AZ-900 vs AZ-104: Which Azure Exam Should You Take First?
AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) is a conceptual introduction to cloud computing and Azure services. AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) is a hands-on associate exam for people who manage Azure environments.
📌 Quick facts
Beginners and non-technical staff should start with AZ-900; anyone with IT admin experience can usually go straight to AZ-104.
âš¡ Quick answer
AZ-900: concepts, 1–3 weeks, never expires. AZ-104: practical administration, 6–8 weeks, renews yearly. AZ-900 is optional, not a prerequisite.
Who this guide is for
- Beginners choosing their first Azure exam
- Sysadmins deciding whether to skip AZ-900
- Managers planning team training
- Students building a cloud CV
Comparison table
| AZ-900 | AZ-104 | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Fundamentals | Associate |
| Focus | Cloud concepts, Azure services, pricing, governance | Configure identities, storage, compute, networking, monitoring |
| Hands-on | Not required | Essential |
| Prep time | 1–3 weeks | 6–8 weeks |
| Validity | Lifetime | One year, free renewal |
| Job value | Shows awareness | Qualifies for admin roles |
When to start with AZ-900
Start with AZ-900 if you are new to cloud, work in sales, finance, or project roles, or want a quick confidence win. Use AZ-900 practice questions to check readiness.
When to go straight to AZ-104
Skip AZ-900 if you have administered Windows Server, Active Directory, or another cloud. You will learn the fundamentals while studying AZ-104 anyway.
Practise with AZ-104 practice questions.
What comes next
After AZ-104, choose AZ-305, AZ-500, AZ-700, or AZ-204 depending on role; see the Microsoft practice library.
A realistic study plan
🧠Path at a glance
- Option A: AZ-900 in weeks 1–2, then AZ-104 in weeks 3–10
- Option B: AZ-104 directly over 8 weeks with a short fundamentals review in week 1
The plan below assumes about 8–10 hours a week. Stretch it if you are new to the subject, compress it if you already work with the technology daily.
| Phase | Focus | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Option A | AZ-900 in weeks 1–2, then AZ-104 in weeks 3–10 | Checkpoint quiz |
| Option B | AZ-104 directly over 8 weeks with a short fundamentals review in week 1 | Exam ready |
How to use practice questions the right way
Cloud exams are scenario-heavy: the question rarely asks “what is X?” and usually asks “which service or setting solves this situation at the lowest cost or effort?” Use practice questions as a diagnostic, not a memory bank:
- Take one timed set before you study. Your baseline score tells you which domains need the most hours.
- Read every explanation, including for the questions you got right. Lucky guesses hide weak areas.
- Rebuild the scenario in a free or trial subscription. If a question involves a policy, a network rule, or a backup setting, click through it yourself once.
- Track misses by domain, not by question. Three misses on identity are a pattern; one miss on pricing is noise.
- Aim for consistent scores above ~80% on fresh question sets before booking the exam. Repeating the same set until you memorize it proves nothing.
Legitimate practice questions are written to mirror the style and objectives of an exam, with explanations that teach the reasoning. Avoid anything that claims to be leaked live exam content: it breaks vendor exam agreements, can get your certification revoked, and leaves you without the skills the job requires.
Choosing the right study resources
Cloud exams change quickly, so freshness matters more than volume. Build your resource stack in layers:
- Official learning paths and documentation. Vendor learning portals map directly to the skills outline and are updated when services change. Treat them as the source of truth when a book or video disagrees.
- One structured course or book. Pick a single primary resource so you are not jumping between teaching styles. Check that it was updated after the most recent exam revision.
- A personal sandbox. Free tiers, trial credits, and vendor sandboxes let you deploy, break, and fix real resources. Set a budget alert on day one and delete resources after each session.
- Practice questions with explanations. Use them to find gaps, not to memorize. Read every explanation, including for questions you answered correctly, and note the documentation page that covers each mistake.
- Your own notes. Keep a one-page “decision sheet” per domain — when to use which service, limits, and pricing models. This becomes your final-week revision tool.
A sample weekly study rhythm
A sustainable week for a working professional looks like this:
| Day | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | New topic: read or watch | 60 min |
| Tuesday | Hands-on lab for Monday’s topic | 60 min |
| Wednesday | New topic: read or watch | 60 min |
| Thursday | Hands-on lab plus notes | 60 min |
| Friday | Short quiz on the week’s topics | 30 min |
| Saturday | Longer lab or project, review mistakes | 2 hours |
| Sunday | Rest or light flashcard review | 15 min |
That is roughly 7–8 hours per week. Adjust the pace, not the pattern: if you have more time, add a second lab block rather than more passive reading.
If you miss a day, do not try to double up — just continue the schedule. Consistency over several weeks matters far more than occasional long sessions.
Build hands-on experience while you study
Cloud employers care more about what you have built than which badges you hold, so turn your study into a small portfolio:
- Use free tiers and trial credits and set a budget alert on day one so a forgotten resource never surprises you.
- Deploy one end-to-end project: a virtual network with two subnets, a VM or container app, a managed database, identity-based access, and monitoring with alerts.
- Automate it once with infrastructure as code (Bicep, ARM, Terraform, or CloudFormation) so you understand what the portal does behind the scenes.
- Break it on purpose: remove a permission, block a port, delete a route, then troubleshoot from logs. Exams love troubleshooting scenarios.
- Write a short README for each lab. It doubles as revision notes and as interview material.
Common mistakes to avoid
💡 Tip: Study from the official objectives first, then use timed practice to find weak areas. Review every explanation, not just the score.
- Expecting AZ-900 to qualify you for admin jobs
- Skipping labs for AZ-104
- Taking AZ-900 when you already have experience and limited time
- Letting AZ-104 expire
Check the official exam details first
Certification vendors update exams regularly. Before you buy books or courses, open the official exam page and check three things: the current exam code and version, the skills or objectives document with domain weightings, and any retirement or replacement date.
Use that document as your checklist and tick off each objective as you study and lab it. When your practice material and the official outline disagree, the official outline wins.
Exam-day checklist
- Confirm your ID matches your registration name exactly.
- For online proctoring, run the system test a day early and clear your desk completely.
- Sleep properly the night before; last-minute cramming hurts more than it helps.
- Read each question’s final sentence first so you know what is being asked.
- Flag long questions, answer the quick ones, and return if the exam allows review.
Practice resources for this exam
When you are ready to check your readiness with timed, exam-style questions, these ITExamDumps pages are the most relevant:
Related study guides
- AZ-900 Study Guide 2026: Pass Azure Fundamentals With Confidence
- Microsoft AZ-104 Exam Preparation: Azure Administrator Study Guide
Frequently asked questions
Is AZ-900 required for AZ-104?
No, there are no prerequisites.
How much harder is AZ-104?
Significantly harder; it requires hands-on skills.
Which is better for a job?
AZ-104.
Can I take both quickly?
Yes, many take AZ-900 then AZ-104 within three months.
Next steps
Work through the official objectives, build hands-on experience, then use timed practice questions to measure your readiness and review every explanation.
Ready to practise? Once you have covered the official objectives, try the AZ-900 practice questions on ITExamDumps to find weak areas before exam day. Practice questions support your study; they do not replace it, and no resource can guarantee a pass.