questions people ask about each exam — difficulty, cost, format, prerequisites, renewal, and how to pass.
It's Microsoft's entry-level Azure certification — a broad overview of cloud concepts, core Azure services, security, governance, pricing, and support. It requires no coding and is aimed at anyone starting with Azure, technical or not. The exam is around 40 questions in 45 minutes, passing at 700/1000, and it's the usual first step onto the Azure certification path.
It's the easiest Azure certification by design — most people pass with one to two weeks of study, no hands-on experience required. Questions are concept-level and straightforward rather than the scenario puzzles of the associate exams. If you understand what the main Azure services do and how Azure pricing and support work, you're most of the way there. Practice questions are the quickest readiness check.
For beginners, career-changers, and non-engineers on Azure teams, yes — it's affordable, quick, and a credible way to prove baseline Azure literacy on a resume or LinkedIn. Experienced engineers can often skip it and go straight to AZ-104. See how it stacks up against other entry certs on our State of Certifications report.
No — Azure Fundamentals certifications don't expire. Unlike Microsoft's role-based certs (associate/expert), which expire after 12 months and need free online renewal, the 900-level fundamentals credentials are permanent once earned.
No. AZ-900 is a fundamentals exam — all multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, no hands-on labs. Live-environment labs only appear on some of Microsoft's role-based exams, not the fundamentals tier.
No — it costs $99 USD. Microsoft's learning content (Microsoft Learn) is free, and students or attendees of certain Microsoft events sometimes receive free exam vouchers, but the standard exam is paid. There's no permanently free version.
$99 USD, plus any local tax. If you don't pass, you can retake after a 24-hour wait (then 14 days for further attempts), paying again each time. Scheduling and ID details are on our Microsoft/Azure exam info page.
Around 40 questions in 45 minutes, and you need a scaled score of 700 out of 1000 to pass (that's not 70% of questions — it's a scaled score). There's no negative marking, so answer every question, including the multiple-response ones.
No. It's a proctored, closed-book exam — taken either at a test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes, browsing, or outside help. You'll do a room scan before an online attempt.
Register through the Microsoft Learn certification dashboard, which hands off to Pearson VUE to pick a test center or online proctored slot. You can reschedule through the same booking up to 24 hours before without penalty. Our Azure exam info page covers the steps and ID requirements.
Work through the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Fundamentals" paths to cover the concepts, then drill practice questions until you're consistently above 80%. Most people are ready in one to two weeks part-time. Our AZ-900 question bank covers every topic with explanations, and the Playbook summarizes the services and pricing models the exam emphasizes.
It depends on your direction: administration with AZ-104, development with AZ-204, or another fundamentals cert like AI-901 (AI) or DP-900 (data) to broaden your base. Browse the full Azure track to plan your path.
It's Microsoft's foundational certification for AI and machine learning on Azure — a non-coding overview of AI workloads, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI, plus the Azure services that power them. It's the refreshed successor to the retired AI-900. The exam is around 40 questions in 45 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AI-901 hub for the full breakdown.
AI-901 is the updated version of Azure AI Fundamentals that replaced AI-900, which has been retired. If you're choosing today, AI-901 is the current exam to take — its objectives fold in generative AI and Azure AI Foundry, which the older AI-900 predated. Study for AI-901; AI-900 is no longer the active exam.
It's a fundamentals exam, so it's beginner-friendly — concept-level, no coding, and passable in one to two weeks for most people. The main effort is learning the AI terminology (model types, computer vision vs. NLP tasks, generative-AI concepts) and which Azure service maps to each. Practice questions are the fastest way to confirm you're ready.
Yes, if you want to show AI literacy quickly — it's low-cost, timely, and a good signal as employers look for AI-aware staff across roles. It's foundational, so pair it with hands-on work or a higher cert for engineering positions. See how it fits among AI certs on our State of Certifications report.
No — like all Microsoft Fundamentals certifications, Azure AI Fundamentals doesn't expire. Only Microsoft's role-based certs (associate and above) expire and need annual renewal.
It costs $99 USD. Microsoft Learn's study content is free and some events hand out exam vouchers, but the exam itself is paid — there's no permanently free version. Scheduling details are on our Azure exam info page.
Follow the free Microsoft Learn "Azure AI Fundamentals" paths to learn the concepts and service mappings, then drill practice questions until the terminology is second nature. Our AI-901 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the Playbook distills the AI concepts and Azure services the exam emphasizes.
It's Microsoft's foundational data certification — a non-coding overview of core data concepts (relational, non-relational, analytics) and the Azure data services that implement them, from Azure SQL and Cosmos DB to Synapse and Microsoft Fabric. It's aimed at anyone starting with data on Azure. The exam is around 40 questions in 45 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-900 hub for details.
Four areas: core data concepts (data types, workloads, roles), relational data on Azure, non-relational data on Azure, and analytics workloads. It's breadth over depth — you learn what each service is for and when to use it, not how to build with it. That conceptual coverage is exactly why it works as a starting point before the associate data certs.
It's an easy, beginner-friendly fundamentals exam — most people pass in one to two weeks, no hands-on experience needed. The questions test concept recognition and service matching rather than problem-solving. If data concepts are brand new to you, that's the part to spend time on. Practice questions confirm your readiness fast.
Yes, if you're moving into data or analytics work, or need to prove baseline data literacy for a role — it's cheap, quick, and a solid stepping stone toward the associate data certs (DP-100, DP-300, DP-600/700). On its own it's foundational; see how it ranks on our State of Certifications report.
Neither. DP-900 is fundamentals — all multiple-choice/multiple-response, no hands-on labs — and it's a proctored, closed-book exam (test center or online with webcam monitoring), so no notes or browsing.
No — Azure Data Fundamentals doesn't expire, like all Microsoft Fundamentals certifications. Only role-based certs (associate and above) expire and require annual renewal.
$99 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and ID details are on our Azure exam info page.
Work through the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Data Fundamentals" paths, then drill practice questions until you're consistently above 80%. Our DP-900 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the Playbook summarizes the data concepts and Azure services the exam leans on.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for Azure administrators — managing identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring/backup across Azure. It's the most popular role-based Azure cert and the usual next step after AZ-900. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-104 hub for the full domain breakdown.
It's a solid step up from AZ-900 — a real associate exam that expects hands-on familiarity with the Azure portal, PowerShell/CLI, networking, and identity. It's very passable with practice, but people who've only studied theory tend to struggle with the configuration-detail questions. Working through realistic practice questions is the best way to find the gaps.
Yes — it's one of the highest-value Azure certs, widely recognized for cloud administration and infrastructure roles and a common job requirement. Paired with hands-on experience it's a strong resume signal and salary lever. See how it ranks on our State of Certifications report.
There are no formal prerequisites — you can take AZ-104 directly, and many do. Microsoft recommends AZ-900 first if you're new to Azure and expects around six months of hands-on Azure administration experience, but neither is required. With some Azure or general IT background, going straight to AZ-104 is a common path.
It can. Microsoft role-based exams sometimes include a hands-on lab in a live Azure environment alongside case studies, though Microsoft has rotated labs in and out over time — so expect mostly multiple-choice, multiple-select, and drag-and-drop, with the possibility of a lab. Practicing in a real Azure portal is the best preparation either way.
Not programming, but you're expected to be comfortable with scripting and command-line administration — Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, and ARM/Bicep templates all show up. It's administration, not development, so it rewards operational skills rather than writing applications.
Yes — like all Microsoft role-based certs, AZ-104 expires 12 months after you earn it. Renewal is free and easy: a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that unlocks six months before expiry. Pass it and your certification extends another year, no re-exam or fee.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt requires a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts), paying again each time. Scheduling and ID details are on our Azure exam info page.
No. It's a proctored, closed-book exam — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes or browsing. Any lab section runs in an isolated Azure environment, not the open internet.
Combine the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Administrator" paths with real hands-on time in the portal and CLI, then drill scenario questions until the configuration details stick. Our AZ-104 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the hands-on lab reinforces the administration workflows the exam tests.
Pay varies by region, seniority, and company, but Azure administration is a well-compensated cloud role, and AZ-104 is often listed in the job requirements. The cert supports the salary rather than setting it — experience and scope drive the number. Our State of Certifications report puts the Azure track in context.
Common next steps are AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert), AZ-500 (Security Engineer), AZ-700 (Network Engineer), or AZ-400 (DevOps Expert), depending on your direction. Browse the full Azure track to plan your path.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for developers building cloud applications on Azure — compute solutions (App Service, Functions, containers), storage, security (Entra ID, Key Vault), plus integrating services like Cosmos DB, Service Bus, and Event Grid, and monitoring/optimizing apps. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-204 hub for the full scope.
Moderate, and genuinely developer-oriented — it assumes you can read and reason about code (typically C# or similar) and have built things on Azure. Developers with real Azure experience find it fair; people from a non-coding background find it the hardest of the associate Azure exams. Drilling realistic practice questions shows you exactly where you stand.
Yes — more than most Azure certs. You won't write full programs on the exam, but you need to understand code snippets, SDK calls, and how an application interacts with Azure services. Genuine development experience is a real advantage here, which is what sets it apart from the administration-focused AZ-104.
Yes, if you're a developer working (or wanting to work) with Azure — it validates practical cloud-development skills and is frequently listed in backend and full-stack job requirements. It pairs well with AZ-400 for a DevOps direction. See how it ranks on our State of Certifications report.
It may. Some Microsoft role-based exams include a hands-on lab in a live environment plus case studies, though Microsoft rotates labs in and out — so expect mostly multiple-choice, multiple-select, code-based, and drag-and-drop questions, with the possibility of a lab. Building real Azure apps is the best prep regardless.
As of 2026, AZ-204 is current and active — Microsoft hasn't announced a retirement or a replacement exam. Microsoft does update the exam's objectives periodically (that's normal for role-based certs), so always study against the latest published skills outline, but there's no reason to hold off waiting for a successor.
Yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it, like all Microsoft role-based certs. Renewal is free: a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry. Pass it and your cert extends another year with no re-exam or fee.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and reschedule details are on our Azure exam info page.
No. It's proctored and closed-book — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes, IDE, or internet. Any lab section runs in an isolated environment, not your own tools.
Combine the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Developer" paths with actually building on Azure — Functions, App Service, Cosmos DB, Key Vault, and messaging — then drill scenario questions until the SDK and service patterns are automatic. Our AZ-204 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the hands-on lab reinforces the developer workflows the exam tests.
The natural next step is AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert), which builds directly on developer plus operations skills. Some developers instead broaden into AZ-305 (Solutions Architect) for design depth. Browse the full Azure track to plan your path.
It's Microsoft's expert-level architecture certification — designing identity/governance, data storage, business continuity, and infrastructure solutions on Azure that meet real business requirements. It's the design counterpart to the hands-on AZ-104. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000, and includes case studies. See the AZ-305 hub for the full scope.
It's an expert exam and noticeably harder than the associates — long case-study questions where multiple designs "work" but only one best fits the stated requirements (cost, availability, security, compliance). It rewards real architecture experience and the ability to weigh trade-offs quickly. Heavy work through scenario practice questions is the best way to build that judgment.
For experienced Azure engineers and architects, yes — it's a high-prestige "expert" credential that signals cloud design ability and often aligns with senior/architect roles and pay. It's not a starting point (build associate-level knowledge first), but as a career milestone it carries real weight. See how it ranks on our State of Certifications report.
You can take it directly — there's no enforced prerequisite exam. Microsoft recommends solid experience across Azure administration, development, and DevOps first, and AZ-104 is a natural precursor, but it isn't required. Going straight to AZ-305 is doable with strong Azure experience, though most people do AZ-104 first.
AZ-305 is built around multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case-study questions rather than live labs — expect roughly 50 questions in 120 minutes, including one or more case studies that bundle several questions around a scenario. You need a scaled 700/1000 to pass, with no penalty for wrong answers.
Yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it. Renewal is free via a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry; pass it and the cert extends another year, no re-exam or fee.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt requires a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling details are on our Azure exam info page.
No. It's a proctored, closed-book exam — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes or internet access. Case studies provide all the information you need within the exam itself.
Build on solid associate-level knowledge, then focus on the design themes — identity/governance, resiliency and business continuity, data platform selection, and infrastructure — and practice reading long requirements to pick the best-fit design. Our AZ-305 question bank and Playbook target exactly those decision patterns, including the case-study style.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for developers building AI solutions on Azure — generative-AI apps and agents, natural language and knowledge mining, computer vision, and responsible AI, primarily with Azure AI Foundry and the Azure AI services. It's the refreshed successor to AI-102, updated for the shift to generative AI and agents. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AI-103 hub.
AI-103 is the current Azure AI developer associate exam, replacing the older AI-102. If you're deciding today, study for AI-103 — its objectives cover generative AI and agentic solutions on Azure AI Foundry that AI-102 predated. Always confirm the exam status and skills outline on the official Microsoft Learn page before booking, since Microsoft moves exams from beta to general availability on their own schedule.
It's a developer-focused associate exam — it assumes you can build with the Azure AI SDKs and understand generative-AI patterns (prompting, RAG, agents), not just the concepts from the AI-901 fundamentals. With hands-on Azure AI experience it's approachable; coming only from the fundamentals level, it's a real step up. Practice questions show you where the gaps are.
Yes, if you're building AI applications on Azure — it targets exactly the generative-AI and agent skills employers are hiring for, and it's more role-relevant than a purely conceptual AI cert. It suits developers already working with Azure AI rather than beginners. See how it fits among AI certs on our State of Certifications report.
It expires 12 months after you earn it (renewable free via a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry), and no — it's a proctored, closed-book exam taken at a test center or online with webcam monitoring.
Build real solutions with Azure AI Foundry and the Azure AI services — generative-AI apps, agents, RAG over your own data, and language/vision features — then use the free Microsoft Learn paths to fill gaps and drill scenario questions. Our AI-103 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the Playbook distills the services and patterns the exam emphasizes.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for running machine-learning workloads on Azure — designing and preparing ML solutions, training and evaluating models, and deploying and managing them, primarily with Azure Machine Learning. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-100 hub for the full scope.
Moderate, and it assumes real data-science and Python/ML familiarity plus hands-on Azure Machine Learning — it's less about ML theory and more about doing it on Azure (pipelines, compute, deployment, MLOps). If you have data-science experience it's fair; without it, both halves take study. Practice questions with explanations pinpoint the gaps.
Yes, if you're a data scientist or ML practitioner working on Azure — it validates the practical skills to build and operationalize models in Azure ML, which is what those roles actually do. It's specialized, so most valuable once you're in or moving toward a data-science role; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
DP-100 is current — it remains Microsoft's Azure Data Scientist Associate exam, kept up to date as Azure Machine Learning evolves. Microsoft periodically refreshes its objectives (normal for role-based certs), so study against the latest published skills outline, but it hasn't been retired.
It's built around multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case-study questions; a live lab may appear but Microsoft rotates labs in and out. Either way it's proctored and closed-book — no notes, IDE, or internet — so hands-on Azure ML practice beforehand is the best preparation.
Yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it, renewable free via a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry. Passing it extends the cert another year with no re-exam or fee.
Get hands-on in Azure Machine Learning — data prep, training, hyperparameter tuning, deployment, and MLOps pipelines — and shore up Python/ML fundamentals if needed, then drill scenario questions. Our DP-100 question bank covers every domain with explanations, and the hands-on lab reinforces the Azure ML workflow the exam tests.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for administering SQL databases on Azure — provisioning and configuring, ensuring performance and availability, automating tasks, and securing and monitoring database solutions across Azure SQL and SQL Server. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-300 hub for the full scope.
Moderate — it's detailed on SQL administration (performance tuning, high availability, security, automation) and rewards real DBA experience over memorization. If you administer SQL databases day to day it's approachable; if you're newer to database operations, the tuning and HA topics take study. Practice questions with explanations help you find weak spots.
Yes, if you're a database administrator working with SQL on Azure — it's the recognized credential for that role and maps directly to the work. It's specialized, so most valuable for DBA and data-platform positions; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
The exam is mainly multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case studies; a live lab may appear but Microsoft rotates labs in and out. And yes — like all role-based Microsoft certs it expires 12 months after you earn it, renewable free via a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry.
No. It's a proctored, closed-book exam — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes or internet access.
Get hands-on with Azure SQL provisioning, performance tuning, high-availability/disaster-recovery configurations, security, and automation, use the free Microsoft Learn "Database Administrator" paths to fill gaps, then drill scenario questions. Our DP-300 question bank and hands-on lab reinforce those administration workflows.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for analytics engineering in Microsoft Fabric — designing and building lakehouses and semantic models, preparing and transforming data, and delivering analytics with tools like Spark notebooks, dataflows, and DAX. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-600 hub for the full scope.
Moderate, and it spans a broad Fabric toolset — lakehouses, semantic models, SQL, and DAX — so the challenge is breadth plus hands-on familiarity with a still-evolving platform. If you've worked in Fabric or Power BI it's approachable; new to Fabric, expect a real learning curve. Practice questions with explanations help you gauge readiness.
Yes, if you work in analytics or BI and your organization is adopting Microsoft Fabric — it's one of the flagship Fabric certifications and tracks a fast-growing platform. It's newer and specialized, so it's most valuable for analytics-engineer and BI roles; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
Around 50 questions in 100 minutes, including case studies. It is not open book — it's a proctored, closed-book exam (test center or online with webcam monitoring), so no notes or internet. You need a scaled 700/1000 to pass.
The exam is primarily multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case studies; a live lab may appear but Microsoft rotates labs in and out. And yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it, renewable free via a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling details are on our Azure exam info page.
Get hands-on in Microsoft Fabric — build lakehouses, semantic models, and dataflows, and practice SQL and DAX — then use the free Microsoft Learn "Fabric Analytics Engineer" paths to fill gaps and drill scenario questions. Our DP-600 question bank and hands-on lab reinforce those workflows.
An analytics engineer sits between data engineering and analysis — they model and transform raw data into clean, well-structured, documented datasets that analysts and business users can trust and self-serve from. In the Microsoft Fabric context (what DP-600 certifies), that means building lakehouses and semantic models and shaping data for reporting and BI.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for data engineering in Microsoft Fabric — ingesting and transforming data, building and managing lakehouses and warehouses, orchestrating pipelines, and monitoring and optimizing data solutions with Spark, SQL, and KQL. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-700 hub for the full scope.
Moderate to challenging — it's hands-on across the Fabric data-engineering stack (pipelines, Spark, SQL, KQL, real-time), so breadth plus familiarity with an evolving platform is the main hurdle. With data-engineering or Fabric experience it's fair; new to Fabric, it takes real study. Practice questions with explanations show you where to focus.
Yes, if you're a data engineer and your organization is moving to Microsoft Fabric — it's a flagship Fabric cert on a fast-growing platform and maps directly to the role. It's newer and specialized, so most valuable for data-engineering positions; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
Around 50 questions in 120 minutes, including case studies. It is not open book — it's a proctored, closed-book exam (test center or online with webcam monitoring). You need a scaled 700/1000 to pass, with no penalty for wrong answers.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and reschedule details are on our Azure exam info page.
The exam is primarily multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case studies; a live lab may appear but Microsoft rotates labs in and out. And yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it, renewable free via a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry.
Get hands-on in Microsoft Fabric — build pipelines and lakehouses, work with Spark, SQL, and KQL, and practice ingesting and transforming data — then use the free Microsoft Learn "Fabric Data Engineer" paths to fill gaps and drill scenario questions. Our DP-700 question bank and hands-on lab reinforce those workflows.
Register through the Microsoft Learn certification dashboard, which routes to Pearson VUE to choose a test center or online proctored slot, and you can reschedule up to 24 hours before without penalty. Our Azure exam info page covers registration and ID requirements.
It's Microsoft's expert-level DevOps certification — combining people, process, and tooling to deliver software continuously on Azure: CI/CD pipelines, source control, infrastructure as code, release strategies, security/compliance in the pipeline, and observability. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-400 hub for the full scope.
It's an expert exam that spans a wide surface — Azure DevOps and GitHub, pipelines, IaC, testing, and security integration — with scenario questions that assume you've actually run DevOps practices, not just read about them. With hands-on experience it's very doable; without it, the breadth is demanding. Realistic practice questions are the best way to expose gaps.
For DevOps and platform engineers in the Microsoft ecosystem, yes — it's a respected expert credential that validates end-to-end delivery skills and tends to align with senior roles. It's not a starting point; build developer or admin fundamentals first. See how it ranks on our State of Certifications report.
You can sit AZ-400 directly — Microsoft removed the hard prerequisite. Historically it required either AZ-104 or AZ-204 first, and that background is still strongly recommended because AZ-400 assumes you understand both administration and development. But formally, no prerequisite exam is enforced today.
It centers on multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case-study questions; live hands-on labs may appear but Microsoft rotates them in and out. Expect mostly scenario-based questions about pipeline, release, and security decisions. Real experience with Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions is the best preparation.
Yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it. Renewal is free through a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry; passing it extends the cert another year with no re-exam or fee.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and reschedule details are on our Azure exam info page.
No. It's a proctored, closed-book exam — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes or internet. Case studies include everything you need within the exam.
Lean on real Azure DevOps and GitHub experience, then use the free Microsoft Learn "DevOps Engineer" paths to fill gaps in pipelines, IaC, testing, and security integration — and drill scenario questions to practice choosing the best delivery strategy. Our AZ-400 question bank and hands-on lab target those workflows directly.
Azure DevOps is Microsoft's suite for planning and shipping software — Boards for work tracking, Repos for source control, Pipelines for CI/CD, Artifacts for packages, and Test Plans. AZ-400 goes beyond the tooling to certify the practices around it (branching strategy, release management, IaC, and security), across both Azure DevOps and GitHub.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for securing Azure — managing identity and access (Entra ID), securing networking and compute, protecting data and applications, and managing security operations with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Sentinel. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-500 hub for the full breakdown.
It's one of the tougher associate exams — deep and detailed on identity, network security, and the Defender/Sentinel tooling, with configuration-level questions that reward genuine hands-on security work. If you've secured Azure environments it's fair; coming in cold, the detail is demanding. Realistic practice questions with explanations are the fastest way to find weak spots.
Yes, if you're in or moving toward cloud security — it's the recognized Azure security-engineer credential and cloud security is in high demand. It pairs well with AZ-104 or AZ-305. It's specialized, so it's most valuable once you're working in a security-adjacent role; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
No formal prerequisites — you can take it directly. Microsoft recommends solid Azure administration experience (AZ-104-level knowledge) and familiarity with security concepts first, because AZ-500 assumes you already understand core Azure services. It isn't a beginner exam, but there's no required precursor cert.
Around 50 questions in 120 minutes, mostly multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case studies; a live hands-on lab may appear, though Microsoft rotates labs in and out. You need a scaled 700/1000 to pass, with no penalty for wrong answers.
Yes — it expires 12 months after you earn it. Renewal is free via a short, unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry; passing it extends the cert another year with no re-exam or fee.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt requires a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and ID details are on our Azure exam info page.
No. It's proctored and closed-book — test center or online with webcam monitoring — so no notes or internet access.
Get hands-on with Entra ID, network security, Key Vault, and Defender for Cloud/Sentinel, use the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Security Engineer" paths to fill gaps, then drill scenario questions until the security configurations are second nature. Our AZ-500 question bank and hands-on lab reinforce exactly those areas.
It's Microsoft's associate-level certification for designing and implementing Azure networking — virtual networks and hybrid connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute), load balancing and application delivery, private access to services, and network security and monitoring. The exam is around 50 questions in 120 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-700 hub for the full scope.
It's a focused, moderately hard associate exam — narrower than AZ-104 but deeper on networking specifics (routing, ExpressRoute, private endpoints, load balancers). If you have networking experience it's very approachable; without it, the connectivity details take real study. Practice questions with explanations help you gauge readiness.
Yes, if you work in cloud networking or infrastructure — it's the recognized Azure networking credential and pairs naturally with AZ-104 or AZ-305. It's specialized, so it's most valuable in networking-focused roles; see how it compares on our State of Certifications report.
No formal prerequisites — you can take it directly. Microsoft recommends prior Azure administration experience and a solid grounding in networking concepts (IP, DNS, routing, VPN), because AZ-700 assumes that baseline. AZ-104 first is a common and sensible path, but not required.
It's primarily multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case-study questions; a live hands-on lab may appear, though Microsoft rotates labs in and out. Hands-on time building virtual networks, peering, and connectivity in the Azure portal is the best preparation regardless.
$165 USD, plus local tax. A failed attempt needs a 24-hour wait before retaking (14 days for later attempts). Scheduling and reschedule details are on our Azure exam info page.
It's a proctored, closed-book exam (no notes or internet), and yes — like all role-based Microsoft certs it expires 12 months after you earn it, renewable free via a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry.
Use the free Microsoft Learn "Azure Network Engineer" paths and get hands-on building VNets, peering, VPN/ExpressRoute, load balancers, and private endpoints, then drill scenario questions until the networking trade-offs are automatic. Our AZ-700 question bank and hands-on lab target those areas directly.
It's Microsoft's specialty certification for planning, migrating, and running SAP solutions on Azure — sizing and designing the infrastructure, migrating SAP workloads (including S/4HANA and HANA), and operating them for performance, availability, and security. It's aimed at architects and engineers who work at the intersection of SAP and Azure. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the AZ-120 hub for the full scope.
It's a narrow, high-value specialty for people running SAP on Azure — SAP Basis administrators, cloud architects, and consultants involved in SAP-to-Azure migrations. If that's your world, it's a strong differentiator because the SAP-plus-Azure skill set is rare and well paid; if it isn't, a general Azure cert (AZ-104 or AZ-305) is the better choice. See how the Azure track compares on our State of Certifications report.
Combine solid Azure infrastructure knowledge (AZ-104/AZ-305-level) with real SAP experience, then focus on SAP-specific Azure guidance — reference architectures, sizing, HANA on Azure, and migration approaches. Our AZ-120 question bank covers the exam domains with explanations, and the Playbook distills the SAP-on-Azure patterns it tests.
It's Microsoft's specialty certification for building applications on Azure Cosmos DB — designing and implementing data models and partitioning, writing efficient queries, optimizing for performance and cost (request units), and integrating and maintaining Cosmos DB solutions, primarily via the NoSQL API. The exam is around 50 questions in 100 minutes, passing at 700/1000. See the DP-420 hub for the full scope.
It's a focused specialty exam that assumes real development experience with Cosmos DB — partition-key design, RU optimization, and the SDKs — so it's more demanding than a fundamentals cert but narrow in scope. It's worth it if you build on Cosmos DB or work with high-scale NoSQL on Azure, where the skill set is uncommon; otherwise a broader developer cert (AZ-204) fits better. See how the Azure track compares on our State of Certifications report.
Azure Cosmos DB is Microsoft's globally-distributed, multi-model NoSQL database, built for low-latency, high-scale apps with multiple APIs (NoSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table). It isn't free in general — you pay for throughput (request units) and storage — but there's a free tier that covers a set amount of throughput and storage per account, which is plenty for learning and small projects while you prepare for DP-420.
Build a real app on Cosmos DB — practice data modeling and partition-key choices, tune queries and RUs, and use the SDKs and change feed — then use the free Microsoft Learn "Cosmos DB Developer" paths to fill gaps and drill scenario questions. Our DP-420 question bank covers the exam domains with explanations, and the hands-on lab reinforces the developer workflows it tests.