AZ-204 Certification: Retired July 2026

Last updated: August 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. See our review methodology.

By Josh Hutcheson · E-Learning Specialist

Reviewing online learning platforms since 2019.

Update — AZ-204 retired on July 31, 2026. Microsoft has replaced it with AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate), which is live now and schedulable through Pearson VUE. AZ-204 can no longer be booked or sat, and its free annual renewal assessment retired alongside it — so if you are starting now, prepare for AI-200. If you already hold AZ-204, it stays valid until it expires. What this means for you →

The 60-second guide: AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure was the Associate-level certification for Azure developers — Microsoft retired it on July 31, 2026 and replaced it with AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate). While it ran: $165 USD, 120 minutes, 40-60 questions, testing your ability to develop, deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot apps on Azure. If you are starting now: target AI-200. Microsoft Learn (free official) covers the current objectives, and the Udacity Cloud Developer using Azure Nanodegree still builds the underlying Azure development skills AI-200 tests.

AZ-204 has retired — what replaced it

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Microsoft retired the Azure Developer Associate certification and the AZ-204 exam on July 31, 2026. The replacement is AI-200: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate, now live and schedulable through Pearson VUE. AI-200 is a 120-minute proctored exam covering four areas: developing containerized solutions on Azure, developing AI solutions using Azure data management services, connecting to and consuming Azure services, and securing, monitoring and troubleshooting Azure solutions. Microsoft has published an AI-200 study guide; the practice assessment is not available yet.

What that means depends on where you are:

Already certified? Nothing changes. Retirement does not revoke or invalidate certifications already earned — yours stays in the Active Certifications section of your transcript until it expires, then moves to Historical Certifications.
Hoping to still sit it? You cannot. AZ-204 left Microsoft’s exam offerings on July 31, 2026 — it can no longer be booked, retaken, or renewed.
Starting from scratch? Prepare for AI-200. It is the current credential for this role, and the Azure development skills below still apply to it.

The rest of this guide describes AZ-204 as it stood at retirement, kept as a reference for existing holders and for anyone weighing it against AI-200. The domain breakdown below is still worth reading if you are moving to AI-200 — the underlying Azure development skills are unchanged; it was the credential that got replaced.

By the numbers (Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)):

200,000+ AZ-204 certified developers globally (Microsoft, 2025). Source: learn.microsoft.com.
Azure Developers earn $115K-$155K base mid-level (Glassdoor, Apr 2026). Source: www.glassdoor.com.
Microsoft-shop premium adds 5-10% to median offers in regulated industries (banking, healthcare, government). Source: www.glassdoor.com.

Build Azure Developer Skills for AI-200 with Udacity →

Status: AZ-204 and its free annual Microsoft Learn renewal assessment both retired on July 31, 2026. Existing certifications stay on your transcript until they expire; new candidates should book AI-200 instead.

What is AZ-204 (Azure Developer Associate)?

AZ-204 is the Associate-level Microsoft certification for developers building solutions on Azure. It validates competency across the full developer workflow: compute, storage, security, monitoring, and integration with other Azure and third-party services.

It was also the most popular Azure cert for developers entering the Microsoft cloud space — over 200K holders globally as of 2026.

Should you pursue AZ-204?

Short answer: you no longer can. AZ-204 closed on July 31, 2026, so the honest recommendation for anyone starting now is AI-200. The profile below describes who AZ-204 suited — it maps closely onto who should consider AI-200.

Take it if you’re:

A developer with 1-2+ years of any cloud or modern application development experience.
Targeting Microsoft-shop employers — banks, government, healthcare, large enterprise.
Already comfortable with C# .NET, Node.js, or Python — the exam tests across multiple languages.
Working toward AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) which requires AZ-204 OR AZ-104 as prerequisite.

Skip it if:

You target AWS — get AWS Developer Associate (DVA-C02) instead.
You’re an architect, not a developer — AZ-305 is more relevant.

Exam format

Detail	AZ-204
Cost	$165 USD
Duration	120 minutes
Questions	40-60
Format	Multiple choice + drag-drop + case studies + occasional labs
Passing score	700 / 1000
Validity	1 year from exam date (renewal assessment retired July 31, 2026)

The 5 exam domains

Domain 1: Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)

Azure App Service (configuration, deployment slots, scaling), Azure Functions (triggers, bindings, durable functions), containers (Container Apps, AKS, Container Instances), Azure Container Registry.

Domain 2: Develop for Azure storage (15-20%)

Cosmos DB (partitioning, consistency models, change feed), Blob Storage (lifecycle, tiers, SAS), Table/Queue/File Storage.

Domain 3: Implement Azure security (20-25%)

Microsoft Entra ID authentication, OAuth 2.0 flows, Managed Identities, Key Vault, RBAC, encryption.

Domain 4: Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (15-20%)

Application Insights, Log Analytics queries (KQL), caching strategies (Azure Cache for Redis, CDN), Application Gateway optimization.

Domain 5: Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (15-20%)

API Management, Event Grid, Service Bus, Event Hubs, Logic Apps integration patterns.

Salary impact

Azure Developer (entry-level): $90K-$120K base in US.
Azure Developer (3-5 yrs + AZ-204): $115K-$155K base.
Senior Azure Developer / Architect track: $145K-$200K base.
Microsoft-shop premium: 5-10% above AWS-equivalent in regulated industries.

Best ways to prepare for AZ-204

AZ-204 retired on July 31, 2026. This ranking is kept as a record — and because options #1, #2 and #4 all teach Azure development skills that carry straight into AI-200.

Honest ranking, with community consensus weighted heavily:

#1 (free, official, genuinely best): Microsoft Learn AZ-204 path

Microsoft’s official learning path, completely free. ~30+ hours with hands-on Azure trial labs. For AZ-204 specifically, Microsoft Learn is consistently the most-recommended primary resource on r/AzureCertification.

#2 (paid alternative): Scott Duffy or Tim Warner Udemy AZ-204

Paid AZ-204 video courses are still listed on Udemy, but the exam they prepare you for retired on July 31, 2026, so they no longer lead to a credential you can earn. If you are starting now, prepare for the successor instead: the AI-200: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate course on Udemy — 18 hours, rated 4.4 across 83 ratings, a short track record because the exam itself is new.

#3 (essential): Practice tests

Microsoft Official Practice Assessment (free). MeasureUp ($99) for closest exam difficulty. Whizlabs AZ-204 ($19-24) for budget option.

#4 (for portfolio + cert combo): Udacity Cloud Developer using Azure Nanodegree

Udacity Cloud Developer using Microsoft Azure Nanodegree (nd081) — intermediate level, 51 hours, originally built around the AZ-204 objectives. Covers App Service, Functions, deployment slots, Managed Identities, Key Vault — all still in scope for AI-200.

$249/month + ~$50-100/month Azure costs. The Udacity program goes deeper on hands-on coding than Microsoft Learn’s labs — useful for portfolio. See our full Cloud Developer review.

Honest framing: Microsoft Learn is sufficient for the exam. Udacity is for portfolio depth, not a substitute for the official path.

8-week study plan

AZ-204 retired on July 31, 2026, so this plan is no longer a route to that exam. It is kept because the same domain sequence is a sensible starting structure for AI-200 preparation.

Weeks 1-2: Microsoft Learn Domain 1 (Compute) + hands-on App Service + Functions deployments.
Weeks 3-4: Domain 2 (Storage) + Domain 3 (Security). Cosmos DB partitioning + Managed Identities exercises.
Weeks 5-6: Domain 4 (Monitor) + Domain 5 (Integration). Application Insights + Service Bus + Logic Apps.
Week 7: Practice tests, weak-spot review.
Week 8: Final review, exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has AZ-204 been retired?

Yes — on July 31, 2026. Microsoft replaced the Azure Developer Associate certification and the AZ-204 exam with AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate). Certifications already earned remain valid and stay on your transcript until they expire, then move to the Historical Certifications section — retirement does not revoke them.

How hard is AZ-204?

Moderate. Easier than AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert), harder than AZ-104 (Administrator). 60-70% pass rate among prepared candidates.

What languages do I need to know for AZ-204?

The exam is language-agnostic but C# .NET, Node.js, and Python questions appear most often. You’ll see code samples — ability to read multiple languages helps.

How does AZ-204 compare to AWS Developer Associate (DVA-C02)?

Roughly equivalent. AZ-204 emphasizes Azure’s unified compute platform (App Service, Functions); DVA-C02 emphasizes AWS’s service variety. Pick based on your target employer’s cloud. See AWS vs Azure.

Was AZ-204 worth it?

If you hold it, yes — it stays valid and still signals Azure development skill. If you are starting now you cannot earn it; target AI-200, which covers the same Azure development ground plus AI workloads.

What comes after AZ-204?

AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) or AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert) for senior-track progression.

Best courses: Udacity Cloud Developer Nanodegree (AWS + Azure)

AZ-204 Certification Guide 2026: Azure Developer Exam, Cost + Best Prep