In this series of posts, I would like to share my experiences and tips on preparing for an Azure exam. I will cover the full range of Azure exams like Azure management (AZ104), and Azure Architect (AZ305) but also the specialized Azure exams like IoT (AZ220), DevOps (AZ400), Networking (AZ700), etc.
I will share as much as possible (what I can and may share) and give you as many tips as possible.
Who is the exam for?
The exam is for anyone who wants to know more about Azure and frequently works with it during their work, for example. The exam is fairly technical, and a broad spectrum of questions is asked during the exam.
If you are looking for general information about Azure, such as the difference between Azure services and the exact licensing and cost issues, I recommend the Azure Fundamentals exam. The exam code is AZ-900. You can take this exam for free with some regularity or after some online training. You often see people who work in IT but don’t deal with it daily (e.g., sales, HR, project management, etc.) taking this exam to get enough background information about Azure.
My personal experience
Obviously, I abide by Microsoft’s NDA. So I can’t share some things (everything I share can actually be found on Microsoft’s site if you search carefully), but I think if this is the 1st exam you are taking for Azure, it can be pretty spicy.
For example, if you only have experience working in the portal, questions about Infrastructure as Code, JSON, and PowerShell can be quite tricky. So I will definitely advise you to study these topics well. My advice is to look at the skills measured on the Microsoft AZ-104 webpage (Link at the end of this article)
I often see that companies that manage Azure specifically deal with infrastructure and Identity (Azure Active Directory) is often managed by another department. Microsoft explicitly states that this is also part of the skills measured during the exam, so definitely expect questions about this. Think about groups, Privileged Identity, managed identities, etc.
In terms of networking, all I can say is, to make sure you know how NSG rules work (and I’ve already said too much). You really need to be able to dream this.
Another thing I noticed was that there were quite a lot of questions about Azure Kubernetes Service. Make sure you have read through this section on the Microsoft Learn page. Think about the tasks you are supposed to be able to do if you are managing an AKS cluster. Especially if you haven’t done anything or very little with AKS these can be tough questions.
In addition, I found that there were many questions regarding storage. So know what the storage services in Azure are called and how to configure them. Unfortunately, a lot of trivia as well. Which SKU can/can’t do something, what can you migrate, etc? So expect these kinds of questions.
Is this your first Azure exam? Then start learning on time and make sure you have hands-on hours. If you have an MSDN/Visual Studio subscription, take advantage of it! If you delete the resources right after creation, the cost is manageable. Also, consider a free trial account of Azure.
Personally, I’m a fan of Pluralsight and watching YouTube videos. There is an awful lot of useful (and free!) material on youtube (e.g., search for John Savill)
For the exam, you will have 2 hours, be given about 55-70 questions (no labs), and get a score of 700 or higher to pass. In my experience, you have plenty of time. After completing a question, you usually can’t go back, so think carefully before moving on to the next question. Sometimes you get several questions on a topic, and at question 2 or 3 you suddenly realize that you should have given a different answer at question 1. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to change this then. If you pass the exam, you get a badge and can call yourself an Azure Administrator Associate.
If you register for the exam, you can also download (sometimes for free) an official mock exam. These are questions similar to the real exam (they are not exactly the same), and with this, you can practice how to ask questions and what kind of questions, and in what form you can expect them.
You can take the exam at an official testing center. On the website, when booking the exam, you can choose which test center is nearby and/or easily accessible. But you can also take the exam on your computer at home. If you have access to a stable internet connection, a webcam and microphone, and a room without distractions, you can take the exam virtually. During the exam, someone will be watching you continuously via a webcam. The first time it takes some getting used to, and it can sometimes cause some hassle, but it does save you a lot of travel time.
I want to end this article with some links to study materials that are allowed and that I found at least helpful. Finally, I wish you the best of luck in taking the exam!
Microsoft Learn AZ-104 Exam information page
The official information page from Microsoft, with all the necessary information about the exam, can be found here
Links useful for study and/or reference
- John Savill AZ-104 Certification Study Cram
- freeCodeCamp.org Azure AZ-104 Full Course to Pass the Exam (11hrs!)
- John Savill Azure Storage Account Types, Performance, and Cost
- Pluralsight AZ-104 Learning Path
- Reddit r/Azure (search for az-104)
- Microsoft Learn free training course az-104
- Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam Red az-104 (Amazon)
- Microsoft AZ-104 labs
- Azure 104 Study Guide by Thomas Maurer
- Ultimate Study Guide by SkylinesAcademy.com
If you are an IT administrator or a beginner, who is interested to learn more on other popular technologies like those below, please check out our Beginner’s series:
