AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals Certification 2026: Cost, Exam + Best Prep
Last updated: May 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. See our review methodology.
The AZ-900 (Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals) is the most common entry point into a Microsoft Azure career — and the most over-bought. It's genuinely useful for career-switchers, salespeople, managers, and anyone who needs to speak cloud credibly, but it is not a job-getting certification on its own. Here's exactly what it covers, what it costs, whether it's worth it for you, and the most efficient way to pass — including the free official path most people overlook.
QUICK VERDICT
Bottom line: AZ-900 is worth it as a foundational credential — for non-engineers who need cloud literacy, or as a confidence-builder before a role-based cert like AZ-104. It won't land you an Azure job by itself. Microsoft Learn's free path is enough to pass; a paid Udemy course plus practice exams just gets you there faster.
- Best for: career-switchers, sales/PM/leadership roles, pre-AZ-104 foundation
- Skip if: you already work in cloud — go straight to a role-based cert (AZ-104, AZ-305)
- Cheapest path: Microsoft Learn (free) + the free practice assessment
What Is the AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals)?
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AZ-900 earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals badge. It's a beginner-level certification that validates foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and core Microsoft Azure services — compute, networking, storage — plus how Azure is secured, governed, and managed. Microsoft positions it as "a common starting point in a journey towards a career in Azure." There are no prerequisites, and it's designed to be approachable for non-technical roles, not just engineers.
Crucially, it's a fundamentals cert: it proves you understand the concepts and vocabulary, not that you can build or administer Azure environments. That distinction drives the rest of this guide.
Who Should Take AZ-900 (and Who Should Skip It)?
Take it if you're:
- Switching careers into tech or cloud and want a credible first credential
- In a sales, marketing, project-management, or leadership role that touches Azure
- About to study for a role-based cert (AZ-104, AZ-305) and want to build confidence first
- A student or new grad establishing a baseline for your resume
Skip it if you already work in cloud or IT. If you can already navigate the Azure portal and understand cloud basics, AZ-900 won't move your resume — go straight to a role-based certification like the Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) or Azure Administrator (AZ-104). Fundamentals certs are foundational signals, not differentiators for experienced practitioners.
Exam Format, Cost, and Logistics
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Exam code | AZ-900 |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Questions | Microsoft doesn't publish a fixed count; expect roughly 40–60 |
| Passing score | 700 on a 1,000-point scale |
| Cost | ~$99 USD (Microsoft prices by country/region) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Retake | 24 hours after a first fail; longer waits after that |
| Expiry | Fundamentals certifications don't expire (unlike role-based certs, which renew annually) |
The exam is proctored (online or at a test center via Pearson VUE), and Microsoft offers a free practice assessment and an exam sandbox so you can see the question style before exam day.
The Three Exam Domains
AZ-900 measures three areas. Microsoft's official study guide lists the current weightings; the largest section is consistently Azure architecture and services, so weight your study time accordingly:
- Describe cloud concepts — what the cloud is, the shared-responsibility model, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, public/private/hybrid, and the benefits (scalability, elasticity, cost models).
- Describe Azure architecture and services (the largest section) — core architectural components (regions, availability zones, resource groups) and core services across compute, networking, and storage.
- Describe Azure management and governance — cost management, SLAs, governance tools (Azure Policy, locks, tags), and monitoring.
For the exact percentage weightings and any recent updates, always check Microsoft's official AZ-900 page and study guide before your exam.
Is AZ-900 Worth It?
Honestly: it depends on where you're starting. For a complete beginner or a non-technical professional, AZ-900 is worth it — it's affordable, it builds real cloud vocabulary, and it signals initiative on a resume. It's also a low-stress way to learn whether a cloud career interests you before committing to a harder, pricier role-based cert.
What it is not: a hiring credential. Recruiters don't hire Azure engineers off an AZ-900. Its value is foundational and motivational, not a job guarantee. If you treat it as step one of a path — AZ-900 → AZ-104 (Administrator) or a developer/architect track — it earns its place. If you expect it to land a cloud role on its own, you'll be disappointed.
Best Ways to Prepare for AZ-900
1. Microsoft Learn (free, official) — the honest starting point. Microsoft's own learning paths cover the full AZ-900 syllabus for free, and there's a free practice assessment to gauge readiness. For a fundamentals exam, this is genuinely enough to pass if you're disciplined. Don't skip it just because it's free.
2. A paid video course + practice exams — the faster path. If you'd rather follow a structured instructor and drill realistic questions, a Udemy AZ-900 course paired with a practice-exam pack is the best value. Instructors like Scott Duffy and Alan Rodrigues run popular, regularly-updated AZ-900 courses; pair the course with full-length practice exams and treat anything under ~85% as "not ready yet." Coursera also offers structured Azure Fundamentals content if you prefer its format or already subscribe.
3. Practice exams are non-negotiable. The AZ-900 rewards familiarity with Microsoft's phrasing. Whichever course you pick, do multiple full-length practice tests — they're the best predictor of passing.
Browse AZ-900 Prep Courses on Udemy →
A 4-Week AZ-900 Study Plan
- Week 1 — Cloud concepts. Work through Microsoft Learn's cloud-concepts path; understand IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, the shared-responsibility model, and cloud benefits.
- Week 2 — Azure architecture and services. The biggest section. Learn regions, availability zones, resource groups, and core compute/networking/storage services. Click around a free Azure account as you go.
- Week 3 — Management and governance. Cost management, SLAs, Azure Policy, tags, locks, and monitoring tools.
- Week 4 — Practice exams. Take full-length practice tests, review every wrong answer, and re-study weak domains until you're consistently above ~85%. Then book the exam.
After AZ-900: What's Next?
AZ-900 is step one. The natural next move depends on your goal: aspiring administrators go to AZ-104 (Azure Administrator); architects head toward AZ-305; data professionals to the Azure Data Engineer track; and DevOps engineers to AZ-400. For a guided, project-based route into Azure administration, the Udacity Azure Administrator Nanodegree maps closely to the AZ-104 path. If you're still deciding between cloud platforms, our AWS vs Azure comparison helps — and the AWS equivalent of AZ-900 is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the AZ-900?
It's one of the more approachable IT certifications — beginner-level, no prerequisites, and conceptual rather than hands-on. Most people pass with a few weeks of part-time study using Microsoft Learn plus practice exams.
How much does the AZ-900 exam cost?
Around $99 USD, though Microsoft prices the exam by country/region. Microsoft occasionally offers exam-replay deals that bundle a retake.
Can I pass AZ-900 with only free resources?
Yes. Microsoft Learn's official learning paths plus the free practice assessment cover everything on the exam. A paid course is about speed and structure, not access to information you can't get for free.
Does AZ-900 expire?
No. Microsoft's fundamentals certifications don't expire, unlike role-based certifications (such as AZ-104), which require annual renewal.
Will AZ-900 get me a job?
On its own, no. It's a foundational credential that demonstrates cloud literacy and initiative. It's most valuable as the first step toward a role-based certification or for non-engineering roles that need cloud fluency.
Should I take AZ-900 or AWS Cloud Practitioner?
Pick the cloud your target employers use. They're equivalent entry-level certs; AZ-900 for Microsoft/enterprise-heavy markets, AWS Cloud Practitioner for AWS-heavy ones. See our AWS vs Azure comparison to decide.
Related Guides
- Cloud Certifications: AWS vs Azure vs GCP (Which to Get)
- Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) Guide
- Azure Data Engineer Certification Guide
- Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400) Guide
- Best Microsoft Azure Courses
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (the AWS equivalent)
- AWS vs Azure: Which Cloud Should You Learn?
