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AZ-900
AZ-900 Exam Guide: Cost, Format and How to Prepare
Direct answer: AZ-900 is Microsoft's entry-level Azure exam, and most beginners can pass it with a few weeks of steady study using free Microsoft Learn material and Microsoft's free Practice Assessment. Microsoft sets the exam fee by country, so check its exam page, or buy our voucher for $44.99 for one attempt. Focus on cloud concepts, core Azure services, and management and governance.
The AZ-900 exam is Microsoft's entry-level test for Azure. Passing it earns you the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals badge, and you don't need a technical background to start.
This guide covers what the exam costs, how it works, what it tests and how to prepare. We also say what to skip, because some popular study shortcuts can hurt you.
What the AZ-900 exam is
AZ-900 tests whether you understand basic cloud ideas and the main Azure services. It is not a hands-on engineering exam. You won't build complex systems. You will explain what services do and when to use them.
It suits students, career changers, sales and project staff, and IT people who are new to cloud. It also works as a first step before role-based Azure exams.
Microsoft fundamentals certifications, including Azure Fundamentals, do not expire. Microsoft's certification renewal page on Microsoft Learn is where you can confirm that, since policies can change.
How much does the AZ-900 exam cost?
Microsoft sets the exam fee by country, and it can change. We won't quote a number that may be out of date. Check the price on the AZ-900 exam page on Microsoft Learn for your region.
Our AZ-900 voucher costs $44.99 (USD). One voucher covers one exam attempt. You can see the details on the AZ-900 voucher page.
Budget for a retake in case you need one. A voucher covers one attempt only. Also check Microsoft's current retake policy before you book.
Free and discounted ways to take it
We sell vouchers, but you should know the other options too. Microsoft sometimes offers free or discounted AZ-900 exams through events such as Microsoft Virtual Training Days. It also has student pricing in some regions.
These offers change, and they are not always available. Check Microsoft Learn for what is open to you today. If nothing fits your timeline, a voucher is a simple way to book on your own schedule.
AZ-900 exam format
Microsoft changes exam details from time to time, so confirm the specifics on the official AZ-900 exam page before you book. As a general guide, Microsoft fundamentals exams typically run under an hour and have roughly 40 to 60 questions. Treat that as a rough range, not a promise.
Here is what else you can expect:
Scoring. Microsoft exams score on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and 700 is the usual passing score.
Question types. You may see multiple choice, multiple response, drag and drop, and yes/no statement sets.
Delivery. Microsoft exams are usually offered at a test center or online. Check which options your region has.
Locked questions. Some items can't be revisited after you answer. Read each question carefully the first time.
On the exam page, also check the languages offered and how to request accommodations.
What the exam covers
Microsoft groups the skills into three areas. The official study guide lists the exact topics and their weights, and it is free. Read it first and again a week before your exam.
Cloud concepts
This area covers why companies use the cloud. Expect questions on:
Public, private and hybrid cloud
The shared responsibility model
Cost models such as pay-as-you-go and consumption-based pricing
Benefits like scalability, reliability and high availability
IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
Azure architecture and services
This is usually the largest area to learn. It covers how Azure is organized and what its main services do:
Regions, availability zones and resource groups
Compute: virtual machines, containers, Azure Functions
Networking: virtual networks, VPN, DNS
Storage: blob storage, redundancy options, storage tiers
Identity and security: Microsoft Entra ID, multifactor authentication, Conditional Access, Zero Trust
Management and governance
This area covers how you control cost and keep Azure organized and compliant:
Pricing calculator and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator
Tags, Azure Policy, resource locks and Microsoft Purview
Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell and Azure Arc
Azure Monitor, Service Health and Advisor
Is the AZ-900 exam hard?
For most beginners, no. It is the easiest of Microsoft's Azure certifications. It is still a real exam, and people fail it when they only skim the material.
The hard part is vocabulary. Many Azure services have similar names, and the questions test small differences. We don't publish pass rates because we don't have reliable ones. Be wary of any site that quotes a precise pass rate without a source.
Commonly confused pairs
These pairs cause most of the wrong answers we see learners make. Learn the one-line difference for each.
Azure Policy vs. resource locks vs. tags. Policy enforces rules, such as only allowing certain regions. A lock stops a resource from being deleted or changed by accident. Tags are labels that help you organize and track cost.
TCO calculator vs. pricing calculator. The TCO calculator compares the cost of running workloads on-premises with Azure. The pricing calculator estimates the monthly cost of the Azure services you plan to use.
Availability zones vs. regions. A region is a geographic area with Azure datacenters. Availability zones are separate datacenter locations inside one region, which protect you from a single-site failure.
IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS. With IaaS you manage the operating system and up. With PaaS you manage your app and data. With SaaS you mainly manage your own use and data.
Azure Monitor vs. Service Health vs. Advisor. Monitor collects metrics and logs from your resources. Service Health tells you about Azure problems that affect you. Advisor gives recommendations to improve your setup.
Can you learn Azure on my own?
Yes. You can pass AZ-900 with self-study. Microsoft Learn has a free learning path for the exam. It also offers a free Azure account option for hands-on practice. Check Microsoft's site for current terms, since free offers change.
To make self-study work, do three things. Follow a schedule. Click through the Azure portal a few times. Take practice tests to find your weak spots.
What are the most important topics to study?
No one can tell you the exact questions, and you should not trust anyone who claims to. What you can do is study the topics that the skills outline covers most and that confuse people most:
Shared responsibility. Know who manages what in IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.
Core Azure architecture. Know regions, availability zones and resource groups.
Compute, networking and storage services. Know what each one is for.
Identity and security basics. Know Entra ID, MFA and Zero Trust.
Cost management. Know the pricing and TCO calculators and what affects cost.
Governance tools. Know Azure Policy, locks, tags and Purview.
For each topic, ask yourself: what does it do, and when would I choose it over the alternative? That is how the exam frames most questions.
A practical AZ-900 study plan
This plan assumes about one hour a day. Adjust it if you already know cloud basics. If you are brand new, give yourself more time.
Download the official study guide. Read the skills outline and mark every term you don't know.
Work through the Microsoft Learn path. Take notes in your own words. Do one module at a time.
Try the portal, and watch your costs. Sign up for a free account and use free-tier options where you can. Set a budget alert in Cost Management before you create anything. Create a resource group, a storage account and a virtual machine. When you finish, delete the whole resource group so nothing keeps running and billing you.
Make flashcards for service names. Write one line about what each service does.
Take Microsoft's free Practice Assessment first. It is on Microsoft Learn and shows the style of the real questions. Review every wrong answer, not just your score.
Add a third-party practice test if you want more. Some learners use Whizlabs or Tutorials Dojo. Use them to find weak areas, not to memorize answers.
Repeat weak areas. Retake a practice test a few days later.
Re-read the study guide. Do this the day before your exam. Then rest.
A few weeks is a realistic window for many beginners. Your own pace matters more than any schedule.
About PDFs, free downloads and questions and answers
Many people search for an AZ-900 exam guide PDF or a free question dump. Be careful here.
The official study guide from Microsoft is free. Use it. Practice tests from known providers can help you check your knowledge.
Stay away from sites that claim to sell the real exam questions. They break Microsoft's exam rules. They are often wrong or out of date. They can also get your result cancelled. You learn nothing from memorizing answers, and Azure changes often.
How to book your exam with a voucher
The steps are simple:
Buy your AZ-900 voucher.
Wait for the voucher email, and check your spam folder if it is slow.
Follow the buy, redeem and schedule steps in How Exam Vouchers Work.
Pick a test center or online delivery, if offered, and choose your date.
Schedule your exam before you finish studying. A date on the calendar keeps you moving. Just leave yourself enough time and check the voucher's validity terms before you buy.
Exam day tips
Check your ID requirements ahead of time. Make sure your name matches your registration.
If you test online, run Microsoft's system check in advance and clear your desk.
Read each question fully. Watch for words like not and best.
Flag hard questions if the exam allows it, and move on.
Don't panic about one bad section. You need a passing total, not a perfect score.
What to do after you pass
Add the badge to your resume and LinkedIn profile. Then pick a next step based on your goal. If you're drawn to AI, the AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals voucher is a natural follow-up. Other beginner options are on our Entry-Level & Fundamentals page.
A fundamentals badge shows you understand the basics. It won't replace hands-on skills, so keep practicing in Azure after you pass.
Sources
Questions about this topic
How much does the AZ-900 exam cost?
Microsoft sets the exam fee by country and can change it, so check the AZ-900 exam page on Microsoft Learn for your region. Our AZ-900 voucher costs $44.99 USD and covers one exam attempt. Microsoft also sometimes offers free or discounted exams through events like Virtual Training Days and student pricing.
Is the AZ-900 exam hard?
For most beginners it is manageable. It is Microsoft's entry-level Azure exam and doesn't require hands-on engineering. People mostly struggle with similar-sounding service names, so study what each service does and when to use it.
Can I learn Azure on my own?
Yes. Microsoft Learn offers a free learning path for AZ-900, and you can practice in the Azure portal. Follow a schedule, try a few hands-on tasks and take practice tests to find weak areas. Use a free account and delete your resources afterward to avoid charges.
What are the most important questions to study for on the AZ-900 exam?
Nobody can know the exact questions, and sites that claim to sell them break Microsoft's rules. Study the official skills outline instead. Focus on shared responsibility, Azure architecture, core services, identity and security basics, cost tools and governance tools.
Is there a free AZ-900 exam guide PDF?
Microsoft publishes a free study guide for AZ-900 on Microsoft Learn, and it lists the current skills measured. Use that as your main reference. Avoid PDFs that claim to contain real exam questions, since they are often outdated and against exam rules.
Does the Azure Fundamentals certification expire?
No. Microsoft fundamentals certifications, including Azure Fundamentals, do not expire. Microsoft can change its policies, so confirm the current rules on its certification renewal page on Microsoft Learn.
