Azure AZ-900 Exam Preparation Guide: How to pass in 3 days

What is the AZ-900 Exam?

AZ-900, also known as Azure Fundamentals, is an exam that tests the foundational knowledge of Cloud Concepts and Azure Services. Users who have experience with other major cloud providers may find that most of the AZ-900 material is very similar to what they’ve learned. The content of this exam has proven to be very useful for anyone looking to get started with cloud computing on Azure.

About AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) Exam

The Microsoft AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) certification exam is gaining momentum in relation to industry needs. Because by passing this certification exam, one can start the Azure journey. As the name suggests, Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 explores the fundamental and foundational concepts of Azure before getting into the complex features and operations involved. This is called an optional certification exam for all other Azure paths.

Individuals are encouraged to prioritize this course before pursuing other Azure paths. This certification is suitable for candidates with both non-technical and technical backgrounds. Individuals who have a good knowledge of, or are involved in some way with, the sale of cloud-based services can obtain this certification to gain greater competence. Also, individuals who want to gain expertise in understanding Azure cloud operations but want to master the basics should also take this exam.

Why Choose AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) Certification?

The AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) certification exam covers how cloud services are delivered within Microsoft Azure. It is intended for candidates who plan to use cloud-based services and solutions as a beginner and want to build a career in the future. Candidates who choose to take the Azure Fundamentals certification exam understand various areas of the Azure cloud, including cloud concepts, cloud services, cloud security, Azure privacy, Azure pricing, and cloud workloads.

Candidates who enjoy learning and want to demonstrate their knowledge of networking concepts, computing, application development, application support, and more. Here are some key reasons why you should choose Azure Fundamental certification:

• Get knowledge about various enterprise use cases for Azure cloud services.
• Understand the differences between Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
• Learn about Core Azure services, including architectural components, management tools, and Azure products and solutions.
• Get insights into privacy, security, and compliance built into Azure solutions.

Many companies across the world make use of the Microsoft Azure Platform for running their business operations. Cloud operations have experienced a significant increase in demand in various sectors such as education, healthcare, and banking. In addition, it also reduces IT and infrastructure costs, therefore, choosing an Azure Fundamentals certification exam helps you to be on the right track.

Overview of AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) Certification and Exam Pattern

AZ-900 is a beginner exam and is not locked to any Azure role. There are other specific certifications available after completing AZ-900. Most Azure role certifications do not have mandatory prerequisites to clear Azure Fundamentals.

The AZ–900 examination is an 800 marks paper and will have approximately 40 – 60 questions that needs to be completed within 65 minutes. The passing mark for the examination is 700 and there is no negative marking for the incorrect answer. The questions will be of different types such as:

• Multiple Choice
• Questions (MCQ)
• Labs
• Case Study
• Drag & Drop
• Sentence Completion

Anybody scoring less than 700 in the examination is considered as ‘Fail’. Since it is an online exam, the results are declared right after the paper is submitted. You will also get a complete report for the exam which will have the key performance chart and result in interpretation instructions.

There is a retake policy that allows a candidate to retake the exam if he/she fails the first attempt. However, you must wait at least 24 hours before retaking the exam. If a candidate fails the second attempt, he/she must wait 14 days before retaking the exam. You can retake the AZ-900 exam up to five times in a year.

Skills Measured, Functional Groups and Weightage for AZ-900 Exam

Candidates for this exam are technology professionals who want to demonstrate a basic understanding of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure. These professionals can explain Azure architecture components and Azure services such as compute, networking, storage. It also describes features and tools for securing, controlling, and managing Azure. Candidates for this exam have skills and experience in the following areas of information technology: Infrastructure
management, database management, or software development.

Skills Measured & Functional Groups:
Skills Measured

• Describe cloud concepts (25% – 30%)
• Describe Azure architecture and services (35% – 40%)
• Describe Azure management and governance (30% – 35%)

Functional Groups

Describe cloud concepts (25% – 30%)
Describe cloud computing

• Define cloud computing
• Describe the shared responsibility model
• Define cloud models, including public, private, and hybrid
• Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud model
• Describe the consumption-based model
• Compare cloud pricing models

Describe the benefits of using cloud services

• Describe the benefits of high availability and scalability in the cloud
• Describe the benefits of reliability and predictability in the cloud
• Describe the benefits of security and governance in the cloud
• Describe the benefits of manageability in the cloud

Describe cloud service types

• Describe infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
• Describe platform as a service (PaaS)
• Describe software as a service (SaaS)
• Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud service (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)

Describe Azure architecture and services (35% – 40%)

Describe the core architectural components of Azure

• Describe Azure regions, region pairs, and sovereign regions
• Describe availability zones
• Describe Azure datacenters
• Describe Azure resources and resource groups
• Describe subscriptions
• Describe management groups
• Describe the hierarchy of resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups

Describe Azure compute and networking services

• Compare compute types, including container instances, virtual machines (VMs), and functions
• Describe VM options, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets,

• availability sets, and Azure Virtual Desktop
• Describe resources required for virtual machines
• Describe application hosting options, including the Web Apps feature of Azure App Service,
• containers, and virtual machines
• Describe virtual networking, including the purpose of Azure Virtual Networks, Azure virtual
• subnets, peering, Azure DNS, Azure VPN Gateway, and Azure ExpressRoute
• Define public and private endpoints

Describe Azure storage services

• Compare Azure storage services
• Describe storage tiers
• Describe redundancy options
• Describe storage account options and storage types
• Identify options for moving files, including AZ Copy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync
• Describe migration options, including Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box

Describe Azure identity, access, and security

• Describe directory services in Azure, including Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), part

• of Microsoft Entra and Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)
• Describe authentication methods in Azure, including single sign-on (SSO), multifactor
• authentication, and passwordless
• Describe external identities and guest access in Azure
• Describe Conditional Access in Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), part of Microsoft Entra
• Describe Azure role-based access control (RBAC)
• Describe the concept of Zero Trust
• Describe the purpose of the defense in depth model
• Describe the purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Describe Azure management and governance (30% – 35%)

Describe cost management in Azure

• Describe factors that can affect costs in Azure
• Compare the Pricing calculator and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator
• Describe the Azure Cost Management and Billing tool
• Describe the purpose of tags

Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance

• Describe the purpose of Azure Blueprints
• Describe the purpose of Azure Policy
• Describe the purpose of resource locks
• Describe the purpose of the Service Trust Portal

Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources

• Describe the Azure portal
• Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell
• Describe the purpose of Azure Arc
• Describe Azure Resource Manager and Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates)

Describe monitoring tools in Azure

• Describe the purpose of Azure Advisor
• Describe Azure Service Health
• Describe Azure Monitor, including Log Analytics, Azure Monitor alerts, and Application Insights

Prepare for AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) Certification Exam

To get ready for the AZ-900 exam, check the study guide & the steps to prepare.

• Take up the Microsoft Learning Path

The first step to consider when preparing for the AZ-900 exam is the Microsoft Learning Path. In this AZ-900 free online tutorial module, the various chapters listed at the top of the page are presented with the specified modules. Each chapter contains different study sections that help clarify the concepts and foundations to pass the exam.

• Explore the Microsoft Documentations

Microsoft has countless documents on AZ-900 and Azure Fundamentals. Therefore, it is important to prioritize these when preparing for exams and certifications. These documents provide detailed descriptions of the applications and concepts of Azure cloud and all related services. Documentation will help you master all the theoretical knowledge that is important to pass the exam.

• Take up the Instructor-Led Training (Optional)

After completing these modules, you will master all the areas required to pass the AZ-900 exam. However, if you want more in-depth learning, there are instructor-led courses offered by Microsoft. There are two 1-day and 2-day instructor-led courses for Microsoft Azure Fundamental certification. These courses teach you concepts that you can understand more clearly. You can also clear your doubts. For such courses, you can contact Microsoft or hire a renowned expert.

• Explore the Study Groups and Forums

Join an AZ-900 study group or forum for the chance to be a part of group learning. Share and gain knowledge from widely used resources through these groups and forums. Gain insight into complex concepts and prepare for certification exams.

• Learn from the Informative Books & Courses (3rd Party)

Azure Fundamentals may be the foundational certification to get you started in the Azure world, but you have to learn a lot about Azure to get it all done at once. So, books, along with all online prep resources, are the most useful for reviewing topics before the exam.

• Take up the AZ-900 Practice Exam

Before taking the exam, make sure that you understand the pattern of the exam and are well prepared to pass it. To do so, you should check your level of preparation by taking mock exams online. You can improve or maintain your preparation pattern accordingly. Spend some time taking mock tests.

Schedule AZ-900 Examination

To schedule the AZ-900 exam, here are the steps to do the same.

• Visit Microsoft Portal to schedule the exam once the preparation strategies are completely clear.
• Make sure that you are logged in with the correct id and it is properly associated to your certification profile.
• Navigate to Schedule Exam section & select the proper country. (Currency will be displayed accordingly)
• Choose the category under which you want to register for the exam. Choose ‘Schedule with Pearson VUE’.
• Log into your Microsoft Account and fill in all the asked details.
• Select the exam delivery option, whether online or at the physical center.
• Complete the registration, select the exam date, and make the payment for confirmation. 

Please Note: You can earn a discount coupon for the free exam by attending an online event by Microsoft. 

Azure RoadMap

Microsoft Certifications are organized in 4 levels:

Fundamentals Certifications: Azure Fundamentals certification are for beginners, and it doesn’t require advance Azure certifications, but they are ideal starting points for newcomers to the cloud and Azure.

Associate Certifications: If you are familiar with Azure, you can start here. Whether you’re a developer or not, working alone or in a team, Azure DevOps training helps you organize how you plan, build, and deploy software.

Expert Certifications: If you have good technical skills, you might be ready for Azure DevOps Engineer Expert. It requires an Associate certification (Azure Developer Associate or Azure Administrator Associate) and Azure Solutions Architect Expert requires Azure Administrator Associate.

Specialty Certifications: There are a handful of these, including the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty and Azure IoT Developer Specialty certifications.

Azure Certifications RoadMap design:

Now Ready for AZ-900 (Conclusion)

With the above recommended steps & learning path, will make you pass the exam confidentially. Knowledge of the AZ-900 exam is important for future Azure role-based certifications. AZ-900 is a great place to start the career, whether you’re an Azure administrator, Azure data engineer, or any other role.