Certification path
Microsoft Azure certification path
Microsoft's tier is encoded in the exam number, not the name. Anything ending 900 is Fundamentals; the 100s to 800s are Associate; AZ-305, AZ-400 and SC-100 are Expert. Fundamentals is optional — no Associate exam requires one — but AZ-900 is cheap, short and a reasonable way to find out whether you enjoy this.
Where to start
The working spine is AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-305. Everything else branches off it: AZ-204 if you write code rather than run infrastructure, AZ-500 then SC-100 if you are heading into security.
- 01
Fundamentals
6 examsThe -900s. One or two hours, no prerequisites, and no Associate exam requires them. Worth it for orientation, not for a CV on its own.
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
10 free
AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
10 free
DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals
10 free
SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
10 free
PL-900: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals
10 free
MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
10 free
- 02
Associate
12 examsThe role-based tier and the one hiring managers read. Each maps to a job someone is actually paid to do.
AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator
10 free
AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
10 free
AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies
10 free
AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions
10 free
AZ-800: Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure
10 free
DP-203: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure
10 free
DP-300: Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure
10 free
AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution
10 free
SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst
10 free
SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator
10 free
PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
10 free
MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator (beta)
10 free
- 03
Expert
4 examsDesign rather than configuration. AZ-305 and AZ-400 both expect an Associate certification behind them; SC-100 expects one of the security ones.
- 04
Specialty
4 examsNarrow, deep, and taken because a project demands it.
AZ-140: Configuring and Operating Windows Virtual Desktop on Microsoft Azure
10 free
AZ-120: Planning and Administering Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads
10 free
DP-420: Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB
10 free
AZ-720: Troubleshooting Microsoft Azure Connectivity
10 free
Work the whole ladder on one plan
$39.99 a month covers all 26 exams on this page and every other exam on the site — which is the point of a path. Or read 10 questions from any of them first, free.
Common questions
- Where should I start on the Microsoft Azure certification path?
- The working spine is AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-305. Everything else branches off it: AZ-204 if you write code rather than run infrastructure, AZ-500 then SC-100 if you are heading into security.
- How many Microsoft Azure exams are there?
- 26 of them are covered here, arranged into 4 tiers: fundamentals, associate, expert, specialty. Retired versions still in our catalogue are deliberately left off — the point of this page is what to sit next.
- Do I have to take the Microsoft Azure exams in order?
- Microsoft's tier is encoded in the exam number, not the name. Anything ending 900 is Fundamentals; the 100s to 800s are Associate; AZ-305, AZ-400 and SC-100 are Expert. Fundamentals is optional — no Associate exam requires one — but AZ-900 is cheap, short and a reasonable way to find out whether you enjoy this.
- Can I practise these before paying?
- Yes — 10 free questions on every exam on this page, with no card and no account. Each also has a timed practice test of 65 questions in 130 minutes.
- What does it cost to prepare for the whole path?
- $39.99 a month opens every exam on this page and every other exam on the site, which is the plan that makes sense if you are working through a ladder. A single exam on its own is a one-time $19.99 for 30 days.