Microsoft · AZ-104
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate practice exams
Microsoft's core Azure operations certification — the second-most in-demand cloud credential, and a natural next step if you already work with AWS.
Or read 15 sample questions with answers.
Try a real AZ-104 question
Security wants to block deletion of specific resource types across subscriptions through policy rather than locks. Which Azure Policy effect fits?
About the AZ-104 exam
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (exam AZ-104) validates that you can implement, manage, and monitor an organisation's Azure environment: identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring. It is an operations exam — day-to-day administration, not solution architecture.
It expects genuine familiarity with the Azure portal, plus Azure CLI, PowerShell, and ARM/Bicep templates. Many questions describe a configuration task and ask for the correct sequence of steps or the setting that achieves a stated outcome.
The real exam
Public information published by Microsoft. A CertRidge practice exam matches this format — it is not a copy of the exam's contents.
- Format
- Timed at 100 minutes. Microsoft does not publish a fixed question count; expect roughly 40–60 items in a mix of formats including multiple choice, multiple response, and occasional case studies. Delivered through Pearson VUE, at a test centre or online with a proctor.
- Cost
- Approximately 165 USD; Microsoft prices the exam by the country in which it is proctored.
- Scoring
- Scored on a scaled range up to 1000; 700 is the passing mark. Microsoft does not publish the exact question-to-scale conversion.
- Validity
- Valid for 12 months, renewed for free by passing a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn before it expires.
Practice by exam domain
CertRidge practice exams draw questions in these same proportions, from a bank of 589 AZ-104 questions. Open a domain for what it covers and free questions with answers.
Who it's for
- System administrators and cloud engineers who run Azure infrastructure and want Microsoft's baseline administrator credential
- AWS-experienced practitioners adding a second cloud — the concepts transfer, the service names and portal workflows are what you are really learning
- IT generalists moving from on-premises Windows Server / networking into a cloud operations role
How to prepare
- Weightings to plan around: Manage Azure identities and governance and Deploy and manage Azure compute resources are the two largest domains at 20–25% each.
- Be fluent in Microsoft Entra ID basics — users, groups, licensing, external/guest users, self-service password reset — and in Azure RBAC: built-in roles and assigning them at management group, subscription, resource group, and resource scope.
- Know the storage redundancy options by name and what each protects against: LRS, ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS, GZRS.
- Practise the networking core — VNets and subnets, peering, NSGs and effective security rules, Azure Bastion, service endpoints vs. private endpoints, load balancer vs. Azure DNS — and take timed attempts to get used to the pace.
See the free AZ-104 cheat sheet for a one-page domain summary, the AZ-104 study guide for how to plan your preparation, and the content policy for how these questions are written.
Free AZ-104 practice resources
- 15 free AZ-104 practice questionsSpread across every domain, each with the answer and an explanation for every option.
- Free 10-question diagnosticA quick, scored check of where you stand, with no account needed.
- AZ-104 cheat sheetThe domains and the facts that come up most, on one page.
- AZ-104 study guideHow to plan your preparation, week by week.
Common questions about AZ-104
- AZ-104 Passing Score: What 700 Means and How Microsoft Scores ItThe AZ-104 passing score, how Microsoft's scaled scoring works, case studies and labs, retake rules and the free annual renewal.
- Is AZ-104 Hard? An Honest Look at the Azure Administrator ExamWhy AZ-104 has a reputation, which domains are hardest, how much hands-on time you need, and how to prepare.
- AZ-104 vs AZ-900: Which Azure Exam Should You Take?Azure Fundamentals and Azure Administrator compared: content, difficulty, cost, renewal and whether you need AZ-900 first.
AZ-104 questions, answered
- How much does the AZ-104 exam cost?
- Approximately 165 USD; Microsoft prices the exam by the country in which it is proctored.
- What is the AZ-104 passing score?
- Scored on a scaled range up to 1000; 700 is the passing mark. Microsoft does not publish the exact question-to-scale conversion.
- How many questions are on the AZ-104 exam?
- Timed at 100 minutes. Microsoft does not publish a fixed question count; expect roughly 40–60 items in a mix of formats including multiple choice, multiple response, and occasional case studies. Delivered through Pearson VUE, at a test centre or online with a proctor.
- How long is the AZ-104 certification valid?
- Valid for 12 months, renewed for free by passing a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn before it expires.
- What is the AZ-104 certification?
- AZ-104 is the single exam for Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate. It validates that you can implement, manage and monitor an Azure environment across five domains: identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring.
- Are there prerequisites for the Azure Administrator certification?
- There are no formal prerequisites, and AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) is not required. Microsoft recommends hands-on experience administering Azure, including the portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell and ARM/Bicep templates.
- AZ-900 vs AZ-104: which should I take?
- AZ-900 is a fundamentals exam about cloud concepts and Azure services, aimed at anyone. AZ-104 is an associate-level operations exam that expects you to configure and troubleshoot real resources. If you already work in IT, many people go straight to AZ-104.
- How long does it take to prepare for AZ-104?
- It depends on your Azure experience. Administrators who use Azure daily often need a few weeks of focused review; people new to Azure usually need one to three months with hands-on labs. A timed practice exam shows which domains still need work.
- Can I take AZ-104 online?
- Yes. The exam is delivered by Pearson VUE, either at a test centre or online with a remote proctor. You have 100 minutes.
- Where can I practise AZ-104 questions for free?
- CertRidge has a free 10-question AZ-104 diagnostic with every answer explained, no account needed, and 15 free sample questions with answers at certridge.com/certifications/azure-az-104/practice-questions. All questions are original, written to the published exam objectives.