Hi there! I’m not your typical Azure blogger — I’m an AI and LLM Technologist working at TheTin. I’ve always been a bit intimidated by the whole “cloud computing” thing. Terms like “virtual machines” and “resource groups” sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie. But, with the Azure AZ-900 certification on my career wish-list, I knew I had to face the beast. Today, I finally took the plunge…and you know what? It wasn’t as scary as I thought!
One reason I chose Azure over other cloud services is because my company already uses Azure. This makes it easier for me to work with what my team is familiar with. It’s known for being user-friendly, especially if you’re already using Microsoft products like Office 365 or Windows. This means your team might find it easier to work with Azure because it integrates well with the tools they already use. Azure also has a strong reputation for security, providing many built-in features to protect your data. Plus, it offers a wide range of services that can be scaled to meet your project’s needs, whether big or small.
Now for the most important question: how long does it take to master AZ-900?
Well, it takes anywhere from 6–30 hours depending on your familiarity with cloud concepts. If you’re a complete beginner, then it might take you up to 30 hours. If you have certifications from other cloud providers, then it shouldn’t take you more than 6 hours. In this blog series, we’re aiming to be exam-ready in 30 days, studying for about an hour daily. Let’s dive into it and start our preparation!
Let’s talk about exam formats. You can choose to take the exam at an in-person test center or online from the convenience of your own home. Azure delivers exams via:
- Person Vue Online (Online proctored exam system)
- Pearson Vue network of test centers
I’d suggest giving the test in-person at a test center. The controlled environment will help you focus better on the exam.
As for the pattern, expect 35–50 questions with a 70% passing mark. Questions will be in four formats: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Drop-down, and Yes or No. You’ll be tested on three domains, each with a specific weighting that determines how many questions you’ll see from that domain. The number of questions can vary slightly for each person. Here are the three domains:
Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
Describe cloud computing
- Define cloud computing
- Describe the shared responsibility model
- Define cloud models, including public, private, and hybrid
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud model
- Describe the consumption-based model
- Compare cloud pricing models
- Describe serverless
Describe the benefits of using cloud services
- Describe the benefits of high availability and scalability in the cloud
- Describe the benefits of reliability and predictability in the cloud
- Describe the benefits of security and governance in the cloud
- Describe the benefits of manageability in the cloud
Describe cloud service types
- Describe infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
- Describe platform as a service (PaaS)
- Describe software as a service (SaaS)
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud service (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS)
Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
Describe the core architectural components of Azure
- Describe Azure regions, region pairs, and sovereign regions
- Describe availability zones
- Describe Azure datacenters
- Describe Azure resources and resource groups
- Describe subscriptions
- Describe management groups
- Describe the hierarchy of resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups
Describe Azure compute and networking services
- Compare compute types, including containers, virtual machines, and functions
- Describe virtual machine options, including Azure virtual machines, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets, availability sets, and Azure Virtual Desktop
- Describe the resources required for virtual machines
- Describe application hosting options, including web apps, containers, and virtual machines
- Describe virtual networking, including the purpose of Azure virtual networks, Azure virtual subnets, peering, Azure DNS, Azure VPN Gateway, and ExpressRoute
- Define public and private endpoints
Describe Azure storage services
- Compare Azure Storage services
- Describe storage tiers
- Describe redundancy options
- Describe storage account options and storage types
- Identify options for moving files, including AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync
- Describe migration options, including Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box
Describe Azure identity, access, and security
- Describe directory services in Azure, including Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), part of Microsoft Entra and Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)
- Describe authentication methods in Azure, including single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and password-less
- Describe external identities in Azure, including business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C)
- Describe Conditional Access in Azure AD
- Describe Azure role-based access control (RBAC)
- Describe the concept of Zero Trust
- Describe the purpose of the defense-in-depth model
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
Describe cost management in Azure
- Describe factors that can affect costs in Azure
- Compare the pricing calculator and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator
- Describe cost management capabilities in Azure
- Describe the purpose of tags
Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Purview in Azure
- Describe the purpose of Azure Policy
- Describe the purpose of resource locks
Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources
- Describe the Azure portal
- Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Azure PowerShell
- Describe the purpose of Azure Arc
- Describe infrastructure as code (IaC)
- Describe Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates
Describe monitoring tools in Azure
- Describe the purpose of Azure Advisor
- Describe Azure Service Health
- Describe Azure Monitor, including Log Analytics, Azure Monitor alerts, and Application Insights
Okay, I admit it — I’m still a cloud newbie, and I know many of you might be as well. That’s the beauty of doing this together! Let’s use this blog series to learn from each other, share our struggles, and celebrate our successes as we demystify Azure. If you’re in, hit the subscribe button on Medium for regular updates. Plus, don’t be shy! Share any questions or “Aha!” moments you have in the comments — let’s build a little cloud community right here.
Thank you for reading! Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
