The Microsoft Azure market is still growing at an exponential rate. As businesses ramp up their digital transformation efforts, this could mean avoiding capital expenditure in the short term and shifting to cloud-based applications. Furthermore, many enterprise customers are still in the early stages of Azure adoption. While there are headlines about companies that have moved a significant portion of their data center footprint to the public cloud, many others have only a few workloads running there or are just getting started. Hence, it is beneficial to start a career with Microsoft Azure Fundamentals!
Let us get started by knowing briefly about Microsoft Azure Fundamentals!
About Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam (AZ-900) validates your fundamental understanding of cloud services and how Microsoft Azure provides cloud services, regardless of role. The AZ-900 exam is designed for candidates who want to demonstrate working knowledge – foundation level – of cloud services and how Microsoft Azure provides these services. This is an exam for people with non-technical backgrounds, such as those in cloud-based solution sales, marketing, and purchasing, or anyone who has some involvement with cloud-based solutions. Candidates with technical knowledge can also take this exam to demonstrate their understanding of cloud-based services and solutions.
Who should take the Exam?
The Microsoft Azure AZ-900 Exam’s target audience includes –
- First and foremost, candidates with non-technical backgrounds are eligible to apply for this exam.
- Individuals involved in the sale or purchase of cloud-based solutions and services.
- As a result, candidates who have some experience with cloud-based solutions and services will be considered.
- Finally, candidates with a technical background who want to validate their foundational-level knowledge of cloud services are encouraged to apply.
Aside from that, candidates should be aware that technical IT experience is not required. Any general IT knowledge or experience, on the other hand, would be advantageous.
Average Salary
In the United States, the average salary range for cloud engineers is already between $110,000 and $135,000. Architect salaries continue to rise above that level, and many architects we spoke with, believe that $150,000 is now the starting point. This is supported further by a recent Infoworld article. The good news is that if you succeed, the money will follow. If you’re new to IT and the cloud, you’re probably in the sub-100k range, but don’t worry, you’re not missing out. If you work hard, you will be able to quickly achieve your desired salary.
Some other things that you must know – The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Exam consists of 40-60 questions that must be answered in 85 minutes. During the exam, various types of questions are asked, such as case studies, short answers, multiple-choice, mark review, drag, and drop, and so on. Furthermore, this exam will set you back USD 99. However, keep in mind that passing the Microsoft AZ-900 exam requires a score of 700 or higher. The exam is also available in four different languages. English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean are among them.
Let us now get to the crux of the topic –
Starting a career with Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
Follow these steps to start your career with Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. Let us start with the planning –
Step 1. Focusing on the important area of the exam
The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Course is as follows, all the topics prescribed are equally likely to appear in the exam:
The content includes updates of English version of the exam as of July 31, 2023
Module 1 – Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam cover the latest and updated exam guide including –
Describe cloud computing
- Define cloud computing (Microsoft Documentation: What is cloud computing? and Types of Cloud Computing)
- Describe the shared responsibility model (Microsoft Documentation: Shared Responsibility Model in Cloud)
- Define cloud models, including public, private, and hybrid (Microsoft Documentation: What is a Public Cloud?, What is a Private Cloud? and What is a Hybrid Cloud?)
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud model (Examples of cloud computing)
- Describe the consumption-based model (Microsoft Documentation: Consumption and Fixed Cost Models)
- Compare cloud pricing models (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Product Pricing and Azure Cloud Services pricing)
- Describe serverless
Describe the benefits of using cloud services (Benefits of Cloud Computing Services)
- Describe the benefits of high availability and scalability in the cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Benefits and considerations of using cloud services)
- Describe the benefits of reliability and predictability in the cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Reliability and Overview of the reliability pillar)
- Describe the benefits of security and governance in the cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Security governance and Governance in the Microsoft Cloud and Azure governance documentation)
- Describe the benefits of manageability in the cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Cloud management in the Cloud Adoption Framework, Cloud management gateway overview and Azure Management Guide, Before you start)
Describe cloud service types
- Describe infrastructure as a service (IaaS) (Microsoft Documentation: What is IaaS? and Azure IaaS (infrastructure as a service)
- Describe platform as a service (PaaS) (Microsoft Documentation: What is PaaS? and Use platform as a service (PaaS) options)
- Describe software as a service (SaaS) (Microsoft Documentation: What is SaaS? and About SaaS)
- Identify appropriate use cases for each cloud service (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Cloud Services)
Module 2 – Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
Describe the core architectural components of Azure
- Describe Azure regional, regional pairs, and sovereign regions (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Regions and Avaialbility Zones and Azure Regional Pairs and Azure Sovereign Clouds)
- Describe availability zones (Microsoft Documentation: Azure availability zones)
- Describe Azure datacenters (Microsoft Documentation: Datacenter security overview)
- Describe Azure resources and resource groups (Manage Azure resource groups)
- Describe subscriptions (Microsoft Documentation: Subscription decision guide and Azure subscription)
- Describe management groups (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Management Groups)
- Describe the hierarchy of resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups (Microsoft Documentation: What are Azure management groups? )
Describe Azure compute and networking services
- Compare compute types, including container instances, virtual machines, and functions (Choose an Azure compute service, Azure Container Instances, Introduction to Azure virtual machines, Introduction to Azure Functions)
- Describe Virtual Machine options, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets, availability sets, and Azure Virtual Desktop (Virtual machines in Azure, What are virtual machine scale sets? and What is Azure Virtual Desktop?)
- Describe resources required for virtual machines (Windows virtual machines in Azure)
- Describe application hosting options, including Web Apps, containers, and virtual machines
- Describe virtual networking, including the purpose of Azure Virtual Networks, Azure virtual subnets, peering, Azure DNS, Azure VPN Gateway, and Azure ExpressRoute (What is Azure Virtual Network?, Virtual Network Subnet, Azure Virtual Network Peering, Azure Peering Service Overview, What is Azure DNS?, What is Azure VPN Gateway?, Azure ExpressRoute and Significance of Azure ExpressRoute)
- Define public and private endpoints (What is a private endpoint?)
Describe Azure storage services
- Compare Azure storage services (Introduction to Azure Storage)
- Describe storage tiers (Storage account overview, Hot, Cool, and Archive access tiers)
- Describe redundancy options (Azure Storage redundancy)
- Describe storage account options and storage types (Storage account overview)
- Identify options for moving files, including AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync (azcopy copy, Get started with AzCopy, Transfer data with AzCopy and file storage, What is Azure File Sync?, Get started with Storage Explorer)
- Describe migration options, including Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box (About Azure Migrate)
Describe Azure identity, access, and security
- Describe directory services in Azure, including Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and part of Microsoft Entra and Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)
- Describe authentication methods in Azure, including single sign-on (SSO), multifactor authentication (MFA), and passwordless (Passwordless authentication options for Azure Active Directory, authentication and verification methods are available in Azure Active Directory)
- Describe external identities in Azure, including business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C)
- Describe Conditional Access in Azure AD (What is Conditional Access?)
- Describe Azure role-based access control (RBAC) (What is Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC)?)
- Describe the concept of Zero Trust (What is Zero Trust?)
- Describe the purpose of the defense in-depth model
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud (What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?)
Module 3 – Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
Describe cost management in Azure
- Describe factors that can affect costs in Azure (Plan and manage your Azure costs)
- Compare the Pricing calculator and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator (Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator)
- Describe the Cost Management capabilities in Azure
- Describe the purpose of tags (Use tags to organize your Azure resources and management hierarchy)
Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance
- Describe the purpose of Microsoft Purview in Azure
- Describe the purpose of Azure Policy (What is Azure Policy?)
- Describe the purpose of resource locks (Lock resources to prevent unexpected changes)
Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources
- Describe the Azure portal (Azure portal overview)
- Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Azure PowerShell (Overview of Azure Cloud Shell)
- Describe the purpose of Azure Arc (Azure Arc overview)
- Describe infrastructure as code (IaC) (IaC on Azure)
- Describe Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates (What is Azure Resource Manager?, What are ARM templates?)
Describe monitoring tools in Azure
- Describe the purpose of Azure Advisor (Introduction to Azure Advisor)
- Describe Azure Service Health (What is Azure Service Health?)
- Describe Azure Monitor, including Log Analytics, Azure Monitor alerts, and Application Insights (Log Analytics tutorial, Azure Monitor overview, Application Insights overview)
Step 2 – Refer to Best Resources for Preparation and Crack the exam
These resources can be quite beneficial while preparing –
Microsoft Learning Platform
Cracking an exam should be done wisely; thus, referring to authentic websites and gathering resources is the way to go! We strongly advise visiting and referring to the Learning Platform on Microsoft’s official website. All you have to do is find the exam AZ-900 page, and you’ll be on your way to the right learning platform and resources to study.
Refer Official Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (Az-900) Exam
Microsoft Documentation
Following that, we recommend Microsoft Documentation. It will be easier for you to understand the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals after reading this section. Not only that, but you’ll be aware of the various scales of all Azure services. This will undoubtedly enhance your learning directly from the right people and technology.
Refer: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Online Tutorials
Instructor-Led Training
Nonetheless, Microsoft provides instructor-led training as well! This is an online learning platform where certified instructors deliver AZ-900 training sessions. Furthermore, these are completely appropriate online classrooms where you can schedule classes at your leisure and learn at your own pace!
Join study groups and online forums
While preparing for the exam, online forums and study groups can be extremely beneficial. As a result, feel free to participate in study forums or study groups. These study groups allow you to stay connected with other people who are on the same journey as you. Furthermore, it allows you to clarify your doubts and participate in discussions, making your learning more comprehensive.
Practice Tests
When preparing for an exam, we are all aware of the value of practice tests. The practice test provides you with precise information about where you stand. In other words, it assists you in identifying your strengths and weaknesses. Here’s some advice: only use this particular learning source after you’ve completed the entire syllabus. Because practice papers can come from a variety of sources, make sure you find the correct and authentic one. Let’s Begin Preparing for the Microsoft Azure A-900 Exam Right Now!
Step 4 – Gain hands-on experience
This is a critical step in obtaining a good job in the market. That is, if you have the necessary experience as well as the certification, no organization will turn you down! This is a well-known fact. And the best way to do so is to begin working on a project. Start working on your project using the skills and knowledge you gained by passing the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam. This can also be used as a task to test your abilities as well as a benefit during the interview to demonstrate your abilities to the employer.
Step 5 – Crack the job interview
The next step is to secure a high-paying position in the market after passing the exam and gaining practical experience. The first and most important thing to remember throughout the interview process is to maintain your confidence. Second, review both the theoretical section and the project you worked on to prepare.
Step 6 – Maintaining the Credential
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Credential does not expire and therefore, you need not worry about maintaining the credential. However, keep yourself up to date with the product advancements.
Final Words
You must ensure that you are completely at ease on the day of the exam. You shouldn’t be concerned, and you should get enough sleep before the exam to avoid interruptions. Also, arrive early at the test center so you have enough time and don’t have to rush so you can focus on the exam.
Microsoft Azure certification is beneficial on many levels. Microsoft Azure careers will continue to grow at a rapid pace. If you want to significantly advance your career, Azure certification is the way to go. Follow the preparation tips listed above to earn an Azure certification.
