One of the most common questions from people starting their Azure journey: should I take the AZ-900 first, or go straight to AZ-104? The answer depends on your background and goals. Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | AZ-900 | AZ-104 |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Fundamentals | Associate |
| Target audience | Everyone (no IT background needed) | IT administrators with Azure experience |
| Questions | 40-60 | 40-60 |
| Time | 85 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Passing score | 700/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Exam cost | $99 | $165 |
| Study time | 2-4 weeks | 4-8 weeks |
| Certification earned | Azure Fundamentals | Azure Administrator Associate |
| Avg salary impact | +$5,000-10,000 | +$15,000-30,000 |
When to Start with AZ-900
- You're new to cloud computing and need foundational knowledge
- You're in a non-technical role (sales, management, PM) and want cloud awareness
- You want a quick win to build confidence before tackling harder exams
- Your employer offers the free fundamentals exam voucher (Microsoft often provides these at events)
When to Skip to AZ-104
- You already have 6+ months of IT infrastructure experience
- You've used Azure or another cloud platform professionally
- You understand basic networking, virtualization, and identity concepts
- You need a certification that directly qualifies you for Azure admin jobs
The Best Strategy
For most people, we recommend: study the AZ-900 material without taking the exam, then go straight to AZ-104. This gives you the foundational knowledge without the extra $99 exam fee. The AZ-900 study materials are free on Microsoft Learn, so there's no cost.
However, if you're completely new to IT, the AZ-900 certification on your resume provides immediate proof that you understand cloud basics — which can help you land your first IT role.
Key Differences in Content
AZ-900 Covers (Conceptual)
- What is cloud computing?
- IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS differences
- Azure pricing and support plans
- High-level Azure services overview
AZ-104 Covers (Hands-On)
- Manage Azure identities and governance (Entra ID, RBAC, policy)
- Implement and manage storage (blob, files, replication)
- Deploy and manage compute resources (VMs, App Service, containers)
- Implement and manage virtual networking (VNets, NSGs, load balancers)
- Monitor and maintain Azure resources
Practice with our AZ-900 practice questions or AZ-104 practice questions to get a feel for the difficulty level of each exam.