AZ900 tips and resources — the basics about learning the basics
The ever-changing Microsoft Azure cloud is now foundational to how we operate at Ordnance Survey. Keeping up with Azure developments — or learning from scratch — can feel daunting. Thankfully, the cloud fundamentals course offered by Microsoft is here to help:
“The AZ900 exam is the certification step in the Microsoft cloud fundamentals course and offers the chance to demonstrate a basic understanding of Cloud computing, Azure services, and management concepts. After completing the course, you should have a wide knowledge, preparing you for advanced courses.”
Personally, I was recommended the course to help teach me the basics of cloud computing, building a platform for future courses in more specialised topics. The AZ900 is a real gateway into other trainings and certifications offered by Microsoft, and from this platform, I’m looking to work towards AZ305. I chose to go ahead with the exam for AZ900 because I wanted validation that I had worked hard enough and truly understood the course before I started on the next step in my journey. I don’t feel as if I’d be as comfortable with certain concepts if I hadn’t forced myself to be exam-ready on every aspect of the course.
However, the exam is by no means a necessary. You will still receive a trophy certification for completing the course, and even badges for stand-alone modules. This means that if you’re only after a quick boost to fill a knowledge gap, or that exams just aren’t your thing, you can still be recognised for your study.
The certification is an achievable goal for everyone looking to explore the cloud. The exam commands a wide knowledge, good comprehension, and thorough preparation. In this piece I’ll share with you everything I used along the way for my certification, with resource links and exam content up to date as of October 2022.
Microsoft tools:
A fundamental tool in the AZ900 exam is the accompanying AZ900 course offered by Microsoft. Three key learning paths are listed on the exam profile, all within the Azure Fundamentals umbrella: Describe Cloud concepts, Describe Azure architecture and services, and Describe Azure management and governance. Additionally, I would recommend the full 6-part Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: Describe core Azure concepts learning series if you are starting from scratch. These will supplement the 3 recommended learning paths, with some overlap. (AZ900 core modules — Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals — Certifications | Microsoft Learn, Part 1 of 6 Azure Fundamentals paths Azure Fundamentals part 1: Describe core Azure concepts (AZ-900) — Training | Microsoft Learn)
Within the 3 recommended and 6 supplemental modules, there is a mixture of written and interactive content. Some pages have links or embedded resources to features such as PowerShell, configuring a resource lock or setting up security features. Many of these features are also useful in understanding why Cloud is so important; showing off pricing advantages in Azure TCO or expressing the compute power available in Azure.
Many of these modules are also part of other, more detailed learning paths, allowing you to explore new areas of Azure and think about further training as you go. These core modules also frequently appear in timed events like the Microsoft Ignite: Intelligent Cloud Challenge, so there is also the possibility of earning rewards just for revising them!
I found some of the most useful resources to help prepare for the AZ900 exam were provided by Microsoft. Linked on the AZ900 page (Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals — Certifications | Microsoft Learn) within the ‘tips’ section are several preparation tools, including the AZ900 study guide. This guide gives a breakdown of skills measured in the exam, functional groups of key knowledge relating to modules offered in the accompanying AZ900 course. Additionally, the study guide includes details on practical elements to taking the exam, with instructions on how to set up a learning profile, how to access the exam sandbox, and what the requirements for a pass are.
Furthermore, Microsoft also provide 20 sample questions to allow a feel for how the exam is worded. Although just 20 questions won’t cover the whole range of content, they do make for a useful tool in your revision. If you can navigate all 20 questions with ease, then you’ve probably familiar with the course modules and can start thinking about booking the exam. The reviews of these questions suggest they are useful for non-native English speakers, helping to understand the styling of the test.
There is also a short exam sandbox experience provided with the exam profile page. This simulator does not feature course related content, instead asking “What is your favourite colour?” and other simple questions. However, this allows for you to experience a Microsoft exam environment without cost, and demonstrates how questions involving matching, image selection or ‘drag and drop’ work.
Books:
I only used one text reference throughout my study. I found the courses offered directly by Microsoft to be comprehensive enough that I didn’t need much more written content. However, for more depth in case studies than just the ‘Tailwind Traders’ case study in Microsoft learn, I found that Jim Cheshire’s Exam Ref AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, 3rd Edition, included sections entitled ‘Thought Experiments’, which allows for a more immersive case study, with questions included.
Exam Ref AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, 3rd Edition (oreilly.com)
YouTube:
A key resource I was recommended in preparation for the exam was YouTube exam guides and study crams. One of best videos I watched (more than once!) was John Saville’s Study Cram (AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals Study Cram — 2022 Edition! — OVER 500,000 VIEWS! — YouTube). This mammoth video serves as a recap to all content covered within the exam, giving key definitions and concepts to everything in the scope of AZ900, albeit in brief. Topics are then covered in more detail in the video course offered on John Saville’s technical training channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY0LnKiDwRA&list=PLlVtbbG169nED0_vMEniWBQjSoxTsBYS3). These shorter format videos allow for good revision, although I think watching only ones covering gaps in your knowledge twice, rather than watching them all, is more effective (some concepts are quite basic and adequately covered in the Microsoft course, in my opinion).
Additionally, the videos covering practice questions by The Tech Blackboard are useful for practice question purposes. They don’t add much content knowledge, and the audio is a bit jarring (not sure how you could sit through all six hours), BUT, the key thing is that they provide comprehensive explanation of each answer, something that other practice resources don’t always provide.
Practice questions:
The strict confidentiality around the AZ900 exam means that finding exact exam questions, or even exam question formats, is difficult (this is why the sandbox exam is important!). However, some sites do provide practice questions, with a range of interactivity, to help you revise.
IT Exams provides almost 400 questions, with a range or formats replicating the exam itself. All of this is accessible for free, although the question layout is not customizable, and even if you pay the questions are not interactive. This is still a useful resource for revision, but for true practice I would recommend a more interactive option, to better simulate the exam. For this you can use testPreptraining, (Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Free Practice Test | TestPrep (testpreptraining.com)) which provides 10 free questions and almost 1000 more for a fee. (But I can’t recommend this paid option as I used access within OS to another test resources….)
Through licensing at OS, I used access to O’Reilly to access Exam Ref AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, 3rd Edition, as previously mentioned (https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/exam-ref-az-900/9780137955107/). This then allows you to enter the Pearson training portal and use the practice test questions given by the official exam administrator.
This practice hub allows for three types of study — flashcards, study mode (questions with answers displayed) and a practice exam mode, configured to closely replicate the AZ900. With 230 multiple choice questions, varying in format, this is the best way to simulate the AZ900 exam that I found. Exam Ref AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, 3rd Edition (oreilly.com)
Overall, you hopefully now have a wide range of resources to help you get started with the AZ900. The exam does change semi-regularly, with slight changes to questions to reflect developments in Cloud technology and governance, so look out for revised editions of any of the resources mentioned. I wish you the best of luck in your certification journey!
