I need to pass both AZ-104 and AI-200 by the end of this month because of an employer requirement. I realize the timeline is aggressive, especially since I work around 10 hours a day and have other personal commitments, but I need to make the most of the time available.
I recently took AZ-104 after only four days of preparation, studying for less than four hours per day, and scored 557. I used some practice questions but clearly needed a stronger preparation strategy.
For anyone who has prepared for either exam recently, what resources and study approach would you recommend? I'm especially interested in the most important Microsoft Learn modules, high-priority topics, useful hands-on labs, reliable practice tests, and a realistic two- or three-week crash plan. I'd also like to know whether preparing for both exams simultaneously is practical while working full-time, or whether I should focus on one exam at a time.
4 Answers
Free videos can be useful when formal material is hard to follow, but search for specific objectives instead of watching broad playlists from start to finish. A realistic crash schedule would be an initial diagnostic test, several days covering the largest AZ-104 skill areas, a few days of labs and review, then a second diagnostic before deciding whether to sit the exam. Repeat that process for AI-200. Also check whether your employer can provide study time, because passing two technical exams while working ten-hour days may be possible but leaves very little margin for weak areas.
With limited time, let the official exam objectives drive your schedule. Spend most of your hands-on time deploying and troubleshooting Azure resources rather than watching courses passively. For AZ-104, prioritize identity and governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring. For AI-200, concentrate on the services and development patterns listed in the skills outline, especially application integration, containers, data access, messaging, and search. Short daily labs followed by timed practice questions will probably be more effective than trying to consume every available course.
For AI-200, start with the official skills-measured list and use it as your checklist. The exam appears closely related to AZ-204, with additional emphasis on Azure AI application patterns such as vector search, containers, messaging, and Kusto Query Language. Work through the relevant Microsoft Learn material and build small examples instead of relying only on memorization. Since a dedicated official practice assessment may not be available, use the exam objectives to identify and close knowledge gaps.
Use Microsoft Learn as the foundation, then supplement it with clear video explanations such as John Savill’s Azure content. For practice, Tutorial Dojo-style tests can help, but review every explanation and don’t treat question banks as a substitute for understanding. Given the deadline, I would take the exams one at a time rather than splitting every study session between both. Finish the weaker areas for AZ-104 first, then move to AI-200 with a focused plan.
Thanks, that makes sense. I’ll organize the Microsoft Learn topics first and try to focus on one exam before moving to the other.