Microsoft Azure Certifications: The Definitive Guide

This post will discuss the benefits of becoming certified for Microsoft Azure. It will also explain the qualifications available and how to prepare for each exam.

In the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, Microsoft Azure revenue increased by 31%. Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing service, which is used to build a wide range of scalable solutions for various use cases.

Azure's main competitors are Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud.

What Is Azure Certification?

This article, as with all things cloud-related, will soon be outdated as soon as it is published by the editors.

There are numerous Azure exams that fall into various tracks. Most of you who are reading this are probably infrastructure/platform engineers like me, and you should concentrate just on the Azure administrator (AZ-104/AZ-10x) exam but also possibly the Azure networking solutions (AZ-700) for the top azure coders.

There will be two tracks: developer and security. This track contains a great deal more Microsoft 365 material. There are general exams as well as specific exams.

An example of such an exam is the Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140).

How To Do Expert Certification?

Expert certification can be obtained by combining exams. Here are a few examples:

• By trying to pass Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) as well as Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, you can become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).

  This certificate is intended for Azure generalists.

• Cybersecurity Architect Expert: You must pass the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect (SC100) exam as well as one of the following: Azure Security Engineer Associate, Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300), Security Administrator Associate Associate (MS-500), Security Operations Analyst Associate Associate (SC-202) or Security Operations Analyst Associate Associate (SC-202).

  If you're a security expert, this is the right target for you.

• DevOps Expert: This exam requires you to have passed Designing as well as Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions (AZ-400) as well as Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Azure Developer Associate (AZ-105) (AZ-204).

  Despite its difficulty, this exam recognizes experts who really can deploy Azure solutions in such a modern and agile manner.

The Value Of Certification

Around 1998, few took their first Microsoft certification exam. But the exam was a failure for some. It was an awful experience that shaped our opinion about Microsoft exams over the years.

Several of the questions have been difficult to understand and poorly written. Several of the demands were ambiguous.

The answers were often based on outdated material or marketing.

Since then, we've only considered exams for which we know we are an expert on a subject and appear to know more than the individuals who asked the questions.

Because of changes in graphics and memory management brought about by the Windows Server Service Pack, many of my "appropriate" answers to Hyper-V certifications have been incorrect.

It was a lot of fun. Questions and answers are quickly changing in the age of the constantly evolving cloud.

Interviewers always are concerned when CVs/resumes contain an excessive number of certifications. Assuming the candidate has a lot of facts memorized but no context knowledge.

We believe that people can pass exams even though they understand the "puzzle" and can rote learn.

The certification process does not appeal to us. It's not something people enjoy doing, but it's necessary.

We previously stated to have been unemployed around 2001 and 2002 and also that you can utilize Microsoft certifications to change careers as well as your business.

An insufficiency of knowledge or experience on the part of an IT manager and otherwise human resources employee can be a major impediment to a job search.

Even these people evaluate individuals based on certifications; it makes no difference if your cloud project is among the most advanced for just a large SaaS company using Terraform and GitOps; if you don't have AZ104, you won't be able to do the job.

Management will put pressure on Microsoft partners' engineers, consultants, and dedicated Azure developers to take exams.

The Microsoft partner programme awards competencies to partners as a measure of capability. This illogical procedure is heavily based on revenue figures as well as company size.

At least each member of staff must have current certifications there in relevant areas for each competency.

A certification is proof of accomplishment. It has the potential to be a self-measurement tool, such as when a jogger runs to stay fit.

Your employer might use it to give you the time and/or money you need to learn about a particular topic.

Booking An Azure certification Exam

Online booking is required for all exams. The Microsoft certification online site will usually link you to the Pearson VUE booking system.

There are two options for exam venues.

• A test center located at a physical address

• Online exam

On the day before your exam, you must check out at the testing center. After signing in, individuals are directed to a computer that allows them to take the exam.

If you decide to take an online exam, you must prepare thoroughly. You will be requested to download a tool to test your computer before booking.

You must keep your desk as well as your surroundings clean. A photo of the area will be required before you can take the exam.

An online proctor asked me to use my external camera to demonstrate more detail and to show that my laptop's power supply really wasn't working.

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Preparing for the Azure certification exam

Microsoft certifications are primarily based on rote learning of small chunks of text from the internet. Several of the questions directly refer to those texts.

There are two information sources available:

• Azure documentation

• Microsoft Learn

There have also been training courses available. Official Microsoft training can sometimes be costly, and interactive courses do not cover enough material to pass exams.

My college-age friends who went to Microsoft University (a benefit of a Premier support contract with customized instruction) all got certified quickly.

As a result, I'd like to make some observational data regarding paper qualifications that aren't based on experience.

Navigate to the exam link, including such AZ104 Azure Administrator Associate. You can find preparation information online, whether you pay for instructor-led training or not.

There are numerous study guides available in the online community, each of which maps exam requirements to online learning material.

There are many people who stand out, with numerous lessons and exam tips on his Technical Education YouTube channel (thousands of video courses).

Despite the length of the videos, many people prefer or require video training (thousands of video courses) over text-based training.

There are also online practice exams available. These practice exams can be extremely beneficial for individuals who have never chosen to take a Microsoft exam

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Passing An Azure Certification Exam

Azure fundamentals certification (AZ900) was one of the exams people took. The exam is relatively simple, with many questions regarding the infrastructure as a service as well as Platform as a Service.

The format was simple and multiple-choice. There were no unexpected outcomes. My outcome was available in a short amount of time.

Implementing and designing Microsoft Azure network solutions was the second exam (AZ-700). This exam seems to be my specialty in Azure.

There were many question types:

• Multiple-choice questions are the norm.

• One scenario in which there were several solutions, and you had to tell if they solved your problem.

  This section does not allow you to go back to any previous questions.

  If none of the solutions work, don't be surprised.

• There are a few complicated situations that will test your knowledge about routing, peering, and connectivity.

• It was a hands-on lab people didn't expect.

This practical lab will introduce you to the Azure Portal. You had about a hundred different tasks to complete. Several of these take a long time to complete in the backend.

Unless you normally work with infrastructure-as-code and have never really completed this work in the portal recently, none of the tasks were particularly difficult.

• Take the time to read and complete the task.

  Pay particular attention to the names.

• Do not put off finishing long-running tasks.

  You can mark tasks even though completed and return later to inspect them using the checklist system.

  The list was lengthy, and I

Lab work is either inspected by a person or an automated process. My result was not available until people had waited for it.

Renewal Of Azure Certification

Microsoft certifications were once valid for the life of the product. Azure is continually changing and introducing new features.

To reflect this change, Microsoft cloud certifications can really be renewed for a year. Every year, you must take a renewal exam to maintain your Azure certification acceptable (which can be done online).

This is to demonstrate that you are technologically savvy.

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Azure Certifications: Which Is The Best Fit For Both You And Your Team?

Cloud computing services is one of the fastest-growing segments of the technology industry. According to Canalys, the global cloud infrastructure services market increased 33% year on year in the second quarter of 2024.

Microsoft Azure's revenue increased by 40%, outpacing the industry average. It is the second-largest public cloud vendor, with three times the revenue of Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and it is rapidly catching up to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Because of this rapid expansion, the number of jobs requiring Azure skills has increased significantly. Certifications are an excellent way to demonstrate that you possess these abilities.

The most common Microsoft Azure certification exams will be covered in this article. It will also assist you in deciding on a career path.

The Microsoft Azure Training Library at Cloud Academy includes a variety of learning paths, interactive courses, and practice exams.

There are also lab challenges, lab labs, as well as playgrounds. These learning paths offer guided learning experiences with step-by-step instruction to help users improve their technical skills (critical skills) and practical knowledge while using real Azure accounts throughout real environments.

Also Read: Is Azure free for Developers

Azure Certifications

Certifications for Microsoft Azure are based on roles. Examples of titles include Azure Administrator (or Azure Solution Architect), Azure Developer (or Azure AI Engineer), and Azure Administrator (or Azure Developer).

They are classified into four levels: Fundamentals, Associate, Specialty, and Expert. These certifications are intended to assist you in gaining knowledge and skills related to your job role.

These certifications were developed with the community's help in determining the requirements for each role.

This post will cover all Azure certifications.

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals-Level Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - Exam AZ-900

• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals - Exam AI-900

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals - Exam DP-900

• Microsoft Certified: Security Compliance and Identity Fundamentals - Exam SC-900

Microsoft Azure Associate-Level certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate - Exam AZ-104

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate - Exam AZ-204

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate Exam AZ-500

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate - Exam AZ-700

• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate - Exam AI-102

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate - Exam DP-100

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate - Exam DP-203

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate - Exam DP-300

• Microsoft Certified Security Operations Analyst Associate - Exam SC-200

• Microsoft Certified Identity and Access Administrator Associate Exam SC-300

Microsoft Azure Expert-Level certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert - Exam AZ305

• Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert - Exam AZ-400

Microsoft Azure Specialty Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Workloads Specialty for SAP Workloads - Exam AZ120

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty - Exam AZ-140

• Microsoft Certified: Azure IoT Developer Specialty - Exam AZ-220

Let's take a look at it in more detail.

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Level certifications

To be eligible for this Azure certification, you must first pass the AZ900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam. The Azure fundamentals certification validates a fundamental understanding of Azure cloud services.

Candidates for this certification can be both technical and non-technical.

Areas covered

• Understanding fundamental cloud concepts, including such high availability as well as scalability, cloud reliability models, and the different kinds of cloud services

• Define Azure's compute, storage, networking, as well as core architectural elements.

• Define security, identity, access

• Describe the governance, compliance, monitoring, and management of Azure.

Exam Information

• None

• Question count: 40-50

• 60 minutes in length

• Passing Score: 700

Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AI900 Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals exam. Candidates who are interested throughout this foundational level certification should have a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and Microsoft Azure.

Areas covered

• Discuss the workloads and considerations for AI.

  Along with guiding principles for responsible AI, this also includes characteristics of typical AI workloads.

• Define the fundamental machine-learning principles on Azure, which would include common types but also scenarios.

• Define the characteristics of Azure computer vision workloads.

• Discuss Azure's natural language processing (NLP) features, such as conversational Ai.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• Question count: 50-60

• 60 minutes in length

Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Certification

This Azure certification requires passing the DP900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals exam. Candidates who are interested in earning this certification must be able to comprehend fundamental data concepts as well as relational, non-relational, and analytics workloads in Azure.

Areas covered

• Define fundamental data concepts, including common data workloads and data representation.

• Relational data considerations in Azure: relational concepts as well as services

• Describe the factors to consider when working with non-relational Azure data, including the capabilities of Azure Storage and Azure Cosmos DB.

• Describe Azure analytics workloads in Microsoft Power BI, such as large-scale data analytics and data visualization.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• Question count: 40-50

• 60 minutes in length

Microsoft Azure Security, Compliance, And Identity Fundamentals Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the SC900 Microsoft Azure Security, Compliance, as well as Identity Fundamentals exam.

Candidates for this certification must understand the security, compliance, and identity capabilities throughout Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

Areas covered

• Define the terms security, compliance, and identity.

• Define the capabilities of the Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) component of Microsoft Entra

• Define Microsoft security products' capabilities.

• Define Microsoft compliance solutions' capabilities.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• There are between 40 and 60 questions.

• 60 minutes in length

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate Certification

The Azure certification is only available to candidates who pass the AZ104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate exam.

The AZ104 exam takes the place of the AZ103 exam.

This exam assesses candidates' knowledge and abilities in Azure parallel computing, storage, virtual networks, and monitoring.

Azure Administrators seem to be subject matter experts (SMEs) in charge of implementing Azure-based cloud infrastructure within a company.

Areas covered

• Azure governance and identities can be managed, including Azure AD objects, role-based access control (RBAC), subscriptions, as well as governance.

• It is possible to implement and manage Azure Files Storage as well as Azure Blob Storage.

• Containers, virtual machines, and Azure App Service are among the compute resources that can be deployed as well as managed in Azure.

• Configure as well as manage virtual networking components such as load balancers as well as virtual networks.

• Maintain and monitor Azure resources

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The questions range from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

This Azure certification can only be obtained by passing the AZ204 Microsoft Azure Associate exam. The AZ-209 exam has taken the place of the AZ-203.

Designing, creating, and testing applications based on Azure should be prior experience for candidates. Candidates must also possess at least two years of development experience, including knowledge and proficiency in data storage, connections, and Azure SDKs, as well as monitoring, performance tuning, debugging, and monitoring.

Areas covered

• All of these options include Azure Functions, IaaS, web apps, and Azure Functions.

• Development of Azure storage, including CosmosDB storage as well as Blob storage

• Install Azure security, including authorization and authentication

• Azure solutions can be monitored, optimized, as well as troubleshooted.

• API Management, event-based, and message-based solutions allow you to connect to Azure services as well as third-party services.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Certificate

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AZ500 Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate exam.This certification has been intended for candidates who manage security controls, identity and access management, and the protection of cloud data, apps, networks, but also cloud data.Microsoft Azure security engineers will be in charge of managing and protecting cloud-based solutions.

They might also be in charge of hybrid cloud solutions as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.

This exam necessitates strong automation and scripting abilities, as well as a thorough understanding of virtualization technology, virtual networking, and Microsoft cloud services.

Areas covered

• You can manage your identity as well as access with Azure Active Directory.

  RBAC (role-based access control) is also available.

• Platform protection includes advanced security for networks and computing.

• Security operations can be managed, including threat protection and policy management.

• Data and applications must be kept secure.

Exam Information

• None

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate Certification

You need to pass the Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate exam (AZ700) to be eligible for this Azure certification.

This certification is intended for individuals who have prior experience with Microsoft Azure networking.

Areas covered

• Hybrid networking can be designed, implemented, and managed.

• Create and implement core network infrastructure

• Plan and implement routing

• Monitor and secure your networks

• Azure services private access: Create and implement private access.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AI102 Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate exam. This certification is intended for candidates at the associate level who use Microsoft AI solutions, including natural language processing, information retrieval, speech, computer vision, as well as bots.

Candidates should have a basic understanding of IT architecture as well as some experience throughout software development, particularly with REST APIs.

Areas covered

• Plan and manage an Azure Cognitive Service solution.

• Solutions for Computer Vision

• Solutions for natural language processing can be implemented.

• Use knowledge-mining tools

• Use conversational AI to solve problems.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Data Scientist Associate Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the DP100 Microsoft Azure Data Scientist Associate exam. This certification is focused on the design and implementation of an Azure data science solution.

With the help of this certification, you will learn how to create, test, and deploy models that can be employed to solve business problems using Azure machine learning techniques.

Areas covered

• Construct and prepare a machine-learning solution

• Examine data and develop model knowledge.

• Create a deployment model.

• Retrain and deploy a model

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 180-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate Certification

To obtain this certification, you must pass the DP-203 Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate exam. This certification is intended for individuals who are skilled at implementing systems to analyze, process, as well as explore data on Azure.

Areas covered

• Azure data storage: Design and implementation

• Azure Data Processing: Design and development

• Azure data security: Design and implement

• Azure Data Storage and Processing Monitoring and Optimization

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Database Administrator Associate Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the DP300 Microsoft Azure Database Administrator Associate exam.

This Azure certification exam is designed for candidates who want to manage cloud-based databases. Candidates can obtain this certification to demonstrate their ability to manage Azure SQL Database or Microsoft SQL Server.

Areas covered

• Implement and plan data platform resources

• Implement a secure environment

• Optimize database resources by monitoring, configuring, and configuration

• Automate tasks and configure automation

• Create and plan an environment for high availability (HA/DR) and disaster recovery (HA/DR).

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Security Operations Analyst Associate Certificate

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the SC200 Microsoft Azure Security Operations Associate exam. This certification is intended for IT professionals who have worked with Microsoft 365 Defender as well as Microsoft Defender for Cloud to mitigate threats.

Areas covered

• Microsoft 365 Defender helps you to mitigate threats.

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud helps you to reduce threats.

• Microsoft Sentinel can be used to mitigate threats.

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Identity & Access Administrator Associate Certificate

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the SC300 Microsoft Azure Identity & Access Administrator Associate exam.

This certification is intended for IT professionals who are adept at managing identity and access on Microsoft 365 or Azure.

Areas covered

• Integrate identities into Azure AD

• Set up authentication and access control.

• Application access management: Execute it

• Azure AD Identity Governance: Plan and Implement

Exam Information

• Prerequisites

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert Certification

To obtain this Azure certification, you should pass the AZ305 Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam in addition to the AZ104 Azure Administrator Associate exam.

Candidates with advanced knowledge of Azure architecture are eligible for this certification. While you don't need to take the AZ104 exam before the AZ305 exam, both exams must be passed in order to receive the certification.

Areas covered

• Identity design, governance, and monitoring solutions

• Create data storage solutions

• Create solutions for business continuity.

• Solutions for designing infrastructure

Exam Information

• Basic requirements: AZ104 examination (or the AZ104 exam can be taken after AZ-305)

• The number of questions ranges from 40 to 60.

• 120-minute runtime

Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification

Either the AZ104 Azure Administrator Associate exam or the AZ400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Expert exam must be passed.

This certification is intended for DevOps professionals who bring together people, processes, and technology to deliver products and services that meet business requirements and objectives.

DevOps engineers collaborate with cloud services to enhance communication and collaboration, as well as design and implement app coding as well as automation strategies.

They also keep an eye on things and provide feedback. To apply for this role, candidates must be familiar with both Azure operations as well as development processes.

Areas covered

• Configure communications and processes

• Source control design and implementation

• Construct and implement build-and-release pipelines

• Create a programme for security and compliance.

• Implement a strategy for instrumentation.

Specialty Certificate Microsoft Azure to SAP Workloads

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AZ120 Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty Exam. For those who are familiar with SAP components and have a fundamental grasp of computing architecture, including databases and networking, this certification is for you.

Areas covered

• SAP Workload Migration to Azure

• Build and deploy infrastructure to accommodate SAP workloads in Azure.

• Disaster recovery and high availability (HA/DR) can be created and implemented.

• Maintain SAP Workloads in Azure

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AZ140 Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty Exam. This certification is intended for individuals who have experience with Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.

Areas covered

• Plan and implement an Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure

• Security and identity planning should be implemented.

• Create and deploy user environments.

• Upkeep and monitoring of the Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure

To obtain this Azure certification, you must pass the AZ-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer Specialist exam. This certification is for those who want to work as Azure IoT developers.

They must have prior Microsoft Azure and software development experience.

Areas covered

• Install the Azure IoT hub solution infrastructure

• Device provision and management

• Implement IoT Edge

• Integrate your business

• Data management and processing

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize IoT solutions

• Security is a must

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Conclusion

Microsoft is one of the largest as well as fastest-growing players in the public cloud market. If you want to work with Microsoft Azure technologies, we recommend that you get one or more of these certifications.

These role-based certifications cover computing, storage, and networking management and configuration. Capabilities for security, dependability, security, development, integration, and operation.

Organizations are rapidly adopting Microsoft Azure cloud services. Qualified Azure administrators, solution architects, and developers are in high demand so hire Azure developers for your company.

To become certified and find work, you must have practical experience. These learning paths will provide you with all of the information and experience you need to start or improve your Azure care.