Azure Fundamentals: How to Pass the AZ-900 Exam

Key takeaways

• Study the three skill domains Microsoft measures, and divide your time to match their weights.
• Learn the cloud concepts first, then use practice questions to find the topics you need to review.
• Plan for 45 minutes of exam time and about 65 minutes of total seat time.
• Aim for a scaled score of 700 or greater, and give yourself at least a week to prepare.

Microsoft Azure is one of the world’s leading cloud platforms, making Azure skills increasingly valuable for IT professionals. Nowadays, Microsoft holds 20% of the global cloud infrastructure services market, ranking second only to Amazon Web Services (AWS).¹

The AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning about cloud computing and Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re a student, an IT professional, or someone exploring a career in cloud technology, this exam is designed to help you build and demonstrate your foundational knowledge.

While having some experience in areas like IT infrastructure, databases, or software development can be helpful, you don’t need extensive technical expertise to get started.

The AZ-900 exam is beginner-friendly and ideal for anyone looking to understand Azure’s core services, security features, and management tools.

Need a little help? Which Cloud Computing Certification Should You Get? Azure vs. AWS vs. GCP

About the AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals exam

As the name suggests, the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification is a path to a foundational level of knowledge of Microsoft Azure. It’s the first path among many available, and it takes you to a point where you can choose among many new paths in different directions for your future Azure certifications.

You don’t need to take the AZ-900 exam to get to the other Azure certifications, but it might make your journey on the other tracks quicker and easier.

The AZ-900 exam covers three main skill domains, each focusing on a different aspect of Microsoft Azure:²

• Describe Cloud Concepts (25–30%), which covers cloud computing fundamentals, including cloud models, benefits, pricing, and service types such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
• Describe Azure Architecture and Services (35–40%), the largest section of the exam, where you’ll explore Azure’s core infrastructure, computing, networking, storage, identity, and security services.
• Describe Azure Management and Governance (30–35%) focuses on how Azure resources are managed, monitored, secured through governance policies, and optimized for cost.

Understanding these three areas and how they work together will help you know what to expect on the exam and where to focus your preparation.

If you studied the older outline, cost management now falls under management and governance. Security and identity now fall under architecture and services.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points of the Azure Fundamentals exam:

Attribute	Detail
AZ-900 Cost	US$99 (price varies by region) 3 . Sometimes Microsoft offers discounts through its training programs and special promotions.
Questions	From 40 to 60 questions. 4
Time limit	45 minutes of exam time. 65 minutes of total seat time⁴
Question types	Multiple choice, Drag and drop, Build list, Hot area, Active screen, Case studies, and Labs. 4
Experience level	Beginner
Certificate expires	Does not expire

Also, you can buy an AZ-900 exam voucher directly through Udemy, making it easy to get started on your certification journey.

Four study tips for the AZ-900 exam

1. Prepare, even if you work with Azure

Don’t underestimate the exam. Even if you’ve been working with Azure for a while, don’t make the mistake of thinking a couple of hours of preparation is enough.

The Azure Fundamentals certification exam is designed to be a challenge. You may encounter questions you haven’t necessarily considered before, even if you work with Azure regularly.

Give it at least one week of preparation, using several study sources. You can adjust that timeline, depending on your background and experience.

2. Learn the cloud concepts first

Spend time learning the concepts before taking any practice exams. Because Azure is cloud-based, understanding the concepts of cloud computing is important beyond achieving this fundamental certification.

It can help with your career working with cloud-based programs and any future certification exams you wish to take. The practice exams will be more helpful if you’ve studied the concepts first because they will help highlight where you need to study more.

It might be tempting to take as many practice questions as possible and forego time studying the underlying cloud concepts. This is a classic exam preparation technique for memorization but not knowledge. Avoid the temptation.

Once you know the concepts, use practice questions to find your gaps. When you miss one, go back to the topic behind it instead of memorizing the answer.

3. Learn from several sources

It’s OK to study from several sources. You can combine:

• The free Microsoft Learn training for Azure Fundamentals.
• The free official Practice Assessment for AZ-900, which you can retake as many times as you like.
• The exam sandbox to get familiar with the exam interface before test day.
• An Azure Fundamentals course on Udemy like the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: AZ-900 Course + Practice Tests.

4. Don’t over-prepare

Because there is so much information out there, you might try to consume it all. This exam doesn’t need hundreds of hours to prepare for.

If you try to consume every video course and read every article on the topic, you’ll spend months preparing. If you spend months learning the fundamentals, you’ll find the next level of skills even longer to master.

What to expect on AZ-900 exam day

But don’t be fooled: the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam is not as easy as you might think. It is surprisingly challenging, even for people who’ve been working with Azure for a while.

Exam day feels calmer when nothing about the format surprises you. Here are a few tips:

• Block out about 65 minutes of seat time, since the 45-minute exam comes with instructions and comments.
• Start check-in early so you don’t feel rushed before the exam begins.
• Read each question twice, because a single word like not or least can change the answer.
• Watch the clock, and move on when one question is taking too long.
• Take a breath before you start, and trust the study time you put in.

Your next steps in your Azure journey

Once you’ve earned your AZ-900 certification, you might be wondering what’s next. The good news is that Microsoft offers several certification paths depending on your interests and career goals. Here are three options worth exploring:

• AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator is a great next step if you want hands-on experience managing Azure resources, including virtual machines, storage, networking, identity, and security.
• AZ-305: Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert is ideal if you’re interested in designing cloud infrastructure and solutions. Keep in mind that you’ll also need the Azure Administrator Associate certification to earn this expert-level credential.
• AI-200: Microsoft Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate is worth exploring if you’re a developer interested in building, deploying, and managing AI-powered applications on Azure. It replaces the AZ-204 exam, which retired on July 31, 2026.

Whichever path you choose, AZ-900 gives you a solid foundation to build on as you develop your Azure skills.

Learn more: Microsoft Azure Certification Path: Which One is Right For You?

FAQ

Do I need to have hands-on experience with Azure before taking the AZ-900 exam?

You don’t need hands-on experience working with Azure to pass the AZ-900 exam. If you do have experience working with Microsoft Azure or other cloud platforms such as Amazon AWS or Google Cloud, you might find several of the concepts familiar, making studying for this exam a bit easier.

Do I need a technical background to pass the AZ-900 exam?

You don’t have to be a technical expert to pass the AZ-900 exam. Regardless of your background, technical or non-technical, anyone is eligible to take this exam. With study, anyone can learn the concepts of cloud computing and Azure to pass this test.

Is the AZ-900 exam difficult?

The AZ-900 exam is beginner level, but it’s surprisingly challenging, even if you already work with Azure. Give each of the domains real study time, and use practice questions to check your readiness before you schedule.

How many questions do I need to get right to pass AZ-900?

There’s no set number of questions you need to answer correctly to pass the AZ-900 exam. Microsoft uses a scaled scoring system from 1 to 1,000, and you’ll need a score of 700 or higher to pass. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to get 70% of the questions right. Your final score also accounts for factors such as question difficulty, so focus on understanding the exam topics rather than aiming for a specific number of correct answers.

How long does it take to prepare for AZ-900?

Give yourself at least one week of focused preparation, adjusted for your background. If you’re new to cloud computing, give yourself extra time for the cloud concepts domain. You don’t need months, and over-preparing can slow down your next certification.

Does AZ-900 expire?

No, Azure Fundamentals doesn’t expire, and Microsoft says renewal doesn’t apply to fundamentals certifications. You earn it once, so there’s no yearly renewal assessment to schedule.