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Azure Administrator (AZ-104)

Microsoft

Complete guide to passing the Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam on your first attempt.

MediumHigh Search Volume
Key Information at a Glance
Cost

$165

Pass Rate

~70%

Validity

1 year (renewal required)

Region

Global

Provider

Microsoft

Salary Impact

$85k-$125k

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Complete Overview

Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator is the single exam that earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate credential, and Microsoft lists it at 165 USD in the United States, with the actual price set by the country or region in which the exam is proctored. Microsoft writes it for candidates who already implement, manage, and monitor an organisation's Azure environment across virtual networks, storage, compute, identity, security, and governance, and who are comfortable with PowerShell, the Azure CLI, the Azure portal, Azure Resource Manager templates or Bicep files, and Microsoft Entra ID.

The exam runs for 100 minutes of working time. Microsoft publishes a seat duration of 120 minutes for associate role-based exams without labs, which includes reading instructions, accepting the Microsoft Certification Exam Candidate Agreement, and leaving comments afterwards. Microsoft deliberately does not publish a question count for individual exams, stating only that most Microsoft certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions and that the number varies.

Scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 1,000 and 700 is required to pass. Microsoft states explicitly that this is a scaled score and may not equal 70 percent of the available points. There is no penalty for guessing. Multi-part questions award one point per correctly answered component, so partial credit is real, and some questions on any given form are unscored data-gathering items that are not identified.

The skills measured were last updated on 17 April 2026. Microsoft publishes weights as ranges rather than fixed percentages: Manage Azure identities and governance at 20 to 25 percent, Implement and manage storage at 15 to 20 percent, Deploy and manage Azure compute resources at 20 to 25 percent, Implement and manage virtual networking at 15 to 20 percent, and Monitor and maintain Azure resources at 10 to 15 percent. Because these are ranges, they do not sum to a single figure, and the exact mix varies between forms.

One feature separates AZ-104 from every AWS exam: you can open Microsoft Learn during the exam. Microsoft provides split-screen access to everything on the learn.microsoft.com domain except Q&A, practice assessments, and your own profile. No extra time is granted, the clock keeps running, and Microsoft states the resource is designed for occasional lookups rather than for answering every question.

The exam includes interactive components: active screen tasks, drag and drop, hot area, build list, and case studies. Microsoft does not identify which exams contain labs, but the 100 minutes AZ-104 publishes is the exam time Microsoft lists for associate role-based exams without labs, not the 120 minutes it lists for exams that may contain them. It is offered in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese for Brazil, and Italian.

The credential expires annually. Renewal is free, unproctored, open book, taken online through Microsoft Learn, and available during a six-month window before expiry. Passing extends the certification one year from the existing expiry date. Microsoft does not publish a pass rate for AZ-104 or for any other certification exam.

Why Get Azure Administrator (AZ-104) Certified?

The exam costs 165 USD in the United States, and renewal after that is free every year through an unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn.

Passing score is 700 on a 1 to 1,000 scale, and Microsoft states clearly that this is a scaled score which may not equal 70 percent of available points.

You can consult Microsoft Learn during the exam in a split-screen window, a concession Microsoft grants on role-based exams but not on fundamentals or Microsoft Office Specialist exams.

The blueprint carries five skill areas, the largest two at 20 to 25 percent each, so no single topic can decide the result.

The retake ladder is unusually forgiving at the start: 24 hours after a first failure, then 14 days between subsequent attempts, up to five attempts in a 12-month window.

Five minutes of break time are built into the 100 minutes, and Microsoft states it removed questions from the exam to accommodate that.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data for May 2024 puts the median wage for network and computer systems administrators at 96,800 USD, and for information security analysts at 124,910 USD with 29 percent projected growth to 2034.

Exam Format & Structure

Duration

100 minutes of exam time, with a published seat duration of 120 minutes. Five minutes of break time are built into the exam time. Candidates taking the exam in a language other than their first, where their preferred language is unavailable, may request an additional 30 minutes.

Questions

Microsoft does not publish a question count for AZ-104. Microsoft states that most Microsoft certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions and that the number varies by exam and changes as the exam is updated.

Passing Score

700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000. Microsoft states this is a scaled score and may not equal 70 percent of the points available.

Question Types

  • Multiple choice
  • Multiple response
  • Drag and drop
  • Hot area
  • Active screen
  • Build list
  • Case studies
  • Problem and solution sets, where a solution is proposed and you judge whether it meets the goal
  • Labs: Microsoft publishes no list of exams containing labs, but AZ-104 publishes 100 minutes of exam time, which is the figure Microsoft gives for associate role-based exams without labs rather than the 120 minutes it gives for exams that may contain labs

Delivery Method

Proctored, through Pearson VUE, either at a test center or online. Microsoft provides split-screen access to learn.microsoft.com during the exam, excluding Q&A, practice assessments, and your profile, with no additional time. An exam sandbox lets you rehearse the interface beforehand.

How scoring works

Score scale

1 to 1,000 scaled score

Score needed to pass

700 or greater, the passing standard Microsoft applies to all technical certification exams

When results arrive

Results appear within minutes of finishing for most exams, with a score report and a skill-area bar chart. Exams containing labs take about 30 minutes to score. The result is in your Microsoft Learn profile within 24 hours either way.

How the scale is built

Microsoft reports scaled rather than raw scores so that candidates can compare attempts across different question sets. The passing score reflects subject matter experts' judgement of question difficulty relative to an expected skill level, so easier sets require more points and harder sets require fewer. Scoring is compensatory across skill areas. There is no penalty for guessing, multi-part questions award one point per correct component, and some unidentified questions are unscored.

Pacing and time budget

Not published. Microsoft states most Microsoft certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions and does not disclose the count for AZ-104. questions in 100 minutes gives you Between 1 minute 40 seconds and 2 minutes 30 seconds, depending on where your form falls in the 40 to 60 question band Microsoft publishes. Check the question count shown in the exam header in your first minute and divide 95 minutes by it, holding five minutes back for the built-in break allowance. per question.

25 minutes elapsed

one quarter of the question count shown in the exam header

50 minutes elapsed

half the question count, and any case study should be finished or deliberately deferred

75 minutes elapsed

three quarters of the question count

90 minutes elapsed

every question, leaving 10 minutes for marked-for-review items

  • The exam header shows the time remaining and the question count. Read it in your first minute, because Microsoft does not tell you the count in advance and your whole pacing plan depends on it.
  • Problem-and-solution sets are the one place you cannot start a break. Each presents a goal with a proposed solution and asks whether it meets the goal, then repeats the same goal with a different solution, and you cannot go back once you move on. Decide each on its own merits and commit.
  • Case studies carry several questions against one long scenario. Read the scenario once carefully, then answer all its questions before moving on, because after a break you cannot come back to any of them.
  • Every Microsoft Learn lookup costs live exam time. Decide in advance the two or three topics you would look up, such as a specific storage redundancy behaviour or a Kusto operator, and refuse to browse for anything else.
  • Answer every question even when unsure. There is no guessing penalty, multi-part questions give partial credit, and the review screen at the end shows what you left unanswered.

Where the marks are

Role-based access control and effective permissions

20-25% (Manage Azure identities and governance)

The study guide asks you to interpret access assignments, not just create them. Questions give overlapping assignments at different scopes and ask what a user can actually do.

ARM templates and Bicep files

20-25% (Deploy and manage Azure compute resources)

You must interpret an existing template, modify it, deploy from it, export a deployment, and convert between ARM and Bicep. Reading a template under time pressure is the skill being tested.

Virtual machine availability, sizing, and disks

20-25% (Deploy and manage Azure compute resources)

Availability sets against availability zones, scale sets, encryption at host, disk types, and moving a VM between resource groups, subscriptions, or regions. Failure-scenario framing is common.

Storage account access control and redundancy

15-20% (Implement and manage storage)

Shared access signatures, stored access policies, access keys, storage firewalls, identity-based access for Azure Files, and the LRS, ZRS, GRS, and RA-GRS redundancy ladder.

Network security groups and private connectivity

15-20% (Implement and manage virtual networking)

Evaluating effective security rules is called out explicitly in the study guide, alongside application security groups, Azure Bastion, service endpoints, and private endpoints.

Azure Monitor logs, alerts, and Insights

10-15% (Monitor and maintain Azure resources)

Interpreting metrics, configuring log settings, writing Kusto queries, and building alert rules with action groups and alert processing rules. The querying requirement is stated as a skill, not a concept.

Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery

10-15% (Monitor and maintain Azure resources)

Recovery Services vaults, Azure Backup vaults, backup policies, restore operations, configuring Site Recovery, and performing a failover to a secondary region.

The numbers

165 USD, with the price set by the country or region in which the exam is proctored

Exam fee

Source: Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification page

100 minutes of exam time; 120 minutes of seat duration for associate role-based exams without labs

Exam duration and seat duration

Source: Microsoft Learn, Exam duration and exam experience

700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000, which Microsoft notes may not equal 70 percent of the points

Passing score

Source: Microsoft Learn, Exam scoring and score reports

Not published for AZ-104. Microsoft states most certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions.

Question count

Source: Microsoft Learn, Exam duration and exam experience

24 hours after the first failure, then 14 days between subsequent attempts, with a maximum of five attempts in 12 months from the first

Retake ladder

Source: Microsoft Learn, Exam and Applied Skills assessment lab retake policies

Free, annually, through an unproctored open-book online assessment with a six-month eligibility window

Renewal cost and cadence

Source: Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Certification Renewal

If you fail

Wait before retaking

24 hours after a first failure. A 14-day waiting period applies between all subsequent attempts.

Attempt limit

Five attempts within a 12-month period measured from your first attempt. If you fail five times, you become eligible again 12 months from the date of that first attempt. You cannot retake an exam you have passed unless the certification has expired.

Retake fee

You pay the exam fee for each attempt. Microsoft does not offer a discounted retake as standard, though Microsoft periodically runs exam offers that bundle a retake, and employers with Microsoft agreements may hold vouchers.

The waiting period can be waived only if you had internet connectivity issues or equipment failure during the exam and a Pearson VUE case number was created; Microsoft states waivers are granted for no other reason. The renewal assessment follows a different and far looser policy: unlimited retakes, immediately after a first failure, then a 24-hour gap after the second attempt, with the only real deadline being your certification expiry date.

Exam Domains & Topics

Manage Azure identities and governance
20-25%

Microsoft Entra ID users and groups, role-based access control, and subscription governance. Tied for the largest skill area alongside compute.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Create users and groups, manage user and group properties, and manage licenses in Microsoft Entra ID
  • Manage external users and configure self-service password reset
  • Manage built-in Azure roles and assign roles at different scopes
  • Interpret access assignments when multiple role assignments overlap
  • Implement and manage Azure Policy, including initiative definitions and compliance state
  • Configure resource locks and apply and manage tags on resources
  • Manage resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups
  • Manage costs using alerts, budgets, and Azure Advisor recommendations
Implement and manage storage
15-20%

Storage accounts, access control, and the Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage feature sets.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Configure Azure Storage firewalls and virtual networks
  • Create and use shared access signature tokens and configure stored access policies
  • Manage access keys and configure identity-based access for Azure Files
  • Create and configure storage accounts, configure redundancy options, and configure object replication
  • Configure storage account encryption
  • Manage data using Azure Storage Explorer and AzCopy
  • Create and configure file shares in Azure Files and containers in Azure Blob Storage
  • Configure storage tiers, blob lifecycle management, blob versioning, and soft delete for blobs, containers, and file shares
Deploy and manage Azure compute resources
20-25%

Virtual machines, containers, App Service, and infrastructure as code. Tied for the largest skill area and the one most likely to contain interactive tasks.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Interpret and modify an Azure Resource Manager template or a Bicep file, and deploy resources from either
  • Export a deployment as an ARM template or convert an ARM template to a Bicep file
  • Create virtual machines, configure encryption at host, and manage VM sizes and disks
  • Move a virtual machine to another resource group, subscription, or region
  • Deploy virtual machines to availability zones and availability sets, and configure Virtual Machine Scale Sets
  • Create and manage an Azure Container Registry, and provision containers with Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Apps
  • Provision an App Service plan, configure scaling, certificates and TLS, custom DNS names, backup, networking, and deployment slots
Implement and manage virtual networking
15-20%

Virtual networks, network security, name resolution, and load balancing. The area where lab-style tasks most often appear.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Create and configure virtual networks and subnets, and configure virtual network peering
  • Configure public IP addresses and user-defined routes
  • Troubleshoot network connectivity
  • Create and configure network security groups and application security groups
  • Evaluate effective security rules in network security groups
  • Implement Azure Bastion
  • Configure service endpoints and private endpoints for Azure platform as a service
  • Configure Azure DNS, configure an internal or public load balancer, and troubleshoot load balancing
Monitor and maintain Azure resources
10-15%

Azure Monitor and the backup and recovery stack. The smallest skill area, and the one candidates most often leave until the last week.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Interpret metrics in Azure Monitor and configure log settings
  • Query and analyse logs in Azure Monitor using Kusto Query Language
  • Set up alert rules, action groups, and alert processing rules
  • Configure and interpret monitoring of virtual machines, storage accounts, and networks using Azure Monitor Insights
  • Use Azure Network Watcher and Connection Monitor
  • Create a Recovery Services vault and an Azure Backup vault
  • Create and configure a backup policy, and perform backup and restore operations with Azure Backup
  • Configure Azure Site Recovery for Azure resources and perform a failover to a secondary region

Recommended Study Plan

Week 1: Blueprint, environment, and Microsoft Entra ID
8-10 hours
  • 1Read the AZ-104 study guide on Microsoft Learn in full, including the change log showing what moved on 17 April 2026.
  • 2Take the free AZ-104 Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn cold, to get a baseline before studying.
  • 3Set up an Azure free account or a pay-as-you-go subscription and add a cost budget alert immediately.
  • 4Create users, groups, and dynamic group rules in Microsoft Entra ID, and assign licenses.
  • 5Configure self-service password reset and add an external guest user, then observe what the guest can and cannot see.
Week 2: Role-based access control and governance
8-10 hours
  • 1Assign built-in roles at management group, subscription, resource group, and resource scope and watch inheritance behave.
  • 2Practise interpreting overlapping assignments where a deny assignment or a narrower scope changes the effective permission.
  • 3Create an Azure Policy definition and an initiative, assign it, and read the compliance report.
  • 4Apply a CanNotDelete lock and a ReadOnly lock and test what each actually blocks.
  • 5Build a tagging scheme and use Azure Advisor cost recommendations on your own subscription.
Week 3: Storage accounts and access control
8-10 hours
  • 1Create storage accounts with different redundancy options and compare LRS, ZRS, GRS, and RA-GRS on failure scope.
  • 2Generate a service SAS and an account SAS, then constrain one with a stored access policy and revoke it.
  • 3Configure a storage account firewall and add a virtual network rule, then test access from inside and outside.
  • 4Enable identity-based access for Azure Files and join the storage account to a domain service.
  • 5Move a large folder into Blob Storage with AzCopy and then inspect it with Azure Storage Explorer.
Week 4: Blob and file data management
8-10 hours
  • 1Configure hot, cool, cold, and archive tiers and note the rehydration behaviour of archive.
  • 2Write a blob lifecycle management rule that moves blobs between tiers and then deletes them.
  • 3Enable blob versioning and soft delete for blobs and containers, then delete something and recover it.
  • 4Configure snapshots and soft delete for an Azure Files share and restore a file.
  • 5Set up object replication between two storage accounts in different regions.
Week 5: Virtual machines and availability
8-10 hours
  • 1Deploy virtual machines into availability sets and into availability zones and articulate the difference in failure domain.
  • 2Resize a running VM, attach and expand a managed disk, and enable encryption at host.
  • 3Move a VM between resource groups, then between subscriptions, and note which operation needs Azure Resource Mover.
  • 4Deploy a Virtual Machine Scale Set with autoscale rules based on CPU metrics.
  • 5Practise VM extension deployment and the Run Command feature for post-deployment configuration.
Week 6: ARM templates, Bicep, and automation
8-10 hours
  • 1Read an existing ARM template and identify parameters, variables, resources, and outputs without help.
  • 2Export a deployed resource group as an ARM template and study what the export gets wrong.
  • 3Convert that ARM template to Bicep using the Bicep CLI decompile command and compare readability.
  • 4Modify a Bicep file to add a parameter and redeploy it in incremental mode, then in complete mode.
  • 5Run the equivalent deployment through both Azure PowerShell and the Azure CLI so both syntaxes are familiar.
Week 7: Containers and App Service
8-10 hours
  • 1Create an Azure Container Registry, push an image, and run it in Azure Container Instances.
  • 2Deploy the same image to Azure Container Apps and configure scaling rules.
  • 3Provision an App Service plan, scale it up and out, and note which operation changes cost and which changes capacity.
  • 4Add a custom domain and a TLS certificate to an App Service, then configure deployment slots and swap them.
  • 5Configure App Service networking, including VNet integration and access restrictions.
Week 8: Virtual networking fundamentals
8-10 hours
  • 1Build two virtual networks with multiple subnets and configure peering, including gateway transit settings.
  • 2Create network security groups and application security groups, then use the effective security rules view to debug a blocked flow.
  • 3Configure a user-defined route to force traffic through a network virtual appliance.
  • 4Deploy Azure Bastion and connect to a VM with no public IP address.
  • 5Compare service endpoints against private endpoints for an Azure Storage account and explain the DNS difference.
Week 9: Load balancing and name resolution
8-10 hours
  • 1Configure an Azure Load Balancer with a backend pool, health probe, and load balancing rule, then break the probe deliberately and observe the result.
  • 2Compare internal and public load balancer behaviour and the Basic and Standard SKU differences.
  • 3Configure Azure DNS with a public zone and a private zone, and link the private zone to a virtual network.
  • 4Troubleshoot a broken load balancing configuration using Network Watcher.
  • 5Study where Application Gateway and Azure Front Door sit relative to Load Balancer, since the study guide lists Application Gateway under study resources.
Week 10: Monitoring, backup, and site recovery
8-10 hours
  • 1Configure diagnostic settings to send platform logs to a Log Analytics workspace.
  • 2Write three Kusto queries against those logs, since the study guide requires querying and analysing logs.
  • 3Create alert rules with action groups and an alert processing rule, and trigger one deliberately.
  • 4Create a Recovery Services vault, back up a VM, and perform a file-level restore and a full VM restore.
  • 5Enable Azure Site Recovery for a VM and run a test failover to a secondary region.
Week 11: Timed practice and gap repair
8-10 hours
  • 1Retake the Microsoft Learn Practice Assessment and compare each skill area against your week 1 baseline.
  • 2Work through the Microsoft exam sandbox so drag and drop, hot area, build list, and case study interfaces are familiar.
  • 3Rehearse using the in-exam Microsoft Learn window: pick five topics and time how long a lookup actually takes.
  • 4Rebuild any lab that you could not complete without documentation, then do it again from memory.
  • 5Rank your weak skill areas by published weight range and spend the remaining time in that order.
Week 12: Final review and booking logistics
6-8 hours
  • 1Book the exam through Pearson VUE from your Microsoft Learn certification profile and confirm the price for your region.
  • 2Decide between a test center and online proctoring, and if online, run the OnVUE system check on the exact machine you will use.
  • 3Do a final pass on PowerShell and Azure CLI command patterns for the highest-frequency tasks.
  • 4Re-read the study guide bullet list one final time and mark any bullet you cannot demonstrate in the portal.
  • 5Plan your break strategy: five minutes are built into the 100 minutes, and you cannot return to any question you saw before the break.

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Best Study Resources

Study guide for Exam AZ-104 on Microsoft Learn

Official blueprint

The authoritative skills-measured list with weight ranges for each of the five skill areas, plus a change log comparing the current version with the one before 17 April 2026. Every bullet in it is a task you should be able to perform in the portal.

Free

Microsoft Learn AZ-104 learning paths and modules

Official self-paced training

The self-paced modules that map directly to the skills measured. They are also the material you will be searching if you use the in-exam Microsoft Learn window, so rehearsing navigation here has direct exam value.

Free

AZ-104 Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn

Official practice questions

Microsoft-authored questions in the style, wording, and difficulty of the exam. Microsoft cautions that it does not reflect exam length or full complexity, and that you may see additional question types, case studies, and possibly labs on the real exam.

Free

Microsoft exam sandbox

Official interface demo

A rehearsal of the actual exam interface including the introductory screens, the candidate agreement, question navigation, the timer, marking for review, and every interactive question type. Using it removes an entire category of exam-day surprise.

Free

Azure free account and Azure sandbox environments

Hands-on practice

AZ-104 is an operations exam, and portal muscle memory is the difference between recognising a screen and completing a task. Microsoft Learn modules also embed free sandbox environments that require no subscription of your own.

Free tier, then pay-as-you-go

Course AZ-104T00-A: Microsoft Azure Administrator

Official instructor-led course

The official four-day instructor-led course covering subscriptions, identity, infrastructure administration, virtual networking, and monitoring. Delivered through Microsoft Learning Partners.

Paid, priced by training partner

Azure documentation for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Policy, Azure Storage, ARM templates, and Azure Monitor

Official product documentation

The AZ-104 study guide links these specific documentation sets under study resources. Since the exam permits Microsoft Learn access, familiarity with how these docs are organised converts directly into exam-day speed.

Free

Exam Readiness Zone videos for AZ-104

Official video series

Microsoft experts walk through each skill area with exam-taking strategy. Linked from the AZ-104 study guide and the certification page.

Free

John Savill's AZ-104 study cram on YouTube

Third-party video

A widely used single-session review that covers the blueprint end to end. Best used late in preparation as a consolidation pass rather than as a first exposure.

Free

Microsoft Credentials support pages: retake policy, scoring, renewal, and exam duration

Official policy reference

These four pages carry the 24-hour and 14-day retake ladder, the 700 cut score on a 1 to 1,000 scale, the free annual renewal process, and the 100-minute exam duration against 120-minute seat duration. Read them before booking.

Free

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Planning to look everything up on Microsoft Learn during the exam.

Microsoft states plainly that no extra time is added, the clock keeps running, and if you use Learn on every question you will not finish, and that this is by design. Budget Learn for three or four genuine lookups across 100 minutes, not as a substitute for knowing the material.

Taking a break without finishing the questions already on screen.

Once a break is launched you cannot return to any question you have already seen, even if it is unanswered or marked for review. Microsoft shows you the count of seen, unanswered, and marked questions before the break starts. Clear them first.

Treating 700 as 70 percent correct.

Microsoft states that 700 is a scaled score and may not equal 70 percent of the points, because the required points vary with question difficulty. Microsoft also warns that the section bar chart on the score report cannot be combined across sections to reconstruct your overall result.

Studying only the portal and skipping PowerShell, the Azure CLI, and Bicep.

The audience profile requires experience with PowerShell, the Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep files, and Microsoft Entra ID. The compute skill area explicitly asks you to interpret and modify both an ARM template and a Bicep file, and to convert between them.

Confusing availability sets with availability zones.

Availability sets distribute VMs across fault and update domains within one datacentre. Availability zones distribute them across physically separate datacentres within a region. The study guide lists both in the same bullet, and questions typically state a failure scenario and ask which construct survives it.

Confusing service endpoints with private endpoints.

A service endpoint extends your virtual network identity to the Azure service over the Microsoft backbone while the service keeps its public IP. A private endpoint gives the service a private IP inside your subnet and changes DNS resolution. Both appear under secure access to virtual networks.

Skipping Monitor and maintain because it is the smallest skill area.

At 10 to 15 percent it still outweighs any single sub-topic elsewhere, and it contains two distinct product stacks: Azure Monitor with Kusto queries, alert rules, action groups, and Insights; plus Azure Backup, Recovery Services vaults, and Azure Site Recovery failover.

Practising Kusto Query Language by reading rather than writing.

The study guide requires you to query and analyse logs in Azure Monitor. Reading a KQL query and writing one under time pressure are different skills. Send diagnostic logs to a Log Analytics workspace in your own subscription and write queries against real data.

Booking the retake immediately after a second failure.

The first retake is available 24 hours later, but every subsequent attempt carries a 14-day wait, and you may not take the exam more than five times in 12 months from your first attempt. If you fail five times, you wait 12 months from the date of the first attempt. Plan attempts three onward carefully.

Assuming AZ-104 will contain a hands-on lab.

Microsoft publishes no list of exams containing labs, but it does publish the exam time: 100 minutes for associate role-based exams without labs against 120 minutes for those that may contain them. AZ-104 is listed at 100 minutes. Your exam time is confirmed at registration and the overview screens at launch tell you what is on your form, so check both rather than budgeting 20 minutes of your 100 for a lab that is not there.

Exam Day Tips

  • 1

    You will be told your exam time at registration, and the launch screens confirm whether labs are present. Read those overview pages rather than clicking past them, because they change how you should pace.

  • 2

    Five minutes of break time are built into the 100 minutes and Microsoft removed questions to accommodate that. You can take multiple breaks and take as long as you want, but the clock never stops.

  • 3

    Before starting a break, answer or clear every question you have already seen. After the break you cannot return to any of them.

  • 4

    You cannot start a break in the middle of a lab or inside a problem-and-solution question set. Take breaks before or after those blocks.

  • 5

    During a break you may leave the camera view, but you must initiate the break through the exam interface or your exam is revoked, and accessing any unauthorised material during the break also revokes it.

  • 6

    Open the Microsoft Learn button on the left navigation pane when you genuinely need it. Web browsing is restricted to the learn.microsoft.com domain, and any attempt to navigate elsewhere shows a blocked-site message.

  • 7

    Inside the Microsoft Learn window, Ctrl+F on Windows or Command+F on Mac finds text on the current page. That search works only inside the Learn window, not in the exam window itself.

  • 8

    If assistive devices are part of how you work, request an accommodation before registering. The secure browser blocks all third-party applications during the exam, including assistive software, unless approved in advance.

  • 9

    If the exam is not offered in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes. That request goes in before test day, not on it.

  • 10

    Expect delays of up to a minute between questions. Microsoft states the delivery software accommodates this and your answers are recorded and scored correctly, so do not re-click or panic.

Career Paths & Salary Ranges

Computer network support specialist

The most common entry point into Azure operations. The virtual networking skill area maps directly onto this work: network security groups, effective rules, DNS, and connectivity troubleshooting.

Median 73,340 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Network and computer systems administrator

The role AZ-104 is named for. BLS recorded 331,500 such jobs in 2024 and projects a 4 percent decline to 2034 alongside roughly 14,300 annual openings, which makes cloud administration skills the differentiator within a shrinking on-premises occupation.

Median 96,800 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Computer systems analyst

Analysts running migration and governance projects lean on the identity and governance skill area: Azure Policy, management groups, resource locks, tagging, and cost alerts.

Median 103,790 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Database administrator or architect

Administrators moving database estates into Azure use the storage, backup, and Site Recovery content directly, and often follow AZ-104 with a data platform certification.

Median 123,100 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Information security analyst

AZ-104 is a common precursor to the Azure security engineer path. BLS projects 29 percent growth from 2024 to 2034, the fastest growth of any occupation listed here, with about 16,000 openings a year.

Median 124,910 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Computer and information systems manager

Managers owning Azure spend use the cost management content in skill area one: budgets, cost alerts, Azure Advisor recommendations, and subscription and management group structure. BLS projects 15 percent growth to 2034.

Median 171,200 USD per year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024)

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • There are no formal prerequisites. Microsoft does not require any prior certification to sit AZ-104.
  • Microsoft's audience profile expects subject matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an Azure environment across virtual networks, storage, compute, identity, security, and governance.
  • You should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualisation.
  • Microsoft also expects experience with PowerShell, the Azure CLI, the Azure portal, Azure Resource Manager templates or Bicep files, and Microsoft Entra ID.
  • AZ-900, the Azure Fundamentals certification, is not required. It is a reasonable starting point for candidates with no Azure exposure, and unlike associate-level certifications it never expires.
  • You need a Microsoft Learn profile connected to your certification profile in order to schedule the exam and, later, to renew it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does AZ-104 cost?

Microsoft lists 165 USD, and states that the price is based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored, so the amount you pay varies by location and local taxes may apply. The exam is scheduled and paid for through Pearson VUE from your Microsoft Learn certification profile.

How long is the exam and how much time do I actually get?

Microsoft gives 100 minutes of exam time for associate role-based exams without labs, with a seat duration of 120 minutes. Seat duration includes reading instructions, accepting the Microsoft Certification Exam Candidate Agreement, answering the questions, and leaving optional comments. Exams that may contain labs carry 120 minutes of exam time and 140 minutes of seat duration, and Microsoft tells you your exam time when you register.

How many questions are on AZ-104?

Microsoft does not publish a question count for individual exams. The published statement is that most Microsoft certification exams contain between 40 and 60 questions, and that the number is subject to change as the exam is updated to reflect the role. Any specific number quoted elsewhere is not a Microsoft figure.

What score do I need to pass?

700 or greater on a scale of 1 to 1,000. Microsoft states explicitly that this is a scaled score and may not equal 70 percent of the points, because the number of points required depends on the difficulty of the questions on your form. Easier question sets require more points; harder sets require fewer.

What happens if I fail, and how long must I wait?

You can retake it 24 hours after your first attempt. A 14-day waiting period applies between all subsequent attempts, up to five attempts total. You may not take the exam more than five times within 12 months of your first attempt; if you fail five times, you become eligible again 12 months from the date of that first attempt. You pay the fee each time.

Can the waiting period ever be waived?

Only in narrow circumstances. Microsoft grants a waiver if you experienced internet connectivity issues or equipment failure during the exam and a Pearson VUE case was created. Your waiver request must include the Pearson VUE case number. Microsoft states that waivers will not be granted for any other reason.

When do I get my score?

For most exams you receive results within minutes of finishing, along with a report showing your score and a bar chart of performance by skill area. Exams containing labs take about 30 minutes to score. Your result appears in your Microsoft Learn profile within 24 hours in either case.

How long does the certification last and how do I renew it?

Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. Renewal is free, unproctored, open book, and taken online through Microsoft Learn. You have a six-month eligibility window before expiry, and passing extends the certification one year from the existing expiry date. Fundamentals certifications such as AZ-900 do not expire at all.

What if I fail the renewal assessment?

There is no limit on renewal assessment retakes. If you fail, you can try again immediately. After the second attempt you must wait at least 24 hours between further attempts. The only hard deadline is that you must pass before your certification expires; if it lapses, you must sit the full paid exam again.

Does Microsoft award continuing education credits?

Microsoft does not run a continuing education credit scheme for its certifications. The renewal model replaces credit accumulation entirely: pass a free annual online assessment focused on recent technology updates, and your certification extends by a year. Preparation modules for that assessment sit on your certification renewal page at no cost.

Can I really use Microsoft Learn during the exam?

Yes, on role-based exams including AZ-104, but not on fundamentals or GitHub exams. You get split-screen access to everything on learn.microsoft.com except Q&A, practice assessments, and your own profile, in the same languages the exam is offered in. No extra time is added, the clock continues while you read, and Microsoft says the resource is for questions where you need to look something up rather than for every question.

Are breaks allowed?

Yes, unscheduled breaks are permitted without requesting an accommodation. Five minutes of break time are built into the exam time, and Microsoft removed questions from the exam to make room. You may take multiple breaks and stay away as long as you want, but the exam clock keeps running and if it expires while you are away your exam is scored on what you completed.

What can I not do around a break?

You cannot return to any question you saw before the break, answered or not. You cannot start a break inside a lab or inside a problem-and-solution question set, though you can break before or after one. You may leave the camera view during a break, but you must initiate the break through the exam interface, and accessing unauthorised material during it revokes the exam.

What accommodations are available?

Microsoft offers a range of accommodations including extra time and modifications for assistive devices, requested through its accommodations process before you register. This matters practically: the secure browser launched during the exam blocks all third-party applications, including assistive software, unless it has been approved in advance. Separately, if the exam is unavailable in your preferred language you may request an additional 30 minutes.

Is there a penalty for guessing?

No. Microsoft states there is no penalty for guessing; an incorrect answer simply earns no point, and no points are deducted. Multi-part questions usually award one point per correctly answered component, so partial credit is available and a partial attempt beats a blank.

Can I find out which questions I got wrong?

No. Microsoft does not share which specific questions were answered incorrectly, on the grounds that doing so would compromise exam integrity and encourage narrow preparation. Your score report gives an overall numeric score, pass or fail status, and a bar chart of relative performance by skill area.

Why did my bar chart show above 70 percent on every section but I still failed?

Microsoft addresses this directly: each section contains a different number of questions, so results cannot be combined across sections to reproduce the overall result. There is no one-to-one relationship between bar length and pass or fail status. It is also possible to score zero in a small skill area simply because it contained very few questions.

Does Microsoft publish a pass rate for AZ-104?

No. Microsoft does not publish pass rates for AZ-104 or for any other certification exam. Figures circulating on training sites come from those providers' own candidate pools. The published difficulty signals are the 700 scaled cut score, the associate classification, and the audience profile that assumes existing Azure administration experience.

How does AZ-104 compare with AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate?

AZ-104 costs 165 USD in the United States, runs 100 minutes, expires annually, and renews free online. The AWS Associate exam costs 150 USD, runs 130 minutes with 65 questions, requires a 720 scaled score, and lasts three years. AZ-104 is an operations exam: configure, manage, monitor. The AWS exam is a design exam: choose the architecture that satisfies a stated constraint. AZ-104 also includes interactive question types such as drag and drop, hot area, and case studies, which the AWS exam does not.

How does AZ-104 compare with AZ-900 and AZ-305?

AZ-900, Azure Fundamentals, is a 45-minute foundational exam that never expires and assumes no hands-on experience. AZ-104 is the associate administrator exam covered here. AZ-305, Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, is the expert-level design exam that also uses a 700 passing score and leads to the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification, for which AZ-104 is the usual prerequisite path.

Success Stories

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“The key is hands-on practice. I spent hours in Azure free tier creating and breaking things. That practical experience made the exam questions feel like everyday work scenarios.”

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DevOps Engineer

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