Get Certified: Azure Fundamentals
In the last year and a half, I’ve been working with cloud technologies to store, transform and process data, and while on-the-job training is great, I wanted to explore additional avenues to learn about the concepts that I had not yet experienced at work. I figured that the best way to learn about things I hadn’t experienced or tools that I hadn’t used was to seek formal training, so I decided to pursue Microsoft Certifications. So far, I’ve only taken the Azure Fundamentals Exam (AZ 900) and since I passed on my first attempt, I wanted to share how I studied and what resources I used to prepare.
About The Exam
Cloud computing is simply the delivery of technology resources and services over the internet, and in many cases, this has made computing, storage and scaling more affordable and flexible for businesses. If you’re new to the cloud, taking this exam is a great way to gain foundational knowledge about general cloud services as well as the abundance of Microsoft’s cloud offerings. This certification provides an opportunity for you to learn about 3 core concepts over 6 different modules. After preparing for this exam, you should be able to:
Describe cloud concepts
Describe core Azure services
Describe core solutions and management tools
Describe general and network security
Describe identity, governance, privacy and compliance
Describe Azure cost management and Service Level Agreements
Microsoft provides many resources for exam takers to prepare, including 3 main learning paths which contain all the necessary information that will help you to cover the 6 objectives above:
Describe Cloud Concepts
Describe Azure Architecture and Services
Describe Azure Management and Governance
The content from the learning paths can be found on Microsoft’s learning platform. At the time of taking the AZ 900 Exam (November 2022), it was approximately an hour long and entirely multiple choice. The number of questions differ, and there won’t be an equal number of questions from each module/objective. Here is a video that explains what to expect on this exam as you prepare: Exam Tour
Tip #1: Plan and Create a Study Schedule
Because I was already familiar with Azure, I didn’t necessarily need a lot of time to study, so I took approximately 2 weeks to prepare. I printed a two-week calendar and set up a study schedule to indicate which modules I wanted to study on which days. It’s important to consider your typical schedule, especially if you work full-time, participate in community groups/activities and have other engagements. The best tip I can give is to be realistic with your planning. You may only need 1 week or you may need a month or more. It depends on your existing knowledge and how quickly you learn. I preferred to learn primarily on my own time, so I didn’t choose the instructor-led training path. I simply used free online resources and the paid practice test to prepare.
Tip #2: Take the Practice Test
Try to test yourself (multiple times) before taking the exam. Official practice tests verified by Microsoft are very helpful because the questions are structured in the same way that the actual exam questions will be structured. Microsoft has a very limited number of sample questions and answers online, but when you register for the exam, you will have the option to purchase a practice test. I would highly recommend it. At this time, I am not aware of free practice tests that represent the exam accurately, but I can vouch for the practice test that can be bought when you register for the exam - it is very accurate. If you have taken the exam and you know of any reliable free resources, please comment! Do the practice test as often as you’d like, but try to purchase it closer to the time that you will be taking the test as it is only valid for 1 month.
Tip #3: Attend Virtual Training Days
The cost of the Azure Fundamentals Exam varies based on your location. If you’re concerned about costs, Microsoft offers an avenue to take the exam for free! Training days are two-day events that are hosted by Microsoft employees. These are live sessions where the presenters discuss the content in each of the modules. You can pick the days/times that are convenient for you, and as long as you attend both of the sessions and use the same email address that you’ll be using to register for the exam, you will automatically be eligible to take the exam for free, and you will receive the slides used during the presentations. I would recommend this to anyone who might be an auditory and/or visual learner because the instructors walk through the content verbally, but they also do live demos which is always a plus. The training days provide only surface-level knowledge, so it will not be enough to review the slides and take the exam. You will need to supplement this with more reading and other resources. Find out more information about training days here.
All Resources
Here is a complete list of all the resources that helped me to prepare and get certified for Azure Fundamentals on my first attempt:
Slides from Microsoft Virtual Training Days (unfortunately you must attend to gain access to the slides, so I can’t share them, but I used them to study)
If you are considering a career in data engineering, data science or data analytics, learning about the cloud is a great way to start. Microsoft Azure provides many services for data professionals (and others) to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. Happy studying and best wishes!
