AZ-900 · ● Active · Entry · Microsoft
Foundational cloud certification covering core Azure services, cloud concepts, governance, and compliance. No prerequisites; entry point to all Azure role paths.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | $99 USD (Pearson VUE); regional pricing varies; free vouchers available via Microsoft Virtual Training Days |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Questions | 32–36 questions (40–60 variants reported; Microsoft Learn confirms ~40 questions) |
| Passing | 700/1000 (scaled scoring; not percentage-based) |
| Format | Multiple choice + drag-and-drop; case studies rare |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE online proctored (home or testing center) |
| Languages | English; localized versions in Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean |
| Valid | Lifetime (no renewal required) |
| Renewal | N/A (fundamentals certs do not expire) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Released | 2018 |
| Retiring | N/A (active; updated January 2026) |
Vendor source — Microsoft Learn Certifications ↗
Official exam guide — Study Guide for Exam AZ-900 ↗
Exam objectives — Exam AZ-900 Technical Skill Assessment ↗
About
AZ-900 is Microsoft's entry-level cloud certification, launched in 2018. It validates foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, Azure services, governance, and compliance — pitched for non-technical personas (sales, business analysts, early-career IT). Unlike associate-level certs (AZ-104, AZ-204), AZ-900 requires zero hands-on experience and is primarily a conceptual exam. Earning AZ-900 is a prerequisite mindset for any Azure career path; it unlocks eligibility for specialist Azure roles and acts as a stepping stone to associate-level certifications. Updated in January 2026 with minor adjustments to identity, access, and resource management sections.
Domain context — Cloud
Hyperscale public cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI). Foundation for modern infrastructure, application deployment, and data architectures.
Read full deep dive — Microsoft Azure + M365 Ecosystem →
Topics covered
- Cloud Concepts (25–30%): Define cloud computing, shared responsibility model, cloud benefits (cost, scalability, reliability), cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), cloud deployment models (public, private, hybrid)
- Azure Architecture and Services (35–40%): Core compute (VMs, App Service, Azure Functions), networking (VNets, DNS, Load Balancer), storage (Blob, File, Queue), databases (SQL Database, Cosmos DB), analytics (Synapse, Data Lake)
- Azure Management and Governance (30–35%): Cost management (budgets, cost analysis), governance (Azure Policy, role-based access control), monitoring (Azure Monitor, Application Insights), compliance (standards, certifications, data residency), service-level agreements
Source: Official Exam Objectives ↗
Common skills at Cloud · Entry
Shared content for the Cloud domain at Entry level — not specific to this cert.
- Cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and their trade-offs
- Basic cloud infrastructure concepts (availability, scalability, elasticity, redundancy)
- Public cloud platform navigation (console, CLI, portal)
- Cloud security principles (shared responsibility, encryption at rest/in transit)
- Cost estimation and budgeting in cloud platforms
- Regional deployment and latency considerations
Recommended courses at Cloud · Entry
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn (Official) | Azure Fundamentals Learning Path (4-part series) | Free | ↗ |
| YouTube (John Savill) | AZ-900 Full Course (8.5 hours, no ads) | Free | ↗ |
| YouTube (Andrew Brown / ExamPro) | Azure Fundamentals Certification (3-hour course) | Free | ↗ |
| YouTube (Adam Marczak) | AZ-900 Full Course & Study Guide | Free | ↗ |
| Pluralsight (Tim Warner) | Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | $49–$299/mo | ↗ |
| Udemy (various) | AZ-900 Bootcamp courses | $10–$50 (sale price) | Multiple instructors; search "AZ-900" |
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MeasureUp (Official Microsoft Partner) | AZ-900 Practice Test (163 questions, 2 modes) | $40–$60 | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | AZ-900 Practice Exam (unlimited access) | $20–$40 | ↗ |
| Microsoft Learn (Free Assessment) | Official Microsoft Assessment | Free | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam Ref AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals | Jim Cheshire | Microsoft Press | 2024 | 978-0137955145 | ↗ |
Book note: Jim Cheshire is a 25+ year Microsoft veteran and Director of Supportability in Apps & Infrastructure at Microsoft. Current edition (2024) aligns with January 2026 exam updates.
Typical job titles at Cloud · Entry
Cloud Support Associate · Cloud Support Specialist · Junior Cloud Administrator · Azure Support Engineer · IT Support Technician (Cloud) · Junior Cloud Engineer
(Job titles drawn from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, LinkedIn job boards — 2026 data)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $55k–$80k (entry); +$5k–$8k salary lift for existing IT professionals | Glassdoor ↗ · ZipRecruiter ↗ · Infosec Institute ↗ |
| ZAR | No region-specific data available — use USD figure ÷ 18 (approx. current rate ~ZAR 1.2M–1.5M gross annually for entry-level roles) | Cross-reference via exchange rate |
| GBP | £35k–£50k (entry-level support roles, UK market) | IT Jobs Watch, Hays salary guides (estimated from USD equivalents) |
Salary note: AZ-900 alone rarely justifies a promotion; it is a foundational credential, not a job-ready one. Its value lies in demonstrating Azure fundamentals knowledge and unlocking eligibility for junior cloud roles or serving as a stepping stone to associate-level certifications (AZ-104, AZ-204) where salary impact is 15–25% higher.
Skills validated
Cert-specific technologies and concepts tested.
- Cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) definitions and use cases
- Azure global infrastructure (regions, availability zones, data centers)
- Core Azure services (compute, networking, storage, databases, analytics)
- Azure identity and access (Azure AD/Entra ID, RBAC, MFA)
- Azure governance (Azure Policy, resource groups, subscriptions)
- Cost management and billing (cost analysis, budgets, pricing models)
- Compliance and certifications (data residency, security standards)
- Security and reliability (shared responsibility, encryption, disaster recovery)
- Azure support and SLAs
Related certifications
- Stacks with: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) ↗ · SC-900 (Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals) ↗ · DP-900 (Azure Data Fundamentals) ↗ · AI-900 (Azure AI Fundamentals) ↗
- Prerequisite for: AZ-104, AZ-204 (Azure Developer), AZ-700 (Azure Network Engineer), DP-300 (Azure Database Admin), SC-200 (Security Operations Analyst), specialist certs
- Replaces: N/A (original entry-level cert; no predecessor)
- Equivalents at Entry level: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) ↗ · Google Cloud Digital Leader ↗
- Vendor overview: Microsoft Vendor Overview ↗
Sources
- Microsoft Learn Certifications Hub
- Study Guide for Exam AZ-900
- Exam AZ-900 Technical Skill Assessment
- John Savill's AZ-900 YouTube Playlist
- Andrew Brown / ExamPro AZ-900 (freeCodeCamp)
- Adam Marczak AZ-900 Study Guide
- MeasureUp Official Practice Test
- Whizlabs AZ-900 Practice Exam
- Exam Ref AZ-900 (Amazon)
- ZipRecruiter: Azure 900 Jobs
- Infosec Institute: AZ-900 Job Outlook
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: Microsoft Azure + M365 Ecosystem
Parent domain: Cloud
Vendor overview: Microsoft Vendor Overview