If you’ve heard of cloud computing, you’re probably familiar with Microsoft Azure. It’s a cloud provider with specialised computing, storage, security, and artificial intelligence services. Due to these services, it has become trendy among businesses. This wide range of services and their growing demand in the industry has created new roles specialising in working with Azure services.
These roles require Microsoft certification, which can be obtained by preparing an exam that certifies your excellence in using Azure-based services. One of many such certifications is the AZ 900, also known as the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam.
The AZ-900 is considered the starting point on the Azure certification journey; although it is an optional certification, it is highly recommended before taking other certifications.
What is Azure?
Have you ever failed to process large amounts of data? You couldn’t do it due to a lack of resources such as RAM, ROM, or CPU capabilities. Azure allows you to perform these tasks using resources and services such as cloud-based computing, storage, and even machine learning services that were once unavailable to you locally.
Given the diversity of services Azure provides, an equally diverse range of jobs specializing in its cloud services has been created, such as Azure Architect, Azure Administrator, and Microsoft Azure DevOps.
Many more Azure-based jobs allow you to build a career specialising in its services. A common factor in all these exciting job roles is their demand for certification, specialisation in a specific job, and the skill set required.
What are Azure certification exams?
Azure certifications are qualification exams divided into beginner, associate, expert, and specialist levels. You are preparing these specialised, role-based exams, which results in Microsoft validating your capabilities in a specific role and its services. This certification validates your skills and excellence, making it highly sought-after by companies using Azure cloud services.
However, Microsoft sets strict prerequisites for these exams, breaking them into tiers to create Azure certification pathways. These pathways denote the step-by-step process and the order in which a series of exams must be prepared to obtain the final certification that allows you to work as an Azure professional.
The AZ 900, or the Microsoft Azure Core exam, is among the most commonly prepared Microsoft certifications. It is considered the starting point for any Azure certification path, although it is optional to take the more complex.
What is the AZ-900 exam?
AZ 900 is the most basic, relevant, entry-level exam of all Microsoft certifications. Preparing for this exam is essential to understand the basics before moving on to more advanced exams. Microsoft Azure Fundamental is a relatively easy certification for candidates with a non-technical background, warming them up for the less forgiving Intermediate and Expert certifications.
Preparing for the AZ-900 exam
It is essential to understand the AZ-900 exam before you decide to take it. Here are some general guidelines for preparing for the Azure Fundamentals exam.
What are the prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites for an entry-level exam like the AZ-900, which makes it an excellent choice for beginners. However, it is highly recommended that you have some understanding of Azure services or any of the roles that work with these services. This experience can provide the knowledge base needed to prepare the exam.
Syllabus and relevance
The AZ-900 exam syllabus consists of the following topics:
1) Cloud concepts make up 15-20% of the syllabus. These include the distinction between services such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), as well as a general understanding of public, private, and hybrid cloud models.
2) The description of Azure core services makes up 30-35% of the curriculum. These include vital products, solutions, and architectural components. They also have questions on the use of management tools.
3) Privacy, security, compliance, and reliability issues comprise 25-30% of the curriculum. It includes knowledge of identity services, management methodologies, and network connectivity. They also include monitoring, reporting, and data protection.
4) Understanding Azure pricing and support accounts for 20-25% of the curriculum. These include understanding the lifecycle of its services, their subscription, and cost management.
AZ-900 scope and advantages
Preparing the AZ-900 helps you feel better for advanced certification exams and serves as preparation for your certification journey. Although AZ 900 is not a prerequisite for any other certification exam, it is an excellent introductory certification for non-technical candidates. It is also a great start for candidates who want to gain a general knowledge of Azure services, helping them make informed choices about their future roles and certifications. It makes preparing the AZ 900 an essential part of any Microsoft Azure certification journey.
Conclusions
The cloud is a growing technology, and Azure is currently the most dominant cloud service. It makes its certification highly desirable in enterprises, and AZ-900 is a great starting point for any certification path. Taking the exam for the first time can be daunting, but this blog will help you better prepare for the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam.
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