AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) and AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) are often mentioned together, but they sit at different levels. AZ-900 checks that you understand cloud concepts and what Azure's services are for. AZ-104 checks that you can configure and administer them.
Side by side
| AZ-900 | AZ-104 | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Fundamentals | Associate (role-based) |
| What it tests | Cloud concepts, Azure services, management and governance | Identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, hands-on |
| Exam time | 45 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Questions | Roughly 40–60 | Roughly 40–60, including case studies |
| Passing score | 700 (scaled) | 700 (scaled) |
| Approximate cost | About 99 USD | About 165 USD |
| Validity | Doesn't expire | 12 months, free online renewal |
| Prerequisite | None | None formally; hands-on experience expected |
Prices vary by country; check Microsoft's exam pages for current figures.
Take AZ-900 if
- Your role touches Azure but you won't administer it: sales, project management, finance, leadership, support.
- Cloud concepts are new to you and you want a low-cost, low-stress first certification.
- Your employer asks for a baseline Azure credential across a team.
Take AZ-104 if
- You administer, or want to administer, Azure: VMs, networks, storage, identities, backup.
- You're applying for cloud administrator, cloud engineer or systems administrator roles.
- You plan to go on to architect or DevOps certifications later; AZ-104 is the usual base.
Do you need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No. There's no prerequisite. If you already work in IT, going straight to AZ-104 is common and saves the exam fee. If cloud basics are new, AZ-900 first makes AZ-104 less of a jump, and its content (regions, resource groups, service models) is the foundation AZ-104 builds on.
Practice for either
AZ-900: practice exams, free questions, architecture and services domain. AZ-104: practice exams, free questions, and is AZ-104 hard?
Frequently asked questions
Is AZ-900 required for AZ-104?
No. AZ-104 has no prerequisite exam. Many people with IT experience go straight to AZ-104.
Which is harder, AZ-104 or AZ-900?
AZ-104, by a wide margin. AZ-900 is a concepts exam; AZ-104 expects you to configure and administer Azure, with case studies and scenario questions.
Does AZ-900 expire?
No. Microsoft Fundamentals certifications don't expire. AZ-104 is valid for 12 months and renews for free through an online assessment.