Getting Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certified: tips and tricks

certificering

Eonics consultant and senior Java engineer Eugeny Burdo recently passed his Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) exam. We asked him a few questions about the process, so read on for some great tips to get started. There’s even a secret tip on how to obtain a free exam voucher at the end!

How does the Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification work?

You can find all necessary information on the official page. You have to take an exam, which  takes around 90 minutes and contains 40-60 questions, in my case there were 43. You need a pass score of 700 out of 1000. Once obtained the certification does not expire.

Is the exam difficult and how much time do I need to prepare?

The AZ-900 exam is pretty doable if you are an experienced full stack developer. I took around a month to prepare for it, where I reserved 2 or 3 hours every day for studying and exam preparation.

What are good resources for studying the material?

Microsoft provides an excellent free online course, which can be found on the same official page mentioned above. This is a “must have” for your preparation. Another resource that was very helpful is Andy Marczak’s extensive free course, including many excellent YouTube videos.

How should I prepare for the exam itself?

Some Googling will provide you with many exam dumps. Personally I would recommend this one. You can find many questions there but note that some answers that are provide might be wrong! However, the many helpful and insightful comments for each question you will certainly figure out the right answer in the end.

How can I register for the exam and how much does it cost?

On the official page you can use the “Pearson VUE” link to register. The exam costs €99,-  before taxes. But… there is a trick!

Microsoft provides free virtual training for Azure Fundamentals, I found a link on this Meetup for example, but I’m sure there are lots of other places. The training is free and includes two sessions over two days of 3 hours per session. And the kicker: if you attend both you are eligible for a free AZ-900 exam! Microsoft will provide you with a voucher which you can use to register for the exam.

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