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Microsoft · Cloud · Associate

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate exam guide

Exam AZ-104

AZ-104 validates that you can run an Azure environment day to day: identity and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking and monitoring. It is the most requested Azure credential in job postings for cloud admin roles and is the prerequisite for the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).

QuestionsSee official page
Time limit100 minutes
Passing score700 (1-1000 scale)
Exam fee$165 USD
Valid for1 years
DeliveryPearson VUE test center or online proctored

Format: Multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, case studies and other interactive item types. Fee note: US price; varies by country. Student and Microsoft Learn offer discounts are common..

Who it's for

System administrators, cloud engineers and support engineers with roughly six months of hands-on Azure experience who manage subscriptions, VMs, networks and storage.

What the exam covers

Manage Azure identities and governance22%
Implement and manage storage17%
Deploy and manage Azure compute resources22%
Implement and manage virtual networking17%
Monitor and maintain Azure resources12%

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: None

Recommended: At least six months of hands-on Azure administration, plus familiarity with operating systems, networking, virtualization, PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID.

Keeping it active

Associate and expert certifications are valid for 1 year. Renew for free by passing an unproctored online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn, available in the 180 days before expiry; unlimited attempts with a 24-hour wait after a failed try.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Managing Microsoft Entra users, groups and Azure RBAC
  • Applying Azure Policy, resource locks, tags and management groups
  • Configuring storage accounts, redundancy, SAS and lifecycle rules
  • Deploying VMs, scale sets, App Service and containers with ARM/Bicep
  • Building VNets, peering, NSGs, UDRs, private endpoints and load balancers
  • Configuring Azure Monitor alerts, Log Analytics, Backup and Site Recovery

Job roles

Azure AdministratorCloud AdministratorCloud EngineerSystems AdministratorCloud Operations EngineerInfrastructure Engineer

Where it fits in your path

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Week 1-2: Microsoft Learn AZ-104 path for identity, governance and storage; do every exercise in a free or pay-as-you-go subscription.
  2. Week 3-4: Compute and networking: deploy VMs with Bicep, build hub-and-spoke peering, NSGs, UDRs and a load balancer, then tear it down.
  3. Week 5: Monitoring and backup: configure Log Analytics, alerts, Recovery Services vault and a test restore.
  4. Week 6: Take the Microsoft practice assessment and a timed third-party practice test; drill weak areas in the portal and CLI.
  5. Week 7: Final review of RBAC scopes, storage redundancy options and networking limits, then sit the exam.

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • Identity/governance and compute together are up to half the exam; master RBAC scope inheritance and Azure Policy effects.
  • Know storage redundancy options (LRS, ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS, GZRS) and which can be converted in place.
  • Expect questions that require reading ARM or Bicep snippets and spotting what they deploy.
  • You can open Microsoft Learn during the exam (not during case studies); practice finding docs fast instead of relying on it.
  • Watch for VNet peering transitivity and NSG rule priority traps in networking scenarios.

Key terms for this exam

All 88 terms Study with thinQcards™

Commonly confused on this exam

Frequently asked questions

How much does AZ-104 cost?

$165 in the United States; pricing varies by country.

How hard is AZ-104?

It is a broad associate exam with practical, scenario-based questions. Candidates without real Azure hands-on time typically need 6-8 weeks of lab-heavy study.

Does AZ-104 expire?

Yes, after 1 year, but renewal is free via an online assessment on Microsoft Learn in the 6 months before expiry.

Do I need AZ-900 before AZ-104?

No. AZ-900 is optional; it helps beginners but is not a prerequisite.

AZ-104 vs AWS Solutions Architect Associate?

AZ-104 is operations-focused for Azure shops; AWS SAA is design-focused for AWS. Pick the cloud your target employers use; many engineers eventually hold both.

Official page: learn.microsoft.com. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.