Preparing for the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam can be a significant step towards validating your foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure. This study guide is designed to provide you with a structured approach to your preparation, ensuring you are well-equipped to understand the exam objectives and ultimately, succeed in achieving your certification.
This document outlines the key areas you need to focus on, based on the official skills measured for the AZ-900 exam, updated as of January 23, 2024. Whether you are just starting your journey into cloud computing or are an IT professional looking to solidify your Azure understanding, this guide will steer you through the essential topics, offering clarity and direction for your study efforts.
| Useful links | Description |
|---|---|
| Skills Measured as of January 23, 2024 | Focus on this section if you are taking the exam on or after January 23, 2024. It details the most current skills assessed. |
| Skills Measured Prior to January 23, 2024 | If your exam date is before January 23, 2024, this section outlines the skills measured in the previous exam version. |
| Change Log | Quickly review the changes implemented in the exam objectives on January 23, 2024. |
| How to Earn the Certification | Understand the steps required to achieve the Azure Fundamentals certification, which usually involves passing just this one exam. |
| Your Microsoft Learn Profile | Connect your certification profile to Microsoft Learn for exam scheduling, renewals, and accessing your certificates. |
| Exam Scoring and Score Reports | Learn about the exam scoring system; a score of 700 or higher is needed to pass the AZ-900 exam. |
| Exam Sandbox | Familiarize yourself with the exam environment using this sandbox to understand the interface and question formats. |
| Request Accommodations | If you require special accommodations for the exam due to disabilities or specific needs, find out how to request them. |
| Take a Free Practice Assessment | Gauge your preparedness with this practice assessment, designed to simulate exam questions and identify areas for improvement. |
Keeping Up with Exam Updates
Microsoft Azure exams are regularly updated to align with the evolving demands of technology roles and the latest Azure services. To ensure you are studying the most relevant material, it’s important to be aware of these updates. We provide two versions of the “Skills Measured” objectives to accommodate exam takers before and after the latest update on January 23, 2024.
The English version of the exam is always updated first, with localized versions following approximately eight weeks later. While Microsoft strives to update localized versions promptly, there might be occasional delays. You can always check the Schedule Exam section on the Exam Details page for the availability of the exam in your preferred language. If your language isn’t available, remember you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete the exam in English.
Important Notes for Exam Preparation
The bullet points listed under each skill area are designed to illustrate how those skills might be assessed in the exam. It’s important to understand that the exam may also cover related topics within these skill areas.
Furthermore, the exam primarily focuses on features that are in general availability (GA). However, it’s also possible to encounter questions on Preview features, especially if these features are widely used or particularly relevant to fundamental cloud concepts.
Skills Measured as of January 23, 2024
This section details the skills measured in the AZ-900 exam for anyone taking the exam on or after January 23, 2024. Focus on these areas to align your study plan with the current exam objectives.
Audience Profile
The ideal candidate for the AZ-900 exam is a technology professional aiming to demonstrate a foundational understanding of cloud computing principles and, specifically, Microsoft Azure. This certification is often seen as the first step in a career path focused on Azure technologies.
Candidates should be capable of describing Azure architectural components and various Azure services, including:
- Compute: Services for deploying and managing virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions.
- Networking: Azure networking services that connect cloud and on-premises resources.
- Storage: Solutions for storing and managing data in the cloud.
Additionally, candidates should be familiar with the features and tools Azure provides for security, governance, and administration.
It’s beneficial for candidates to have some existing experience in an IT domain, such as:
- Infrastructure management: Managing servers, networks, and systems.
- Database management: Working with databases, including administration and optimization.
- Software development: Understanding software development lifecycles and deployment processes.
Exam Skills Breakdown
The AZ-900 exam is structured around three main skill areas:
- Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
- Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
- Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
Let’s delve into each of these areas in more detail to guide your study.
Describe Cloud Concepts (25–30%)
This section assesses your understanding of fundamental cloud computing concepts, which are crucial for grasping the value and application of Azure services.
Describe Cloud Computing
- Define cloud computing: Understand the basic definition of cloud computing, including its key characteristics like on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service.
- Describe the shared responsibility model: Learn about the division of security and management responsibilities between the cloud provider (Microsoft Azure) and the cloud customer. Understand what aspects Microsoft manages and what you are responsible for as a user of Azure services.
- Define cloud models, including public, private, and hybrid: Differentiate between public clouds (like Azure), private clouds (infrastructure dedicated to a single organization), and hybrid clouds (a combination of public and private).
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud model: Recognize scenarios where each cloud model (public, private, hybrid) is most suitable based on factors like cost, security, compliance, and control requirements.
- Describe the consumption-based model: Understand how cloud services operate on a consumption-based or pay-as-you-go model, where you are charged based on the resources you use.
- Compare cloud pricing models: Explore different pricing models available in the cloud, such as pay-as-you-go, reserved instances, and spot pricing, and understand when each model is most cost-effective.
- Describe serverless: Learn about serverless computing, its benefits, and use cases. Understand how it abstracts away server management and focuses on application code.
Describe the Benefits of Using Cloud Services
- Describe the benefits of high availability and scalability in the cloud: Understand how cloud services provide high availability (minimizing downtime) and scalability (adjusting resources based on demand) to ensure applications are always accessible and performant.
- Describe the benefits of reliability and predictability in the cloud: Learn how cloud services enhance reliability through redundancy and fault tolerance, and how they offer predictability in terms of performance and cost.
- Describe the benefits of security and governance in the cloud: Explore the robust security measures and governance tools provided by cloud platforms like Azure to protect data and ensure compliance.
- Describe the benefits of manageability in the cloud: Understand how cloud services simplify management tasks, automate operations, and reduce administrative overhead through centralized tools and services.
Describe Cloud Service Types
- Describe infrastructure as a service (IaaS): Understand IaaS as a cloud service model that provides access to fundamental computing infrastructure—virtual machines, storage, and networks. You manage the operating systems, applications, and data.
- Describe platform as a service (PaaS): Learn about PaaS, which provides a platform for developing, running, and managing applications without the complexity of managing the underlying infrastructure.
- Describe software as a service (SaaS): Understand SaaS as a model where software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. Users access the software over the internet.
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud service type (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS): Recognize scenarios where IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS are the most appropriate cloud service models based on specific business needs, technical requirements, and management preferences.
Describe Azure Architecture and Services (35–40%)
This section focuses on your knowledge of Azure’s core components and the range of services it offers.
Describe the Core Architectural Components of Azure
- Describe Azure regions, region pairs, and sovereign regions: Understand Azure regions as geographical areas containing datacenters, region pairs for disaster recovery and high availability, and sovereign regions for compliance and data residency needs in specific countries.
- Describe availability zones: Learn about availability zones as physically separate datacenters within an Azure region, designed to protect applications and data from datacenter failures.
- Describe Azure datacenters: Understand datacenters as the physical facilities that house Azure’s computing infrastructure.
- Describe Azure resources and resource groups: Learn about Azure resources as the building blocks of Azure services (like VMs, databases) and resource groups as containers for organizing and managing resources.
- Describe subscriptions: Understand Azure subscriptions as logical containers for your Azure resources, used for billing and management.
- Describe management groups: Learn about management groups as a way to organize and manage multiple Azure subscriptions hierarchically, enabling you to apply governance conditions across subscriptions.
- Describe the hierarchy of resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups: Understand the organizational hierarchy in Azure: resources within resource groups, resource groups within subscriptions, and subscriptions within management groups.
Describe Azure Compute and Networking Services
- Compare compute types, including containers, virtual machines, and functions: Differentiate between virtual machines (for full control over the OS), containers (for application portability), and functions (for serverless computing).
- Describe virtual machine options, including Azure virtual machines, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets, availability sets, and Azure Virtual Desktop: Explore different VM options: single VMs, VM Scale Sets for autoscaling, availability sets for redundancy, and Azure Virtual Desktop for virtualizing desktops in the cloud.
- Describe the resources required for virtual machines: Understand the components needed to create a VM, such as compute, storage, and networking resources.
- Describe application hosting options, including web apps, containers, and virtual machines: Compare different Azure services for hosting applications: Web Apps (PaaS for web applications), containers (using Azure Container Instances or Azure Kubernetes Service), and virtual machines (IaaS).
- Describe virtual networking, including the purpose of Azure virtual networks, Azure virtual subnets, peering, Azure DNS, Azure VPN Gateway, and ExpressRoute: Learn about Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) for creating private networks in Azure, subnets for segmenting VNets, peering to connect VNets, Azure DNS for DNS resolution, VPN Gateway for connecting to on-premises networks over the internet, and ExpressRoute for private, dedicated network connections to Azure.
- Define public and private endpoints: Understand the difference between public endpoints (accessible over the internet) and private endpoints (accessible only within a private network).
Describe Azure Storage Services
- Compare Azure Storage services: Differentiate between various Azure Storage services, such as Blob Storage (for unstructured data), File Storage (for file shares), Queue Storage (for message queuing), and Table Storage (for NoSQL key-attribute data).
- Describe storage tiers: Learn about Azure Storage tiers (Hot, Cool, and Archive) and when to use each based on data access frequency and cost considerations.
- Describe redundancy options: Understand different redundancy options for Azure Storage, such as Locally Redundant Storage (LRS), Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS), Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS), and Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage (GZRS), and their implications for data durability and availability.
- Describe storage account options and storage types: Explore different types of storage accounts (e.g., general-purpose v2, Blob Storage) and understand the storage types associated with each.
- Identify options for moving files, including AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync: Learn about tools for transferring data to and from Azure Storage, including AzCopy (command-line utility), Azure Storage Explorer (GUI tool), and Azure File Sync (for synchronizing on-premises file shares with Azure Files).
- Describe migration options, including Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box: Understand services for migrating workloads to Azure, including Azure Migrate (for migrating servers, databases, and applications) and Azure Data Box (for transferring large amounts of data offline).
Describe Azure Identity, Access, and Security
- Describe directory services in Azure, including Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Entra Domain Services: Understand Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) as Azure’s cloud-based identity and access management service, and Microsoft Entra Domain Services (formerly Azure AD Domain Services) for providing managed domain services.
- Describe authentication methods in Azure, including single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and passwordless: Learn about authentication methods like Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for enhanced security, and passwordless authentication options.
- Describe external identities in Azure, including business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C): Understand how Azure handles external identities for B2B collaboration (inviting guest users) and B2C scenarios (managing customer identities for applications).
- Describe Microsoft Entra Conditional Access: Learn about Microsoft Entra Conditional Access (formerly Azure AD Conditional Access) for enforcing access policies based on conditions like user location, device, and application.
- Describe Azure role-based access control (RBAC): Understand Azure RBAC for managing access to Azure resources by assigning roles to users, groups, and service principals.
- Describe the concept of Zero Trust: Learn about the Zero Trust security model, which assumes no implicit trust and requires verification for every access request.
- Describe the purpose of the defense-in-depth model: Understand the defense-in-depth strategy, which uses multiple layers of security controls to protect resources.
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud: Learn about Microsoft Defender for Cloud (formerly Azure Security Center) as a unified security management system for threat protection and security posture management in Azure and hybrid environments.
Describe Azure Management and Governance (30–35%)
This section covers the tools and services Azure provides for managing your environment, controlling costs, and ensuring compliance.
Describe Cost Management in Azure
- Describe factors that can affect costs in Azure: Understand factors that influence Azure costs, such as resource type, usage, location, and billing options.
- Compare the pricing calculator and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator: Learn how to use the Azure Pricing Calculator to estimate costs for Azure services and the TCO Calculator to compare the cost of running infrastructure in Azure versus on-premises.
- Describe cost management capabilities in Azure: Explore Azure Cost Management tools for monitoring, allocating, and optimizing Azure spending.
- Describe the purpose of tags: Understand how tags are used to organize and categorize Azure resources for cost tracking, management, and governance.
Describe Features and Tools in Azure for Governance and Compliance
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Purview in Azure: Learn about Microsoft Purview as a unified data governance service to manage and govern on-premises, multi-cloud, and SaaS data.
- Describe the purpose of Azure Policy: Understand Azure Policy for enforcing organizational standards and compliance at scale across Azure resources.
- Describe the purpose of resource locks: Learn about resource locks to prevent accidental deletion or modification of critical Azure resources.
Describe Features and Tools for Managing and Deploying Azure Resources
- Describe the Azure portal: Understand the Azure portal as the web-based user interface for managing Azure services and resources.
- Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Azure PowerShell: Learn about Azure Cloud Shell, a browser-based shell, and its tools like Azure CLI (command-line interface) and Azure PowerShell for managing Azure resources via commands and scripts.
- Describe the purpose of Azure Arc: Understand Azure Arc, which extends Azure management and services to on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments.
- Describe infrastructure as code (IaC): Learn about Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices for managing and provisioning infrastructure through code rather than manual configuration.
- Describe Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates: Understand Azure Resource Manager (ARM) as the deployment and management service for Azure, and ARM templates for defining infrastructure as code in JSON format.
Describe Monitoring Tools in Azure
- Describe the purpose of Azure Advisor: Learn about Azure Advisor, a personalized cloud consultant that helps you optimize your Azure deployments by recommending best practices for cost, security, reliability, performance, and operational excellence.
- Describe Azure Service Health: Understand Azure Service Health for monitoring the health of Azure services and regions, and getting notified about outages and planned maintenance.
- Describe Azure Monitor, including Log Analytics, Azure Monitor alerts, and Application Insights: Learn about Azure Monitor as a comprehensive monitoring solution, including Log Analytics for querying logs, Azure Monitor alerts for proactive notifications, and Application Insights for monitoring the performance and availability of applications.
Study Resources to Prepare for AZ-900
To effectively prepare for the AZ-900 exam, a combination of training and hands-on experience is highly recommended. Microsoft provides a wealth of resources to support your learning journey, including self-study materials, instructor-led courses, documentation, and community support.
| Study resources | Links to learning and documentation |
|---|---|
| Get Trained | Explore self-paced learning paths and modules or opt for an instructor-led course to suit your learning style. |
| Find Documentation | Access comprehensive Azure documentation: Azure on Microsoft Learn, Azure documentation, Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure, Accelerate cloud adoption with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure. |
| Ask a Question | Get your queries resolved through the Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Docs platform, a community-driven forum for technical questions. |
| Get Community Support | Engage with the broader Azure community for support and insights at Azure Community Support. |
| Follow Microsoft Learn | Stay updated with the latest learning resources and community news by following Microsoft Learn – Microsoft Tech Community. |
| Find a Video | Enhance your understanding through video resources: Exam Readiness Zone, Azure Fridays, and browse other shows on Microsoft Learn shows. |
Change Log: Exam Updates on January 23, 2024
To help you understand the updates to the AZ-900 exam, here’s a change log highlighting the modifications made on January 23, 2024. This table compares the skill areas before and after the update, indicating the extent of changes in each area.
| Skill area prior to January 23, 2024 | Skill area as of January 23, 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Audience profile | No change | No change |
| Describe cloud concepts | Describe cloud concepts | No change |
| Describe cloud computing | Describe cloud computing | No change |
| Describe the benefits of using cloud services | Describe the benefits of using cloud services | No change |
| Describe cloud service types | Describe cloud service types | Minor |
| Describe Azure architecture and services | Describe Azure architecture and services | No change |
| Describe the core architectural components of Azure | Describe the core architectural components of Azure | No change |
| Describe Azure compute and networking services | Describe Azure compute and networking services | No change |
| Describe Azure storage services | Describe Azure storage services | No change |
| Describe Azure identity, access, and security | Describe Azure identity, access, and security | Minor |
| Describe Azure management and governance | Describe Azure management and governance | No change |
| Describe cost management in Azure | Describe cost management in Azure | No change |
| Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance | Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance | No change |
| Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources | Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources | No change |
| Describe monitoring tools in Azure | Describe monitoring tools in Azure | No change |
Skills Measured Prior to January 23, 2024
For those who took the AZ-900 exam before January 23, 2024, the following were the skills measured. While largely similar to the updated skills, it’s important to note the specific areas if you are referring to older study materials or preparing for a retake based on previous exam versions.
Audience Profile
Candidates for this exam are technology professionals who want to demonstrate foundational knowledge of cloud concepts in general and Azure in particular. This certification is a common starting point in a journey towards a career in Azure.
These professionals can describe Azure architectural components and Azure services, such as compute, networking, and storage. They can also describe features and tools to secure, govern, and administer Azure.
Candidates for this exam have skills and experience working with an area of information technology (IT), such as infrastructure management, database management, or software development.
- Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
- Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
- Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
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 passwordless
- 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
