Microsoft Azure Certification Path
AZ-900 vs AZ-104 – What’s the Difference Between These Certifications?
If you’re just beginning your Azure journey, you’ve likely encountered two popular Microsoft certifications: AZ-900 vs AZ-104. While they both focus on Azure, their target audience, technical depth, and outcomes are very different. This guide helps you choose the right path based on your career goals.
AZ-900 vs AZ-104 – Certification Levels
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals is an entry-level certification. It is designed for individuals with no prior cloud experience and focuses on basic Azure concepts, pricing, governance, and services.
AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate
AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate is an intermediate-level certification intended for professionals who already work with Azure services or plan to manage cloud infrastructure.
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to enter the cloud computing field. Whether you’re an IT professional or a beginner, this certification will boost your cloud knowledge and career prospects. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to pass the AZ-900 exam on your first attempt.
In practical terms, AZ-900 helps you understand the language of Azure, while AZ-104 expects you to operate inside Azure. That difference matters because AZ-104 is not simply a harder version of AZ-900; it is a role-based exam for people who need to manage identities, resources, networking, storage, backups, monitoring, and governance in real environments.
Content and Difficulty Comparison
- AZ-900: Broad overview of Azure services, cloud computing, and pricing models. No technical tasks.
- AZ-104: Hands-on tasks like managing VMs, virtual networks, identity, and storage using Azure Portal, PowerShell, or CLI.
AZ-104 is significantly more technical and assumes some hands-on experience.
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AZ-900 vs AZ-104 at a Glance
| Best for | AZ-900: beginners, non-technical roles, and cloud newcomers | AZ-104: IT professionals, administrators, and hands-on Azure users |
|---|---|---|
| Technical depth | Conceptual and broad | Operational, practical, and role-based |
| Hands-on skill required | Not required | Strongly recommended |
| Preparation style | Study guide, key terms, cloud concepts, and practice questions | Labs, Azure Portal practice, PowerShell or CLI familiarity, and scenario review |
Exam Format and Preparation Time
- AZ-900: 40-60 questions, multiple choice and scenario-based, 60 minutes. Easy to prepare in 1-2 weeks.
- AZ-104: 40-60 technical questions, with case studies and simulations. May require 4-6 weeks of study and hands-on labs.
The preparation gap is important. AZ-900 can usually be approached with structured learning and review, while AZ-104 is easier when you actually build and manage resources in Azure. For AZ-104, reading alone is rarely enough because the exam expects you to understand how services behave in real administrative scenarios.
Which One Should You Take First?
Most candidates start with AZ-900 to build foundational knowledge. If you are already working in IT or have some cloud experience, you may go directly for AZ-104.
A sensible path for many learners is AZ-900 first, then AZ-104 once the core terminology feels natural. This avoids jumping into administrator-level topics before you understand subscriptions, resource groups, regions, availability, identity, pricing, and shared responsibility.
Career Impact of AZ-900 vs AZ-104
- AZ-900: Adds credibility for non-technical roles (sales, marketing, operations) or those entering the cloud industry.
- AZ-104: Qualifies you for technical roles like Azure Administrator, Systems Engineer, or DevOps Assistant.
AZ-900 can help you communicate confidently about Azure, even if your role is not deeply technical. AZ-104 carries more weight for technical job paths because it signals that you can manage Azure resources and support cloud operations.
Conclusion: Choosing Between AZ-900 and AZ-104
Understanding the difference between AZ-900 and AZ-104 is essential before scheduling your exam. Start with AZ-900 if you’re a beginner or coming from a non-technical background. Choose AZ-104 if you’re ready to configure, manage, and deploy cloud services.
Explore our complete AZ-900 study guide or get hands-on with the advanced path by visiting the official AZ-104 Microsoft exam page.