Microsoft Azure offers a structured certification path that corresponds to different levels of advancement and professional roles. The three most popular certifications - AZ-900, AZ-104, and AZ-305 - form a logical progression from cloud fundamentals to advanced architecture design. Each has a different scope, level of difficulty, and educational objectives. In this article, we’ll compare all three certifications and help you decide which to choose at your current career stage.
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals - the foundation of cloud knowledge
Who is AZ-900 for
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is a foundational certificate designed for people who are just beginning their journey with cloud computing. It requires no prior technical experience, making it an ideal starting point for:
- Business and sales specialists working with cloud solutions
- Decision-makers evaluating investments in Azure
- IT graduates starting their careers
- IT professionals planning migration to a cloud environment
- Anyone who wants to understand the basics of Azure operation before specialising
This certificate is also frequently chosen by project managers, consultants, and business analysts who need basic knowledge of Azure platform capabilities but do not plan daily work with it at a technical level.
AZ-900 knowledge scope
The AZ-900 exam covers four main areas of knowledge:
Cloud computing concepts (25-30% of exam):
- Cloud models: public, private, hybrid
- Service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
- Concepts such as elasticity, scalability, high availability
- OpEx vs CapEx in the context of cloud
- Basic principles of cloud economics
Azure architecture and services (35-40% of exam):
- Physical infrastructure components: regions, availability zones, datacentres
- Main compute services: Virtual Machines, App Services, Container Instances, Functions
- Networking services: Virtual Network, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute
- Storage services: Blob Storage, Disk Storage, File Storage
- Database services: Cosmos DB, SQL Database, Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL
- Azure Marketplace and its role
Management and governance (30-35% of exam):
- Management tools: Azure Portal, Cloud Shell, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI
- Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates
- Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Azure Service Health
- Azure Policy and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Resource tags and their applications
- Microsoft Purview for data governance
Security, privacy, compliance, and trust (10-15% of exam):
- Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory)
- Network security basics: Network Security Groups, Azure Firewall
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Privacy tools: Trust Centre, Privacy Statement
- Compliance standards: ISO, GDPR, HIPAA
- Azure Government and data sovereignty
AZ-900 exam format and procedure
The exam consists of 40-60 questions in the following formats:
- Single-choice questions (select one correct answer)
- Multiple-choice questions (select all correct answers)
- True/false questions
- Matching questions (connect concepts with definitions)
- Case study scenarios (less common since 2023)
The exam duration is 85 minutes, of which approximately 45 minutes is allocated to answering questions, and the remaining time for tutorial and survey. The passing threshold is 700 points on a scale of 1-1000. The exam can be taken online from home or at a Pearson VUE test centre.
AZ-900 cost and validity
Exam cost: 99 USD (approximately £75, prices may vary depending on country)
Certificate validity: Indefinite - the AZ-900 certificate does not require renewal as it covers fundamental concepts that rarely change.
AZ-900 preparation time
For people with no prior cloud experience: 40-60 hours of study (4-6 weeks at 10 hours per week)
For IT specialists with basic cloud knowledge: 20-30 hours of study (2-3 weeks)
For experienced cloud administrators: 10-15 hours to organise knowledge and practise with mock tests
AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator - certificate for administrators
Who is AZ-104 for
Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) is an Associate-level certificate aimed at IT specialists responsible for implementing, managing, and monitoring the Microsoft Azure environment in an organisation. It is dedicated to:
- System administrators transitioning to a cloud environment
- DevOps engineers responsible for infrastructure
- Azure administrators with 6-12 months’ experience
- Cloud Engineers managing Azure resources
- IT Support specialists with ambitions to develop towards cloud
Candidates should have at least 6 months’ practical experience in Azure administration, along with basic knowledge of virtualisation, networking, identity, and storage. AZ-104 assumes you already know Azure basics (ideally confirmed by AZ-900 certificate, though this is not required).
AZ-104 knowledge scope
The AZ-104 exam covers five main areas of knowledge with a strong emphasis on practical skills:
Azure identity and governance management (15-20% of exam):
- Microsoft Entra ID: users, groups, administrative units
- Subscription and account management
- Azure Policy: creating and assigning policies
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): built-in and custom roles
- Management Groups management
Storage implementation and management (15-20% of exam):
- Storage accounts: types, access tiers, replication
- Data access management: shared access signatures, stored access policies
- Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage configuration
- Data transfer tools: AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, Azure Data Box
- Backup and data recovery
Azure compute resources deployment and management (20-25% of exam):
- Virtual machines: creation, configuration, scaling
- VM Scale Sets for automatic scaling
- Azure App Service: plans, application deployment, deployment slots
- Containers: Azure Container Instances, Azure Container Apps
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) at basic level
Virtual networks implementation and management (20-25% of exam):
- Virtual Networks and subnets
- Network Security Groups and Application Security Groups
- Azure Firewall and Azure Bastion
- Load Balancer and Application Gateway
- VNet Peering and VPN Gateway
- Azure DNS and traffic routing
- Network Watcher for diagnostics
Azure resources monitoring and backup (15-20% of exam):
- Azure Monitor: metrics, logs, alerts
- Log Analytics and KQL (Kusto Query Language)
- Azure Backup: backup policies, Recovery Services Vault
- Azure Site Recovery for disaster recovery
- Application Insights (basics)
AZ-104 exam format and procedure
The exam consists of 40-60 questions, including:
- Single and multiple-choice questions
- Case study scenarios (1-3 case studies)
- Practical laboratories (performance-based questions) - 1-3 tasks may appear where you must perform actual operations in a simulated Azure portal
Duration: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
Passing threshold: 700 points on a scale of 1-1000
Practical laboratories are graded pass/fail and you cannot return to them after completion, so it is crucial to read the instructions carefully before starting.
AZ-104 cost and validity
Exam cost: 165 USD (approximately £125)
Certificate validity: 12 months - after a year you must renew the certificate through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, which checks knowledge of new features and changes in Azure.
AZ-104 preparation time
For people after AZ-900 with experience in IT administration: 60-80 hours of study (6-8 weeks)
For system administrators without Azure experience: 100-120 hours of study (10-12 weeks)
For active Azure administrators: 40-50 hours to systematise knowledge and practise with laboratories
Practical experience is crucial - at least 20-30 hours of work in a real Azure environment or sandbox is recommended.
AZ-305: Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert - design for experts
Who is AZ-305 for
Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions (AZ-305) is an Expert-level certificate aimed at solutions architects responsible for designing comprehensive systems in Azure. It is dedicated to:
- Solutions architects with experience in IT systems design
- Senior cloud engineers with at least one year’s experience in Azure
- Enterprise architects designing cloud transformation
- Technical Leads responsible for technology strategy
- DevOps Architects designing CI/CD platforms
Candidates should have advanced knowledge of Azure administration (AZ-104 level), experience in managing DevOps processes, and understanding of operating systems, virtualisation, cloud infrastructure, storage structures, networking, and identity.
AZ-305 knowledge scope
The AZ-305 exam covers four main areas with emphasis on designing solutions at enterprise level:
Designing solutions for identity, governance, and monitoring (25-30% of exam):
- Governance strategy design: management group hierarchy, subscriptions, RBAC at organisational level
- Authentication and authorisation solutions: Microsoft Entra ID, B2B, B2C, Conditional Access
- Logging and auditing strategies: Log Analytics workspace, retention policies
- Monitoring design: Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Network Watcher at enterprise scale
- Cost governance: budgets, Cost Management, tagging policies
Business continuity solutions design (15-20% of exam):
- High availability: availability zones, availability sets, cross-region deployments
- Disaster recovery: RPO/RTO, Azure Site Recovery, backup strategies
- Backup design: policies for different workload types, long-term retention
- Multi-region and geo-redundant architectures
- Failover and failback strategies
Data infrastructure solutions design (15-20% of exam):
- Selecting appropriate data services: SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Synapse Analytics, Data Lake
- Data integration design: Azure Data Factory, Event Hub, Event Grid
- Data partitioning and sharding strategies
- Data architectures design for AI/ML
- Data security: encryption, classification, data governance
Business infrastructure design (25-30% of exam):
- Compute solutions: choosing between VM, AKS, App Service, Functions, Container Apps
- Application network design: Application Gateway, Front Door, Traffic Manager, CDN
- Application migration architectures: assessment, rehost, refactor, rearchitect
- Designing for scalability and performance
- Microservices and event-driven architectures
Network solutions design (10-15% of exam):
- Hybrid network topologies: ExpressRoute, VPN, Virtual WAN
- Connectivity strategies: hub-and-spoke, mesh network
- Network segmentation and security: Network Security Groups, Azure Firewall, DDoS Protection
- Private connectivity design: Private Link, Private Endpoints
- Solutions for distributed applications
AZ-305 exam format and procedure
The exam consists of 40-60 questions, including:
- Case study scenarios (3-5 detailed case studies) - constitute the majority of the exam
- Multiple-choice questions related to design
- Drag-and-drop questions for architecture design
- Questions requiring selection of the best solution from several correct options
Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours)
Passing threshold: 700 points on a scale of 1-1000
The exam concentrates on making architectural decisions and justifying choices, often asking “which solution is BEST” rather than “which solution is correct”.
AZ-305 requirements and path
Since June 2022, to obtain the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert title, you must:
- Pass the AZ-305 exam: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
- There is no longer a requirement to have previously passed AZ-104, but Microsoft strongly recommends having knowledge and experience at that level
Previously, passing two exams (AZ-303 and AZ-304) was required, but since their merger into one AZ-305, the path has been simplified.
AZ-305 cost and validity
Exam cost: 165 USD (approximately £125)
Certificate validity: 12 months - renewal through free online assessment, which checks knowledge of new services and design practices in Azure.
AZ-305 preparation time
For people after AZ-104 with 12+ months’ experience in Azure: 80-100 hours of study (8-10 weeks)
For solutions architects with experience in other clouds: 100-120 hours of study (10-12 weeks)
For senior Azure administrators without architecture design experience: 120-150 hours of study (12-15 weeks)
Practical experience in designing and implementing real enterprise solutions is crucial - working on at least 3-5 projects of varying complexity is recommended.
Comparison of AZ-900, AZ-104, and AZ-305 certifications
| Criterion | AZ-900 | AZ-104 | AZ-305 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Fundamentals | Associate | Expert |
| Target group | Beginners, business roles | Azure administrators | Solutions architects |
| Experience required | None | 6-12 months with Azure | 12+ months + design |
| Number of questions | 40-60 | 40-60 | 40-60 |
| Duration | 85 minutes | 150 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Cost | 99 USD | 165 USD | 165 USD |
| Passing threshold | 700/1000 | 700/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Validity | Indefinite | 12 months | 12 months |
| Practical laboratories | No | Yes (1-3) | No |
| Case studies | Rarely | Yes (1-3) | Yes (3-5) |
| Preparation time | 20-60 hours | 60-120 hours | 80-150 hours |
| Renewal | Not required | Free online assessment | Free online assessment |
| Main focus | Cloud fundamentals | Resource administration | Solutions design |
Recommended certification paths by professional role
For cloud beginners
Path: AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-305
Start with AZ-900 to build solid foundations. After 6-12 months’ practice as an Azure administrator, attempt AZ-104. After another year’s experience in solutions design, consider AZ-305.
Timeline: 24-36 months
For system administrators
Path: AZ-104 → AZ-305 (optionally AZ-900 as introduction)
If you have on-premises administration experience, you can skip AZ-900 and start with AZ-104. After a year working with Azure, consider AZ-305 if you’re interested in design.
Timeline: 12-18 months
For solutions architects
Path: AZ-900 (refresh) → AZ-104 (practice) → AZ-305
Even with architecture experience, going through the entire path is recommended to learn Azure specifics. You can accelerate preparation for AZ-900 and AZ-104.
Timeline: 6-12 months
For business and sales roles
Path: AZ-900 (without further progression)
For product managers, business consultants, and sales engineers, AZ-900 is sufficient to understand platform capabilities.
Timeline: 1-2 months
For DevOps specialists
Path: AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert)
Instead of AZ-305, consider AZ-400, which concentrates on CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and DevOps practices.
Timeline: 12-18 months
For security specialists
Path: AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-500 (Security Engineer Associate)
AZ-500 is dedicated to security engineers and concentrates on securing Azure environment.
Timeline: 12-18 months
How to choose the right certificate for yourself
Choose AZ-900 if
- You’re just beginning your journey with cloud computing
- You work in a business role and need basic Azure knowledge
- You have no technical cloud experience
- You want to check if a career in cloud computing is for you
- You need a quick introduction to the Azure ecosystem (1-2 months)
- Your company requires basic Azure certification
Choose AZ-104 if
- You work or want to work as an Azure administrator
- You have experience in IT systems administration
- You already know Azure basics and want technical specialisation
- You need a certificate for promotion or job change
- You want to manage Azure resources daily
- You’re ready to dedicate 2-3 months to intensive preparation
Choose AZ-305 if
- You design cloud solutions at enterprise level
- You have at least a year’s experience with Azure
- You know AZ-104 scope or work as an Azure administrator
- Your role requires making architectural decisions
- You want to move to senior/expert level in Microsoft hierarchy
- You’re ready to dedicate 3-4 months to advanced preparation
How EITT prepares for Azure certifications
EITT offers comprehensive preparation for all three Azure certifications, combining theory with practical laboratories:
AZ-900 training programme
- 1-day intensive training or 16 hours online
- Official Microsoft material + own case studies
- Practical demo of key Azure services
- Access to Azure sandbox environment for 30 days
- Mock tests and quizzes
- Exam voucher included in training price
AZ-104 training programme
- 4-day classroom training or 32 hours online
- Over 20 practical laboratories
- Original scenarios of typical administrator tasks
- Access to Azure environment for 60 days
- Trainer support for 3 months after training
- Self-study materials
AZ-305 training programme
- 4-day advanced training or 32 hours online
- Analysis of real enterprise architectures
- Solutions design workshops
- Case studies from Polish company projects
- Individual consultations with Azure architect
- Access to EITT Azure Architects community
EITT statistics
- 500+ technical experts in trainer base
- 2500+ trainings conducted annually
- 4.8/5 average rating from participants
- 85% pass rate at first attempt (above market average of 65%)
- Post-sales support for all graduates
Additional benefits
- Flexible learning forms: classroom, online live, on-demand
- Possibility of closed training for teams
- Funding from public resources (KFS, FKP)
- Networking with other Azure specialists
- Access to EITT Alumni community
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do I have to pass AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No, AZ-900 is not a requirement for AZ-104. However, Microsoft recommends having knowledge at AZ-900 level before attempting AZ-104. If you already have experience with cloud (AWS, GCP) or systems administration, you can skip AZ-900 and start with AZ-104.
How long does the AZ-104 and AZ-305 certificate remain current?
Both certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of passing. After a year, you must renew the certificate through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, which checks knowledge of new Azure features. Renewal takes 1-2 hours and does not require retaking the full exam.
Can I take exams online from home?
Yes, all three exams can be taken online through Pearson VUE OnVUE. You need stable internet, webcam, microphone, and a quiet room. A proctor monitors you throughout the exam. Alternatively, you can take it at a Pearson VUE test centre.
How much does it cost to take the exams?
AZ-900: 99 USD (approximately £75) AZ-104: 165 USD (approximately £125) AZ-305: 165 USD (approximately £125)
Prices may vary depending on country and promotions. Microsoft sometimes offers 50% discount for students and job seekers. Check the Microsoft Learn website for current promotions.
What happens if I don’t pass the exam on the first try?
You can retake the exam after 24 hours. If you fail a second time, you must wait 14 days before the next attempt. After the fifth unsuccessful attempt, you must wait a year. Each attempt is charged at full rate, unless you have purchased a package with retake option.
Are Azure certificates recognised by employers?
Yes, Microsoft Azure certificates are amongst the most valued IT certificates in the market. According to GlobalKnowledge and Skillsoft reports, Azure certificates are in the top 10 highest-paying IT certificates. AZ-104 increases average salary by 15-25%, and AZ-305 by 25-35% compared to specialists without certification.
What are the practical differences between AZ-104 and AZ-305?
AZ-104 concentrates on daily administration: creating VMs, configuring networks, managing access, monitoring. AZ-305 focuses on decision-making: which type of database to choose for a given workload, how to design high availability, how to plan disaster recovery. An administrator (AZ-104) implements solutions designed by an architect (AZ-305).
Summary - Your path in Azure
Choosing the right Azure certificate depends on your current knowledge level, professional experience, and career goals:
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AZ-900 is an ideal start for anyone who wants to understand cloud and Azure basics. It requires no technical experience, is inexpensive (99 USD), and does not require renewal. If you’re just starting or work in a business role, this is the right choice.
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AZ-104 is a certificate for practitioners who want to manage Azure environment daily. It requires 6-12 months’ experience, includes practical laboratories, and is key to a career as an Azure Administrator. If you have IT administration experience and want cloud specialisation, this is your goal.
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AZ-305 is a certificate for solutions architects who design comprehensive systems in Azure. It requires deep knowledge (AZ-104 level) and at least a year’s experience. If you make architectural decisions and design enterprise solutions, this is the pinnacle of the Azure path.
Regardless of the chosen path, the key to success is combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience. EITT offers comprehensive preparation for all three certificates, with emphasis on hands-on laboratories and real business scenarios. Join over 2500 specialists annually who develop their Azure skills with EITT.
Ready to obtain an Azure certificate? Check the current EITT training schedule or contact our advisers to select the optimal path for your profile and career goals. First 15 minutes of consultation with an Azure expert - free.
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