Recently during my career, I've had to switch between AWS and Azure on a regular basis, which meant I had to learn the basics of Azure. So I decided to dedicate focused time to prepare for the AZ-900 exam, as it originally was a requirement at my previous job. This post is a structured walkthrough of my preparation process, covering the core cloud concepts, Azure services, identity and access management, storage options, and management & governance features that are essential for the exam. Whether you are just starting off or looking to solidify your understanding, the idea of this post is to give you a clear roadmap to success on the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam based on my own 10-day study sprint.
Why AZ-900?
AZ-900 covers the full breadth of Azure at a conceptual level — ideal as a first cert or as a structured way to fill foundational knowledge gaps.
Study Resources: The Strategy
When you are tackling an entire cloud ecosystem in a short timeframe, you need resources that break down complex architectures without drowning you in jargon.
- The Primary Source: Microsoft Learn's free modules are excellent for structured, step-by-step reading.
- The Supplementary Mix: Video resources and mock exams (like those from ExamPro) are where the abstract concepts finally click into place. Seeing the interface makes the knowledge stick.
- The Final Check: Pair your reading with targeted practice questions to simulate the actual testing environment. Do them early and often.
⚠️ Important Disclaimer: I officially achieved this certification on August 1st, 2025. Because cloud platforms evolve rapidly, please treat my notes and the covered topics below as a foundational reference point. I highly recommend revising up-to-date Microsoft materials alongside this guide to catch any recent service updates or blueprint changes.
💡 Study Resource: I have open-sourced the complete, module-by-module markdown notes from my study sprint. You can clone, browse, or star the repository here: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — Certification Study Notes on GitHub.
Key Evaluated Concepts
To pass the exam, you need to understand how the core building blocks interact. Here is the breakdown of what is heavily evaluated:
Foundations & Cloud Models
- The Core Models: Deeply understand the difference between IaaS (Virtual Machines), PaaS (App Services), and SaaS (Microsoft 365).
- Financial Models: Grasp how moving from CapEx (upfront physical costs) to OpEx (pay-as-you-go consumption) impacts business spending.
- Shared Responsibility: Knowing exactly where Microsoft's security duties end and where your configuration responsibilities begin.
Core Azure Services
- Compute: Azure Virtual Machines give you raw, customizable IaaS control. For web apps, App Service handles the PaaS layer without VM overhead, while Azure Functions provides serverless execution.
- Networking: Virtual Networks (VNets) isolate your resources, while VPN Gateways and ExpressRoute handle hybrid on-premise connectivity.
- Storage: Choosing the right tool for the job—Blob Storage for unstructured object data, Azure Files for managed SMB/NFS file shares, and Table/Queue structures for specialized data.
Identity & Access
- Microsoft Entra ID: Formerly Azure Active Directory, this acts as the absolute backbone for authentication and identity management.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Enforcing the principle of least privilege by controlling exactly what identities can do with specific resources.
- Defense in Depth: Utilizing tools like Conditional Access policies to mandate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) based on risk signals.
Management & Governance
- Azure Policy: Enforcing strict organizational standards and compliance rules automatically across your resource groups.
- Resource Locks: Preventing accidental deletion or modification of business-critical production infrastructure.
- Cost Management & Advisor: Creating budget alerts, analyzing spending trends, and getting tailored recommendations for reliability, security, and cost efficiency.
The 10-Day Sprint
| Days | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | Cloud concepts + Azure core infrastructure & services |
| 5–7 | Identity, access, governance, and compliance |
| 8–9 | Pricing, cost management, SLAs, and lifecycles |
| 10 | Practice questions, reviewing weak areas, and final exam day |
Microsoft Learn's free AZ-900 learning path is the best starting point. Pair it with the targeted practice questions included in my repository's bonus section, and you are well prepared.
Always remember to enjoy the learning process, and don't forget to star the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — Certification Study Notes on GitHub if it helps you study!