AZ-900 Study Guide
The AZ-900 exam is Microsoft’s foundational certification for Azure and cloud computing. This study guide covers the current AZ-900 exam objectives, including cloud concepts, Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance.
Use this guide to understand the concepts behind Azure services rather than simply memorizing service names. You will learn how cloud models work, how Azure is organized, which services address common requirements, and how Azure resources are managed, secured, monitored, and governed.
AZ-900 Exam Overview
Understanding the exam structure helps you organize your preparation around the areas Microsoft currently measures.
| Exam code | AZ-900 |
|---|---|
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals |
| Level | Beginner |
| Exam duration | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 or higher |
| Exam price | $99 USD* — varies by country or region |
| Current skills measured | July 20, 2026 |
*Microsoft notes that certification exam pricing varies by country or region. Check Microsoft’s official certification information when scheduling your exam for the latest price and registration details.
What Does the AZ-900 Exam Cover?
The current AZ-900 exam objectives are divided into three major knowledge areas. The percentages represent the approximate weight assigned to each domain.
Describe Cloud Concepts
Understand cloud computing, shared responsibility, public, private, and hybrid cloud models, consumption-based pricing, cloud benefits, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and serverless computing.
Describe Azure Architecture and Services
Learn how Azure is organized through regions, availability zones, resources, resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups, along with core compute, networking, storage, identity, and security services.
Describe Azure Management and Governance
Study Azure cost management, governance, compliance, resource management, deployment tools, monitoring, and services that help organizations manage Azure environments.
How to Use This AZ-900 Study Guide
AZ-900 tests foundational understanding, so your preparation should focus on knowing what Azure services do and when they are appropriate, not just memorizing definitions.
Start by learning the concept, then compare related Azure services and identify the problem each service is designed to solve. After that, test your understanding with scenario-based questions and review the topics where you make mistakes.
Describe Cloud Concepts
Cloud concepts are the foundation of the AZ-900 exam. Before learning individual Azure services, you should understand how cloud computing works, how responsibilities are divided between providers and customers, and why organizations use different cloud models and service types.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing resources and services over a network instead of requiring an organization to own and operate all of the underlying physical infrastructure.
These resources can include computing power, storage, networking, databases, applications, and other technology services. Instead of purchasing hardware in advance, organizations can obtain resources when they need them and adjust their usage as requirements change.
Shared Responsibility Model
Moving to the cloud does not mean that the cloud provider becomes responsible for everything. Security and operational responsibilities are shared between the cloud provider and the customer.
The exact division of responsibility depends on the type of cloud service being used. In general, the provider is responsible for the underlying physical infrastructure, while the customer retains responsibility for aspects of the environment they control.
Cloud Provider
- Physical datacenter infrastructure
- Physical networking infrastructure
- Physical hosts and facilities
- Underlying cloud platform infrastructure
Customer
- Data and identities
- Access configuration
- Customer-managed applications
- Resources and settings they control
The balance changes across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Generally, the more managed the service is, the more responsibility is handled by the cloud provider.
Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud
Cloud environments can be classified according to who owns and operates the infrastructure and how resources are made available. AZ-900 expects you to understand the characteristics and appropriate use cases of public, private, and hybrid cloud models.
Public Cloud
Infrastructure is provided by a cloud provider and shared across multiple customers while customer resources remain logically isolated.
Common use: Organizations that want scalable cloud resources without owning the underlying datacenter infrastructure.Private Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is dedicated to a single organization and can be hosted in an organization’s own environment or through a dedicated arrangement.
Common use: Organizations that require greater control over dedicated infrastructure or have specific operational requirements.Hybrid Cloud
Combines public and private cloud environments so that an organization can use resources across both environments.
Common use: Organizations that need to retain some workloads in a private environment while using public cloud services for other workloads.Consumption-Based Model
A consumption-based model allows customers to pay for cloud resources based on their usage instead of purchasing all infrastructure upfront.
This model can reduce the need for large initial hardware investments and allows organizations to increase or decrease resource usage as demand changes.
A company experiences significantly higher application traffic during a seasonal event. With cloud resources, it can increase capacity during the period of higher demand and reduce resources afterward.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Microsoft identifies several important benefits that you should understand for AZ-900. These benefits explain why organizations use cloud computing instead of relying exclusively on traditional on-premises infrastructure.
Scalability
The ability to increase or decrease resources to meet changing workload requirements.
Elasticity
The ability to automatically or quickly adjust resources as demand changes.
Reliability
Cloud architecture can use distributed infrastructure and redundancy to support resilient applications and services.
Predictability
Cloud platforms provide tools and models that help organizations understand expected performance and costs.
Agility
Organizations can provision and change resources more quickly than with traditional hardware procurement processes.
Manageability
Cloud environments provide centralized tools for deploying, configuring, monitoring, and managing resources.
IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and Serverless
One of the most important AZ-900 concepts is understanding how cloud service models differ. The main distinction is how much of the underlying infrastructure and platform is managed by the provider.
| Model | What it provides | Customer focus | Typical example |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | Infrastructure resources such as virtual machines, storage, and networking. | Customer manages more of the operating environment. | Azure Virtual Machines |
| PaaS | A managed platform for developing and running applications. | Customer focuses more on application development and data. | Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Complete software applications delivered as services. | Customer primarily uses and configures the application. | Microsoft 365 |
| Serverless | Cloud execution where infrastructure management is largely handled by the provider. | Customer focuses on application logic rather than managing servers. | Azure Functions |
What You Should Know Before Moving On
- What cloud computing means and why organizations use it.
- How the shared responsibility model works.
- The differences between public, private, and hybrid cloud.
- How consumption-based pricing differs from traditional infrastructure purchasing.
- The meaning of scalability, elasticity, reliability, predictability, agility, and manageability.
- The differences between IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and serverless computing.
- Which service model gives the customer more or less infrastructure responsibility.
Describe Azure Architecture and Services
Azure provides a large collection of cloud services, but understanding how those services fit together is more important than memorizing a long list of product names. This domain covers Azure’s global infrastructure, resource organization, compute, networking, storage, identity, and security services.
Azure Global Infrastructure
Azure operates through a global infrastructure made up of physical datacenters and geographically distributed regions. Understanding the relationship between regions, availability zones, and datacenters is important when considering application availability, performance, and resilience.
Azure Regions
An Azure region is a geographic area that contains one or more datacenters connected through a dedicated regional network. When deploying resources, the selected region determines where the associated Azure resources are hosted.
Region Pairs
Azure regions are grouped into region pairs in many parts of the world. Region pairs are designed to support certain resilience, disaster recovery, and platform update scenarios.
Sovereign Regions
Sovereign regions are isolated Azure environments designed to meet specific regulatory, compliance, or governmental requirements.
Availability Zones
Availability Zones are physically separate locations within an Azure region. Each zone has independent power, cooling, and networking infrastructure, helping protect applications from failures affecting a single datacenter location.
Azure Resources and Resource Organization
Azure uses a hierarchy to organize and manage resources. Understanding this hierarchy helps explain how resources are grouped, governed, and managed across an organization.
Azure Resources
A resource is an instance of an Azure service that you deploy and manage. Examples include virtual machines, storage accounts, virtual networks, and web applications.
Resource Groups
A resource group is a logical container for related Azure resources. Resources in a group can be managed together, making resource groups useful for organizing applications and their associated components.
Subscriptions
An Azure subscription provides a boundary for Azure resource management and billing. Organizations can use multiple subscriptions to separate environments, departments, workloads, or other administrative boundaries.
Management Groups
Management groups provide a higher-level organizational layer above subscriptions. They allow governance and policies to be applied across multiple subscriptions.
Azure Compute Services
Azure provides several compute options for running applications and workloads. The appropriate service depends on the workload, infrastructure requirements, scaling needs, and amount of management the organization wants to perform.
Azure Virtual Machines
Virtual Machines provide configurable computing infrastructure in Azure. They give customers significant control over the operating system and virtual machine environment.
Virtual Machine Scale Sets
VM Scale Sets allow organizations to create and manage groups of load-balanced virtual machines that can scale according to workload requirements.
Azure Virtual Desktop
Azure Virtual Desktop provides a cloud-based desktop and application virtualization service for delivering Windows desktops and applications to users.
Azure App Service
App Service is a managed platform for hosting web applications, APIs, and related application workloads without managing the underlying virtual machine infrastructure.
Azure Functions
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service designed to run application code in response to events or triggers.
Azure Container Services
Azure provides services and capabilities for running containerized applications, allowing applications to be packaged with their dependencies and deployed consistently.
Azure Networking Services
Azure networking services provide connectivity between Azure resources, on-premises environments, users, applications, and the internet.
Azure Virtual Network
An Azure Virtual Network, or VNet, provides a private networking environment for Azure resources. VNets can be divided into subnets to organize resources and control network traffic.
Subnets
Subnets divide a virtual network into smaller network segments. Resources can be placed into appropriate subnets to support network organization and security requirements.
Virtual Network Peering
VNet peering connects virtual networks so resources in those networks can communicate using the Azure network infrastructure.
Azure DNS
Azure DNS provides DNS hosting and name resolution capabilities using Azure infrastructure.
VPN Gateway
Azure VPN Gateway provides encrypted connections between Azure virtual networks and other networks, including on-premises environments.
Azure ExpressRoute
ExpressRoute provides a private connection between an organization’s network and Microsoft cloud services without using the public internet for the connection.
Public and Private Endpoints
Public Endpoint
Provides access to a service through a publicly accessible network endpoint.
Private Endpoint
Provides private connectivity to supported Azure services through a private IP address in an Azure virtual network.
Azure Storage Services
Azure Storage provides cloud storage capabilities for different types of data and workload requirements. The AZ-900 objectives include storage accounts, storage tiers, redundancy options, and several tools for transferring and managing data.
Azure Storage Accounts
A storage account provides a namespace and management boundary for Azure Storage data. Storage accounts can support different storage services and configuration options.
Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage is designed for storing large amounts of unstructured data such as documents, images, videos, backups, and application data.
Azure Files
Azure Files provides managed cloud file shares that can be accessed by applications and users using standard file-sharing protocols.
Managed Disks
Azure managed disks provide persistent block storage for Azure virtual machines.
Storage Access Tiers
Storage Redundancy
Azure Storage provides redundancy options that determine how copies of data are maintained. The choice depends on the required durability, availability, and geographic protection.
Azure Storage Tools
- AzCopy: command-line utility for copying data to and from Azure Storage.
- Azure Storage Explorer: graphical tool for working with Azure Storage resources and data.
- Azure File Sync: synchronizes Azure file shares with Windows Server environments.
- Azure Migrate: helps assess and migrate workloads to Azure.
- Azure Data Box: provides physical devices for transferring large amounts of data to and from Azure.
Azure Identity, Access, and Security
Identity and security are core parts of Azure architecture. AZ-900 expects you to understand the purpose of Azure identity services, authentication and authorization concepts, access controls, and foundational security principles.
Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service. It provides capabilities for authentication, authorization, identity management, and access to resources and applications.
Microsoft Entra Domain Services
Microsoft Entra Domain Services provides managed domain services such as domain join, Group Policy, LDAP, and Kerberos or NTLM authentication without requiring customers to deploy and maintain domain controllers themselves.
Single Sign-On
Single sign-on, or SSO, allows users to authenticate once and then access multiple applications without repeatedly entering their credentials.
Multifactor Authentication
Multifactor authentication requires users to provide additional verification beyond a password, helping reduce the risk associated with compromised credentials.
Passwordless Authentication
Passwordless authentication allows users to authenticate without relying on a traditional password, using supported authentication methods instead.
External Identities
External identities allow organizations to work with users outside their own organization while controlling how those users access applications and resources.
Conditional Access
Conditional Access uses signals such as user, location, device, and application context to apply access policies.
Azure Role-Based Access Control
Azure RBAC provides fine-grained access management by assigning roles to users, groups, service principals, and managed identities at appropriate scopes.
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security approach based on the principle of verifying explicitly, using least-privilege access, and assuming that threats can exist inside or outside traditional network boundaries.
Defense in Depth
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls so that the failure or compromise of one layer does not automatically expose the entire environment.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides security posture management and workload protection capabilities that help organizations identify and address security risks across cloud environments.
What You Should Know Before Moving On
- How Azure regions, region pairs, availability zones, datacenters, and sovereign regions differ.
- How management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, and resources are organized.
- When Azure Virtual Machines, VM Scale Sets, Azure Virtual Desktop, App Service, Functions, and containers are appropriate.
- The purpose of VNets, subnets, peering, Azure DNS, VPN Gateway, and ExpressRoute.
- The difference between public and private endpoints.
- The purpose of Azure Storage accounts, Blob Storage, Azure Files, and managed disks.
- How storage access tiers and redundancy affect storage design.
- When to use AzCopy, Storage Explorer, Azure File Sync, Azure Migrate, and Data Box.
- The purpose of Microsoft Entra ID and Entra Domain Services.
- The differences between SSO, MFA, passwordless authentication, Conditional Access, and RBAC.
- The principles of Zero Trust and defense in depth.
- The purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Describe Azure Management and Governance
Azure management and governance focuses on controlling cloud costs, enforcing organizational requirements, deploying and managing resources, and monitoring the health and performance of Azure environments.
For AZ-900, focus on understanding what each management and governance service is designed to do and when an organization would use it.
Azure Cost Management
Cloud resources are consumption-based, so understanding the factors that affect Azure costs is an important part of the AZ-900 exam. Different services, configurations, usage levels, and purchasing options can produce different costs.
Factors That Affect Azure Cost
- Resource type: Different Azure services have different pricing models.
- Usage: Higher consumption can result in higher costs for usage-based services.
- Location: Pricing can vary between Azure regions.
- Service configuration: The selected size, performance level, storage option, or other configuration can affect cost.
- Bandwidth: Data transfer requirements can contribute to overall cloud costs.
- Purchasing options: Available pricing and purchasing options can affect the overall cost of running workloads.
Azure Pricing Calculator
The Azure Pricing Calculator helps estimate the expected cost of Azure services before deployment. It allows you to select services, configurations, quantities, and other assumptions to build a cost estimate.
Azure Cost Management
Azure Cost Management provides tools for analyzing, monitoring, and controlling Azure spending. Organizations can use it to understand where money is being spent and identify opportunities to manage costs.
Azure Tags
Tags are name-value pairs that can be attached to Azure resources. Organizations can use tags to organize resources and support cost analysis, reporting, and management.
Governance and Compliance
Azure governance helps organizations maintain control over resources and ensure that cloud environments follow organizational and regulatory requirements.
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview provides data governance and compliance capabilities that help organizations discover, understand, and manage data across their environment.
Azure Policy
Azure Policy helps organizations enforce organizational standards and assess compliance across Azure resources. Policies can identify resources that do not meet defined requirements and can be used to enforce specific configurations.
An organization wants all storage resources to follow a particular configuration standard. Azure Policy can be used to define and evaluate the required configuration across the environment.
Resource Locks
Resource locks help prevent accidental deletion or modification of important Azure resources. Locks can be applied at appropriate scopes and are useful when resources must be protected from unintended changes.
Read-Only Lock
Prevents users from modifying a resource while still allowing read access.
Delete Lock
Prevents a resource from being deleted while allowing permitted modifications.
Azure Management and Deployment Tools
Azure provides several tools for creating, configuring, deploying, and managing resources. The appropriate tool depends on the task and the user’s preferred management approach.
Azure Portal
A web-based graphical interface for creating, configuring, monitoring, and managing Azure resources.
Azure Cloud Shell
A browser-accessible shell environment that provides command-line tools for managing Azure resources.
Azure CLI
A command-line interface for creating and managing Azure resources through commands.
Azure PowerShell
A PowerShell-based management interface that provides commands for working with Azure resources.
Azure Arc
Extends Azure management capabilities to resources and infrastructure outside Azure, including on-premises and multicloud environments.
Infrastructure as Code
Allows infrastructure to be defined and deployed using declarative configuration rather than manually creating every resource.
Azure Resource Manager Templates
Azure Resource Manager templates allow infrastructure to be described declaratively so that Azure resources can be deployed in a consistent and repeatable way.
Azure Monitoring and Recommendations
Azure provides several services for understanding resource health, monitoring workloads, identifying issues, and receiving recommendations.
Azure Advisor
Azure Advisor analyzes Azure resources and provides recommendations intended to help improve areas such as cost, performance, reliability, security, and operational efficiency.
Azure Service Health
Azure Service Health provides information about Azure service issues that may affect your resources and environment. It helps organizations understand service incidents, planned maintenance, and other service-related events.
Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor collects and analyzes monitoring data from Azure resources and applications. It helps organizations understand performance, detect issues, and respond to changing conditions.
Log Analytics
Log Analytics is a capability within Azure Monitor used to query and analyze log data collected from monitored resources and environments.
Alerts
Azure Monitor alerts can notify users when monitoring data meets defined conditions. Alerts help teams respond to issues before they become larger operational problems.
Application Insights
Application Insights is an Azure Monitor feature for monitoring application performance and behavior. It can help developers and operations teams identify application failures, performance problems, and usage patterns.
What You Should Know Before Moving On
- Which factors can affect Azure costs.
- The difference between the Azure Pricing Calculator and Cost Management.
- How tags can help organize and analyze Azure resources.
- The purpose of Microsoft Purview, Azure Policy, and resource locks.
- The difference between a read-only lock and a delete lock.
- When to use the Azure Portal, Cloud Shell, CLI, and PowerShell.
- What Azure Arc provides for resources outside Azure.
- What Infrastructure as Code means and why it supports repeatable deployments.
- The purpose of Azure Resource Manager templates.
- The differences between Advisor, Service Health, Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and Application Insights.
How to Study for the AZ-900 Exam
A good AZ-900 preparation plan combines concept learning, hands-on familiarity with Azure services, practice questions, and targeted review. The goal is not to memorize every Azure product, but to understand the concepts and recognize which service or approach fits a given requirement.
Use a Learn, Practice, Review, and Repeat Approach
Start with the official exam objectives and work through each domain in order. Once you understand a topic, test yourself with questions that require you to apply the concept rather than simply recall a definition.
Learn
Study the concept and understand what problem the Azure service or technology is designed to solve.
Practice
Answer scenario-based questions and explain why the selected answer is appropriate.
Review
Identify incorrect answers and return to the underlying concept instead of simply memorizing the correct option.
Repeat
Revisit weaker areas until you can explain the concept without relying on memorized wording.
Study the AZ-900 Domains in the Right Order
The three domains build on each other. Start with cloud concepts, then move into Azure architecture and services, and finish with management and governance.
This sequence helps because many management and governance concepts become easier to understand after you know what Azure resources and services are and how they are organized.
7-Day AZ-900 Study Plan
A one-week plan works best when you already have some basic exposure to cloud computing or IT concepts and can dedicate focused study time each day.
| Day | Focus | What to Study |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Cloud Concepts | Cloud computing, deployment models, shared responsibility, consumption-based model, and cloud benefits. |
| Day 2 | Service Models | IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, serverless computing, and differences in customer and provider responsibilities. |
| Day 3 | Azure Architecture | Regions, availability zones, datacenters, resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups. |
| Day 4 | Azure Services | Compute, networking, and storage services. |
| Day 5 | Identity & Security | Microsoft Entra ID, MFA, SSO, Conditional Access, RBAC, Zero Trust, defense in depth, and Defender for Cloud. |
| Day 6 | Management & Governance | Cost management, governance, Policy, locks, management tools, ARM templates, monitoring, and Advisor. |
| Day 7 | Review & Practice | Review weak areas, answer practice questions, and revisit concepts behind incorrect answers. |
14-Day AZ-900 Study Plan
A two-week schedule provides more time to understand the concepts and practice applying them. This can be useful if you are new to Azure or cloud computing.
Use Practice Questions to Test Understanding
Reading Azure documentation is only one part of exam preparation. Practice questions help you determine whether you can apply what you have learned to a specific scenario.
When reviewing an incorrect answer, do not stop at identifying the correct option. Go back to the concept and ask why the other choices do not fit the requirement. This helps build the type of understanding needed for scenario-based questions.
Practice AZ-900 QuestionsHow to Review Your Weak Areas
Keep track of the concepts you repeatedly miss rather than simply counting your correct answers. Your review should focus on the reason behind each mistake.
Before scheduling your exam, make sure you can explain the major AZ-900 concepts in your own words, distinguish commonly confused Azure services, and apply the concepts to short scenarios without relying entirely on memorized answers.
Official AZ-900 Resources
Microsoft’s official AZ-900 resources should be part of your exam preparation. They provide the current skills measured, learning material, practice opportunities, and information about the certification exam.
AZ-900 Study Guide
Microsoft’s official Study Guide explains what the AZ-900 exam measures and provides the current domain structure, skills, and additional preparation resources.
- Current AZ-900 skills measured
- Domain weightings
- Exam preparation guidance
- Additional Microsoft resources
Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Learn provides structured Azure learning content covering the concepts and services included in the AZ-900 objectives.
- Cloud concepts
- Azure architecture and services
- Azure management and governance
- Azure fundamentals learning content
Practice Assessment
Microsoft’s Practice Assessment allows you to test your current knowledge and identify areas that need additional review before taking the certification exam.
- Check your current knowledge
- Identify weaker topics
- Practice applying concepts
- Guide your final review
Exam Sandbox
The Exam Sandbox helps candidates become familiar with the Microsoft certification exam environment and the types of interactions that may appear during an assessment.
- Explore the exam interface
- Understand available interactions
- Become familiar with the testing experience
Review the current certification information, exam objectives, learning resources, and available preparation tools directly from Microsoft.
Microsoft’s AZ-900 skills measured document was updated on July 20, 2026. Use the current objectives as your preparation checklist and make sure you have reviewed all three exam domains before scheduling your exam.
AZ-900 Exam Preparation Strategy
Preparing for AZ-900 is more effective when you focus on understanding concepts and applying them to scenarios instead of relying only on memorization. Your final preparation should help you recognize the purpose of Azure services, distinguish similar concepts, and identify the requirement described in a question.
Learn to Identify What a Question Is Really Asking
Many certification questions contain additional information that can make a simple requirement appear more complicated. Before looking for an answer, identify the main requirement in the scenario.
Know the Differences Between Commonly Confused Concepts
Some AZ-900 topics are easier to understand when studied as comparisons. Instead of learning each term independently, understand what makes the concepts different and when each one is appropriate.
Do More Than Count Your Practice Score
A practice score is useful, but the most valuable part of practice is understanding why you answered a question incorrectly.
What to Do in the Final Days Before AZ-900
Your final review should focus on consolidation rather than trying to learn a large number of new topics at once.
- Review all three AZ-900 domains and their major objectives.
- Revisit concepts you repeatedly missed during practice.
- Compare Azure services that you frequently confuse.
- Review Microsoft terminology and current service names.
- Complete a final practice session under realistic time conditions.
- Review explanations for questions you answered incorrectly or guessed.
- Avoid replacing your entire study strategy with last-minute memorization.
Are You Ready for the AZ-900 Exam?
There is no single practice score that can determine whether someone is ready for the certification exam. A stronger readiness check is whether you can consistently explain the major concepts and apply them to unfamiliar scenarios.
I can explain the difference between public, private, and hybrid cloud.
I understand shared responsibility and the differences between IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and serverless.
I can explain the purpose of major Azure compute, networking, storage, identity, and security services.
I understand how Azure resources are organized through management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, and resources.
I know the purpose of Azure Policy, resource locks, Cost Management, and the Pricing Calculator.
I can distinguish Azure Advisor, Service Health, Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and Application Insights.
I can explain why an answer fits a scenario rather than simply recognizing a familiar service name.
The current AZ-900 objectives are divided into three domains: cloud concepts, Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance. Use those objectives as your final checklist instead of trying to memorize every Azure service.
AZ-900 Frequently Asked Questions
These answers cover common questions about the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam, preparation, difficulty, scoring, and certification process.
What is the AZ-900 exam?
AZ-900 is the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam. It validates foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance.
Is AZ-900 suitable for beginners?
Yes. Microsoft classifies Azure Fundamentals as a beginner-level certification. It is designed for people who want to demonstrate foundational knowledge of cloud computing and Azure.
How long is the AZ-900 exam?
The current AZ-900 exam duration is 45 minutes. Microsoft states that the exam is proctored and may include interactive components.
What score do I need to pass AZ-900?
Microsoft requires a score of 700 or higher to pass the AZ-900 exam.
How much does the AZ-900 exam cost?
Microsoft currently lists the AZ-900 exam price as $99 USD. However, certification exam pricing varies by country or region, so check Microsoft’s current certification information before registering.
What topics are covered in the AZ-900 exam?
The current AZ-900 objectives are divided into three domains: Describe Cloud Concepts at 25–30%, Describe Azure Architecture and Services at 35–40%, and Describe Azure Management and Governance at 30–35%.
Do I need previous Azure experience for AZ-900?
AZ-900 is designed as a foundational certification, so advanced Azure administration experience is not required. However, basic familiarity with cloud computing or general IT concepts can make the learning process easier.
How long should I study for AZ-900?
The amount of study time depends on your existing knowledge and how much time you can dedicate each day. Someone familiar with cloud concepts may need a shorter preparation period, while a complete beginner may benefit from a longer schedule that includes concept learning and practice.
Is AZ-900 difficult?
AZ-900 is a beginner-level certification, but preparation is still important because the exam tests your understanding of Azure and cloud concepts across several domains. The difficulty you experience will depend largely on your existing knowledge and preparation.
What is the best way to prepare for AZ-900?
Start with the current Microsoft exam objectives, learn the concepts within each domain, review Microsoft’s official learning resources, and then use practice questions to identify and review weak areas. Focus on understanding why an answer is correct rather than memorizing individual answers.
Does AZ-900 expire?
Microsoft certification renewal requirements can change over time. Check the current Microsoft certification information for the latest renewal and validity details rather than relying on older AZ-900 information published elsewhere.
Can AZ-900 help me prepare for other Azure certifications?
AZ-900 can provide a foundation for understanding Azure services and cloud concepts. It can therefore be useful preparation before moving toward more specialized or role-based Azure certifications, depending on your career and learning goals.
Ready to Continue Your AZ-900 Preparation?
A strong AZ-900 preparation plan starts with understanding the exam objectives, learning the core Azure concepts, and reviewing the areas where your knowledge needs improvement.
Use the current Microsoft objectives as your checklist, continue practicing across all three domains, and review the reasoning behind questions you find difficult. Consistent practice can help reinforce the concepts covered throughout this study guide.