Last updated: October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. Exam facts checked against Microsoft Learn on 17 October 2026. See our review methodology.
QUICK VERDICT
The short answer: the Azure Solutions Architect certification is Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. You earn it by passing one exam, AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions ($165 in the US, passing score 700), while also holding the Azure Administrator Associate certification (AZ-104). Microsoft rewrote the exam outline on 17 April 2026: infrastructure is now the biggest domain at 30–35%. Most AZ-104 holders need 8–12 weeks. The free Microsoft Learn path is the best primary resource; add practice tests and real Azure time.
This guide covers what the exam tests after the April 2026 update, what it costs to sit and keep, how hard it is, and which prep resources are worth paying for. Every exam fact below links to Microsoft’s own page, because third-party AZ-305 guides still carry the pre-April domain weights. If you are earlier in your Azure path, start with our AZ-104 certification guide or the AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals guide.
See the Udacity Azure Cloud Architect program →
What is Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305)?
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AZ-305 is Microsoft’s expert-level exam for people who design Azure solutions rather than only deploy them. It tests whether you can turn a set of business requirements into a design across identity, governance, data, business continuity and infrastructure, and pick the right service tier for the constraints in the question. Passing it, while holding the Azure Administrator Associate certification, earns Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
AZ-305 replaced the older AZ-303 and AZ-304 pair in 2022, so there is one exam on this path today. Microsoft lists no retirement date for it. The exam is offered in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil) and Italian.
WHAT CHANGED
2026 update: Microsoft updated the English version of AZ-305 on 17 April 2026. The domain weights moved (see the table below), and localized versions usually follow about eight weeks after English. Courses last updated before April 2026 were built for the old outline, so check the update date on anything you buy.
Should you pursue AZ-305?
Take it if you are:
- An IT professional with real Azure time who designs solutions, or wants to move into a Solutions Architect or Cloud Architect role.
- Already AZ-104 certified, or close to it. You cannot hold the Expert credential without it.
- Working for, or targeting, organizations that run mainly on Microsoft: many banks, public-sector bodies, healthcare systems and large enterprises.
- Looking for a credential that signals design judgment, not only operations skill.
Skip it, for now, if you are:
- Working mostly on AWS. The AWS Solutions Architect certification fits that work better.
- New to Azure. Do AZ-104 first, get hands-on time, then come back. The design questions assume you know how the services behave in practice.
- A developer rather than an architect. Note that AZ-204 retired in 2026; our AZ-204 page explains what replaced it.
Exam format, cost, and logistics
| Detail | AZ-305 |
|---|---|
| Cost | $165 USD in the US (price varies by country) |
| Exam time | 100 minutes of exam time, 120 minutes of seat time (Microsoft’s figures for associate and expert exams without labs) |
| Number of questions | Not published per exam; Microsoft says most of its exams have 40–60 |
| Question format | Multiple choice, drag-and-drop and case studies; Microsoft does not list formats in advance |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1–1,000 |
| Prerequisite for the Expert credential | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored |
| Validity | 1 year; renew free by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn |
| Retakes | Wait 24 hours after a first fail; longer waits after that; at most 5 attempts in 12 months |
Sources: Exam AZ-305 page (price, passing score), Microsoft exam duration page, retake policy and the AZ-305 study guide (renewal), all read 17 October 2026.
The 4 exam domains (in detail)
These are the weights in the official study guide for the exam as of 17 April 2026. The older outline, which many blogs still print, put data storage at 25–30% and business continuity at 10–15%. Infrastructure gained the most weight in the update.
| Domain | Weight (from 17 Apr 2026) | Old weight |
|---|---|---|
| Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions | 25–30% | 25–30% |
| Design data storage solutions | 20–25% | 25–30% |
| Design business continuity solutions | 15–20% | 10–15% |
| Design infrastructure solutions | 30–35% | 25–30% |
Domain 1: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions (25-30%)
Logging and monitoring: recommend a logging solution, how to route logs, and a monitoring solution (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics workspace design, Application Insights). Authentication and authorization: identity management with Microsoft Entra ID, conditional access, Privileged Identity Management, access to Azure and on-premises resources, and how to manage secrets, certificates and keys with Key Vault. Governance: the structure of management groups, subscriptions and resource groups, a tagging strategy, Azure Policy for compliance, and identity governance.
Domain 2: Design data storage solutions (20-25%)
Relational data: choosing between Azure SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on a VM, the right service and compute tier, scalability and data protection. Semi-structured and unstructured data: Cosmos DB, Blob Storage and Data Lake Storage, balancing features, performance and cost. Data integration and analysis: Data Factory and the analytics services that consume the data.
Domain 3: Design business continuity solutions (15-20%)
Backup and disaster recovery for compute, databases and unstructured data that meet a stated recovery point and recovery time objective (Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery). High availability for compute, relational data and non-relational data: availability zones, paired regions, geo-replication. This domain grew in the April update, so give it more time than older study plans do.
Domain 4: Design infrastructure solutions (30-35%)
Compute: when to use virtual machines, containers (AKS, Container Apps) or serverless (Functions), and batch processing. Application architecture: messaging and event-driven designs, API integration, caching, app configuration and automated deployment. Migrations: moving workloads to IaaS and PaaS, migrating databases and unstructured data. Networking: internet and on-premises connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute), network performance and security, and load balancing and routing (Application Gateway, Front Door, Load Balancer).
Salary impact
We do not publish a single “AZ-305 salary” figure, because no reliable public dataset ties pay to this one certification. Salary sites mix job titles, regions and self-reported data, and an earlier version of this page quoted ranges we could not trace to a stable source, so we removed them.
The closest official benchmark is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation for computer network architects, which covers cloud and network design roles: a median of $134,050 a year in May 2025, about 181,800 jobs, and projected growth of 8% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, read 17 October 2026). Treat it as a direction, not a promise: architects are usually hired for experience, and the certification helps you get the interview.
Best ways to prepare for AZ-305
Ranked by what candidates who passed recommend on r/AzureCertification and by what the official outline covers, not by what pays us. Two of the options below are affiliate links; the free official path still comes first.
#1 (free, official, genuinely best): Microsoft Learn AZ-305 path
Microsoft’s own collection on the certification page has a prerequisites path plus one learning path per domain: identity, governance and monitoring; business continuity; data storage; and infrastructure. It is free, it is written against the current outline, and it links to sandbox exercises. The free practice assessment on the same page is the best check of your readiness. Pair it with John Savill’s free AZ-305 study cram on YouTube, which several passing candidates name.
#2 (structured video course): Scott Duffy or Alan Rodrigues on Udemy
If you want one guided video course, these two are the most-used on Udemy. Scott Duffy’s AZ-305 Azure Architect Design Exam Prep is 8 hours, rated 4.5 from 5,996 ratings with 53,301 students. Alan Rodrigues’s AZ-305 Designing Azure Infrastructure Solutions is 19.5 hours, rated 4.5 from 8,924 ratings with 74,758 students and more hands-on demos. Both showed “last updated 9/2025” when we checked on 17 October 2026, which is before the April 2026 outline change. Use either for the concepts and fill the gaps from Microsoft Learn, especially business continuity and infrastructure.
#3 (essential): MeasureUp practice tests
MeasureUp sells Microsoft’s official practice test for AZ-305 at a $99 list price (it was discounted when we checked). Candidates say it is harder than the real exam, which is useful. Tutorials Dojo’s practice exams are a cheaper alternative that passing candidates also name. Avoid “dump” sites that sell copied live questions: using them breaks the Microsoft exam agreement and can get your certification revoked.
#4 (for portfolio + cert combo): Udacity Cloud Architect using Azure Nanodegree
If you want hands-on architecture work to show alongside the certificate, Udacity’s Cloud Architect using Microsoft Azure is an advanced program of about 53 hours: five courses, 19 lessons and three projects on infrastructure design and migration, cost optimization and monitoring, and Azure security, last updated 23 September 2026. It is sold through a Udacity subscription ($249 a month, or $846 prepaid for four months, when we checked), and you also pay for your own Azure usage. It is not an AZ-305 course; it builds the portfolio the exam does not. Our Udacity Cloud Architect review compares the AWS and Azure versions.
OUR TAKE
Honest framing: Microsoft Learn plus one practice-test set is enough for most AZ-104 holders to pass. Paid video courses help if you learn better from a structured lecture. Udacity is for people who also want graded projects and a portfolio; it does not replace the free official path.
See the Alan Rodrigues AZ-305 course →
10-12 week study plan (AZ-104-certified candidates)
Built for someone with AZ-104 and a few hours a day. Weighting follows the April 2026 outline, so infrastructure gets the most time.
Weeks 1-4: Domain 1 + 2 (deep)
Microsoft Learn identity, governance and monitoring path, then the data storage path. Hands-on: design a management group and subscription hierarchy with Azure Policy, configure Conditional Access and PIM in a test tenant, and compare SQL Database tiers against SQL Managed Instance for one sample workload.
Weeks 5-7: Domain 4 (infrastructure)
Microsoft Learn infrastructure path, plus the matching sections of your video course. Hands-on: build a hub-and-spoke network, deploy one app three ways (VM, Container Apps, Functions) and compare cost, and sketch a migration plan for a three-tier app. This is the largest domain, so do not compress it.
Weeks 8-9: Domain 3 (business continuity)
Backup and Site Recovery, recovery objectives, and high availability for compute and data. Write out two designs for the same app, one for a 15-minute RPO and one for a 24-hour RPO, and price both.
Weeks 10-12: Practice + exam
Take the free Microsoft practice assessment, then a full practice-test set. Review every wrong answer against the Microsoft docs, not only the explanation. Book the exam once you score 80% or better on two practice runs in a row.
Is AZ-305 hard?
Yes, for most people. The case studies give you a company’s requirements and constraints and ask for the design that fits all of them, so you need to know the differences between service tiers and SKUs, what each option costs, and which regions or editions a feature needs. Candidates on r/AzureCertification describe it as harder than AZ-104 when they were weak on networking or data, and more predictable when they had already passed the security (AZ-500) or networking (AZ-700) exams. Microsoft does not publish pass rates, so treat any percentage you see online as a guess.
The two habits that separate passes from fails in those threads: real time in an Azure subscription, and reading the requirement words in each question (cost, availability, minimal administrative effort) before looking at the options.
AZ-305 vs AZ-104: which comes first?
AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) comes first for almost everyone. Microsoft requires the Azure Administrator Associate certification for the Solutions Architect Expert credential, and AZ-104 teaches how the services behave when you configure them, which is the knowledge AZ-305 assumes when it asks you to choose between them. You can sit AZ-305 first, but you will not be awarded the Expert credential until you also hold AZ-104. AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) is a different expert track for people who build delivery pipelines; see our AZ-400 guide.
What AZ-305 costs in total
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| AZ-104 exam (if you do not hold it) | $165 |
| AZ-305 exam | $165 |
| Microsoft Learn path and practice assessment | Free |
| MeasureUp official practice test (optional) | $99 list |
| Video course (optional) | Udemy courses are often on sale; check the course page |
| Annual renewal | Free online assessment |
For someone starting from scratch, the realistic all-in cost is $330 in exam fees plus whatever you spend on practice tests and Azure usage. Our Microsoft free certification guide tracks which Microsoft exams and vouchers are actually free right now.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need AZ-104 to take AZ-305?
You can take the AZ-305 exam without AZ-104, but Microsoft only awards the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification once you also hold the Azure Administrator Associate certification, which you earn by passing AZ-104. Most candidates pass AZ-104 first.
How hard is AZ-305?
It is an expert-level exam built around case studies, so it tests design judgment more than memory. Microsoft does not publish pass rates. Candidates with AZ-104 and real Azure time usually need 8 to 12 weeks of focused study.
How much does AZ-305 cost?
AZ-305 costs $165 in the United States, and the price varies by country. Renewing the certification each year is free through an online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
How long is AZ-305 valid?
The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is valid for one year. You renew it for free by passing an online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn before it expires.
Did the AZ-305 exam change in 2026?
Yes. Microsoft updated the English exam on 17 April 2026. Infrastructure is now 30 to 35 percent, data storage 20 to 25 percent and business continuity 15 to 20 percent. Prep material from before April 2026 follows the old weights.
What is the difference between AZ-303/304 and AZ-305?
AZ-303 and AZ-304 were the old two-exam path to the Solutions Architect Expert certification. Microsoft retired them and replaced them with the single AZ-305 exam in 2022.
What jobs can I get after AZ-305?
Cloud architect, solutions architect and senior cloud engineer roles in organizations that run on Azure. Employers usually want design experience as well as the certification, so pair it with projects you can explain.
How does AZ-305 compare to AWS Solutions Architect Professional?
Both are expert-level design exams. AZ-305 focuses on Azure services and Microsoft Entra ID, while AWS Solutions Architect Professional covers AWS at scale. AWS is moving that exam from SAP-C02 to SAP-C03: registration for SAP-C03 opens 27 October 2026 and the last day for SAP-C02 is 16 November 2026. Choose the cloud your employer uses.
AWS exam dates from the AWS Solutions Architect Professional page, read 17 October 2026.
Related guides
Certification path: AZ-104 Azure Administrator · AZ-400 DevOps Engineer · AZ-204 (retired) and its replacement · Azure Data Engineer (DP-700) · AWS Solutions Architect.
Choosing a cloud: AWS vs Azure · best cloud certifications compared · best Microsoft Azure courses.
Guided programs: Udacity Azure Administrator review · Udacity Cloud Architect review (AWS and Azure) · Udacity Data Engineering review.