AZ-900 exam guide: format, domains, preparation
Who the AZ-900 exam is for
AZ-900, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, is a fundamentals-level exam. The study guide describes the candidate as an IT professional who wants to show basic knowledge of cloud concepts and of Azure: compute, networking and storage services, and the features used to secure, govern and administer Azure.
The objectives are written almost entirely as "describe" statements. They centre on explaining a concept or recognising which service fits a need, rather than on building or troubleshooting a deployment. It can serve as a starting point for anyone who needs a structured overview of Azure services and vocabulary.
Exam format
The table below lists only what the official pages state. Where a value is not published for AZ-900 specifically, it is marked as such.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Exam code | AZ-900 |
| Level | Fundamentals |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Number of questions | Not published for AZ-900 |
| Passing score | 700 or greater, on a scale of 1 to 1000 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Spanish, German, French, Indonesian, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Chinese (Traditional), Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian |
| Localised versions | The English version is updated first; localised versions follow about eight weeks later |
| Extra time | 30 additional minutes if the exam is not available in your preferred language |
| Preview features | Most questions cover generally available features; preview features may appear if they are commonly used |
| Skills outline in force | Skills measured as of July 20, 2026 |
Exam duration rules for each exam category are described on the exam duration and exam experience page.
Domains and weights
The study guide groups the skills into three domains. Weights are given as ranges, so the exact share of each domain can vary from one exam form to another.
| Domain | Weight | Main topics |
|---|---|---|
| Describe cloud concepts | 25–30 % | Cloud computing, shared responsibility, public, private and hybrid models, consumption-based model, pricing models, serverless; benefits such as high availability, scalability, reliability, predictability, security, governance and manageability; IaaS, PaaS and SaaS |
| Describe Azure architecture and services | 35–40 % | Regions, region pairs, sovereign regions, availability zones, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups; compute and networking; storage services, tiers, redundancy and migration tools; Microsoft Entra ID, authentication methods, conditional access, Azure RBAC, Zero Trust, defense in depth, Microsoft Defender for Cloud |
| Describe Azure management and governance | 30–35 % | Cost factors, pricing calculator, cost management, tags; Microsoft Purview, Azure Policy, resource locks; portal, Cloud Shell, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure Arc, infrastructure as code, Azure Resource Manager and ARM templates; Azure Advisor, Azure Service Health, Azure Monitor |
Architecture and services weighs more than the other two domains. Management and governance comes next, and it covers many service names that are easy to confuse, such as Azure Policy and resource locks, or Azure Advisor and Azure Service Health.
What changed recently
Study guide change log
For the outline dated July 20, 2026, the change log marks the candidate profile and the two Azure domains as "no change" at domain level. Three sub-sections are marked "minor": Azure compute and networking services, features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources, and monitoring tools in Azure. The change log does not say which bullets moved, so compare the current guide with any older notes you use.
Products being renamed or retired
Several services in scope have changed name or status in the product documentation. Learning material written earlier may still use the old names.
- Azure Active Directory has been renamed Microsoft Entra ID, and features formerly prefixed "Azure AD" now carry the Microsoft Entra name (new name page).
- The Azure Blueprints documentation states that the preview service will be retired on January 31, 2027, with a phased retirement that began on July 31, 2026; deployment stacks and template specs are the replacements it points to (Blueprints overview).
- Azure Functions documentation describes the Consumption plan as a legacy serverless plan, recommends the Flex Consumption plan for new apps, and states that Linux Consumption is retiring on 30 September 2028 (hosting options).
- Cloud Services (classic) has been deprecated for all customers since September 1, 2024 (Cloud Services page).
How to prepare
- Read the official certification page to check scheduling details and current conditions.
- Download or open the AZ-900 study guide. Use its bullet list as a checklist and note the date of the skills outline at the top.
- Work through the Microsoft Learn path, starting with Describe cloud concepts, then the modules for the other two domains.
- For each bullet in the guide, write one or two sentences in your own words: what the service or concept is, and when you would choose it over a close alternative.
- Give extra time to the architecture and services domain, which weighs more than the others, without skipping cost management and governance.
- Read the current product pages for renamed services so that you recognise both the new name and the old one.
- Check your knowledge with our AZ-900 practice exam under timed conditions, then review weak areas question by question in the free study mode.
- Repeat the cycle on the domains where your results are lowest, and re-read the study guide shortly before the exam in case the outline has been updated.
Practice Exam AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals
25 free questions with explanations, no account needed.