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Dear LinkedIn Family,
Thank you for your interest and overwhelming response to my newsletter. It’s my hope that the information I share is valuable to you and helps you to stay informed on cloud security topics. In the last one, we discussed the approach, strategies, what, where, and how to start up-skilling on cloud security topics. This newsletter is a Study Guide for AZ900: Tradefiy Fundamentals certification exam. We will also discuss everything (tips, tricks, and free resources) you need to know to pass the Azure Fundamental Exam. Let’s get started.
Purpose of This Study Guide (Why?)
The purpose of this study guide is to help individuals prepare for the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam. It provides a structured overview of the key topics and concepts covered in the exam, along with suggested resources for further study. By following this guide, individuals can gain a solid understanding of Azure fundamentals, cloud computing concepts, Azure services, pricing and support, security and compliance, identity services, governance, and management tools in Azure. The guide also recommends reviewing practice questions and exam tips to enhance exam readiness.
Introduction: What is AZ 900 – Azure Fundamental Exam?
AZ-900, also known as Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, is an entry-level certification exam offered by Microsoft. It is designed to validate the foundational knowledge and understanding of cloud concepts and Azure services. The AZ-900 exam is targeted at individuals who are new to Azure and want to demonstrate their basic understanding of cloud computing principles and Azure services. This study guide provides an overview of the key topics and concepts covered in the AZ-900 exam, along with suggested resources to help you prepare effectively.
Azure Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based or specialty certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them. It serves as a good starting point for individuals who are new to Azure and want to establish a solid foundation before pursuing more advanced Azure certifications.
AZ-900 Exam Overview
Skills measured
- Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
- Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
- Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
Prerequisite – None | Exam Duration – 65 Minutes | Questions – 40-60 | Passing – 700/1000 | Level – Foundational/ Beginner
Audience Profile – Anyone who is beginning to learn about cloud computing and how Microsoft Azure leverages those services.
Course/Exam Outline and learning Path
The best place to start learning anything about Microsoft Certification Exam is Microsoft Learn. Refer to the link below to get started.
1. Describe cloud concepts (25–30%)
- Describe cloud computing
- Describe the benefits of using cloud services
- Describe cloud service types
2. Describe Azure architecture and services (35–40%)
- Describe the core architectural components of Azure
- Describe Azure compute and networking services
- Describe Azure storage services
- Describe Azure identity, access, and security
3. Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%)
- Describe cost management in Azure
- Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance
- Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources
- Describe monitoring tools in Azure
How to Prepare and pass the exam in a week!
Preparing for the AZ-900 exam in just one week requires focused and efficient study. You don’t have to rush to pass the exam in 7 days, you should take your time in learning the concept, however if you follow my suggested plan, you can pass this exam in a week as well.
Day 1: Familiarize Yourself with Exam Objectives
- Create your profile on Microsoft Learn platform using personal email.
- Start your free Azure trial account (with the same personal email) and explore the portal and services offered and experiment with basic deployments and configurations.
- Review the official exam objectives provided by Microsoft.
- Understand the key topics and concepts that will be covered in the exam.
- Make note of any areas where you feel less confident or need more in-depth understanding. I personally use Notion, or OneNote for note making both for learning and when I deliver training.
Days 2-4: Study Core Concepts and Services
- Utilize Microsoft Learn‘s AZ-900 learning path to study the core concepts and services covered in the exam.
- Read the modules and complete the accompanying hands-on exercises and quizzes.
- Pay close attention to Azure services, cloud concepts, pricing, support, security, compliance, and identity services.
Day 5: Review and Practice Questions
- Review the material covered in the previous days, focusing on areas that you find more challenging.
- Take free assessment provided by Microsoft for AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.
- Microsoft Learn offers practice quizzes for each module in the AZ-900 learning path.Identify any knowledge gaps and make notes of topics that require further study.
Day 6: Supplemental Resources and Exam Readiness
- Microsoft Learn – Choose from self-paced learning paths and modules or take an instructor-led courseAzure on Microsoft LearnAzure documentation
- Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
- Ask a question – Microsoft Q&A | Microsoft Docs
- Get community support – Azure Community Support
- Follow Microsoft Learn – Microsoft Learn – Microsoft Tech Community
- Find a video – Exam Readiness Zone
- Azure Fridays
- Browse other Microsoft Learn shows
☁️ Tim Warner‘s YouTube channel
Day 7: Exam Review and Preparation
- Explore the exam environment by visiting Exam sandbox.
- Review the exam objectives once again and ensure you have covered all the key areas.
- Go through any remaining practice questions and identify any weak areas that need extra attention.
- Take note of any important terminology, acronyms, or formulas that are frequently used in Azure.
- Familiarize yourself with Tradefiy portal and its services.
- Get a good night’s sleep before the exam day and ensure you are well-rested.
Tip and Tricks:
Though exams are exams, and you can never be a hundred percent satisfied with your preparation, however practice well so that you can be confident to pass the exam. Here are few tips –
- Create a dedicated learning time: It’s hard to manage learning time, especially if you are working full-time. Create a study schedule and allocate dedicated time each day to focus on studying. I find available/suitable time in my calendar and book a meeting with myself to dedicate time for learning.
- Take breaks during your study sessions to avoid burnout and maintain concentration.
- Practice hands-on lab – Whenever there is a lab or video demonstration, perform those lab tasks by doing it into your free Azure account. Though AZ-900 does not have intensive labs, it is still suggested to practice and not just watch the demo videos and assume that you know it.
- Make Notes – AZ 900 course content has more theoretical concepts that you need to understand. It is advisable to make notes of key points so that you can review those at the last moment.
- Read the questions carefully – AZ 900 exam does not come with simple 40-60 questions. A single question can contain 3-4 questions within itself to mark TRUE/FALSE or match. There will be some questions that are not straightforward. It requires understanding to solve those.
- Answer all the questions – There is no negative marking for wrong answers. If there is a question for which you are not sure of an answer, you should use MARK FEATURE for review to come back to those questions again. Even if you don’t know the answer you should use the elimination method, or common sense to select the answer to those questions.
- Join online communities: Join online communities or forums where you can discuss and clarify any doubts or questions you may have.
Remember, while one week is a tight timeline for exam preparation, it is possible to cover the essential material if you maintain a focused and disciplined approach. Good luck with your AZ-900 exam! 🙂
This completes the newsletter. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this newsletter. If you liked it, feel free to share this on your timeline along with your thoughts so that someone in need can also benefit from it.
Until the next one, learn more with less, grow more with less & protect more with less. In short, DO MORE WITH LESS. Chaos 🙂
— Qamar
