

The AZ-900 certification is a stepping stone to becoming a full-fledged Azure expert. If you want to go beyond this certification, you can choose from the following certifications:

These certifications are designed to help you gain expertise in specific areas of Azure, such as IoT development and Cosmos DB development. By choosing one of these certifications, you can take your Azure skills to the next level and become a specialist in your chosen area.

For another approach, see: Microsoft Azure Certification

To prepare for the Azure certification exams, you need to know the topics that will be covered. The AZ-900 exam covers six main topics: Describe Cloud Concepts, Core Solutions & Management Tools on Azure, Identity, Governance, Privacy & Compliance Features, Core Azure Services, General Security and Network Security Features, and Azure Cost Management & Service Level Agreements.

Developing strong study habits is essential for passing the exam. This includes setting realistic goals, creating a study schedule, and utilizing various learning techniques like flashcards, mind maps, and practice labs.

Related reading: Azure Certificate Management

To familiarize yourself with the exam format, practice managing your time effectively during practice tests and while studying different domains. The exam is timed, so it's crucial to be efficient with your time.

You can access a variety of study resources, including online courses and boot camps, practice exams, hands-on labs, community forums, and Azure documentation and tools. Microsoft offers a range of free hands-on labs that simulate real-world scenarios, providing valuable practical experience with Azure.

Here are some recommended learning resources:

To make the most of your study time, develop effective study habits and manage your time efficiently.

The AZ-104 exam format is straightforward. You can expect 40-60 multiple-choice and case-study-based questions.

The exam duration is 120 minutes, and you'll need to score at least 700 out of 1000 points, which is equivalent to 70% to pass.

To register for the exam, start by visiting the Microsoft Learn website and creating an account if you don't already have one. Once you've done that, find the AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate exam and click "Schedule exam."

If this caught your attention, see: Exam Ref Az-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator

The AZ-104 exam format is a crucial aspect to understand when preparing for the test. You can expect 40-60 multiple-choice and case-study-based questions, with most being multiple-choice with single or multiple correct answers.

The exam duration is 120 minutes, and you'll need to score 700 out of 1000 points or 70% to pass. To register for the exam, visit the Microsoft Learn website and create an account if you haven't already. Find the AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate exam and click "Schedule exam."

You'll then choose your testing center (Pearson VUE testing centers worldwide) and your preferred date and time, and pay the exam fee of $165. Make sure to arrive at the testing center at least 15 minutes early with a valid government-issued ID.

Here's a summary of the exam format and registration details:

The cost of taking the AZ-900 exam is $99.

This is a relatively affordable price, considering the benefits of passing the exam.

If you pass the exam, you won't have to take it again or renew your certification, which can save you money in the long run.

So, it can be considered a good investment, as long as you have the necessary preparation to pass on the first try.

Obtaining an Azure certification can open up a world of career opportunities and benefits for you as an Azure administrator. The demand for skilled Azure administrators, especially those with a cybersecurity focus, is skyrocketing, with a 15% year-over-year growth in cybersecurity spending predicted by Cybersecurity Ventures.

Azure certifications are highly valued by organizations, with many looking for professionals who have knowledge of Azure, Oracle Cloud, and other cloud platforms. In fact, Azure is 5 times more cheaper than AWS for Windows Server and SQL Server, making it an attractive option for businesses.

As an Azure administrator, you'll have the opportunity to manage and secure Azure infrastructure, implement security solutions, and ensure compliance. You can also leverage your expertise to dig deeper into security configurations, threat detection, and incident response as a cloud security engineer.

Azure certifications can also lead to higher salaries and better job prospects. In fact, it's predicted that around 80% of all enterprise workloads will move to the cloud by 2025, making professionals with cloud skills in high demand.

Intriguing read: Azure Administrator Certification

Some of the diverse career paths that await you with an Azure certification include:

To get certified in Azure, you'll need to take a certification exam. These exams are available in multiple languages, including English, Japanese, and several others.

The exams measure your ability to design various solutions, such as identity, governance, and monitoring, as well as data storage and business continuity solutions. You'll also be tested on your ability to design infrastructure solutions.

The price of the exam varies depending on your location. It's recommended to register for an exam with a personal Microsoft account to ensure your records are secure.

You can prepare for the exam by taking a free practice assessment, which will test your skills with practice questions. This will help you prepare for the exam and ensure you're ready to demonstrate your expertise.

Here are the languages in which the exam is available:

Microsoft has a wealth of resources to help you prepare for your Azure certification exam. You can start by taking advantage of Microsoft Learn, specifically the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals course.

Microsoft Learn is a great place to start polishing your skills, and it's free. You can also explore Azure and its various options, which will help you put what you learn into practice.

Azure has a huge community of specialists, not just in cloud computing, and joining them can be a real game-changer. They'll help you solve questions, build your network, and even lead to career opportunities.

Azure has a community for the Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) exam, which is a great place to connect with others who are going through the same process.

Take a look at this: Azure Fundamentals Exam

Microsoft has a treasure trove of resources to help you prepare for your Microsoft Azure certification exam. You can start with Microsoft Learn, specifically Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, to get a solid foundation in cloud computing.

Microsoft frequently releases new features, services, and updates for Azure, so it's essential to stay updated. You can subscribe to official Microsoft resources like blogs, documentation updates, and webinars to stay informed.

Microsoft Azure is a vast platform with many options, so it's helpful to explore it and put your learnings into practice. You can also check the platform's help resources to learn more about advanced functionalities.

To maintain your Azure administrator credentials and demonstrate your continued competence, you can renew your certification online for free before your certification expires. The online assessments are shorter than the original exam and are open-book.

Microsoft recommends exploring what doesn't appear in the lessons, such as functions, combinations, or advanced functionalities. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the platform and prepare you for the exam.

Here are some official Microsoft resources to help you get started:

Joining IT communities is a great way to get direct help and expand your network of contacts.

Azure has a huge community with specialists of all kinds, not just in cloud computing. This community can help you solve questions and build your professional network.

Active communities are a real gold mine in the technology world. They offer valuable resources, including training and certification programs.

The Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) program is a great example of this.

Recommended read: Azure Openai Certification

The AZ-104 exam is divided into several key domains, each focusing on specific aspects of Azure administration. These domains are interconnected and understanding their interplay is essential for effective cloud management.

Manage Azure identities and governance is one of the key domains, accounting for 15-20% of the exam. This domain focuses on handling user identities and access control within Azure, including Azure Active Directory (AD) concepts and configurations, managing user accounts, groups, and roles, and implementing Azure AD policies and conditional access.

To prepare for this domain, you'll need to understand Azure AD concepts, such as user identities and access control. You'll also need to know how to manage user accounts, groups, and roles, as well as implement Azure AD policies and conditional access.

Here's a breakdown of the other key domains:

The AZ-104 exam is divided into several key domains, each focusing on specific aspects of Azure administration. These domains have varying weightage and number of questions.

Manage Azure identities and governance is one of the domains, focusing on user identities and access control within Azure. This includes understanding Azure Active Directory (AD) concepts and configurations, managing user accounts, groups, and roles, implementing Azure AD policies and conditional access, securing identities with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and governance best practices for resource access control.

The AZ-104 exam also tests your knowledge of storing data in Azure, specifically in the Implement and manage storage domain. This domain includes various Azure storage options, configuring and managing storage accounts, implementing data access control and security, data backup and recovery strategies, and monitoring and optimizing storage performance.

Deploy and manage Azure compute resources is another area assessed by the exam, covering provisioning and managing virtual machines (VMs) and other compute resources. This includes creating and configuring VMs using the Azure portal, PowerShell, or CLI, managing VM images, discs, and network settings, scaling compute resources based on demand, implementing high availability and disaster recovery solutions, and monitoring and troubleshooting network connectivity issues.

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The Configure and manage virtual networking domain covers your understanding of Azure's virtual network infrastructure. This includes creating and managing virtual networks, subnets, and network security groups (NSGs), configuring public and private IP addresses, implementing firewalls and access control policies, setting up VPN connections for secure remote access, and monitoring and troubleshooting network connectivity issues.

The Monitor and back up Azure resources domain assesses your ability to ensure the health and security of your Azure environment. This includes monitoring resource performance and usage metrics, setting up alerts and notifications for potential issues, implementing Azure Monitor and other monitoring tools, creating backups of critical data and resources, and disaster recovery planning and execution.

Here's a breakdown of the domains and their corresponding weightage:

Note that these domains are not isolated entities, but rather interconnected, and understanding their interplay is essential for effective cloud management.

In this section, we'll be covering the key components of Azure Architectures and services. Azure's core architectural components form the foundation of its services, making it a robust cloud platform.

Azure compute services include options like virtual machines, containers, and serverless computing, which provide flexibility and scalability to meet various workload requirements.

Azure storage services are designed to handle large amounts of data, offering options like Blob storage, File storage, and Disk storage.

Azure identity, access, and security services are crucial for managing user identities, access controls, and security measures, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of data.

Azure's core architectural components can be summarized in the following list: