The cloud has become an inevitable part of every organization. An increasing number of organizations are trying to take their share of Cloud-based advantages. So, Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate AZ-103 is gaining popularity.
Microsoft AZ-103 is retired. A new replacement exam Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) is available.
Microsoft Azure is a distinguished name among the various cloud computing services. It’s a cloud platform that helps you deploy, build, manage applications and services on a vast global network.
There are a thousand new users adopting Azure every day. Every year more than 360,000 organizations are joining the Microsoft Azure cloud.
So, to meet such extensive usage there is a strong need for continuous learning and upgrading of necessary Azure cloud skills. Therefore it leads to the need for the Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate Certifications.
AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Exam
This Administrator Associate AZ-103 Certification Exam was introduced as a replacement for the AZ-100, AZ-101 or AZ-102 exams. Qualifying this exam provides you with the Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate badge.
AZ-103 Microsoft Azure Administrator certification exam justifies and demonstrates the expertise of those of you who are performing the role of Azure Administrator. Basically it tests the knowledge of the candidate to manage cloud services that span compute, storage, networking, security, and other cloud capabilities within Microsoft Azure. Therefore you need to dive deeper to know more about this exam so it could be easier for you to start your AZ-103 exam preparation.
Why Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate replaced the certifications?
This was done to just simplify the certifications earning process. This is because earlier, to earn the Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification, one had to pass both 100 and 101 exams. But now, you are only required to take one exam, the AZ-103. As it is an amalgam of both 100 and 101 exam objectives.
Purpose & Prerequisites of the certification
The AZ-103 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification exam validates and checks your knowledge as an Azure Administrator. The candidate’s skills to manage cloud services range from computing, storage, networking and security to other cloud capabilities. All these skills are assessed by the exam.
Though, there are no prerequisites to take the AZ-103 Certification exam. However, if you are new to Microsoft Azure Development, then you may first should to take AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals Certification exam. This is because it validates your understanding of Microsoft Azure fundamentals.
Who Can Take This Exam?
- Primarily azure Administrators managing cloud services, which may involve storage, security, networking, and compute cloud capabilities.
- Secondly candidates with an in-depth understanding of each cloud service across the complete IT lifecycle.
- Also, professionals with abilities to use PowerShell, ARM templates, the Command Line Interface, Azure Portal, operating systems, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, storage, and networking.
Microsoft Azure AZ-103 Exam Information
The full name of the exam signifies the certification name i.e. Exam AZ-103 Microsoft Azure Administrator. You can expect 40-60 numbers of questions in the AZ-103 exam in multiple choices and multiple answer formats. Although the registration fee has not yet been reflected by Microsoft, it may be USD 165 or more as the exam is a combination of the AZ-100 and the AZ-101 exam. The table below will give you quick information about the exam:
Exam AZ-103 Basic Information
| Name of the Exam | Exam AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator |
| Technology | Microsoft Azure |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Number of Questions | 40-60 |
| Exam Fee | USD 165 |
| Language | English |
Microsoft Azure AZ-103 Exam Blueprint
Since it’s the combination of AZ-100 and AZ-101, the exam, so, the blueprint now includes the objectives of both the AZ-100 and AZ-101 exams. Therefore now you’ll have to cover more syllabuses during your Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-103 exam preparation. So, let’s have a look at the domains and topics covered in the Microsoft Azure AZ-103 certification exam.
Domains with Weightage percentage & Topics Covered:
Manage Azure subscriptions and resources (15-20%)
- Firstly managing Azure subscriptions.
- Secondly managing resource groups.
- Thirdly analyzing resource utilization and consumption.
- Later managing role-based access control. (RBAC)
Implement and manage storage (15-20%)
- Creating and configuring storage accounts.
- Configuring Azure files.
- Importing and exporting data to Azure.
- Also, implementing Azure backup.
Deploy and manage virtual machines (15-20%)
- Creating and configuring a VM.
- Automating deployment of VMs.
- Managing Azure VM.
- Managing VM backups.
Configure and manage virtual networks (30-35%)
- Firstly creating connectivity between virtual networks.
- Secondly implementing Azure load balancer.
- Thirdly implementing and managing virtual networking.
- Also monitoring and troubleshooting virtual networking.
- ThenConfiguring name resolution.
- Subsequently integrating the on-premises network with Azure virtual network.
- Later creating and configuring a Network Security Group (NSG).
Manage identities (15-20%)
- Managing Azure Active Directory.
- Implementing and managing hybrid identities.
- Manage Azure AD objects.
- Implement multi-factor authentication.
Microsoft Azure Administrator AssociateAZ-103 Certification Exam: How to Prepare?
So, these are the steps that form the preparation guide for the AZ-103 exam. All you need to do is just follow these steps and get ready to pass the AZ-103 certification exam in the first attempt.
The official web page
So, now as if you have decided to take up the AZ-103 Certification exam. Then the first thing you should do is to explore Microsoft Official Web Page for the most up to date and factual information. This page provides details on:
- Prerequisites;
- Eligibility criteria;
- Exam objectives;
- Pricing details;
- Scheduling options; and
- Exam structure updates.
Carefully understanding the new exam objectives
AZ-103 is a new exam. Modules and module weights have been changed. Therefore, it becomes necessary to thoroughly understand each module and domain. So that accordingly you can prepare for the exam. The modules with high percent weightings could demand more attention.
Instructor-led training and online training courses
This online training is one of the most important methods to help you with your AZ-103 exam preparation. This mode connects you with qualified and experienced Azure experts. Who assists you in learning the concepts of the exam modules. Thus, gets you ready for the certification exam. You can take online self-paced training for the AZ-103 exam from the Microsoft learning portal that is free of cost. In addition to taking free online self-paced training from the Microsoft learning portal, you may also choose established Microsoft Training Partners and certification training providers such as Learning.
Reference books
You may preorder the Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam Ref AZ-103 book from the Microsoft Press Store. Since AZ-103 is relatively a new exam, so you may not find enough books for your AZ-103 Azure Administrator exam preparation. Still, you can preorder the Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam Ref AZ-103 that is a part of the exam ref series. This book can be pre-ordered from the Microsoft Press Store. Also, you can refer to the previous books which are available for the Azure Administrator exam. Also, they may help you to cover many exam modules that were there in the AZ-100 or AZ-101 exams earlier.
Study groups and online discussion forums
There are a number of forums and groups to help you connect to the individuals preparing for the AZ-103 exam. This will definitely help you with some practical insight and offer solutions for your certain unresolved queries.
Practice tests
So, now as you’re thorough with your preparation it’s time to take some mock tests. This boosts your confidence level and at the same time introduces you to some areas of improvement. The advantage of these tests is they are set in a real-exam-like environment to help you identify weaknesses and strengths.
Final Say:
So, on the basis of response received on the AZ-100 and AZ-1010 exams, Microsoft decided to launch the Exam AZ-103. Basically Microsoft Azure Administrator to simplify the Azure Administrator path. Therefore if you aspire to advance your career as an Azure Administrator, then you should plan to take the AZ-103 exam. Moreover, this certification exam enhances your skills as well as demonstrates it among your employers. Therefore, makes you stand out. Note that the preparation guide mentioned above is an ultimate mentor for you to prepare for the AZ- 103 Exam.
