AZ-900 Study Guide 2026: Complete 2-Week Plan to Pass
📅 Updated June 2026
⏱️ 12 min read
🎯 All levels
A structured, day-by-day 2-week study plan covering all AZ-900 exam domains. Includes the best free resources, what to prioritise, and how to know when you're ready.
Exam Overview
The AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam is designed for people new to cloud computing and Azure. You don't need a technical background to pass — it tests conceptual knowledge, not hands-on configuration skills.
- Questions: 40–60 (multiple choice, multi-select, drag and drop)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Pass mark: 700 out of 1000 (70%)
- Cost: £130 / $165 USD
- Format: In-person at a test centre or online proctored
💡 Study time estimate: If you're studying 1–2 hours per day, 2 weeks is enough for most people. Complete beginners may want 3 weeks. IT professionals often pass in 1 week.
Week 1 — Learn the Concepts
Week 1 is about understanding. Don't try to memorise — focus on understanding what each Azure service does and why it exists. Use Microsoft Learn as your primary resource.
1
Cloud Concepts Foundation- What is cloud computing? IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
- Public, private, and hybrid cloud models
- Benefits: elasticity, scalability, high availability, agility
- CapEx vs OpEx, consumption-based model
- Microsoft Learn: "Describe cloud computing" module
2
Azure Architecture Basics- Regions, region pairs, availability zones
- Datacenters and physical infrastructure
- Azure subscriptions, resource groups, management groups
- Azure Resource Manager (ARM)
3
Compute Services- Azure Virtual Machines — IaaS, when to use
- Azure App Service — PaaS web hosting
- Azure Functions — serverless, event-driven
- Azure Container Instances and Kubernetes Service
- VM Scale Sets vs Availability Sets
4
Networking- Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) and subnets
- VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute
- Azure Load Balancer, Application Gateway
- Azure DNS, CDN, Traffic Manager
- Network Security Groups (NSGs)
5
Storage Services- Blob, File, Queue, Table storage
- Storage access tiers: Hot, Cool, Archive
- Storage redundancy: LRS, ZRS, GRS, GZRS
- Azure Disk Storage types
- Azure Data Box and migration tools
6
Identity and Security- Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) — what it does
- Authentication vs authorisation, MFA
- Azure RBAC — roles, scope, assignments
- Zero Trust model, defence in depth
- Azure Key Vault, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel
7
Week 1 Review- Review any notes from days 1–6
- Take a 25-question practice test — identify weak areas
- Revisit the 2–3 topics you scored worst on
Test yourself after Week 1
Take a practice session focused on your weakest topic from the week. See explanations for every answer.
Start Practice Session →
Week 2 — Practice and Reinforce
Week 2 is about practice. Less reading, more question answering. The goal is to identify gaps and fill them, not cover new ground.
8
Cost Management and Governance- Azure Pricing Calculator vs TCO Calculator
- Azure Cost Management + Billing
- Azure Advisor recommendations
- Azure Policy, Blueprints, Management Groups
- Resource tagging for cost allocation
9
SLAs, Service Lifecycle, and Support- What SLAs are and how composite SLAs work
- Azure support plans: Basic, Developer, Standard, Professional Direct
- Azure Service Health vs Azure Monitor vs Azure Status
- Preview vs General Availability features
10
Full Practice Test — 40 Questions- Take a timed 40-question mock exam
- Do not look anything up during the test
- Review every wrong answer in detail afterward
- Note the topics where you made errors
11
Weak Area Deep Dive- Go back to Microsoft Learn for your 2–3 weakest topics
- Do a focused 25-question session on those topics only
- Use the Weak Area mode to replay questions you got wrong
12
Second Full Mock Exam- Another timed 40-question exam
- Compare score to Day 10 — you should see improvement
- If scoring above 75% consistently, you're ready
- If below 70%, do another day of targeted revision
13
Final Review- Skim through your notes — no new learning
- Read through the official exam objectives one more time
- Do a light 10-question warm-up, then rest
14
Exam Day- Eat well, get good sleep the night before
- Arrive 15 minutes early (or log in 15 minutes early for online)
- Read every question carefully — watch for "NOT", "ALWAYS", "MOST cost-effective"
- Flag uncertain questions and return to them
- You need 70% — don't panic over hard questions
Best Free Resources
📘
Microsoft Learn — AZ-900 Learning Path
The official free learning path from Microsoft. Covers all exam objectives with exercises and knowledge checks. Start here.
🎥
John Savill's AZ-900 Study Cram (YouTube)
One of the best free video resources. Comprehensive, well-structured, and updated regularly. Great for visual learners.
📝
PracticeMSCert Practice Questions
300+ real-style questions with detailed explanations. The most effective way to test your knowledge and identify gaps.
📄
Official Exam Study Guide (Microsoft)
Download the free study guide PDF from Microsoft's exam page. Lists every objective that could appear on the exam.
Exam Day Tips
- Read every word. Questions often hinge on "most cost-effective", "without requiring", or "only".
- Eliminate first. On most questions you can eliminate 1–2 obviously wrong answers immediately.
- Don't overthink. AZ-900 is fundamentals. The straightforward answer is usually correct.
- Flag and move. Don't get stuck — flag uncertain questions and return at the end.
- 70% is the target. You don't need to be perfect. Stay calm on hard questions.
Ready to practise?
Use our practice app to test yourself across all AZ-900 domains with detailed explanations.
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