Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions (AZ-400)- FAQs
Microsoft Azure (AZ-400) Exam Basic FAQ
What is Microsoft Azure (AZ-400) Exam?
The Exam for Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions (AZ-400) is for DevOps professionals who have already obtained the Azure Developer Associate or Azure Administrator Associate badge. The Microsoft Azure AZ-400 exam assesses a candidate’s ability to create and implement a DevOps strategy, including development processes, dependency management, application infrastructure, and continuous integration, delivery, and feedback. A DevOps professional’s responsibilities include:
- Streamlining delivery by optimizing practice
- Improving communications and collaboration
- Creating automation
- Design and implement strategies for application code and infrastructure
How many questions are there on AZ-400 Exam?
In this exam, there will be 40-60 questions that have to be completed in 150 minutes.
What is the course outline for AZ-400 Exam?
The topics in this exam are –
- Configure processes and communications (10—15%)
- Design and implement source control (15—20%)
- Design and implement build and release pipelines (40—45%)
- Develop a security and compliance plan (10—15%)
- Implement an instrumentation strategy (10—15%)
How much does the exam cost?
This exam will cost $165 USD with additional taxes.
What is the time duration of AZ-400 Exam?
You will be given 150 minutes to complete this exam.
What is the exam reschedule or cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you must do so at least 6 days ahead of time. You risk losing your entire payment if you do not finish it 24 hours before the exam.
What is AZ-400 Exam retake policy?
You can apply for retaking the exam after 24 hours of the failed attempt but you pay for each exam attempt you will take.
In what language can we give the exam?
This exam is available in 4 languages, namely English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean.
How to prepare for the Microsoft exam?
To prepare for an exam the best way is to practice the skills for the exam. Get hands-on experience with the technology to successfully pass Microsoft Certification exams. However, there are associated online courses, and instructor-led courses are intended to train the skills needed to be successful in the job role, a subset of which will be assessed on the exam. To start preparing, review the “Skills measured” section of the Exam Details page and evaluate your skills against what is being assessed on the exam. Practice until you no longer experience those challenges.
How do I schedule for a Microsoft Azure AZ-400 Exam?
The exam can be scheduled at Pearson VUE.
What accommodations are available for candidates with disability?
Microsoft is ensures that exams are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
Microsoft Azure (AZ-400) Exam Specifics FAQ
What types of questions are there on the Microsoft Certification exams?
Microsoft introduces innovative testing technologies and question types, so, they do not provide for the specific item types that will appear on a given exam.
Why there is use if case study exam format?
The case study exam format uses complex scenarios that more accurately simulate what professionals do on the job. However, scenario-based questions included in the case studies are designed to test your ability to identify the critical information needed to solve a problem and then analyze and synthesize it to make decisions.
Can we review the questions after completion of case study?
Yes, you may review the questions in a case study only after moving to the next case or section of the exam. After completing a case study and its associated questions, a review screen will appear.
How do we know if an exam has been updated when a new feature or function is added?
Microsoft reviews its exams every two months. However, any changes that affect the objective domain and the existing questions are incorporated into the exam. Moreover, inaccurate questions are removed from the exam and some items are modified with addition of new items. Microsoft has the right to update content to maintain the validity and relevance of certifications.
What is a short answer question in the Microsoft exam?
In the short answer question type there are questions that are solved by writing several lines of code in the available text-entry area. There you can choose from key word options which are provided for you to use in the code you write. However, after entering your code, you can check your syntax.
How many points are given for short answer questions?
The short answer questions are worth one point. However, if the question is worth more than one point, it is indicated as the number of points that it is worth in the question itself.
Is there any negative marking for wrong answer?
No, you are not penalized for answering incorrectly. As, for single-point items, you need to answer completely and correctly to be awarded the point. And, you don’t earn points for the parts of your response that are incorrect.
Can I review all of my answers before leaving a section or completing the exam?
Yes, you can review your answers to most questions. However, there are yes/no questions that describe a problem and a possible solution. And, you will not be able to review these questions answers. In addition, after you move to the next question in this set, you are not able to change your answer. These questions are preceded by an overview screen that provides this information, and each question includes a reminder that you cannot return to the question or change your answer after leaving it.
Microsoft Azure (AZ-400) Scoring and Results FAQ
When and how will I get my exam results?
Within a few minutes of finishing the exam, you will be notified if you passed or failed. You will also receive a printed report that includes your exam score as well as feedback on your performance in the skill areas assessed.
How do the score report look like?
A numeric score for overall exam performance, pass/fail status, a bar chart demonstrating performance on each skill area examined on the exam, and advice on how to interpret your findings and future actions are all included in the score report. Candidates can use this information to identify their areas of strength and weakness.
What do the bars on the score report mean?
The bar chart depicts how you did on each segment, or skill area, of the exam. Each portion of the exam is displayed on the left of the graph, along with the percentage of the exam that was spent to it. The lengths of the bars indicate your section-level performance and correspond to the proportion of items in that topic area that you answered correctly. Bars farther to the left indicate poor performance, whereas bars further to the right indicate great performance.
Can I find out whether I answered a specific question correctly or whether how I answered a specific question affected my pass/fail status?
No, Microsoft Certification examinations are meant to assess applicants’ skills and abilities in relation to a certain work function, rather than their ability to study or recall specific exam questions. Regardless of the questions offered, qualified applicants will be able to pass this test. As a result, Microsoft does not release information about the individual questions that were missed in order to maintain the certification process’s integrity.
Does the score report show a numerical score for each section?
Each part does not have a numerical score in the score reports. Only pass/fail status is shown in the score reports, which offer an overall numerical score. We give score bars to illustrate topic areas of strength and weakness instead of providing a numerical score for each segment.
Can I see a lower level of detail on my performance on transition or upgrade exams?
No, we do not give a more detailed report on your transition or upgrade exam results. At the objective level, we don’t ask enough questions to produce a fair evaluation of your aptitude for each of those talents. Providing this degree of detail would be a disservice to you since the outcome may suggest that you focus on abilities that aren’t in need of improvement, or, even worse, that skills are strengths when they aren’t.
How are exam scores calculated?
After you complete your exam, the points you earned on each question are summed and then compared with the cut score to determine whether the result is pass or fail.
If I receive the same score every time I retake the same exam, does this imply an error in the results computation?
No, getting the same score on several attempts does not mean the algorithm that calculates the results is wrong. It’s not unusual for applicants to have close or identical results on repeated exam tries. The exam’s consistency in evaluating skills in this topic category is demonstrated by this outcome. If this happens on several occasions, you should reassess your test preparation and look for alternate ways to study and practise the abilities assessed by the exam.
I scored zero in one of the sections. How is this possible?
The number of questions that measure each skill area is determined through the blueprinting process; sections of the exam measuring critical and/or more frequently performed skills will contain more questions than those that assess less important or less frequently performed skills. Given that the number of questions varies based on the criticality of skills measured, it is entirely possible for a candidate to answer all questions in a section with fewer questions incorrectly.
I experienced significant delays between some of the questions. Was my response recorded? Was it scored correctly?
A delay between questions does not impact the responses, scoring, or the time remaining to finish the exam. You should expect to experience a delay of up to a minute while your next question loads. The exam delivery provider’s software is designed to accommodate this. Your answers are recorded, and the exam will be scored correctly regardless of delays between questions.
Do the responses that I provide to the survey at the beginning of the exam impact the questions that I see during the exam or how my exam is scored?
No. The survey that you take at the beginning of the exam has no impact on the exam content or scoring. This is purely an evaluation tool that our exam psychometricians use to ensure the quality, validity, and rigor of the exam over its lifecycle.
I passed my first Microsoft Certification exam (at Pearson VUE). Now what do I do?
Congratulations! To explore next steps and available benefits, see your benefits and exams dashboard. Sign in using the same Microsoft account you used to register for your exam.
If I do not pass, what can I do?
Prioritize the skills that you should practice by focusing on the content areas where your exam performance was the weakest and in the content areas that have the highest percentage of questions. Additionally, you may want to review the resources provided on the exam details page, and our Study Groups, which can be found at the bottom of the individual exam details page.
When you are ready to retake the exam, schedule an appointment as you normally would. Note that you must pay for each exam you retake and follow Microsoft’s retake policy.
Can I request a re-evaluation of my score?
A re-evaluation of your score is unlikely to change your pass/fail status. Because Microsoft must ensure that candidates who pass exams and earn our certifications have demonstrated the required proficiency level(s) across the skill domain(s), the final result of an exam is rarely changed based on a re-evaluation of your exam results. Even if a question is flawed in some way, we cannot assume that you would have answered it correctly if it had not been. In these cases, we provide candidates with the opportunity to retake the exam free of charge. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please submit an online request. An Item Challenge form will be sent to you.
If I do not pass an exam, can I have a refund?
No. Microsoft does not offer refunds for exams you do not pass or exam appointments you miss.
Microsoft Performance-based Testing Based FAQ
What is performance-based testing (PBT)?
Performance-based testing gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills by completing tasks in the technology. Today, this means completing tasks in a graded lab, but in the future, PBT may take a different form. For example, for those of you who are currently performing the job role, Microsoft is exploring ways to incorporate the work that you do every day into our certification requirements.
For those of you who are not in the job role yet, we’ll continue to have other ways for you to demonstrate your skills through portfolios and graded labs. Microsoft is constantly innovating to ensure that we assess your skills and abilities in ways that align to how you actually get your work done. To view the PBT tutorial video, click here.
How are tasks scored?
The tasks are scored on the end result. We do not care how you accomplish the tasks (for example, through the UI or using PowerShell commands)—only that you successfully accomplished the task. Complete the task as you normally would; the scoring script evaluates the end result on the key characteristics to determine if it was done correctly. For example, if the task was to add a user, the scoring script ensures that you added that user.
How many points is each task worth?
Most tasks are worth one point; if the task is worth more than one point, that information is provided in the task description.
How much time do I have to complete the labs?
Labs are not timed separately from the exam. At the beginning of the exam, the number of labs, case studies, and questions as well as the exam time will be provided. You must answer all questions, including completing tasks associated with any labs, in the time provided. Manage your time accordingly so that you can complete all activities that must be done.
I had some issues with my labs. How do I let Microsoft know?
If you run into issues with labs, please provide your feedback to Certification Support. Although we won’t be able to provide a specific explanation for your experience, our investigation will help us identify root causes and identify solutions that will improve the experience for everyone.
I had some issues with my labs. How do I request a rescore?
If you received a score, it is an accurate reflection of your performance before the lab issue. If you failed, a rescore will not change that result.
When will I receive my score?
Labs take longer to score than traditional item types. Because the labs appear at the end of the exam, you may not get your result immediately. It can take 30 minutes or longer to receive a score. You do not have to wait for the score report. It will be passed automatically to our certification database and will show up in your MC dashboard. This should occur within 24 hours of the exam delivery. If it does not appear, please contact the MCP Support forum.
Do exams with performance-based questions take longer to complete?
Yes. These exams may take longer to complete than exams that do not contain performance-based items; however, our research suggests that most candidates complete tasks more quickly than they complete other item types. The amount of time allotted for each exam takes this into account.
Should I prepare for the performance-based exams differently than I prepare for other exams?
No. The skills measured remain the same regardless of the format of the question. The knowledge and skills assessed on the exam are listed in the “Skills measured” section of the exam details page. If you practice the skills, you’ll be prepared for any item type, including labs.
FAQ Academic pricing on exams
Can I get a refund if I initially registered and paid for an exam without verifying an academic discount, but I’m verified now?
No. If you decide to register and pay for an exam before you have verified your student status, you must pay commercial pricing and will not receive a refund. You must ensure that you are verified before completing your registration and payment.
Does my academic verification expire?
Yes. Your academic verification is only valid for 12 months. After 12 months, you need to repeat the verification process.
I’m an educator. Can I still receive an academic discount (in applicable countries) on my Microsoft Certification exam delivered with Pearson VUE?
Yes. You need to follow the same process as a student. In other words, you must select “Student” as your job function in your Microsoft account profile, and you must verify your status through the same process as a student.
Who do I contact for questions regarding the academic verification process for Microsoft Certification exams?
If you have general questions related to exam registration or questions specific to a new or pending verification request, please contact Certification Support.
FAQ Accommodation Requests
How do I request an accommodation?
If you require special equipment or other accommodation when you take an exam, you may request an accommodation through Pearson VUE using their “Reasonable Adjustments Request System” https://rs.hgportal.net/amer/candidate. More details are provided in the Special Accommodations when Taking Exams section above.
Why do I need to submit documentation?
The documentation that you provide describes your disability to the Pearson Special Accommodations team. Pearson has experts that determine the appropriate accommodation Your documentation ensures that the exam experience is adjusted appropriately. Someone with dyslexia, for example, is typically on a spectrum of severity and the exam accommodations are therefore appropriately adjusted for that level of severity as described in the documentation. This documentation consists of a formal assessment from a medical professional within the last 5 years.
Someone with mild dyslexia may need 1.5 times the exam length, whereas someone with more severe dyslexia may receive 2 times the exam length or perhaps even have a reader. The intent is to make the exam session fair to the candidate considering their need while maintaining the validity and reliability of the assessment process.
