In today’s fast-paced technology-driven world, cloud computing has become an integral part of businesses across various industries. Microsoft Azure, a powerful cloud platform and service, has become well-liked recently because of its strong features, ability to grow as needed, and strong security. As Microsoft Azure keeps improving and getting even better, the need for experts who know how to use Azure has gone up a lot. One great method to prove you’re good with Azure is to get a Microsoft Azure certification. But, some people hesitate to go for these certifications because they think they might be hard.
In this blog, we will explore the question, “How difficult are Microsoft Azure certifications?” We will provide you with a comprehensive overview of Microsoft Azure certification exams, including the types of certifications available, exam structure, and difficulty level. Additionally, we will offer practical tips and advice on how to prepare for and pass Microsoft Azure certification exams.
Whether you are just starting your cloud computing journey or you are an experienced IT professional looking to advance your career, this blog will provide you with valuable insights into Microsoft Azure certifications and help you make an informed decision on whether pursuing Azure certification is right for you.
Glossary for Microsoft Azure Certifications
Microsoft Azure is like a toolbox of computer services in the cloud, given by Microsoft. Here are some words you might hear a lot if you’re studying for Microsoft Azure certifications:
- Azure: Think of this as the name of Microsoft’s cloud platform. It’s where they offer lots of tools for building and looking after apps and services.
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): This is how Microsoft handles who gets to use what in the cloud. It’s like a digital bouncer.
- Azure Virtual Machines (VMs): These are like pretend computers you can create and use on the Azure cloud.
- Azure App Service: Imagine a fully managed area where you can make, send out, and grow web apps, mobile apps, and things that talk to each other (APIs).
- Azure Functions: These are like little bits of computer magic. They let you do things automatically when something happens, without needing to manage computers.
- Azure SQL Database: It’s like a super well-managed storage space for keeping structured data.
- Azure Storage: This is like the Azure closet. It can hold different types of stuff like files, data chunks, and lines of data waiting to be processed.
- Azure Cosmos DB: This is like a super globe-trotting digital library where you can put different kinds of data and get them back using various tools.
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): It’s a super-managed service for dealing with your applications that are split into tiny pieces (containers).
- Azure DevOps: This is a bunch of tools that teams use to plan, make, test, and deliver their apps and stuff.
- Azure Site Recovery: Imagine having an exact copy of everything on your computer in another place, just in case something bad happens to your computer. This is like that, but for big computer setups.
- Azure Monitor: Think of this like a watchtower. It helps you keep an eye on everything you have on Azure.
- Azure Security Center: This is like a digital security guard. It watches out for bad things and keeps your stuff safe on Azure.
- Azure Active Directory B2C: Imagine a special bouncer for parties where everyone is invited. This is like that but for online parties.
- Azure Information Protection: This is like a guard that makes sure your secret stuff doesn’t get seen by the wrong people.
- Azure Machine Learning: Imagine a robot that learns from examples and can help you make decisions. That’s what this is, but in a digital way.
- Azure IoT Hub: It’s a special place where all sorts of smart devices can talk to each other and you can keep an eye on them.
- Azure Cognitive Services: These are like little brainy helpers that you can add to your apps to make them really smart.
- Azure Batch: This is like a huge kitchen with lots of ovens where you can cook lots of things at the same time, but in the digital world.
- Azure ExpressRoute: Think of this as a private road that connects your home to Azure’s house directly. It keeps the connection super safe and fast.
Understanding Microsoft Azure
Azure is like a big toolbox by Microsoft that helps your company deal with business problems. It lets you create, control, and launch apps on a huge worldwide network. Additionally, Microsoft Azure offers many cloud services, like tools for calculations, analyzing, saving, and connecting things.
Reasons to become certified
There can be a plethora of reasons to pursue a technical certification in Microsoft Azure, depending on your expertise and background. Microsoft Azure certifications offer a few benefits.
- Career flexibility – First things first, Microsoft Azure certifications play a pivotal role when pursuing a career in cloud computing and offers flexible career options. Microsoft Azure certifications provide stability to cloud administrator, developer, security engineer, AI engineer, data engineer, solutions architect, and DevOps engineer. Cloud Computing offers a number of benefits to the certification holder. Consequently, most businesses are shifting their workloads to the cloud.
- Higher salaries – Subsequently, another important reason to become Microsoft Azure certified is the higher salaries and better recognition in the market. Being a Microsoft Azure certified professional, your certifications represent the skills you have. Since there is a huge demand for cloud computing professionals, you earn better compensation packages all over the world.
- A vital asset for an organization: Last but not the least; with proven expertise in Azure, you can be an important asset for the organization to enhance business growth. Microsoft Azure certifications support the benefits of profitability from the Azure cloud environment. Further, you can assist your organization by reducing IT costs and avoid having to bear additional costs.
List of Microsoft Azure exams
Microsoft Azure is one of the most demanded certifications today. The Certification provides status to those who give employers a benchmark standard to measure employee candidates. Moreover, the certifications not only offer employment benefits, but it blesses you with a deeper sense of understanding of Microsoft.
Microsoft Azure is one of the most demanded certifications today. The Certification provides status to those who give employers a benchmark standard to measure employee candidates. Moreover, the certifications not only offer employment benefits, but it blesses you with a deeper sense of understanding of Microsoft.
Microsoft Azure offers a wide range of online certification programs which will we describe briefly.
AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator
Microsoft AZ-103 is retired. A new replacement exam Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) is available.
Firstly, the AZ-103 exam is a perfect match for the Azure Administrator role. Candidates appearing for this exam should have a deep understanding of each service across the full IT lifecycle. Moreover, they can take requests for infrastructure services, applications, and environments.
Must Read: How to Prepare for AZ-103 Exam?
AZ-203: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
Microsoft AZ-203 is retired. A new replacement exam Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure (AZ-204) is available.
Then comes the AZ-203 exam, meant for those who want to be Azure Developers. To take this exam, you should be really good at creating and planning cloud solutions, like applications.
AZ-300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies
Microsoft AZ-300 exam is retired. A new replacement exam Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies (AZ-303) is available.
Moreover, there’s the AZ-300 exam which suits the Azure Architect position. If you’re taking this exam, you’re an Azure Solution Architect who helps guide important people and turns business needs into safe solutions.
AZ-301: Microsoft Azure Architect Design
Microsoft AZ-301 exam is retired. A new replacement exam Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-304) is available.
This test is for the Azure Architect position. Plus, those who take this exam are Azure Solution Architects. They’re the ones who give advice to important people and change business needs into safe solutions.
AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions
This AZ-400 exam is designed for Azure DevOps Engineers. Those taking this exam are experts in DevOps. They bring together people, methods, and technologies to keep giving out useful stuff, which meets what users want and what the business needs.
AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies
This AZ-500 exam is for the Azure Security Engineer role. Candidates for this exam are Microsoft Azure security engineers who implement security controls, maintain the security posture and manage identity.
Must Read: How to prepare for AZ-500 Exam?
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
AZ-900 exam is a perfect fit for candidates looking to demonstrate foundational level knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure. Candidates who successfully pass this exam will earn the Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals certification.
Exam 70-487: Developing Microsoft Azure and Web Services
Further, the 70-487 exam is a perfect match for developers with a minimum of three to five years of experience developing Web Services, including one or more years developing Web API and Azure solutions.
Exam 70-537: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub
Microsoft 70-537 exam is retired. A new replacement exam Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub Beta (AZ-600) is available.
Lastly, the 70-537 exam exam is just right for service administrators and infrastructure administrators. These professionals work with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub to give cloud services to the people who use them, all from their own data center. If you’re taking this exam, you should have a lot of experience in running and handling Azure Stack Hub setups.
What makes Microsoft Azure difficult?
Once you’ve grasped what azure and its different types are, let’s dive into why Microsoft Azure might seem hard. Generally, how tough a Microsoft Azure certification feels depends on a few things:
- First, how much you know about the topic.
- Second, what kind of experience you have.
- Also, the job you’re aiming for.
- Lastly, the exam’s level (like beginner, role-based, or something else).
The big deal is, Microsoft Azure’s difficulty changes based on the job and level you’re aiming for. If you already know a lot and have experience, the exam can be pretty manageable. But if Azure is new to you, spend time on the exam’s goals and use reliable resources to prepare well.
Tips To Make Azure Easy for You
Just because Microsoft Azure certification is difficult doesn’t mean you cannot achieve it. In other words, even if the exam is difficult, you can get it if you are ready to put things in order and act accordingly. Therefore, let’s start with the important tips that you might need to make Azure easy to pass.
First things first, make sure you give your preparation a kick start with the fundamentals and understand the basic concepts of Cloud Computing and Microsoft Azure. Moreover, irrespective of the Azure certification exam type, consider it mandatory to go through the exam layout/outline to understand the exam objectives very well. Also, you can make a visit to the Microsoft official website to find the exam overview and objectives.
Last but surely not least, It is equally important to choose the adequate and authentic resources to pass the certification exam. Therefore, make sure you find good books, documentation, and blogs to groom your knowledge.
Pathway to Microsoft Azure
Besides our expert tips, we recommend you to take part in this particular step before appearing for the exam. In other words, there are a variety of ways available to prepare for the exam. However, you have to decide your own pathway to certification. Some steps you can consider while preparing for the exam easily are –
Instructor Led-Training
First things first, whether you are an individual looking to skill up and get your next role or a manager needing to boost your team’s cloud skills, it is important to enroll yourself in instructor-led training. This instructor-led training offers a breadth of training solutions to suit your learning needs, including blended learning, in-person, and online. Moreover, you can sharpen your technical skills with in-depth training solutions that combine video, hand-on labs.
Explore Free Online Training
Secondly, make your way through free online training. Microsoft provides free online training by world-class experts to help you build your technical skills and advance your career. No matter if you are a novice or an experienced professional, hands-on approach helps you arrive at your goals faster, with more confidence and at your own pace.
Perform Microsoft Practice Test
Last, but one of the most efficient ways to prepare for an exam is practice tests. Practice tests offer you a glimpse of how real-life exam questions look like. Consider yourself lucky as Microsoft provides its own study materials and practice tests to prepare for its certification exams.
Without interrupting the flow, you can find a lot of good learning and preparation resources online is a good source of Microsoft Azure Exam preparation. It guides you in a way that you can find all the exam information, blueprint, preparation path, and useful resources. Further, Testprep Training provides FAQs with their detailed answers.
Expert’s Corner
To wrap up, Microsoft Azure certification exams might seem tough, but they’re doable. A bit of knowledge and experience can go a long way. Also, you must have determination and confidence to do well in Azure certification. Even though it’s a challenge, getting certified makes you stand out! So, be confident, prepare thoroughly, and you’re set to clear the Azure certification exam. If you need more help, just drop a comment, and our experts will assist you.
Wish you luck with your Azure certification exam!
