One of the most common Azure certification questions is also one of the easiest to overthink: should you take AZ-900 first, or skip straight to AZ-104?
The short answer: take AZ-900 if you're new to cloud or need a low-risk confidence builder. Skip to AZ-104 if you already work in IT and want a credential employers actually hire against.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | AZ-900 | AZ-104 |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Fundamentals | Associate |
| Best for | Cloud beginners, non-technical roles, career changers | Cloud admins, sysadmins, help desk pros moving up |
| Questions | 40-60 | 40-60 |
| Time | 85 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Passing score | 700/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Exam cost | $99 | $165 |
| Realistic study time | 2-4 weeks | 4-8 weeks |
| Certification earned | Azure Fundamentals | Azure Administrator Associate |
| Hands-on Azure needed? | No | Yes |
| Job-market value | Foundation / signal | Direct role qualification |
When AZ-900 Is the Right First Exam
- You're new to cloud computing. AZ-900 teaches the vocabulary: regions, resource groups, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, storage, governance, and cost tools.
- You're in a non-technical role. Sales, project management, operations, and leadership roles often need cloud fluency without admin depth.
- You're a career changer. AZ-900 gives you a fast credential while you build hands-on projects for the harder cert.
- You want a confidence win. Passing a fundamentals exam can make the jump to AZ-104 feel less abstract.
- You have a voucher. If your employer or Microsoft event covers the fee, there is very little downside.
When You Should Skip AZ-900 and Take AZ-104
- You already have IT infrastructure experience. If you understand users, groups, networking, VMs, storage, and permissions, AZ-900 may feel too basic.
- You have used Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud professionally. The concepts transfer well enough that you can learn Azure specifics while preparing for AZ-104.
- You need a job-facing credential. AZ-104 maps to Azure administrator work; AZ-900 mostly proves cloud literacy.
- Your budget is tight. Study the AZ-900 material for free, skip the $99 exam, and put the money toward AZ-104.
The Best Strategy for Most Candidates
For most technical candidates, the smartest path is: study the AZ-900 material, but do not necessarily sit the AZ-900 exam. Microsoft Learn gives you the fundamentals for free. Once the vocabulary clicks, move into AZ-104 and spend your money on the credential that maps to a real administrator role.
For non-technical candidates or total beginners, actually taking AZ-900 still makes sense. It is a low-cost proof point that says, "I understand cloud basics," and that can matter when your resume does not yet have IT experience.
Key Differences in Content
AZ-900 Covers Concepts
- Cloud models, cloud benefits, and shared responsibility
- IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS and when each model fits
- Azure architecture basics: regions, subscriptions, resource groups
- High-level compute, networking, storage, identity, and governance services
- Pricing calculators, cost management, monitoring, and support options
AZ-104 Covers Administration
- Manage Azure identities and governance with Entra ID, RBAC, policy, and subscriptions
- Implement and manage storage accounts, blob data, file shares, and replication
- Deploy and manage compute resources such as VMs, scale sets, containers, and App Service
- Configure virtual networks, subnets, NSGs, private endpoints, VPNs, and load balancers
- Monitor, back up, and maintain Azure resources in production-like scenarios
Decision Guide
| Your Situation | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No cloud or IT background | Take AZ-900 first | You need vocabulary and confidence before admin depth |
| Help desk / sysadmin background | Study AZ-900, then take AZ-104 | You already have enough IT context to move faster |
| Developer moving to Azure | Consider AZ-204 instead | AZ-104 is admin-heavy; AZ-204 maps better to app work |
| Manager, sales, PM, analyst | Take AZ-900 | The fundamentals credential fits non-admin roles |
| Already using Azure at work | Take AZ-104 | Hands-on context matters more than another beginner badge |
Common Mistakes
- Assuming AZ-900 is required. It is not a prerequisite for AZ-104.
- Taking AZ-104 with no portal experience. Reading alone is not enough for an administrator exam.
- Overvaluing AZ-900 on a technical resume. It helps, but it does not replace hands-on projects or an associate cert.
- Skipping fundamentals completely. Even if you skip the AZ-900 exam, learn the material before AZ-104.
Next Step
If you're still unsure, take 20 questions from both exams and compare how they feel. Start with our AZ-900 practice questions for fundamentals or jump into AZ-104 practice questions if you're ready for administrator-level scenarios.