Exam AZ-900 earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification. Microsoft updated the skills measured on July 20, 2026. Here is who the exam is for, how it works, what the three skill areas cover, what the update changed, and a study plan.
Who it is for
Microsoft describes the candidate as a technology professional who wants to show foundational knowledge of cloud concepts in general and Microsoft Azure in particular. It calls AZ-900 a common starting point in a journey towards a career in Azure. Microsoft lists the level as Beginner.
You should be able to:
- describe Azure architectural components and services, such as compute, networking and storage
- describe features and tools to secure, govern and administer Azure
Microsoft also says you should have skills and experience in an area of IT, such as infrastructure management, database management or software development. You do not need to be an Azure engineer, but some general IT background helps.
The format
| Detail | AZ-900 |
|---|---|
| Exam time | 45 minutes |
| Seat time | 65 minutes, which covers the instructions, the candidate agreement, the questions and any comments |
| Passing score | 700 or more, on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE, or through Certiport for students and educators |
| Price | Set by the country or region where the exam is proctored |
| Languages | 13, including English, Japanese, Spanish, German and French |
A few rules are worth knowing before exam day:
- Scaled score: 700 is a scaled score, so Microsoft says it may not equal 70% of the points.
- No penalty for guessing: a wrong answer simply earns no points, so answer every question.
- Unscored questions: some questions may not count, and you will not know which ones.
- Question count: Microsoft does not list one for AZ-900. It says most of its certification exams have between 40 and 60 questions, and the number can vary.
- No Microsoft Learn in the exam: access to Microsoft Learn during the exam is only offered on role-based exams, not Fundamentals exams.
- Breaks: five minutes are built into the exam time for breaks. The clock keeps running, and you cannot go back to questions you saw before the break.
- Language: if the exam is not available in your preferred language, you can request an extra 30 minutes.
- Retakes: after a first failed attempt you wait 24 hours. After that there is a 14-day wait between attempts, with no more than five attempts in 12 months from your first.
The three skill areas
The AZ-900 study guide on Microsoft Learn splits the exam into three skill areas, each with a weight range:
| Skill area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Describe cloud concepts | 25–30% |
| Describe Azure architecture and services | 35–40% |
| Describe Azure management and governance | 30–35% |
In brief, this is what each area covers:
- Cloud concepts: what cloud computing is, the shared responsibility model, public, private and hybrid cloud, the consumption-based model, pricing models and serverless. Also the benefits of the cloud, and the service types IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, with use cases for each.
- Azure architecture and services: regions, region pairs, sovereign regions, availability zones, resource groups, subscriptions and management groups. Then compute (containers, virtual machines, functions, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Azure Virtual Desktop), networking (virtual networks, peering, Azure DNS, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, public and private endpoints), storage (tiers, redundancy, AzCopy, Azure Migrate, Azure Data Box), and identity and security (Microsoft Entra ID, SSO, MFA, Conditional Access, RBAC, Zero Trust, Microsoft Defender for Cloud).
- Management and governance: cost factors, the pricing calculator, cost management and tags. Microsoft Purview, Azure Policy and resource locks. The Azure portal, Cloud Shell, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure Arc, infrastructure as code and ARM templates. Monitoring with Azure Advisor, Azure Service Health and Azure Monitor.
Azure architecture and services is the largest area. The two Azure-specific areas together make up most of the exam, so general cloud knowledge alone is not enough.
The July 2026 skills update
The study guide now lists the skills measured as of July 20, 2026. Its change log compares the previous and current versions:
| Part of the skills measured | Change |
|---|---|
| Audience profile | No change |
| Describe Azure compute and networking services | Minor |
| Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources | Minor |
| Describe monitoring tools in Azure | Minor |
The skill area names are the same as before. The change log does not say which individual topics were added or removed, so compare your study material against the current skills list in the study guide rather than relying on an older outline.
Microsoft also notes that it updates the English exam first. Other language versions are updated about eight weeks later, though it says this may not always happen on schedule.
It does not expire
Microsoft says Fundamentals certifications do not expire. Unlike associate, expert and specialty certifications, Azure Fundamentals needs no yearly renewal assessment.
Free Microsoft Learn resources
Microsoft links these from the certification page and the study guide:
- The AZ-900 study guide: the full list of skills measured and the change log
- Self-paced learning paths and modules on Microsoft Learn, or an instructor-led course if you prefer a classroom
- The free Practice Assessment: Microsoft says it gives an overview of the style, wording and difficulty of the questions
- The exam sandbox: try the exam interface and different question types before you book
- Azure documentation and the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
- Videos, including Exam Readiness Zone
The study guide also recommends getting hands-on experience before the exam.
Our suggested study plan
This is our suggested three-week plan, not Microsoft’s. It follows the three skill areas and gives the most time to the heaviest one. Stretch it if you are new to IT.
- Week 1: Cloud concepts. Work through cloud models, the shared responsibility model, pricing models, serverless and the benefits of the cloud. Make sure you can tell IaaS, PaaS and SaaS apart and pick the right one for a scenario.
- Week 2: Azure architecture and services. Cover regions and availability zones, the resource hierarchy, compute, networking, storage, and identity and security. Give compute and networking extra attention, as the change log marks them as updated.
- Week 3: Management, governance and practice. Study cost management, Azure Policy, resource locks, the management tools and monitoring. The last two were also updated in July. Then take the free Practice Assessment and timed practice exams, read every explanation, and go back to your weakest area.
Before you book, try the exam sandbox so the interface holds no surprises on the day.
Confirm the latest details on Microsoft’s AZ-900 study guide before you book.
I run ExamCrest, where this post first appeared. Try free AZ-900 practice questions: https://examcrest.com/exam/ms-az-900/free-questions?utm_source=devto&utm_campaign=az-900-blog-copy
