Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Study Guide

Step 1: Learn the exam facts

AZ-900 is a 45-minute proctored exam with a passing score of 700 on a 1000 scale. The price depends on the country or region where you test, so check it in the Pearson VUE scheduling flow. Microsoft's pages list no renewal frequency for Fundamentals certifications, which do not expire in the way role-based certifications do. You can retake the exam after 24 hours on the first failure, with longer waits later.

Step 2: Study by skills measured

Microsoft publishes a percentage range for each area. Azure architecture and services carries the most weight, followed closely by management and governance.

Skill area                                   Weight (as of July 20, 2026)
Describe cloud concepts                      25-30%
Describe Azure architecture and services     35-40%
Describe Azure management and governance    30-35%

Step 3: Master cloud concepts

Understand what the cloud is, the shared responsibility model, public, private, and hybrid clouds, and the benefits of high availability, scalability, elasticity, reliability, and predictability. Know the consumption-based pricing model, and the differences between infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service with examples.

Step 4: Master Azure architecture and services

Learn regions and availability zones, resource groups and subscriptions, and management groups. Know the main compute options: virtual machines, containers, App Service, and Azure Functions. Know networking basics such as virtual networks, VPN Gateway, and ExpressRoute, storage accounts and redundancy options, and identity with Microsoft Entra ID, including single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and conditional access.

Step 5: Master management and governance

Study cost tools such as the pricing calculator and Cost Management, tags, Azure Policy, resource locks, and role-based access control. Know the Azure portal, Cloud Shell, CLI, PowerShell, and Azure Resource Manager templates and Bicep at a conceptual level. Understand monitoring with Azure Monitor, Service Health, and Advisor, and the purpose of Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

Step 6: Use free resources and a 3-week plan

Microsoft Learn offers a free learning path for AZ-900 and a free practice assessment. A free Azure account with credits lets you create a resource group, a storage account, and a small virtual machine, then delete them. Plan week 1 for cloud concepts, week 2 for architecture and services, and week 3 for governance, practice assessments, and review. After passing, consider AZ-104 to move into hands-on administration.