To prepare for the AZ-104 exam, start with the free Microsoft Learn training paths, then build hands-on skills in a real Azure subscription, and finally test your readiness with practice questions mapped to the five official skill domains. Most candidates need 6 to 12 weeks of steady study, splitting time evenly between reading, hands-on labs, and practice tests. This guide walks through every step, using the skills measured outline Microsoft updated on April 17, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The AZ-104 exam tests five domains: identities and governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring, with compute and governance carrying the heaviest weight.
- Microsoft Learn’s free learning paths should be your primary study resource before you buy any paid course.
- Hands-on practice inside a free Azure account matters more than memorizing terms, many questions test whether you can perform a task, not just recognize a definition.
- A realistic study timeline runs 4 weeks (intensive), 8 weeks (standard), or 12 weeks (beginner), depending on your current Azure experience.
- You can retake the exam if you fail, but there’s a mandatory 24-hour wait the first time and a 14-day wait after that, up to five attempts per year.
The strongest AZ-104 study approach starts with a clear understanding of the official exam structure and the exact topics Microsoft tests. You can review the complete AZ-104 exam guide and the full list of AZ-104 exam topics to see how each domain is weighted and what skills appear most frequently.
Quick Facts: AZ-104 Exam at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) |
| Cost | $165 USD (varies by country) |
| Typical duration | Around 100 minutes of question time |
| Number of questions | Roughly 40–60 questions |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000 |
| Question formats | Multiple choice, drag-and-drop, case studies, short answer, active screen |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored |
| Certification validity | 1 year, renewable free via an online assessment |
| Retake wait (1st fail) | 24 hours |
| Retake wait (2nd+ fail) | 14 days between each attempt |
| Maximum attempts | 5 per 12-month period from the first attempt |
Exact question counts and timing can vary slightly by candidate, since Microsoft adjusts exam form composition. Always check your exam confirmation email for the specifics of your scheduled session.
What Is the Best Study Guide for the AZ-104 Exam?
The best AZ-104 study guide combines three things: the official Microsoft Learn skills-measured outline, hands-on labs in a real Azure environment, and practice questions that mirror the exam’s scenario style. No single PDF or video course covers everything on its own.
Here’s how the main resource types compare:
| Resource type | Cost | Best for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn modules | Free | Structured, official coverage of every skill | Doesn’t simulate exam pressure |
| Hands-on labs (Azure free account) | Free (with credits) | Building real troubleshooting skill | Requires self-discipline to schedule time |
| Video courses (e.g., John Savill, Pluralsight) | Free–Paid | Explaining concepts in plain language | Passive; needs pairing with labs |
| Practice question sets | Free–Paid | Testing recall and exam pacing | Some third-party sets contain outdated or inaccurate questions |
| Study communities and forums | Free | Clarifying tricky topics, exam-day tips | Advice quality varies |
If you can only use one resource, start with Microsoft Learn’s official AZ-104 learning path. It’s written by the same team that writes the exam, so it stays aligned with the skills outline.
Official Skills Measured (as of 2026)
Microsoft last refreshed the AZ-104 skills-measured document on April 17, 2026. The five domains and their weights are:
| Domain | Weight | High-yield subtopics |
|---|---|---|
| Manage Azure identities and governance | 20–25% | Microsoft Entra users and groups, RBAC role assignment, Azure Policy, resource locks, tags, management groups, cost alerts and budgets |
| Implement and manage storage | 15–20% | Storage account redundancy, SAS tokens, storage firewalls, Blob lifecycle management, Azure Files and identity-based access |
| Deploy and manage Azure compute resources | 20–25% | ARM templates and Bicep files, virtual machines and VM Scale Sets, Azure Container Apps and Container Instances, App Service deployment slots |
| Implement and manage virtual networking | 15–20% | Virtual networks and peering, network security groups, Azure Bastion, private endpoints, Azure DNS, load balancers |
| Monitor and maintain Azure resources | 10–15% | Azure Monitor metrics and alerts, Log Analytics queries, Network Watcher, Recovery Services vaults, Azure Backup and Site Recovery |
Domain 1: Manage Azure identities and governance
This is the largest domain alongside compute, so treat it as a top priority. You’ll need to work with Microsoft Entra ID (the current name for what was previously called Azure Active Directory) to create and manage users, groups, and external guest accounts. You should also understand role-based access control (RBAC) well enough to interpret who has access to what, and at which scope; subscription, resource group, or individual resource.
Governance topics round out this domain: Azure Policy for enforcing rules across resources, resource locks to prevent accidental deletion, tagging for cost tracking, and management groups for organizing multiple subscriptions.
Domain 2: Implement and manage storage
Storage questions focus on configuring access correctly. Know the difference between shared access signature (SAS) tokens, stored access policies, and storage account access keys. You should also understand the tiers of Azure Blob Storage (hot, cool, cold, archive) and when to use lifecycle management rules to move data automatically between them. Redundancy options; locally redundant, zone-redundant, geo-redundant; come up often, since choosing the right one is a common real-world decision.
Domain 3: Deploy and manage Azure compute resources
This domain has grown to include more modern deployment patterns. You’ll need to read and modify Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and Bicep files, not just deploy resources manually through the portal. Virtual machine topics include scaling with Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS), choosing appropriate VM sizes, and distributing VMs across availability zones for resilience. Container skills now cover both Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Apps, so expect questions that ask you to choose the right container option for a given scenario.
Domain 4: Implement and manage virtual networking
Expect scenario-based questions about connecting and securing resources. You should know how to create virtual networks and subnets, configure peering between them, and troubleshoot connectivity issues. Security-focused subtopics include network security groups (NSGs), Azure Bastion for secure VM access without public IPs, and private endpoints for reaching Azure PaaS services privately. Name resolution (Azure DNS) and load balancing round out this domain.
Domain 5: Monitor and maintain Azure resources
This is the smallest domain by weight, but it’s not optional. Azure Monitor is the anchor topic, know how to interpret metrics, set up alert rules and action groups, and query logs. Backup and recovery topics include creating a Recovery Services vault, configuring backup policies, and setting up Azure Site Recovery for failover to a secondary region.
How Difficult Is the AZ-104 Exam?
The AZ-104 exam is considered moderately difficult, harder than the entry-level AZ-900 Fundamentals exam, but more approachable than expert-level exams like AZ-305. Most of the difficulty comes from the exam’s scenario-based format rather than raw memorization. Questions often describe a business situation and ask you to choose the correct Azure service or configuration, which means surface-level familiarity with a topic usually isn’t enough.
A few factors make the exam feel harder than it looks on paper:
- Case studies: Some exam forms include multi-question case studies where you can’t go back and change earlier answers once you move on.
- Similar-sounding options: Many questions offer two or three technically valid-sounding answers, and you have to know the subtle difference (for example, a network security group versus an application security group).
- Hands-on assumptions: The exam assumes you’ve actually used the Azure portal, PowerShell, and the Azure CLI, not just read about them.
- Broad scope: Five domains cover a wide range of services, so gaps in any one area can cost you points.
Candidates who combine Microsoft Learn study with real hands-on practice generally report the exam as fair and predictable, even if individual questions feel tricky in the moment.
How to Prepare for the AZ-104 Exam
Follow this sequence to build both knowledge and practical skill:
- Read the official skills outline first. Before opening any course, skim the skills-measured document on Microsoft Learn so you know exactly what’s covered and at what weight.
- Create a free Azure account. You’ll need a real environment to practice in; reading about a service isn’t the same as configuring it.
- Work through Microsoft Learn modules domain by domain. Start with governance and identity, since it underpins how you access everything else.
- Do a hands-on lab after every module. Real practice in the Azure portal is essential. Follow structured AZ-104 labs so you actually configure the services instead of only reading about them.
- Start practice questions once you’ve covered all five domains. Timed practice is one of the highest-ROI activities in the final weeks. Use high-quality AZ-104 practice tests and learn how to prepare for AZ-104 with mock exams so you build both accuracy and exam pacing.
- Layer in a video course if concepts feel unclear. Free options like John Savill’s Azure Administrator series or Microsoft’s own Exam Readiness Zone can clarify tricky topics.
- Start practice questions once you’ve covered all five domains. Don’t front-load practice tests before you’ve studied, you’ll just memorize answers instead of learning concepts.
- Review your weak domains again, focusing extra time on governance and compute, since they carry the most exam weight.
- Take a final practice assessment within a few days of your exam date to confirm you’re ready.
Free AZ-104 Study Guide Resources (Microsoft Learn First)
Free resources should form the backbone of your preparation. Here’s where to start:
- Microsoft Learn AZ-104 learning path: the official, self-paced training that maps directly to the skills outline. This should be your primary resource.
- Microsoft Learn free practice assessment: an official practice test that mirrors the real exam’s question style and gives you a skills breakdown afterward.
- Azure documentation: useful for going deeper on any topic the learning path only summarizes, especially Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Policy, and Azure Monitor.
- Azure free account: includes a credit allowance and a set of always-free services, enough to complete most AZ-104 hands-on scenarios.
- Microsoft Q&A and Azure Community Support: good for getting unstuck on a specific configuration question.
- Exam Readiness Zone and Azure Fridays videos: free video content from Microsoft that walks through exam-relevant topics.
Only look at paid courses or third-party practice question banks after you’ve worked through the free resources above. Paid content should fill specific gaps, not replace the official material.
Realistic Study Plans
Choose a plan based on your current hands-on experience with Azure.
| Plan | Best for | Weekly time | Domain focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-week intensive | Candidates with existing Azure experience | 10–15 hours | 2 domains per week, then a full review week |
| 8-week standard | Candidates with some IT background but limited Azure use | 6–8 hours | 1 domain every 1–2 weeks, with labs throughout |
| 12-week beginner | Candidates new to cloud administration | 4–6 hours | 1 domain every 2–3 weeks, plus extra time on fundamentals |
8-week standard plan, mapped to domain weights
| Week | Focus | Domain weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Manage Azure identities and governance | 20–25% |
| 3 | Implement and manage storage | 15–20% |
| 4–5 | Deploy and manage Azure compute resources | 20–25% |
| 6 | Implement and manage virtual networking | 15–20% |
| 7 | Monitor and maintain Azure resources | 10–15% |
| 8 | Full review, practice tests, and weak-area repair | All domains |
Notice that governance and compute each get more calendar time than monitoring, matching their higher exam weight. This is the single biggest scheduling mistake candidates make, spending equal time on every domain instead of weighting study time to match the exam’s weighting.
AZ-104 Study Guide Notes & High-Yield Cheat Sheet
Use this as a quick-reference summary of terms that show up repeatedly on the exam:
- Microsoft Entra ID: The current identity platform used for AZ-104, previously known as Azure Active Directory.
- RBAC (role-based access control): Assigns permissions at a scope; management group, subscription, resource group, or resource.
- Azure Policy: Enforces rules on resources (for example, blocking VM creation in a certain region), separate from RBAC, which controls who can act.
- Storage redundancy options: Locally redundant storage (LRS), zone-redundant storage (ZRS), geo-redundant storage (GRS), and geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS); know when each is appropriate.
- VMSS (Virtual Machine Scale Sets): Used to automatically scale identical VMs up or down based on demand.
- Private endpoints: Give a PaaS resource (like a storage account) a private IP inside your virtual network, removing the need for public internet exposure.
- Bicep: A simplified language that compiles down to ARM templates, increasingly tested alongside traditional ARM JSON templates.
- Azure Monitor: The umbrella service for metrics, logs, and alerts across most Azure resources.
- Recovery Services vault vs. Azure Backup vault: Both store backup data, but they support different resource types; know which one applies to VMs versus newer workloads.
- Azure Bastion: Provides secure RDP/SSH access to VMs without exposing a public IP address.
- Network Watcher: Diagnoses and monitors network-level issues, including connection troubleshooting.
Free PDF Checklist & Printable Study Plan
To make this guide easier to use away from your screen, a companion resource pulls the study plan, the domain checklist, and this high-yield cheat sheet into one printable document. The checklist walks through every skill listed in the April 2026 outline so you can mark off each topic as you study and confirm nothing gets missed before exam day. It’s an original resource built specifically for this guide; not a copy of any official Microsoft material; designed to sit next to your Azure portal while you practice.
Also, we created three free companion resources:
- AZ-104 Practice Tests + Labs – Hands-on Practice 2026 (PDF)
- AZ-104 Labs Checklist & Study Path (PDF)
- PassITExams AZ-104 Study Guide – Free Checklist & Notes (PDF)
These printable checklists and practice companions map directly to the 2026 skills outline so you can track progress domain by domain.
Practice Strategy
Practice questions are most useful once you’ve already studied every domain, using them too early just teaches you to recognize answer patterns instead of understanding the underlying service.
- Time yourself. Since the real exam gives you roughly 100 minutes for 40–60 questions, aim for under two minutes per question during practice.
- Read the full scenario before looking at answer choices. Many exam questions bury an important constraint (like “at the lowest cost” or “without downtime”) in the middle of the paragraph.
- Track your wrong answers by domain, not just your overall score. If most of your misses cluster in one domain, that’s where your remaining study time should go.
- Retake practice assessments after a review cycle, not immediately, spacing out attempts helps confirm you actually learned the material rather than just memorizing the last set of questions.
- Use official Microsoft Learn practice questions as your final check, since third-party question banks sometimes lag behind exam updates like the April 2026 refresh.
Once you begin serious practice, focus on realistic scenario-style questions. A strong set of AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam questions helps you identify weak domains early and refine your approach before exam day.
Exam-Day Tips
- Arrive (or log in, for online proctoring) at least 15–30 minutes early to handle identity verification and room scans without rushing.
- Flag uncertain questions and move on, don’t let one hard question eat into time you need for the rest of the exam.
- For case study sections, read all the provided context (requirements, existing environment, constraints) before answering, since you often can’t revisit those questions afterward.
- Watch for absolute words like “always” or “never” in answer choices, they’re often signals of an incorrect option in scenario-based questions.
- Bring a government-issued photo ID that matches the name on your exam registration exactly.
How Many Attempts Are Allowed for AZ-104?
If you don’t pass on your first attempt, you must wait 24 hours before retaking the exam. After a second failed attempt, Microsoft requires a 14-day waiting period between each subsequent attempt. You’re allowed a maximum of five attempts within a 12-month period, counted from your first attempt date. If you fail five times, you become eligible to retake the exam again 12 months after that first attempt. Each retake requires a new exam registration and payment, unless you purchased an Exam Replay offer in advance, which includes one free retake.
After you pass, the certification opens clear career paths. See the current AZ-104 jobs, salary ranges, and career opportunities so you understand the real-world value of the Azure Administrator Associate credential.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s
What is the best study guide for the AZ-104 exam?
The strongest approach combines the free Microsoft Learn AZ-104 learning path, hands-on labs in a real or free-tier Azure account, and practice questions taken only after you’ve studied every domain. No single resource covers everything on its own.
How difficult is the AZ-104 exam?
It’s considered moderately difficult. The content itself is approachable, but the scenario-based question style and case studies mean you need practical, hands-on familiarity with Azure services, not just definitions.
How do I prepare for the AZ-104 exam?
Start with the official skills-measured outline, work through Microsoft Learn modules for each domain, practice hands-on in a free Azure account after every module, and finish with practice assessments to confirm readiness and catch weak spots.
How many attempts are there for AZ-104?
You can attempt the exam up to five times within a 12-month period from your first attempt. There’s a 24-hour wait after your first failed attempt and a 14-day wait between each attempt after that.
Is the AZ-104 exam free?
No, the standard exam fee is $165 USD, though pricing varies by country. However, the study materials; including Microsoft Learn’s training paths and free practice assessment, cost nothing.
How long should I study for the AZ-104 exam?
Most candidates need 6 to 12 weeks, depending on prior Azure experience. Candidates with existing hands-on experience can sometimes prepare in 4 weeks using an intensive plan.
Is AZ-104 harder than AZ-900?
Yes. AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) tests broad conceptual knowledge with no hands-on requirement, while AZ-104 assumes practical experience configuring and managing real Azure resources.
What changed in the April 2026 AZ-104 update?
The April 17, 2026 update refined subtopics across storage, compute, networking, and monitoring domains, with continued emphasis on Bicep files, Azure Container Apps, and current Microsoft Entra ID terminology, while keeping the same five domains and similar weight ranges.
