🎯 Goal: Earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate badge 📅 Notes Version: 2026 📋 Based on: Official Microsoft AZ-104 Study Guide
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| 🏅 Certification | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate |
| 📝 Passing Score | 700 / 1000 |
| 💶 Exam Price | ~€126 EUR (varies by EU country & Pearson VUE location; VAT may apply) |
| ⏱️ Duration | ~120 minutes |
| ❓ Question Types | MCQ, multi-select, drag-and-drop, case studies |
| 🔁 Renewal | Annual via free online assessment on Microsoft Learn |
| 🛡️ Prerequisite | None (AZ-900 recommended but not required) |
⚠️ Official ranges from the Microsoft study guide (updated April 2025)
pie title Exam Domain Weights of the AZ-104 (official ranges)
"Manage Azure Identities & Governance (20–25%)" : 25
"Implement and Manage Storage (15–20%)" : 20
"Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (20–25%)" : 20
"Implement and Manage Virtual Networking (15–20%)" : 20
"Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (10–15%)" : 15
| # | Domain | Official Weight | Key Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manage Azure Identities & Governance | 20–25% | Entra ID, RBAC, Azure Policy, Subscriptions |
| 2 | Implement and Manage Storage | 15–20% | Storage Accounts, Blob, Azure Files, AzCopy |
| 3 | Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources | 20–25% | VMs, VMSS, App Service, Containers, ARM |
| 4 | Implement and Manage Virtual Networking | 15–20% | VNets, NSGs, Bastion, DNS, Load Balancer |
| 5 | Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources | 10–15% | Azure Monitor, Backup, Site Recovery |
flowchart LR
AZ900["☁️ AZ-900\nAzure Fundamentals\n(Recommended)"]
AZ104["🔧 AZ-104\nAzure Administrator\nAssociate\n(This Exam)"]
AZ305["🏛️ AZ-305\nDesigning Azure\nInfrastructure Solutions\n(Next Step)"]
AZ900 -->|Foundation| AZ104
AZ104 -->|"Prerequisite\n(active cert required)"| AZ305
az-104-study-notes/
├── README.md ← 📍 You are here
├── 00-azure-prerequisites.md ← Core Azure architecture fundamentals
├── 01-identity-governance.md ← Domain 1 (20–25%)
├── 02-storage.md ← Domain 2 (15–20%)
├── 03-compute.md ← Domain 3 (20–25%)
├── 04-virtual-networking.md ← Domain 4 (15–20%)
├── 05-monitor-maintain.md ← Domain 5 (10–15%)
└── 06-quick-reference-cheatsheet.md ← Last-minute review & exam traps
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| 📚 Microsoft's AZ-104 Certification Learning Paths | Certification Learning Paths |
| 📄 Official Exam Page | AZ-104 Exam |
| 📋 Skills Measured / Study Guide | Official Study Guide |
| 🧪 Free Practice Assessment | Practice Assessment |
| 🎬 Exam Readiness Videos | Exam Readiness Zone |
| 🏗️ Azure Documentation | Azure Docs |
| 💶 EU Exam Pricing | Pearson VUE Microsoft |
- 🎯 The exam is hands-on and scenario-based — you need to know how to do things, not just what they are
- 🔧 Practice in the Azure portal, PowerShell, and Azure CLI — multi-tool questions are common
- 💰 Know SKU tier feature gates — what Premium has that Standard doesn't (e.g. P-tier App Service for slots)
- 📐 Understand RBAC scope hierarchy — Management Group → Subscription → Resource Group → Resource
- ⚡ Memorise SLA uptime percentages and know how Availability Zones improve them
- 📖 For case studies: read business requirements and constraints first, then eliminate answers
- 🔄 Know the difference between IaaS, PaaS, and serverless patterns and when to use each
| File | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| 📘 00 — Azure Prerequisites | Regions, AZs, ARM, VNets, storage basics, identity fundamentals, SLAs |
| 🔐 01 — Identity & Governance | Entra ID, RBAC, Azure Policy, Subscriptions, Cost Management |
| 🗄️ 02 — Storage | Storage Accounts, Blob, Azure Files, SAS, encryption, AzCopy |
| 🖥️ 03 — Compute | VMs, VMSS, ARM/Bicep, App Service, Container Instances, Container Apps |
| 🌐 04 — Virtual Networking | VNets, NSGs, Bastion, DNS, Load Balancer, Private Endpoints |
| 📊 05 — Monitor & Maintain | Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Alerts, Backup, Site Recovery |
| ⚡ 06 — Quick Reference Cheatsheet | Key numbers, decision tables, CLI/PS commands, exam traps |
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These notes are designed to be a structured, exam-focused summary of the most important concepts and services baseds on the official Microsoft AZ-104 Study Guide{:target="_blank"} and its criteria.
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