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AZ-104 Exam Overview

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  1. Know the role being assessed

    An exam is a description of a job. Before studying a single Azure service, it is worth knowing which job AZ-104 claims you can do.

    AZ-104 leads to the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate credential, an intermediate certification for the Administrator role. It is not a fundamentals badge and it is not an expert specialization: it sits in between, and its questions are written for someone who already operates an environment.

    Candidates are expected to implement, manage, and monitor an organization's Azure environment across virtual networks, storage, compute, identity, security, and governance. The administrator commonly works within a larger cloud-infrastructure team and coordinates with networking, security, database, application-development and DevOps roles.

    That last detail shapes the questions. Scenarios often place you between other specialists, so the right answer is frequently the one that respects a boundary rather than the one that does the most.

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  2. Quick check

    Which role and level does AZ-104 certify?

    1. AData Analyst, at the fundamentals level.

      The credential is an administrator certification, and it is not positioned at the fundamentals level.

    2. BAdministrator, at the intermediate level.

      Right. AZ-104 leads to the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate credential, an intermediate certification for the Administrator role.

    3. CSecurity Engineer, at the beginner level for cloud roles.

      Security engineering is a different role-based path, and AZ-104 is intermediate rather than a beginner credential.

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  3. Bring the right background

    Readiness includes foundations beyond individual Azure screens. Candidates should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization and should have experience with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep files, and Microsoft Entra ID.

    Split that list in two and the study plan writes itself:

    Foundations assumed Azure tooling expected
    Operating systems PowerShell
    Networking Azure CLI
    Servers The Azure portal
    Virtualization ARM templates or Bicep files
    Microsoft Entra ID

    The left column is background knowledge this course does not reteach from zero. The right column is hands-on familiarity: recognizing a template and reading a CLI command is part of what the exam assumes.

    3 / 20

  4. Quick check

    Which background does the certification expect a candidate to bring?

    1. AOnly portal experience, with no scripting or identity knowledge.

      Portal skill alone is not enough: scripting surfaces and identity are both named in the expected experience.

    2. BExperience limited to on-premises servers, without any cloud tooling.

      On-premises foundations are expected, but so is direct experience with Azure tools.

    3. COperating systems, networking, servers and virtualization, plus PowerShell, the CLI, the portal, templates and Microsoft Entra ID.

      Right. The expected background pairs infrastructure foundations with experience across the Azure tooling and Microsoft Entra ID.

    4 / 20

  5. Read the five weighted domains

    The current outline has five weighted domains, and the weights tell you where the questions come from.

    Measured domain Weight
    Manage Azure identities and governance 20 to 25 percent
    Implement and manage storage accounts 15 to 20 percent
    Deploy and manage Azure compute resources 20 to 25 percent
    Implement and manage virtual networking 15 to 20 percent
    Monitor and maintain Azure resources 10 to 15 percent

    Manage Azure identities and governance accounts for 20 to 25 percent of the exam. Implement and manage storage accounts for 15 to 20 percent. Deploy and manage Azure compute resources accounts for 20 to 25 percent. Implement and manage virtual networking accounts for 15 to 20 percent. Monitor and maintain Azure resources accounts for 10 to 15 percent.

    5 / 20

  6. Quick check

    Which of these correctly pairs a measured domain with its weight?

    1. AImplement and manage storage accounts, 15 to 20 percent.

      Right. Storage accounts for 15 to 20 percent of the exam.

    2. BMonitor and maintain Azure resources, 30 to 35 percent of the exam.

      Monitoring and maintenance is the smallest band at 10 to 15 percent, not the largest.

    3. CDeploy and manage Azure compute resources, 5 to 10 percent of the exam.

      Compute is one of the two heaviest domains at 20 to 25 percent, far above the band shown here.

    6 / 20

  7. Keep your progress in the app

    That’s 3 of 10 quick checks. In the app they stay answered, and every lesson remembers where you left off.

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  8. Set priorities from the weights

    Weights are a study plan you did not have to write. Identity and governance and compute therefore share the largest weighting band, while monitoring and maintenance has the smallest.

    That does not mean skipping the small band; it means paying for it with the right number of hours. A final session is better spent on the two heaviest domains than on the lightest one.

    Two more habits belong here. The bullets under each measured skill illustrate how the skill is assessed, and related topics may appear — so treat the bullets as examples, not as an exhaustive list. And most questions cover generally available features, although commonly used Preview features may appear.

    7 / 20

  9. Quick check

    A candidate has one study session left and wants to spend it on the heaviest content. Which comparison supports that plan?

    1. AStorage carries 20 to 25 percent, while identity and governance drops to the smallest band of 10 to 15 percent.

      Storage sits at 15 to 20 percent, and identity and governance is one of the two heaviest domains rather than the smallest.

    2. BVirtual networking is 25 to 30 percent, while storage is 10 to 15 percent.

      Virtual networking is 15 to 20 percent, and storage shares that same band rather than the lowest one.

    3. CIdentity and governance or compute is 20 to 25 percent, while monitoring is 10 to 15 percent.

      Right. Identity and governance and compute share the largest band at 20 to 25 percent, and monitoring and maintenance is smallest at 10 to 15 percent.

    8 / 20

  10. Understand scoring and time

    Two numbers govern exam day, and both are easy to remember.

    A score of 700 or greater is required to pass a Microsoft Certification exam. The score is scaled, so it is not a percentage of correct answers and it cannot be reverse-engineered into "how many questions can I miss".

    The AZ-104 certification page gives candidates 100 minutes to complete the assessment. The assessment is proctored and may include interactive components, so a portion of that time can go to tasks that take longer than reading three options.

    Number What it means
    700 or greater The passing requirement for a Microsoft Certification exam
    100 minutes The assessment time listed on the AZ-104 certification page
    9 / 20

  11. Quick check

    What do the passing score and the listed assessment time require a candidate to plan for?

    1. AExactly 600 points, within 45 minutes.

      The passing requirement is 700 or greater, and 45 minutes is not the time listed for this assessment.

    2. BA score of 700 or greater, within the 100 minutes the certification page lists.

      Right. Passing requires a score of 700 or greater, and the AZ-104 certification page gives 100 minutes for the assessment.

    3. CAny score above zero, within 120 minutes.

      A pass is not automatic at any score, and the listed assessment time is 100 minutes rather than 120.

    10 / 20

  12. Do not plan around a question count

    Question count is not fixed. Most Microsoft Certification exams typically contain between 40 and 60 questions, but the number can vary as exams are updated.

    Plan around the time shown at registration instead of assuming a guaranteed item count. A candidate who divides 100 minutes by an imagined 40 questions builds a pacing plan on a number nobody promised; a candidate who watches the clock against the progress bar adapts to whatever the delivery contains.

    11 / 20

  13. Quick check

    What should a candidate assume about the number of questions?

    1. AIt can vary, though most exams typically contain 40 to 60 questions.

      Right. The typical range is 40 to 60 questions, and the number can vary as exams are updated.

    2. BIt is fixed at exactly 40 for every associate delivery.

      No fixed count is promised for a delivery, so pacing built on exactly 40 questions is unsafe.

    3. CIt always matches the number of bullet points in the current study guide.

      Study guide bullets illustrate how skills are assessed; they do not set the number of questions.

    12 / 20

  14. Preview the experience, and know its limits

    Two Microsoft resources show you the shape of exam day, and both are useful precisely because you understand what they do not promise.

    The Exam Sandbox demonstrates the interface and question types that a candidate may encounter, but Microsoft does not identify the exact formats for a specific exam delivery in advance. Practice Assessments resemble likely style, wording and difficulty, but their questions are not live exam items and do not represent the full length or complexity of the exam.

    Resource What it gives you What it does not give you
    Exam Sandbox A demonstration of the interface and possible question types A guarantee of the formats in your delivery
    Practice Assessments Likely style, wording and difficulty Live items, full length or full complexity

    Use both to remove surprise from the interface, and keep your confidence anchored to the study guide rather than to a practice score.

    13 / 20

  15. Quick check

    What does the Exam Sandbox give a candidate?

    1. AA guaranteed list of the formats used in that candidate's own delivery.

      Microsoft does not identify the exact formats for a specific exam delivery in advance.

    2. BA copy of the scored questions together with their correct answers.

      The sandbox shows how the interface behaves; it does not expose live scored questions or their answers.

    3. CA demonstration of the interface and question types.

      Right. The Exam Sandbox demonstrates the interface and the question types a candidate may encounter.

    14 / 20

  16. Use Microsoft Learn during the exam

    This surprises candidates who prepared years ago. Microsoft Learn is available during associate and expert role-based exams, but no extra time is added and the timer continues while it is open.

    AZ-104 is an associate exam, so the resource is available to you. Access is restricted to the learn.microsoft.com domain and excludes Q&A, Practice Assessments and the candidate profile.

    Treat it as a lookup, not a lifeline. It confirms one syntax or one limit you nearly remember; it cannot carry an unprepared candidate, because every second spent reading is a second of the same clock.

    15 / 20

  17. Quick check

    During AZ-104 a candidate wants a quick documentation lookup. Which approach follows the rules?

    1. AOpen any vendor website, since the timer pauses while it is displayed.

      Access is restricted to one domain, and no extra time is added for looking anything up.

    2. BOpen Microsoft Learn, stay on learn.microsoft.com, and accept that the clock keeps running.

      Right. Microsoft Learn is available during associate exams, access is limited to learn.microsoft.com, and the timer keeps running.

    3. COpen the candidate profile, since every Microsoft domain is allowed.

      The candidate profile is explicitly excluded, along with Q&A and Practice Assessments.

    16 / 20

  18. Plan breaks with the clock running

    Unscheduled breaks are permitted, with five minutes built into exam time. The permission comes with two conditions that decide whether taking one is wise.

    The clock continues during a break, and after a break starts the candidate cannot return to questions already viewed.

    Before you stand up Consequence
    Time is short The break spends exam minutes you cannot recover
    Questions are marked for review Anything already viewed is closed to you afterwards

    The practical rule: finish your review pass first, then decide. A break taken with marked questions outstanding costs you those questions.

    17 / 20

  19. Quick check

    A candidate is considering an unscheduled break. What must the candidate plan for?

    1. AThe clock keeps running, and questions already viewed cannot be revisited.

      Right. The clock continues during a break, and after a break starts the candidate cannot return to questions already viewed.

    2. BThe clock pauses, and every marked question stays available afterwards.

      Exam time keeps running during a break, and the questions already seen are closed afterwards.

    3. CThe clock is reset by five minutes, and answered questions can still be edited afterwards.

      No time is returned to the candidate, and previously viewed questions cannot be reopened.

    18 / 20

  20. Key takeaways

    • AZ-104 assesses an intermediate Azure administrator across five operational domains, and expects infrastructure foundations plus hands-on experience with PowerShell, the Azure CLI, the portal, templates and Microsoft Entra ID.
    • Identity and governance and compute each carry 20 to 25 percent; monitoring and maintenance carries 10 to 15 percent, with storage and virtual networking at 15 to 20 percent each.
    • The passing score is 700 or greater.
    • The AZ-104 certification page lists 100 minutes for the assessment, and the number of questions can vary around a typical 40 to 60.
    • Microsoft Learn can be opened during the exam, but the timer continues and access is restricted. Breaks are permitted on the same running clock, and they close every question already viewed.
    19 / 20

  21. Quick check

    Which summary of the exam is accurate?

    1. AAZ-104 is an expert credential, passing needs 600 points, and Microsoft Learn adds extra time to the clock.

      The credential is intermediate, the passing requirement is 700 or greater, and no extra time is added for Microsoft Learn.

    2. BMonitoring carries the largest weight, practice questions are live items, and unscheduled breaks pause the timer.

      Monitoring and maintenance is the smallest band, Practice Assessments are not live items, and the clock continues during a break.

    3. CAZ-104 is an intermediate administrator exam, passing needs 700 or more, and the page lists 100 minutes.

      Right. Those three statements match the credential level, the passing requirement and the assessment time on the certification page.

    20 / 20

  22. 10 quick checks · then the test

    In the app, finishing the quick checks opens this lesson’s 10-question test, and the ones you miss come back exactly when you’re about to forget them.

    Take this lesson’s test → Next lesson: Microsoft Entra Users and External IdentitiesGet the app
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