Guide
AZ-900 vs AZ-104: which Azure cert is right for you?
See the conceptual and hands-on routes side by side, then choose the exam that matches what you do today.
Quick answer
AZ-900 or AZ-104: the short version
Choose based on what you do with Azure today. AZ-900 covers the concepts; AZ-104 tests the work of an administrator.
Choose AZ-900 if you're new to cloud
- Right for anyone who has never worked hands-on in Azure, sits adjacent to cloud rather than inside it, or wants to confirm the concepts before committing to a harder exam.
- Conceptual, never expires, and most people with some IT background pass it after one to two weeks of study.
Choose AZ-104 if you administer Azure day to day
- Right if you already manage subscriptions, identities, storage, VMs, or networks in Azure, or a job description specifically asks for it.
- The credential most hiring managers mean by "Azure administrator"; plan four to eight weeks of focused study.
There is no rule that says you must pass AZ-900 before AZ-104. See "Do you need AZ-900 before AZ-104?" below for when skipping it makes sense and when it does not.
Side by side
AZ-900 vs AZ-104 at a glance
Both columns below come from the current Microsoft skills outlines and Azure Mastery's own exam pages, not estimates.
| Category | AZ-900 | AZ-104 |
|---|---|---|
| Credential | Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate |
| Best for | New to cloud, non-technical roles, first Microsoft cert | Hands-on Azure administrators, IT pros moving into cloud operations |
| Domains | 3: cloud concepts; Azure architecture & services; management & governance | 5: identity & governance; storage; compute; networking; monitoring |
| Format | Typically 35–50 questions, 45 minutes (65-minute seat) | Typically 40–60 questions, 100 minutes (120-minute seat) |
| Question style | Mostly conceptual multiple choice and multi-select | Multiple choice, multi-select, drag-and-drop, hotspot, and case studies, plus Bicep/CLI reading |
| Pass score | 700 / 1000 | 700 / 1000 |
| Typical prep time | One to two weeks with some IT background | Four to eight weeks with some Azure experience |
| Renewal | Doesn't expire | Renew free every year |
| Skills outline | Updated 14 January 2026 | Updated 17 April 2026 |
Exam fees vary by country for both exams, so check Microsoft's own pages for the price where you live: the AZ-900 study guide and the AZ-104 study guide both link through to registration and current pricing.
What AZ-900 actually tests
What AZ-900 actually tests
AZ-900 is deliberately conceptual. It checks that you can explain cloud computing and Azure's service model rather than configure anything, and there is no Azure CLI, PowerShell, or Bicep on this exam at all.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Describe cloud concepts | 25–30% |
| Describe Azure architecture and services | 35–40% |
| Describe Azure management and governance | 30–35% |
- Cloud concepts covers the shared responsibility model, public versus private versus hybrid cloud, consumption-based pricing, and the IaaS/PaaS/SaaS service types.
- Azure architecture and services, the largest domain, covers the regions-to-resource-groups hierarchy, compute and networking basics, storage tiers, and identity fundamentals such as Entra ID, MFA, and RBAC.
- Management and governance covers cost management, Azure Policy, resource locks, and monitoring tools such as Azure Monitor and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- Every question is about recognising the right concept or service, not configuring one.
What AZ-104 actually tests
What AZ-104 actually tests
AZ-104 is hands-on and practical. Roughly a third of its questions include a Bicep snippet, an Azure CLI command, or a PowerShell cmdlet, and you are expected to predict what it does or spot what is wrong with it, not just recognise the service name.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Manage Azure identities and governance | 20–25% |
| Implement and manage storage | 15–20% |
| Deploy and manage Azure compute resources | 20–25% |
| Implement and manage virtual networking | 15–20% |
| Monitor and maintain Azure resources | 10–15% |
- Identity and governance covers Entra ID user and group management and Azure RBAC assigned at management group, subscription, resource group, and resource scope.
- Storage covers redundancy options, SAS tokens, access keys, and identity-based access for Azure Files.
- Compute covers reading and deploying ARM templates and Bicep, virtual machine sizing and disks, and containers through Azure Container Registry and Container Apps.
- Networking covers network security groups, Azure Bastion, private endpoints, and load balancers; monitoring covers Azure Monitor, Network Watcher, Azure Backup, and Azure Site Recovery.
- Five domains is a wider surface than AZ-900's three, and each one goes deeper.
Prerequisite question
Do you need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No. AZ-900 is not a formal prerequisite for AZ-104, and Microsoft's booking system won't stop you sitting AZ-104 first, or as your only Azure exam.
- Plenty of people go straight to AZ-104, particularly if they already touch Azure at work.
- AZ-900 genuinely helps if Azure is new to you: under six months of hands-on experience, and AZ-104's domains assume a conceptual map you haven't built yet — what a region pair is, how subscriptions and management groups nest, what "shared responsibility" means for security.
- AZ-900 builds that map in one to two weeks, so AZ-104 material lands faster because you're not learning the vocabulary and the configuration at once.
- Already administer Azure resources, even informally? You can usually skip AZ-900 without a gap — the conceptual content is familiar from the job, and AZ-104 is the credential hiring managers actually screen for.
- Sitting AZ-900 afterwards, once you already hold AZ-104, adds little beyond a second line on a CV.
Career value
How each certification helps your career
Each certification signals a different level of Azure competence to a hiring manager.
- AZ-900 signals baseline cloud literacy: organisations often ask non-technical staff, new graduate hires, or people transferring into IT to hold it, proving they can talk about cloud concepts without needing to be an administrator.
- It's a reasonable box to tick before an internal move into a cloud-adjacent role, and a low-risk way to test whether Azure work interests you.
- AZ-104 signals that you can actually run an Azure environment — the certification job adverts mean by "Azure Administrator", and the assumed groundwork for expert-level architecture certifications such as AZ-305 and specialist security and networking tracks.
- Neither guarantees a job or pay rise; both give your study a structure and a credential you can cite when applying for a role or promotion.
Take both?
Should you take both AZ-900 and AZ-104?
For complete beginners, taking both in sequence is a sound plan.
- AZ-900's one-to-two-week timeline builds study momentum and confidence with the exam format before you take on AZ-104's much larger domain list, and the exam-simulator habit carries straight into the harder exam.
- Already administering Azure? Taking both is optional rather than necessary — AZ-104 directly gets you the credential that matters most for the role, and AZ-900 can wait or be skipped without holding your career back.
- The two work well together on a CV that needs to show range: AZ-900 demonstrates you understand the platform conceptually, AZ-104 that you can operate it.
- With the time, sitting AZ-900 first and rolling straight into AZ-104 preparation is a realistic six-to-ten-week combined project — the AZ-900 study guide and the AZ-104 study guide each lay out a week-by-week plan you can chain together.
Switch exams without switching apps
Azure Mastery writes a rationale for every option on every AZ-900 and AZ-104 question, so moving from the conceptual exam to the hands-on one doesn't mean losing the habit. Each bank gets its own on-device Exam IQ score with a confidence range, its own adaptive plan, and its own blueprint-weighted simulator. Free to start, works offline.
Download Azure Mastery — freeFrequently asked
AZ-900 vs AZ-104 FAQs
Can I skip AZ-900 and go straight to AZ-104?
Yes. AZ-900 is not a prerequisite, and Microsoft doesn't check for it before you book. Already working with Azure subscriptions, VMs, or storage at work? Going straight to AZ-104 is the more efficient route, since much of AZ-900's content will already be familiar.
Which exam should I take first if I'm new to IT or cloud entirely?
AZ-900. It's built for people without hands-on experience, covering cloud concepts and governance basics before you're expected to configure anything. Passing it first also builds the exam-simulator habit, which pays off when you move to AZ-104's harder, hands-on format.
Is AZ-104 harder than AZ-900?
Yes, noticeably. AZ-900 tests whether you can describe concepts and name services; AZ-104 tests whether you can configure them. It also runs longer, 100 minutes against 45, and adds drag-and-drop, hotspot, and case studies plus Bicep and CLI reading AZ-900 never touches.
Do AZ-900 and AZ-104 expire in the same way?
No. AZ-900 is Fundamentals-level and never expires. AZ-104 is Associate-level, renewed free every year via an online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Budget a little ongoing time for AZ-104 even after you pass.
Can I take AZ-900 and AZ-104 close together?
There's no cooling-off period between different exams, only between repeat attempts at the same one. Some candidates sit AZ-900 after one to two weeks and move straight into AZ-104 prep, carrying the momentum forward. Just don't rush AZ-104's much larger domain list to hit a deadline.
Does passing AZ-900 give me credit toward AZ-104?
No formal credit, exemption, or reduced fee for passing AZ-900 first. What you gain is conceptual groundwork and, for many people, more confidence going into a harder exam, rather than a shortcut through AZ-104's content.
Ready to start on AZ-900 or AZ-104?
Whichever one you pick, Azure Mastery writes a rationale for every option and adapts your study plan around your weak spots. Free to start, and it works offline.
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