AZ-305 Practice Questions & Exam Prep — Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
Get exam-ready for AZ-305 (Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions) — the single exam that earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential — on iPhone or iPad. Azure Mastery uses on-device AI to predict your readiness across all four design domains, surface case-study patterns, and target the topics most likely to trip you up.
The exam
What is the AZ-305 exam?
AZ-305 is the single exam required to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential — Microsoft's senior architecture certification for the Azure platform. (The predecessor pair AZ-303 and AZ-304 were retired in March 2022 in favour of a single AZ-305 exam.) The Expert tier sits above the Associate-level AZ-104 and below specialty certs like Cybersecurity Architect (SC-100).
Unlike AZ-104, AZ-305 doesn't test your ability to configure Azure — it tests your ability to design Azure solutions that satisfy a brief. You'll be given a multi-paragraph scenario (RTO/RPO targets, throughput requirements, compliance constraints, geographic spread) and asked which combination of Azure services best meets it. The exam aligns to the Azure Well-Architected Framework and the Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure — the same patterns Microsoft expects architects to apply on the job.
Microsoft updated the AZ-305 skills outline on 17 April 2026. Every question in Azure Mastery's AZ-305 bank is mapped to the current outline — no leftover questions on retired services. Read the official outline at learn.microsoft.com.
Questions40–60 + case studies
Duration100 minutes (120 min seat)
Pass score700 / 1000
CostUSD $165 (≈ £128 UK)
ValidityRenew annually (Expert)
PrerequisiteAZ-104 (recommended)
Skills measured · April 2026
AZ-305 exam objectives
Four design domains, with weights set by Microsoft's April 2026 update. Every domain summary below is paraphrased from the official skills outline. AZ-305 questions test design judgement — picking the right Azure service for a given requirement — rather than configuration recall. Bullet-level objectives in Azure Mastery are tagged so you always know which domain you're being tested on.
Azure skill mapIdentityComputeNetworkOperations
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions25–30%
Explore key topics
Recommend authentication and identity-management solutions (Microsoft Entra ID, B2B/B2C, Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management); recommend solutions for authorising access to Azure resources and on-premises resources; recommend a solution to manage secrets, certificates, and keys (typically Azure Key Vault). Design governance — management group / subscription / resource group hierarchies, resource tagging strategy, compliance via Azure Policy and Microsoft Purview, identity governance. Plus design solutions for logging and monitoring across the Azure estate. Around 10–18 questions per sitting.
Design data storage solutions20–25%
Explore key topics
Pick the right database service for relational data (SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Synapse SQL pools) — including service tier, compute tier, scalability strategy, and protection. For semi-structured and unstructured data, balance Blob Storage, Azure Files, Disk Storage, and Cosmos DB across features, performance, and cost. Recommend solutions for data integration (Azure Data Factory, Synapse pipelines, Event Hubs, Stream Analytics) and analysis (Synapse Analytics, Microsoft Fabric). AZ-305 questions in this domain frequently take the form "cheapest option that meets X RTO/RPO/throughput". Around 8–15 questions.
Design business continuity solutions15–20%
Explore key topics
Recommend recovery solutions for Azure and hybrid workloads that meet specific recovery objectives (RTO, RPO, recovery-point granularity). Backup and recovery design for compute (VMs, containers), databases, and unstructured data — Azure Backup, Recovery Services vaults, point-in-time restore, geo-redundant backups, Azure Site Recovery for failover. High-availability designs across compute (zone-redundant scale sets, regional pairs) and data (read replicas, active geo-replication, multi-region writes for Cosmos DB). Around 6–12 questions.
Design infrastructure solutions30–35%
Explore key topics
The largest domain. Compute solutions — VMs vs containers (AKS, ACI, ACA) vs serverless (Functions, Logic Apps) vs batch processing — with the trade-offs that matter at design time. Application architecture — messaging (Service Bus, Storage Queues), event-driven (Event Grid, Event Hubs), API integration (API Management), caching (Azure Cache for Redis), application configuration management (App Configuration), automated deployment patterns. Migrations evaluated through the Cloud Adoption Framework, including IaaS/PaaS migrations and database migrations. Network solutions — internet connectivity, hybrid connectivity (ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, Virtual WAN), performance optimisation, network security (NSGs, Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, Web Application Firewall), and load balancing/routing. Around 12–20 questions.
Designed for AZ-305
How Azure Mastery helps you pass AZ-305
Azure Mastery ships with 400 AZ-305 practice questions mapped to the current (April 2026) skills outline. Each question is tagged to one of the four design domains, so you always know which area you're being tested on. AZ-305 questions are scenario-driven by design — you'll see multi-paragraph case studies asking you to choose between competing services. Azure Mastery's case-study mode bundles linked questions so you practise the same multi-question pattern you'll meet in the exam.
The on-device Exam IQ engine predicts your AZ-305 score before you sit the exam. After roughly 30 questions it has enough signal to give a confidence-scored prediction (e.g. "786 ±37, 68% confidence") — and tells you the specific topics that are dragging your readiness down. No vague "study more" advice; just a ranked list of objectives where improvement would move your score the furthest.
The adaptive study plan rebuilds itself from your answer history. Get a "choose the right Azure SQL family" scenario wrong? You'll see another data-platform-design question in the next session. Master "geo-redundancy vs zone-redundancy" three sessions running and the engine backs off, surfacing fresh identity-design or business-continuity scenarios. The plan optimises for the gap between where you are and the 700 pass score, not for blind volume.
Knowledge decay tracking is critical for an 8–12 week AZ-305 study window. Service-pricing details, RTO/RPO targets, and licensing nuances you mastered in week 2 are exactly what you'll forget by week 8 if you don't revisit them. Azure Mastery tracks every topic's decay curve and flags topics approaching expiry. The padlock icon on the Today screen is your "revisit before you forget" cue, and weak-spot drills automatically pull from decayed topics first.
Real exam simulation mode runs at AZ-305's actual length and pressure: a randomised set drawn from the full 400-question bank, weighted by April 2026 domain percentages, plus case studies, with the 100-minute timer running and no jumping back to flag-and-review. It's the closest you can get to the live Pearson VUE / online-proctored experience without sitting the exam.
Answer Coach turns each missed answer into a private, grounded lesson: the misconception, key distinction, and rule to remember. It always uses authored certification guidance; on supported devices, an optional on-device model may rewrite the note only when it passes grounding checks.
During your first week, Aura adapts the next step as you go. Every session ends with a concise recap of what changed, what to focus on, and the best follow-up.
Everything essential runs on-device. Your answer history, readiness gauge, and coaching stay private. Optional sync uses your private iCloud account; there is no Azure Mastery account, tracking, or external processing server.
8-week study plan
Suggested AZ-305 study plan
Plan eight to twelve weeks for AZ-305, even if you already hold AZ-104. The eight-week plan below maps onto the four design domains, Azure Mastery's case-study mode, and the in-app exam simulator. AZ-305 rewards judgement over recall — most of the work is internalising "which Azure service for which requirement", not memorising commands.
Identity, governance, monitoring
Days 1–4: Authentication and authorisation design — Microsoft Entra ID, B2B/B2C, Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management; authorising access to Azure and on-premises resources; managing secrets, certificates, and keys with Azure Key Vault.
Days 5–9: Governance design — management group / subscription / resource group hierarchies, tagging strategy, Azure Policy, Microsoft Purview for compliance, identity governance.
Days 10–14: Logging and monitoring solution design — Azure Monitor, Log Analytics workspaces, log routing, monitoring at the estate level.
Data storage
Days 15–21: Relational data — SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Synapse SQL — service tier and compute tier selection, scalability, data protection.
Days 22–28: Semi-structured + unstructured — Cosmos DB, Blob, Files, Disks. Balance features, performance, cost. Plus data integration (Data Factory, Synapse pipelines, Event Hubs, Stream Analytics) and data analysis (Synapse, Microsoft Fabric).
Business continuity + infrastructure
Days 29–35: Backup and disaster recovery — recovery solutions for Azure and hybrid workloads against specific RTO/RPO targets, Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, multi-region failover. High-availability design across compute and data tiers.
Days 36–42: The largest domain — infrastructure design. Compute solutions (VMs vs containers vs serverless vs batch), application architecture (messaging, event-driven, API integration, caching, configuration management, automated deployment), migrations via the Cloud Adoption Framework, and network solutions (connectivity, performance, security, load balancing, Azure Firewall, WAF).
Case studies and simulator
Days 43–49: Case-study mode every day. AZ-305 leans heavily on multi-paragraph scenarios — practise reading them quickly, identifying the constraints, and ruling out wrong answers.
Days 50–54: Two end-to-end Exam Simulator runs at full 100-minute length, with full case-study sets. Review carefully after each.
Days 55–56: Focus Weak Spots only. Light review. Sleep. Sit the exam if your readiness gauge is 730+ with confidence — AZ-305's borderline range is unforgiving.
Inside the app
Every Microsoft question type, on iPhone
AZ-305's question bank uses the same formats Microsoft puts on the live exam — not just multiple choice. Each visualisation below is a faithful mock of how the type renders inside Azure Mastery on iPhone and iPad. Exam-simulator mode runs all of them at full 100-minute length with no flag-and-review jumps, mirroring Pearson VUE.
Which policy effect should the region restriction use to satisfy the regulator?
Deny
Audit
AuditIfNotExists
Modify
Multiple choice
A real AZ-305 question-bank example with one correct answer. The app explains every option after you answer.
Exam-specific sample
An architect must design phishing-resistant authentication for administrators. Which two methods satisfy that requirement? Select two.
FIDO2 security keys
Windows Hello for Business
SMS one-time passcodes
Voice call approval
Email one-time passcodes
Multi-select
A real AZ-305 multi-select item. Every required selection must be correct to earn the mark.
All-or-nothing
Arrange the Azure SQL deployment options from most managed (lowest administrative overhead) to least managed (highest administrative overhead).
⋮⋮1Azure SQL Database (PaaS) — Microsoft manages OS, SQL engine,…
⋮⋮2Azure SQL Managed Instance (PaaS) — Microsoft manages OS/SQL but…
⋮⋮3SQL Server on Azure VM (IaaS) — customer manages OS, SQL engine,…
Drag-and-drop
A real AZ-305 interactive-format prompt, rendered for touch on iPhone and iPad.
Interactive item
A team needs native SQL Server Agent support while still minimizing infrastructure management. Select the Azure data platform option that best fits.
Hotspot
A real AZ-305 prompt that tests recognition inside a visual or contextual interface.
Tap target
Data Storage Platform Selection Relecloud must match four distinct e-commerce workloads to purpose-built Azure data services. The 500,000-item product catalog with nested, localized attributes and…
1Which Azure service should you use for the product catalog datastore?
2Which Azure service should you use for the shopping cart session store?
3Which Azure service should you use for the order history workload?
Case studies
A real AZ-305 case-study scenario with linked questions that share the same requirements and environment.
Multi-question
✕Your answer: Audit
✨ Answer Coach:This effect lets the deployment succeed and records the breach afterwards, which is the report-after-the-fact behaviour the regulator explicitly ruled out.
— grounded in authored certification guidance
Answer Coach
Answer Coach uses the bank's authored rationale to explain the misconception, key distinction, and rule to remember. On supported devices, an optional on-device model may rewrite the note only when it passes grounding checks.
App exclusive
Frequently asked
AZ-305 FAQs
How much does the AZ-305 exam cost?
The AZ-305 voucher is USD $165 in the United States. Pricing varies by region — in the UK it's typically around £128. AZ-305 is the single exam required for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification — the predecessor pair AZ-303 and AZ-304 were retired in March 2022. The Expert-tier certification also requires annual renewal (free, online via Microsoft Learn).
Does the AZ-305 certification expire?
Yes. Microsoft Expert certifications — including Azure Solutions Architect Expert (which AZ-305 unlocks) — expire annually. Renewal is free: a 25–30 question online assessment on Microsoft Learn within the six-month window before your expiration date. The renewal targets recent skills outline updates, so staying current is straightforward if you remain active in solution-architect work.
What is the AZ-305 retake policy if I fail?
The first retake is allowed after 24 hours. Second and third retakes each require a 14-day wait. Microsoft caps retakes at five attempts per 12-month rolling period. Each attempt requires a new voucher purchase. AZ-305 has a higher fail rate than AZ-104 because it tests design judgement (which service for which requirement) over recall — many candidates need a second attempt.
How long should I study for AZ-305?
Plan eight to twelve weeks of focused study, even if you have already passed AZ-104. AZ-305 tests judgement more than recall — you're given a scenario and asked which combination of Azure services satisfies it. That style takes longer to internalise than the AZ-104 "how do I configure X" style. Azure Mastery's readiness gauge tells you when you're at exam-ready — don't book until it shows roughly 730 or higher with reasonable confidence; AZ-305 is unforgiving of borderline scores.
AZ-305 vs AZ-104 — which should I take first?
AZ-104 first. Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) is the operational certification required alongside AZ-305 to earn Azure Solutions Architect Expert. AZ-305 is the expert-level design exam and assumes you already understand Azure operations.
Do I need other exams alongside AZ-305?
AZ-305 is the expert-level exam for Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. You must also hold Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, earned through AZ-104. Passing AZ-305 alone does not award the expert credential.
Where AZ-305 fits
Certification path that includes AZ-305
AZ-305 is the single expert-level exam required for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential. To earn the credential, you must also hold Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); AZ-204 is not an alternative prerequisite.
Download Azure Mastery free. 400 AZ-305 practice questions across all four design domains, plus case-study mode, AI score prediction, full-length exam simulator, and a study plan that adapts to your weak spots. iPhone & iPad.
