The most important heading for the AZ-900 exam is Core Azure Services. This section covers the fundamental Azure services that you need to know about, including:
- Compute services: Virtual machines, containers, and serverless computing
- Storage services: Blob storage, file storage, and disk storage
- Networking services: Virtual networks, load balancers, and firewalls
- Databases: SQL Database, Cosmos DB, and MySQL
- Analytics services: Data Lake Analytics, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Machine Learning
What Is Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam?
The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam is an entry-level certification that tests your knowledge of the fundamental concepts of Microsoft Azure. The exam is designed for anyone who wants to learn about Azure, including IT professionals, students, and business users.
The AZ-900 exam covers the following topics:
- Azure fundamentals
- Cloud computing concepts
- Azure services
- Azure pricing and support
To pass the AZ-900 exam, you must score at least 700 out of 1000. The exam is 60 minutes long and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions.
The AZ-900 exam is a valuable certification for anyone who wants to learn about Azure. It is a good starting point for IT professionals who want to pursue a career in cloud computing.
Here are some of the benefits of taking the AZ-900 exam:
- Demonstrate your knowledge of Azure fundamentals to potential employers.
- Enhance your resume and make yourself more competitive in the job market.
- Gain a deeper understanding of Azure and how it can be used to solve real-world problems.
- Prepare for more advanced Azure certifications, such as the Azure Solutions Architect or Azure Developer Associate certifications.
Who Can Do This Certification?
Anyone can take the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam, but it is primarily designed for the following audiences:
- IT professionals who want to learn about Azure and cloud computing
- Students who are interested in a career in cloud computing
- Business users who want to understand how Azure can be used to solve their business problems.
The AZ-900 exam is an entry-level certification, so there are no prerequisites. However, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of IT concepts, such as networking, storage, and databases.
If you are new to Azure, I recommend that you start by taking the Microsoft Learn Azure Fundamentals course. This course will teach you the basics of Azure and prepare you for the AZ-900 exam.
Once you have completed the Microsoft Learn course, you can take practice exams to assess your knowledge and identify any areas where you need to focus your studies. You can also join a study group or forum to discuss the exam with other candidates.
How to Register for AZ-900 Exam
To register for the AZ-900 exam, you will need to create a Microsoft Certification profile. Once you have created a profile, you can follow these steps:
- Go to the Microsoft Certification website and sign in to your profile.
- Click on the Exams tab.
- In the Search for exams field, type “AZ-900” and click on the Search button.
- Click on the Schedule exam button for the AZ-900 exam.
- Select an exam provider and test center location.
- Select a date and time for your exam.
- Review your order and click on the Submit button to complete your registration.
The cost of the AZ-900 exam is $99 USD. You can pay for the exam using a credit card or debit card.
Once you have registered for the exam, you will receive a confirmation email with all of the important details, such as your exam date, time, and location.
Here are some additional tips for registering for the AZ-900 exam:
- Register for your exam early, as some test centers may have limited availability.
- If you need to reschedule your exam, you must do so at least 24 hours in advance.
- If you cancel your exam, you will receive a refund, but a fee will be deducted.
Why You Should Learn About Azure?
There are many reasons why you should learn about Azure. Here are a few of the most important ones:
- Azure is one of the leading cloud computing platforms in the world. It is used by businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
- Azure offers a wide range of services, including compute, storage, networking, databases, analytics, and artificial intelligence. This means that you can use Azure to build and deploy any type of application.
- Azure is highly scalable and reliable. You can scale your Azure resources up or down as needed, and you can be confident that your applications will be available to your users when they need them.
- Azure is secure and compliant. Azure offers a wide range of security features and services to help you protect your data and applications. Azure is also compliant with many industry standards and regulations.
- Azure is affordable. Azure offers a variety of pricing options, so you can choose the one that best fits your budget.
If you are interested in a career in cloud computing, learning about Azure is a must. Azure is one of the most popular cloud computing platforms, and there is a high demand for Azure-skilled professionals.
Even if you are not interested in a career in cloud computing, learning about Azure can still be beneficial. Azure can be used to build and deploy any type of application, so it is a valuable skill for anyone who works with IT.
Pre-requisites for AZ-900 Exam
There are no formal prerequisites for the AZ-900 exam. However, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of IT concepts, such as networking, storage, and databases.
If you are new to Azure, I recommend that you start by taking the Microsoft Learn Azure Fundamentals course. This course will teach you the basics of Azure and prepare you for the AZ-900 exam.
Once you have completed the Microsoft Learn course, you can take practice exams to assess your knowledge and identify any areas where you need to focus your studies. You can also join a study group or forum to discuss the exam with other candidates.
Here are some specific things that you should be familiar with before taking the AZ-900 exam:
- The different types of cloud computing services
- The benefits of using the cloud
- The different types of Azure services and how they can be used.
- Azure management and governance
- Azure security and compliance
I encourage anyone who is interested in learning about Azure to take the AZ-900 exam. It is a valuable certification that can help you advance your career or improve your understanding of cloud computing.
What Topics Should You Learn?
The AZ-900 exam covers a wide range of topics, but the following are some of the most important ones:
- Cloud computing concepts: What is cloud computing, what are the different types of cloud services, and what are the benefits of using the cloud?
- Azure services: What are the different types of Azure services, and how can they be used to solve business problems?
- Azure management and governance: How to create and manage Azure resources, and how to secure and govern your Azure environment.
- Azure security and compliance: How to protect your data and applications in Azure, and how to ensure compliance with regulations.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the topics covered in each of the four exam sections:
Cloud computing concepts
- What is cloud computing?
- What are the different types of cloud services?
- What are the benefits of using the cloud?
- What are the different cloud deployment models?
- What are the different cloud service models?
Microsoft Azure services
- Compute services: Virtual machines, containers, and serverless computing
- Storage services: Blob storage, file storage, and disk storage
- Networking services: Virtual networks, load balancers, and firewalls
- Databases: SQL Database, Cosmos DB, and MySQL
- Analytics services: Data Lake Analytics, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Machine Learning
Azure management and governance
- Azure subscriptions and resources
- Azure Resource Manager
- Azure Active Directory
- Azure role-based access control (RBAC)
- Azure Policy
- Azure Monitor
- Azure Cost Management
Azure security and compliance
- Azure Security Center
- Azure Key Vault
- Azure Active Directory Identity Protection
- Azure Information Protection
- Azure Compliance Manager
I recommend that you start by studying the official Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam guide. This guide will give you a good overview of the exam topics and will help you to identify the areas where you need to focus your studies.
Exam Retake Policy
- You can retake an exam after 24 hours for the first attempt.
- If you fail the exam on the second attempt, you must wait 14 days before retaking it.
- For all subsequent attempts, you must wait 14 days between attempts.
- You can retake a given exam no more than 5 times within a 12-month period from the first attempt.
- If you fail the exam 5 times, you must wait 12 months from the date of your first attempt before retaking it.
Please note that you must pay to retake an exam.
Here are some tips for retaking an exam:
- Review your performance report from the previous attempt to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
- Focus your studies on the areas where you need to improve.
- Take practice exams to assess your knowledge and identify any areas where you need to focus your studies.
- Join a study group or forum to discuss the exam with other candidates.
I encourage you to do your best to pass the exam on the first attempt. However, if you do fail, don’t give up. Review your performance report, focus your studies on the areas where you need to improve, and retake the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The AZ-900 exam is a computer-based exam that consists of 40 multiple-choice questions. You have 60 minutes to complete the exam.
The passing score for the AZ-900 exam is 700.
The AZ-900 exam covers a wide range of topics, including cloud computing concepts, Azure services, Azure management and governance, and Azure security and compliance.
Yes, you can retake the AZ-900 exam. However, there are some restrictions. You can retake the exam after 24 hours for the first attempt. If you fail the exam on the second attempt, you must wait 14 days before retaking it. For all subsequent attempts, you must wait 14 days between attempts. You can retake a given exam no more than 5 times within a 12-month period from the first attempt. If you fail the exam 5 times, you must wait 12 months from the date of your first attempt before retaking it.
