Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is Microsoft's entry-level cloud certification. It covers cloud concepts, core Azure services, and how Azure is managed and governed. It's short, conceptual, and, unlike most certifications, doesn't expire.
This review covers what's on the exam, what it costs, who should take it, the Azure concepts you need, and a 3-week study plan built on Microsoft's free training. It's in the fundamentals stage of our Cloud learning path. Deciding between clouds? See our AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud comparison.
AZ-900 at a glance
| Provider | Microsoft |
| Exam | AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals |
| Format | About 40 to 60 questions in several formats |
| Time | About 45 minutes of exam time |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Cost | About US$99 in the US; varies by country |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored |
| Valid for | Doesn't expire |
Microsoft sometimes offers free exam vouchers through its free online training events, such as Microsoft Virtual Training Days. Check before you pay.
What's on the exam
| Skill area | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Describe cloud concepts | 25–30% | Cloud computing, the shared responsibility model, public, private, and hybrid cloud, consumption pricing, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS |
| Describe Azure architecture and services | 35–40% | Regions, availability zones, resource groups, subscriptions, compute, networking, storage, identity, and security |
| Describe Azure management and governance | 30–35% | Cost management, governance and compliance tools, deployment and management tools, monitoring |
The Azure concepts to know
How Azure is organized
From largest to smallest scope:
- Management groups: group subscriptions to apply policies and access across them.
- Subscriptions: billing and access boundaries.
- Resource groups: containers for related resources, often one per project or environment.
- Resources: the actual virtual machines, databases, storage accounts, and so on.
Settings applied at a higher level, such as policies and access, are inherited by everything below.
Core services
| Area | Services |
|---|---|
| Compute | Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Azure App Service, Azure Functions (serverless), containers (Azure Container Instances, Azure Kubernetes Service), Azure Virtual Desktop |
| Networking | Azure Virtual Network, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Azure DNS, load balancing |
| Storage | Storage accounts, Blob storage and access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive), Azure Files, disks, redundancy options, migration tools |
| Identity and security | Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), multifactor authentication, Conditional Access, single sign-on, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, zero trust |
| Cost | Pricing calculator, Microsoft Cost Management, tags |
| Governance | Azure role-based access control (RBAC), Azure Policy, resource locks, Microsoft Purview |
| Management and monitoring | Azure portal, Azure CLI and PowerShell, Azure Resource Manager and templates, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, Azure Advisor, Service Health |
Concepts that trip people up
- RBAC vs Azure Policy: RBAC controls who can do what; Policy controls what is allowed to exist.
- Availability zones vs region pairs: zones protect against a data center failure within a region; paired regions support disaster recovery across regions.
- Storage redundancy options: know the difference between locally redundant, zone-redundant, and geo-redundant storage.
- Entra ID vs on-premises Active Directory: related, but not the same thing.
- Resource locks: prevent accidental deletion or changes, even by people with permission.
Who it's for
Good fit:
- Career changers starting a cloud path, especially toward Microsoft-centric employers
- IT support and system administrators in Windows and Microsoft 365 environments
- Business, sales, and project staff working with Azure teams
- Anyone planning Azure Administrator (AZ-104), Azure security, or Azure AI certifications
Can skip:
- People already working hands-on in Azure, who often go straight to a role-based certification
- People targeting AWS- or Google-focused employers; see our comparison
Is it worth it?
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Never expires | Conceptual; doesn't prove hands-on skill |
| Affordable, with occasional free vouchers | Rarely enough on its own for a technical job |
| Excellent free training on Microsoft Learn | Short exam means less depth |
| Strong fit for Microsoft-centric organizations | Experienced Azure users can skip it |
For beginners and Microsoft-shop IT staff, yes. It's quick, inexpensive, and a natural first step toward AZ-104.
Free study resources
| Type | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Official free training | The AZ-900 learning paths on Microsoft Learn | Covers the whole skills outline; free |
| Practice assessment | Microsoft's free official practice assessment on Microsoft Learn | Good for checking readiness |
| Exam sandbox | Microsoft's exam demo experience | See the question formats before exam day |
| Video courses | Courses from established instructors on major learning platforms | Optional |
| Hands-on | An Azure free account, with a budget alert set first | Optional, but makes concepts stick |
Avoid brain dumps; they violate Microsoft's exam policies. Our guide to using AI to study for certifications covers using AI tutors safely.
The 3-week study plan
This plan assumes about 5 to 7 hours a week. Add a week if you're new to IT.
| Week | Focus | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud concepts | Microsoft Learn's cloud concepts modules; flashcards for service models, deployment models, and shared responsibility |
| 2 | Azure architecture and services | Learn the hierarchy, compute, networking, storage, and identity; optional: create a resource group and storage account, then delete them; take the free practice assessment |
| 3 | Management and governance, then review | Cost management, RBAC vs Policy, locks, monitoring; retake the practice assessment until you're comfortably passing; book the exam |
Safe hands-on practice
- Turn on MFA for your account.
- Set a budget and alert in Cost Management before creating resources.
- Put lab resources in one resource group so you can delete everything at once.
- Delete the resource group when you're done, and check costs the next day.
- Read the current free account terms; credits and free services have limits and expiry dates.
Study habits that work
- Draw the hierarchy (management group, subscription, resource group, resource) and annotate where policies and access apply.
- Make "who vs what" tables for RBAC, Policy, and locks.
- Use active recall. Our Learning How to Learn review explains why testing yourself beats rereading.
Exam day tips
- Expect varied formats, such as yes/no series, drag and drop, and multiple choice. The exam sandbox shows them.
- Read carefully for scope: "subscription" and "resource group" answers often differ only in scope.
- Microsoft's open-book option, which lets candidates consult Microsoft Learn during some exams, applies to role-based and specialty exams, not fundamentals exams like AZ-900, so don't plan on it.
- For online proctoring, test your system ahead of time and follow the workspace rules.
After you pass
- Aim for a role-based certification: Azure Administrator (AZ-104) is the most common next step. Azure security and Azure AI certifications suit other directions.
- Build projects: deploy a web app with App Service, set up a virtual network with a VM and network security group, or automate a deployment with templates.
- Pair it with security: Microsoft's security certifications and our SC-100 review show where Azure skills lead in security architecture. Our Security+ review covers the vendor-neutral foundation.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is AZ-900?
It's one of the easier cloud certifications. Most beginners prepare in one to four weeks using free Microsoft Learn modules.
Does AZ-900 expire?
No. Microsoft's fundamentals certifications don't expire. Role-based certifications, such as AZ-104, require free annual renewal assessments.
How much does AZ-900 cost?
About US$99 in the US, with pricing that varies by country. Microsoft sometimes offers free vouchers through its training events.
Should I take AZ-900 or AWS Cloud Practitioner?
Choose based on the employers you're targeting. Azure is especially common in Microsoft-centric organizations; AWS has the largest overall market share. Our comparison covers how to decide.
Do I need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No, it isn't required. But if you're new to Azure, it builds the foundation that makes AZ-104 much easier.
Bottom line
AZ-900 is a quick, affordable, and permanent first cloud credential, especially valuable in Microsoft-centric organizations. Study it with free Microsoft Learn training, practice safely in a real account, and move on to a role-based certification and projects.
Check your understanding
Answer each question from memory before opening it. Recalling, not rereading, is what makes learning stick (here's why).
1 What are the three skill areas measured on AZ-900, and which is weighted most?
Describe cloud concepts (25–30%), describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%), and describe Azure management and governance (30–35%). Architecture and services is weighted most.
2 Put these in order from largest to smallest scope: resource group, management group, subscription, resource.
Management group, subscription, resource group, resource.
3 What's the difference between Azure role-based access control (RBAC) and Azure Policy?
RBAC controls who can do what to which resources. Azure Policy controls what resources and configurations are allowed, such as only permitting certain regions or VM sizes.
4 What is Microsoft Entra ID?
Microsoft's cloud identity and access service, formerly called Azure Active Directory, used for sign-in, users, groups, and access to apps and Azure resources.
5 Does the AZ-900 certification expire?
No. Microsoft's fundamentals certifications don't expire, unlike role-based certifications, which need yearly renewal.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Fundamentals certification: exam details, skills measured, and free training.
- Microsoft Learn: Credentials: renewal and exam policies.
- Microsoft Azure free account: current free account terms.
- Microsoft Entra ID: identity and access documentation.
- Pearson VUE: Microsoft: exam scheduling and testing policies.