AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals: The Complete 2026 Study Guide (Pass in 2 Weeks)
If you want to start a career in cloud computing, Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is the best place to begin. It's beginner-friendly, requires no coding or prior IT experience, and it's the gateway to higher Azure certifications and cloud roles. This guide covers exactly what the exam is, what's on it, and a realistic two-week plan to pass on your first attempt.
What is the AZ-900 exam?
AZ-900 validates foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure services, pricing, and governance. It's designed for anyone — students, career switchers, sales and project professionals, and IT beginners — who wants to prove they understand how the cloud works. There are no prerequisites.
Exam details at a glance
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals |
| Exam code | AZ-900 |
| Level | Beginner (Fundamentals) |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Questions | ~40–60 (multiple choice, drag-and-drop, case-based) |
| Duration | ~45–60 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000 |
| Format | Online proctored or test centre |
What's on the exam (skills measured)
The AZ-900 exam is organised into three domains. Focus your study time by weight:
- Cloud concepts (25–30%) — IaaS, PaaS, SaaS; public, private and hybrid cloud; benefits like scalability, elasticity, high availability, and the shared responsibility model.
- Azure architecture and services (35–40%) — core resources (regions, availability zones, resource groups), compute (VMs, App Service, Functions, containers), networking (VNet, VPN), storage, and databases.
- Azure management and governance (30–35%) — cost management, SLAs and service lifecycle, Azure Policy, role-based access control (RBAC), locks, tags, and tools like the Azure portal, CLI, and Cloud Shell.
A realistic 2-week study plan
Week 1 — Learn the concepts
- Days 1–2: Cloud concepts — cloud models, service types, and the shared responsibility model.
- Days 3–4: Core Azure architecture — regions, availability zones, resource groups, and the Azure Resource Manager.
- Days 5–6: Core services — compute, networking, storage, and databases. Create a free Azure account and click through the portal.
- Day 7: Review + a short practice quiz to find weak spots.
Week 2 — Practice and govern
- Days 8–9: Management and governance — cost tools, Azure Policy, RBAC, tags, and locks.
- Days 10–11: SLAs, service lifecycle, and management tools (portal, CLI, Cloud Shell).
- Days 12–13: Full-length practice exams. Aim for 85%+ consistently before booking.
- Day 14: Light review of flagged topics, then sit the exam.
Top tips to pass on your first try
- Do hands-on labs. Reading isn't enough — creating a resource group and a VM makes concepts stick.
- Master the shared responsibility model and IaaS/PaaS/SaaS. These appear in many questions.
- Take timed mock exams. They train pacing and reveal weak areas fast.
- Don't overstudy pricing details. Understand how cost management works conceptually, not exact numbers.
- Read each question fully — watch for "NOT" and "BEST" wording.
Want to pass AZ-900 faster — with a certified instructor?
EduRyze runs live, instructor-led AZ-900 batches with hands-on labs, AI-powered practice exams, and exam-ready coaching. Beginner-friendly, fully guided.
Frequently asked questions
Is AZ-900 worth it?
Yes — it's the recognised entry point to Azure and a strong signal to employers that you understand cloud fundamentals. It also builds the base for associate certifications like AZ-104 (Administrator) and AI-102 (AI Engineer).
How long does it take to prepare?
Most beginners are ready in 2–3 weeks of focused study (about 1–2 hours a day), or faster with an instructor-led course and labs.
What comes after AZ-900?
Popular next steps are AZ-104 (Azure Administrator), AI-900/AI-102 (AI), DP-900 (Data), or SC-900 (Security) — depending on the career track you want. EduRyze offers guided paths for each.