Last updated: September 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. Exam facts, domain weightings, renewal and retake rules re-read directly on Microsoft Learn on 21 September 2026; every prep option loaded and checked live the same day. See our review methodology.
By Josh Hutcheson · E-Learning Specialist
Reviewing online learning platforms since 2019. Review methodology
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
AZ-104 is Microsoft’s Azure Administrator Associate exam: $165, 100 minutes, 700 to pass. It tests the day-to-day running of Azure: identity and governance, storage, compute, networking and monitoring. It is the required step to the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) and one of two qualifying routes to the DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400). The certification lasts one year, but renewal is free through an online assessment.
- Best free route: Microsoft Learn’s AZ-104 learning paths plus its free Practice Assessment.
- Best paid course: Scott Duffy on Udemy, the most-proven option, updated June 2026.
- Want guided labs? KodeKloud’s AZ-104 prep on Coursera.
VERIFIED ON MICROSOFT LEARN, 21 SEPTEMBER 2026
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $165 USD (varies by the country where you sit it) | Microsoft cert page |
| Pass mark | 700 or greater, on a scale to 1,000 | AZ-104 study guide |
| Current outline | Skills measured as of 17 April 2026 (minor changes only) | Study guide change log |
| Renewal | Expires annually; renew free with an online assessment | Study guide |
| Retakes | 24 hours after a failed attempt; max five in 12 months | Retake policy |
Start AZ-104 prep with Scott Duffy’s course →
Should you take AZ-104?
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AZ-104 is an operations exam. It asks whether you can keep an Azure estate running, secured and within budget, not whether you can design one from scratch or write the application on top of it. That makes it the right first associate credential for three kinds of people:
- Systems and network administrators moving to cloud. Microsoft’s audience profile assumes you already know operating systems, networking, servers and virtualisation.
- People aiming at the Azure Solutions Architect Expert. AZ-305 cannot be earned without the Azure Administrator Associate.
- Anyone in a Microsoft-heavy employer where Azure, Entra ID and Microsoft 365 already run the business.
Skip it, or take something else first, if:
- You are new to IT entirely. Start with AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals, which has no technical prerequisites.
- You write application code rather than run infrastructure. The developer track used to be AZ-204, which has retired; its successor is AI-200, Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate. Our AZ-204 guide covers the switch.
- Your employer runs on AWS. The equivalent first step there is the AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03).
AZ-104 exam format
| Detail | AZ-104 |
|---|---|
| Full name | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate |
| Cost | $165 USD (country-dependent) |
| Duration | 100 minutes |
| Questions | Not published by Microsoft; candidates typically report 40–60, including case studies |
| Format | Proctored; may include interactive components |
| Passing score | 700 (scaled, out of 1,000) |
| Validity | 1 year, with free online renewal |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Assumed experience | PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep, Microsoft Entra ID |
The question count deserves a caution. Plenty of guides print “40–60 questions” as if it were official. Microsoft publishes the time limit and the pass mark, not a number of questions, and the count varies between sittings. Plan your pacing around 100 minutes, not around a question total.
The five AZ-104 domains and their weightings
These are Microsoft’s weightings from the skills outline dated 17 April 2026. The ranges are shares of the exam, so identity and compute together account for 40–50% of it.
| Domain | Weight | What it actually covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manage Azure identities and governance | 20–25% | Entra ID users and groups, licences, external users, self-service password reset; built-in roles and role assignment at different scopes; Azure Policy, resource locks, tags, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups; cost control with budgets, alerts and Azure Advisor. |
| 2. Implement and manage storage | 15–20% | Storage firewalls, SAS tokens, stored access policies, access keys, identity-based access for Azure Files; redundancy, object replication, encryption, Storage Explorer and AzCopy; blob tiers, soft delete, snapshots, lifecycle management and versioning. |
| 3. Deploy and manage Azure compute resources | 20–25% | Reading, modifying and deploying ARM templates and Bicep files, and converting ARM to Bicep; creating, resizing, moving and encrypting VMs; availability zones, availability sets and scale sets; Container Registry, Container Instances and Container Apps; App Service plans, scaling, TLS, custom domains, backup and deployment slots. |
| 4. Implement and manage virtual networking | 15–20% | VNets and subnets, peering, public IPs, user-defined routes, connectivity troubleshooting; NSGs and application security groups, effective security rules, Azure Bastion, service and private endpoints; Azure DNS and internal or public load balancers. |
| 5. Monitor and maintain Azure resources | 10–15% | Azure Monitor metrics, logs, queries and alert rules; Monitor Insights for VMs, storage and networks; Network Watcher; Recovery Services and Backup vaults, backup policies and restores; Azure Site Recovery and regional failover. |
A CORRECTION TO THIS PAGE
Earlier versions of this guide listed identity and governance at 15–20% and networking at 20–25%. Microsoft’s current study guide gives them the other way round: identity 20–25%, networking 15–20%. We have corrected it. If you built a study plan from the old figures, move time from networking to identity, roles and governance.
Two details are easy to miss. First, infrastructure as code sits inside the compute domain, not in its own section: you are expected to read a Bicep file, change an existing one and convert an ARM template to Bicep. Second, cost management is examined under governance – budgets, alerts and Azure Advisor recommendations – so it is not something you can skip as “finance’s problem”.
Get a course that teaches the Bicep objectives →
Did AZ-104 change in 2026?
Barely, and that is worth knowing before you buy anything. Microsoft refreshed the skills outline on 17 April 2026. Its change log, published alongside the study guide, marks storage, compute, networking and monitoring as “No change” at the domain level, with “Minor” edits to a handful of objectives and to the audience profile. No domain was added, removed or reweighted.
The practical consequence: a well-regarded course from late 2025 still prepares you for this exam. The one thing to check is Bicep coverage, because the outline asks you to modify an existing Bicep file and convert ARM templates to Bicep, and older courses sometimes teach ARM JSON only.
Scoring, retakes and renewal
- 700 to pass. It is a scaled score out of 1,000, not a percentage, so do not read it as “70% correct”.
- Retakes: wait 24 hours after a failed attempt. No more than five attempts at the same exam within 12 months of your first; after five, you wait until 12 months have passed. Every attempt is paid.
- Renewal is free and online. The certification expires each year, and you renew by passing a free, unproctored assessment on Microsoft Learn – no exam fee, no test centre.
WHY THE ANNUAL RENEWAL IS GOOD NEWS
A one-year validity sounds worse than AWS’s three years. In practice it is cheaper to keep: Microsoft renews for free with a short online assessment, while AWS makes you pass the exam again when your three years are up. You also end up with a credential that is visibly current, which is what an employer checking it actually wants.
Where AZ-104 sits in Microsoft’s Azure path
| Certification | Level | Exam fee | Relationship to AZ-104 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals | Fundamentals | $99 | Optional first step; not a prerequisite |
| AZ-104 Azure Administrator | Associate | $165 | This exam |
| AZ-305 Solutions Architect Expert | Expert | $165 | Requires the Azure Administrator Associate |
| AZ-400 DevOps Engineer Expert | Expert | $165 | Requires AZ-104 or the Azure Developer Associate |
| AZ-204 Azure Developer (retired) → AI-200 | Associate | $165 | The developer track; no longer bookable as AZ-204 |
The prerequisite rules are worth getting exactly right, because this is where many guides go wrong. Microsoft’s AZ-305 page says you must earn the Azure Administrator Associate. Its AZ-400 page asks for at least one of the Azure Administrator Associate or the Azure Developer Associate. So AZ-104 is mandatory for the architect path and one of two options for the DevOps path. With AZ-204 retired, most new candidates reach AZ-400 through AZ-104 anyway, but anyone who already holds the Developer Associate does not need it.
The best ways to prepare for AZ-104
We loaded every option below on 21 September 2026. All the paid courses we checked reflect the April 2026 outline, so currency does not separate them – evidence, depth and format do.
1. Microsoft Learn – free, official, and the place to start
Microsoft publishes free AZ-104 learning paths that map one-to-one onto the five domains: identities and governance, virtual networks, storage, compute, and monitoring and backup. Its study guide is the single source of truth for what is tested, and the free Practice Assessment linked from it is the best readiness check you can get without spending anything. Nobody pays us to say this; it is simply the best-value starting point, and every paid option below works better alongside it than instead of it.
2. Scott Duffy – AZ-104 Complete Exam Prep (Udemy)
The most-proven paid course by a distance: 4.5 from 58,228 ratings, 323,292 students, last updated June 2026 – after the April outline refresh. It is structured domain by domain and built around passing the exam rather than around a single product tour. Typically $15–$30 in a Udemy sale.
See Scott Duffy’s AZ-104 course →
3. Alan Rodrigues – AZ-104 Certification (Udemy)
The pick if infrastructure as code is your weak point. 4.6 from 27,583 ratings, 143,641 students, updated April 2026, and it explicitly covers Bicep – which the compute domain tests directly and which some courses still skip. Skylines Academy’s course is a third strong option (4.7 from 7,406 ratings, updated April 2026) if you prefer its teaching style.
4. KodeKloud AZ-104 Certification Prep (Coursera) – for hands-on labs
A four-course specialization taught by Mumshad Mannambeth, whose KodeKloud courses are built around practice in real environments rather than slides. It is pitched at beginner level with about ten hours a week, which makes it a good fit if you learn by doing and want more structure than a single video course. Coursera also lists a Whizlabs exam-prep series (five courses, 143 reviews) if you want more practice questions. Both are worth it mainly if you already hold, or plan to buy, Coursera Plus.
See KodeKloud’s AZ-104 prep on Coursera →
5. Udacity Azure Administrator Nanodegree – for a portfolio
A 64-hour, intermediate program with reviewed projects, useful if you want something to show an employer beyond the certificate itself. It is a skills program rather than an exam cram, so pair it with the Practice Assessment before you book. Udacity lists it at $249 a month, currently $150 a month, or $507.60 prepaid for four months. Read our full review of the Nanodegree.
Check the current Udacity price →
6. Practice tests
Start with Microsoft’s free Practice Assessment. After that, MeasureUp is Microsoft’s official practice-test partner and Tutorials Dojo is the community favourite for realistic question style; we have no affiliate relationship with either. Aim to score comfortably above the pass mark on practice tests you have not seen before, not on ones you have memorised.
What AZ-104 costs, all in
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AZ-104 exam | $165 | Per attempt; retakes cost the same |
| Microsoft Learn + Practice Assessment | $0 | Official and complete enough to pass on its own |
| Udemy course | $15–$30 | In a sale, which Udemy runs most of the time |
| Practice tests | ~$15–$100 | Tutorials Dojo at the low end, MeasureUp higher |
| An Azure account for labs | $0–$50 | New accounts get free credit; shut resources down after each lab |
| Annual renewal | $0 | Free online assessment each year |
A realistic budget is about $200 to $230: the exam, one Udemy course and one practice-test set. It can be done for $165 using only Microsoft Learn. Because renewal is free, that is close to the lifetime cost of the credential, which is unusual among cloud certifications.
A ten-week AZ-104 study plan
Weighted to the outline: the two heaviest domains get the most time, and you take a practice test early to find your weak spots.
- Week 1 – Read the study guide, set up an Azure account with a budget alert, and take the free Practice Assessment cold to see where you stand.
- Weeks 2–3 – Identity and governance (20–25%). Entra ID users and groups, role assignments at each scope, Azure Policy, locks, tags, management groups, budgets and Advisor.
- Weeks 4–5 – Compute (20–25%). VMs, scale sets, availability, containers, App Service – and write, modify and convert real Bicep files rather than just reading about them.
- Week 6 – Storage (15–20%). Access methods, SAS tokens, redundancy, lifecycle rules, soft delete and versioning.
- Week 7 – Networking (15–20%). VNets, peering, routing, NSGs and ASGs, Bastion, private endpoints, DNS and load balancers.
- Week 8 – Monitoring and backup (10–15%). Azure Monitor queries and alerts, Network Watcher, Backup vaults and Site Recovery failover.
- Weeks 9–10 – Full-length practice tests, then targeted review of whichever two domains scored lowest. Book once you pass unseen practice tests comfortably.
THE LAB HABIT THAT SAVES MONEY
Set a budget and an alert before your first lab, and delete resource groups when you finish each session. Budgets and cost alerts are themselves examinable under governance, so practising them is doing double duty.
Follow the plan with guided KodeKloud labs →
What AZ-104 actually signals to employers
We used to quote a salary band and a figure for how many people hold AZ-104. We have removed both: Microsoft does not publish holder counts, and the salary figure was not something we could verify. What we can say precisely is what the credential proves, because Microsoft publishes it.
A holder has shown they can manage identities, roles and governance in Azure, run storage securely, deploy and automate compute with ARM and Bicep, build and secure virtual networks, and monitor and back up the lot. That is the job description of a cloud or Azure administrator, and it is the foundation Microsoft makes mandatory before its architect credential. It reads best to employers already running on Microsoft, and it pairs naturally with AZ-305 as the next step. For the wider field, see our best cloud certifications and AWS vs Azure comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the AZ-104 exam cost?
$165 USD in the United States. Microsoft prices the exam by the country where it is proctored, so the figure differs elsewhere. Every attempt is paid, including retakes. A realistic all-in budget, with one course and one practice test, is about $200 to $230; you can pass for the exam fee alone using Microsoft Learn, which is free.
What score do you need to pass AZ-104?
700 on a scale that tops out at 1,000. Microsoft’s study guide states that a score of 700 or greater is required. It is a scaled score, not a percentage of questions answered correctly, so 700 does not mean 70%.
How many questions are on AZ-104?
Microsoft does not publish a fixed number. It gives you 100 minutes and says the exam may include interactive components. Candidate reports usually land between 40 and 60 questions, including case studies, but treat that as experience rather than policy.
Is AZ-104 required for AZ-305 and AZ-400?
For AZ-305, yes. Microsoft states that to become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert you must earn the Azure Administrator Associate certification. For AZ-400, no. Microsoft requires at least one of the Azure Administrator Associate or the Azure Developer Associate. Because the Developer Associate exam (AZ-204) has retired, AZ-104 is now the practical route for most new candidates, but it is not the only qualifying credential.
How long is the AZ-104 certification valid?
One year. Microsoft role-based certifications expire annually, but you renew for free by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn. You do not resit the proctored exam or pay again. That is a genuine advantage over AWS, whose associate certifications last three years but must be renewed by passing the exam again.
Did the AZ-104 exam change in 2026?
Only slightly. Microsoft updated the skills outline on 17 April 2026, and its own change log marks every domain “No change” with “Minor” edits to a few objectives. The five domains and their weightings did not move. Prep material from late 2025 is still valid; check that it covers Bicep, which the outline tests directly.
How long does it take to prepare for AZ-104?
Eight to twelve weeks at about ten hours a week is realistic if you already work with Windows or Linux servers and basic networking, which is the background Microsoft assumes. Coming from outside IT, plan for twelve to sixteen weeks and start with AZ-900, because AZ-104 expects you to already understand cloud fundamentals.
What happens if I fail AZ-104?
You wait 24 hours and can book again. Microsoft allows no more than five attempts at a given exam within 12 months of your first attempt; after five failures you wait until 12 months have passed. Each retake costs the full exam fee, which is the practical reason to use the free Practice Assessment before your first attempt.
Should I take AZ-900 before AZ-104?
It is optional. Microsoft has no prerequisite for AZ-104. AZ-900 is worth it if cloud concepts are new to you or your employer wants a quick first credential; if you already administer servers or networks, going straight to AZ-104 saves you a fee and a month.
Final verdict
AZ-104 is the right first associate credential for anyone who runs, rather than designs or codes on, Azure, and it is mandatory if you want the Solutions Architect Expert. It costs $165, needs 700 to pass, and renews free each year, which makes it one of the cheapest cloud certifications to hold long term. The outline changed only slightly in April 2026, so good prep is plentiful: start on Microsoft Learn and its free Practice Assessment, add Scott Duffy’s course for structure, and spend your extra hours on identity and governance, which carries the joint-largest share of the exam.
Want the best courses rather than the exam? Our best Azure courses and tutorials guide ranks the training itself, for administrators and beyond.
Related guides: AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals · AZ-305 Solutions Architect Expert · AZ-400 DevOps Engineer Expert · AZ-204 to AI-200 · Azure Data Engineer (DP-700) · Free Microsoft certifications · Best cloud certifications · AWS vs Azure · Udacity Azure Administrator review