The AZ-900 (Microsoft Azure Fundamentals) certification is Microsoft's entry-level cloud computing credential, designed for anyone who wants to demonstrate foundational knowledge of Azure cloud services. Whether you are an IT professional, a developer, or someone new to cloud computing, passing the az-900 exam validates that you understand what cloud services are, how Azure works, and how organizations use cloud solutions. This guide covers everything: what the exam tests, how to prepare, what it costs, and how to pass.
The AZ-900 (Microsoft Azure Fundamentals) is the foundational Microsoft cloud certification. It demonstrates that you understand basic cloud computing concepts, core Azure services, Azure pricing and SLAs, and Microsoft's cloud governance and compliance model. It does NOT require hands-on Azure experience or coding skills — it is genuinely a fundamentals-level exam.
The az-900 certification is valuable for:
It is a prerequisite for no other Microsoft certification but is a strong foundation before attempting role-based certifications like AZ-104 (Administrator) or AZ-204 (Developer). Many organizations now expect all IT staff — including non-developers — to hold the az 900 certification.
Microsoft publishes the exact topic breakdown (called the 'skills measured') for the AZ-900 exam. The current domains and their approximate exam weights are:
For a detailed walkthrough of each domain with practice scenarios, see our az 900 study guide which covers all three content domains in depth.
The AZ-900 az-900 exam uses a scaled score from 100 to 1000. The passing score is 700. Microsoft does not publish the exact number of questions required to reach 700 since the scoring algorithm scales questions differently based on difficulty level.
Key scoring facts:
The exam fee is $165 USD (pricing may vary by region and currency). Microsoft occasionally offers vouchers through learning events, Microsoft Learn promotions, and student discount programs. If you need to retake, there is a 24-hour waiting period after the first attempt and longer waiting periods for subsequent retakes.
For free official preparation: Microsoft Learn at learn.microsoft.com offers a complete, free az 900 course that covers all exam domains with interactive exercises, labs, and knowledge checks — no payment required.
The AZ-900 is considered one of the easier Microsoft certifications, but 'easy' is relative. Candidates with existing IT backgrounds who spend 1–2 weeks on Microsoft Learn content typically pass on the first attempt. Complete beginners to cloud computing should expect 3–6 weeks of study. The main difficulty is the breadth of terminology — not deep technical concepts. Focus on understanding what each service does and when to use it (conceptual), not how to configure it (technical). Take at least 2–3 full az 900 practice exam sessions before your real test date. Our az 900 practice questions video series walks through every answer in detail.