Microsoft Azure AZ-900 Exam Topics and Domains
What's on the Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam — the three skill areas, their weightings, and what each really tests — in plain language.
AZ-900 is the friendliest cloud certification to start with — no experience required. Knowing how the exam is weighted tells you exactly where to focus.
The three areas at a glance
AZ-900 is organised into three skill areas, each worth a fixed share of the exam. Azure architecture and services (35–40%) is the biggest, so if your time is limited, that's where it pays off most.
| Skill area | Weight | What it really tests |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Describe cloud concepts | 25–30% | The fundamentals that apply to any cloud: benefits (high availability, scalability, elasticity, reliability), the IaaS/PaaS/SaaS service models, public/private/hybrid deployment, the consumption-based model, and the shared responsibility model. |
| 2. Describe Azure architecture and services | 35–40% | The largest area: Azure's core architecture (regions, availability zones, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups) and its core services — compute, networking, storage, and databases. |
| 3. Describe Azure management and governance | 30–35% | Running Azure responsibly: cost management, governance and compliance tools (Azure Policy, locks, tags), the tools you manage Azure with (portal, CLI, PowerShell, ARM templates), and monitoring. |
Front-load Area 2 (Azure architecture and services, 35–40%) — the core services (compute, storage, networking, databases) and the resource hierarchy show up throughout the exam. Area 1 is conceptual and quick to learn; Area 3 rewards knowing which tool does what.
How the exam is structured
Microsoft doesn't publish an exact question count; expect roughly 40–60 questions in 45 minutes, in multiple formats (multiple choice, multiple response, and drag-and-drop). Scores are reported on a 1–1000 scale and 700 or above is a pass. There are no prerequisites — AZ-900 is designed for people new to the cloud, including non-technical roles. Treat a practice percentage as a study signal, not a predicted exam score.
Both are entry-level, vendor-specific cloud fundamentals exams. If your target employer or team runs on Azure (very common in Microsoft-heavy organisations), AZ-900 is the natural first step; choose AWS Cloud Practitioner if they run on AWS. The concepts (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, shared responsibility, regions) transfer either way.
- AZ-900 has three areas; Azure architecture and services (35–40%) is the biggest.
- Passing is 700 on a 1–1000 scale; a practice percentage is only a study signal.
- No prerequisites — it's built for people new to the cloud.
Frequently asked questions
How many areas are on the Azure AZ-900 exam?
Three: Describe cloud concepts (25–30%), Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%), and Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%).
What is the passing score for AZ-900?
700 on a scale of 1 to 1000. The scale is not a straight percentage, so a raw practice percentage does not translate directly to the scaled score.
Do I need experience to take AZ-900?
No. AZ-900 has no prerequisites and is designed for people new to the cloud, including non-technical and business roles.
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