I can only afford one Microsoft Azure certification exam. I've already studied the AZ-900 material and found that it mainly covers basic cloud concepts and terminology, so I'm considering skipping it and using my exam budget for AZ-104, Azure Administrator Associate. I'm a computer science student graduating this year and already have practical Azure experience, including provisioning resources through the Azure portal and ARM templates. I also run a small SaaS application on Azure for a client. Would taking AZ-104 directly be a sensible choice, or is AZ-900 still worth paying for first?
3 Answers
Skipping AZ-900 is generally reasonable if you already understand the fundamentals. The certification is useful for learning basic terminology, but AZ-104 carries more practical weight and is more relevant to Azure administration. Just be aware that AZ-104 is dramatically harder—passing it requires hands-on experience, not just memorizing definitions.
Use the free Microsoft Learn AZ-900 pathway to fill any gaps, then spend your money and study time on AZ-104. Build and troubleshoot real resources such as virtual machines, VNets, storage accounts, identity settings, and monitoring. The exam focuses heavily on practical scenarios, so reading alone probably won’t be enough.
Go straight for AZ-104 if your fundamentals are solid. Employers are unlikely to require AZ-900 when you have the associate-level administrator certification. The foundational knowledge from AZ-900 is still useful, but you don’t necessarily need to pay for a separate exam to prove it.
I’ve already completed the free learning material and have practical experience provisioning Azure resources through the portal and ARM templates, so I’m planning to focus on the administrator exam.