Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — Complete Exam Guide

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification is the foundational stepping stone for professionals aiming to prove foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, Azure architecture, compute, storage, networking, security, and governance.

Whether you are a developer, system administrator, IT student, business leader, or non-technical professional, the AZ-900 credential provides industry-wide validation of your cloud proficiency.

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1. AZ-900 Exam — At a Glance (Verified October 1, 2026)

Parameter	Official Verified Details
Exam Code	AZ-900
Certifying Body	Microsoft Learn / Microsoft Credentials
Exam Price	Varies by country/region where the exam is proctored; verify at booking
Number of Questions	Variable; Microsoft notes certification exam question counts can change
Exam Duration	45 Minutes (Total appointment time: 65 minutes)
Passing Score	700 / 1000 (Scaled Scoring System)
Question Types	Multiple Choice, Drag-and-Drop, Hot Area, Repeated Scenario Yes/No
Negative Marking	None
Credential Validity	Microsoft Fundamentals certifications do not expire; Microsoft may retire credentials
Delivery Mode	Pearson VUE OnVUE (Online Proctored) or Authorized Test Centre
Prerequisites	None (Beginner friendly)

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2. Official Exam Domain Blueprint & Weightage

The AZ-900 syllabus is divided into three core functional domains:

Domain	Weightage	Core Tested Areas
Domain 1: Describe Cloud Concepts	25–30%	Cloud computing benefits, IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS, Public/Private/Hybrid/Multi-Cloud, Shared Responsibility Model, CapEx vs OpEx, SLA commitments.
Domain 2: Describe Azure Architecture and Services	35–40%	Regions, Availability Zones, Resource Groups, Azure Compute (VMs, App Services, AKS, Container Instances), Virtual Networks, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Storage Accounts, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB.
Domain 3: Describe Azure Management and Governance	30–35%	Cost Management (Budgets, TCO Calculator, Pricing Calculator), Azure Policy, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Resource Locks, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).

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3. Deep Topic-by-Topic Syllabus Breakdown

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (25–30%)

• Benefits of Cloud Computing: High Availability, Scalability (Vertical vs Horizontal), Elasticity, Agility, Fault Tolerance, Disaster Recovery.
• Cloud Service Categories:
  • IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): User manages OS, middleware, runtime, and apps (e.g., Azure VMs).
  • PaaS (Platform as a Service): Azure manages infrastructure; user manages code/apps (e.g., Azure App Service).
  • SaaS (Software as a Service): Complete software managed by vendor (e.g., Microsoft 365).
• Shared Responsibility Model: Clear distinction between customer responsibilities vs Microsoft responsibilities across On-Premises, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
• Financial Models: Capital Expenditure (CapEx) vs Operational Expenditure (OpEx), Consumption-based pricing model.

Domain 2: Azure Architecture & Core Services (35–40%)

• Structural Components: Geographies, Regions, Region Pairs, Sovereign Regions (US Gov, China), Availability Zones, Subscriptions, Management Groups, Resource Groups.
• Core Compute Services:
  • Virtual Machines (VMs), Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS).
  • Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
  • Containers: Azure Container Instances (ACI), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Container Apps.
  • Serverless: Azure Functions, Azure Logic Apps, Azure Event Grid.
• Networking Services: Azure Virtual Network (VNet), Subnets, Peering, Azure Bastion, Virtual Network Gateway, ExpressRoute, Azure DNS, Network Security Groups (NSG).
• Storage Services: Blob Storage (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive tiers), Azure Files, Azure Disk Storage, Storage Account redundency (LRS, ZRS, GRS, GZRS).
• Database Services: Azure SQL Database, Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL, Azure Cosmos DB (NoSQL globally distributed).

Domain 3: Azure Management & Governance (30–35%)

• Cost Management Tools: Azure Pricing Calculator, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator, Azure Cost Management + Billing, Cost Alerts & Budgets.
• Identity & Access: Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Conditional Access, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) vs Built-in Roles.
• Governance & Compliance: Azure Policy, Policy Initiatives, Resource Locks (ReadOnly, CanNotDelete), Microsoft Purview, Azure Arc and infrastructure-as-code concepts.
• Monitoring & Health: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics Workspaces, Application Insights, Azure Service Health, Azure Advisor recommendations.

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4. Question Types & Scoring Explained

The AZ-900 exam tests practical understanding through varied question formats:

1. Multiple Choice (Single Answer): Standard radio button questions.
2. Multiple Response (Multiple Answers): Selecting 2 or 3 correct options from a list.
3. Drag-and-Drop / Matching: Matching Azure services (e.g., matching AKS, Blob, Logic Apps) to real-world business requirements.
4. Hot Area / Dropdown Lists: Selecting the appropriate answer from inline drop-down menus within architectural diagrams.
5. Repeated Scenario Questions (Yes/No): A series of questions with the same business problem and different proposed solutions. You cannot return or review these once submitted.

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5. Free Preparation Pathway & Practice Strategy

100% Free Official Learning Path:

• Microsoft Learn Official Course Path: Free, interactive modules with sandbox environments.
  • Part 1: Describe cloud concepts
  • Part 2: Describe Azure architecture and services
  • Part 3: Describe Azure management and governance
• Official Practice Assessment: Free 50-question mock assessment available directly on Microsoft Learn.
• Official Exam Readiness Resources: Use Microsoft Learn modules, the free Practice Assessment, the Exam Sandbox, Azure documentation, and Microsoft Exam Readiness Zone resources linked from the official study guide.

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6. What AZ-900 Officially Validates

Microsoft positions Azure Fundamentals as a beginner-level certification for people who want to demonstrate foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure. The current 2026 certification page and study guide focus on measured skills rather than job-title or salary promises.

Cloud concepts

You should understand the shared responsibility model, public/private/hybrid cloud models, consumption-based pricing, serverless computing, high availability, scalability, reliability, security, governance, manageability, and the appropriate use of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.

Azure architecture and services

The official guide covers Azure regions, region pairs, sovereign regions, availability zones, datacenters, resources, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups, compute, networking, storage, migration, Microsoft Entra ID, authentication, external identities, Conditional Access, RBAC, Zero Trust, defense in depth, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

Azure management and governance

Candidates should know cost factors, Azure Pricing Calculator concepts, Cost Management, tags, Microsoft Purview, Azure Policy, resource locks, Azure portal, Cloud Shell, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure Arc, infrastructure as code, Azure Resource Manager templates, Azure Advisor, Service Health, Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and Application Insights.

Microsoft describes AZ-900 as a common starting point for a journey into Azure. The official page notes that candidates may have experience in infrastructure management, database management, or software development, but it does not promise a particular salary or job outcome. For that reason, this guide avoids fixed salary claims and concentrates on the knowledge Microsoft actually assesses.

Why the July 20, 2026 syllabus date matters

Microsoft's current AZ-900 study guide lists skills measured as of July 20, 2026. Older notes can still be useful for fundamentals, but candidates should compare them with the current official guide because Microsoft can make minor changes to services, terminology, and objectives.

Official resources worth using before booking

1. Microsoft Learn Azure Fundamentals certification page — current exam status, language availability, scheduling and regional pricing.
2. Official AZ-900 Study Guide — current skills measured and change log.
3. Microsoft Learn Practice Assessment — free readiness check.
4. Exam Sandbox — experience the Microsoft exam interface and supported question interactions.
5. Microsoft Credentials support pages — current exam duration, scoring, retake and credential-expiration policies.

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7. After AZ-900: Choose the Next Azure Path Carefully

AZ-900 is a Fundamentals credential, so the next step depends on the work you want to do rather than one fixed mandatory sequence. Microsoft maintains separate role-based and specialty credentials for administration, development, security, data, AI, architecture, and other Azure areas.

Before choosing another exam:

• Open the current Microsoft Credentials catalog and read that credential's latest requirements.
• Do not assume an older prerequisite still applies; Microsoft can change or retire certification requirements.
• Match the next credential to the tasks you actually perform or want to perform.
• Use the official study guide for that specific exam because skills measured can change over time.
• Keep practical Azure experience alongside certification study; Microsoft recommends training and hands-on experience before exams.

This approach keeps your certification plan current instead of relying on a static roadmap that may become outdated.

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8. October 2026 Freshness Check

This page was re-verified on October 1, 2026 against the current Microsoft Learn certification page, AZ-900 study guide, exam-duration guidance, retake policy, and credential-expiration policy.

Key current facts:

• The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification page shows Last Updated: July 20, 2026.
• The official study guide lists skills measured as of July 20, 2026.
• The exam page gives 45 minutes to complete AZ-900.
• Microsoft requires a scaled score of 700 or greater to pass.
• Exam pricing is regional, based on where the exam is proctored.
• Fundamentals certifications do not expire, although Microsoft reserves the right to retire credentials.
• After a first failed attempt, Microsoft requires a 24-hour wait before the first retake; later retakes follow Microsoft's current retake policy.

For booking, price, languages, accommodations, or policy changes, always use the official Microsoft Learn links above because those details can change after this page is published.

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Source: Microsoft Learn / Microsoft Credentials | Official Portal: learn.microsoft.com