My experience of preparing AZ-900
AZ-900 a.k.a. Microsoft Azure Fundamentals is a certification exam of Microsoft Azure to prove someone equipt basic knowledge of the cloud. In this article, I would like to share how do I prepare for it.
Why? 為什麼要考?
Actually, I was not looking for any technical certification, because I think I don't need an expensive paper to prove I know something. I think if I want to know something, I only need to do is read and practice then document it on my blog or resume. One day, I suddenly release that I am wrong. There are so many features in Azure, AWS, or GCP, and I cannot answer a requirement I was asked. Because I do not have a picture in my mind which I can figure a good solution with those cloud tools fastly. Therefore I start to prepare Azure certificates because it proves me a good picture to explore my vision in the cloud.
其實我一開始是沒有想要考證照的，我覺得我不需要一張昂貴的只去證明我會什麼東西，我應該是學習相關的知識之後然後就開始動手做，頂多最後我或許可以寫篇文章或是更新的我履歷表記錄一下就好了。直到有一天，我發現其實我不明白現在Azure, AWS, 或是GCP提供的那些功能到底可以如何解決我的問題，我才知道是因為我對於這些工具沒有系統系的了解。所以我開始準備證照，因為Azure提供了官方的教材帶你系統性的認識這個雲服務。
How? 如何準備？
Microsoft provides materials to learn their product. You can easily get it and follow the learning path to prepare for your test. If you are not interested in certification, it is also a good way to pick up knowledge you may ever learn in school and learn what's new in the cloud. If you are not familiar with English, the website also provides it in many versions of different languages.
就好像升學考試會照著課綱準備一樣，微軟也提供了他們的線上免費資源讓你可以重拾已經遺忘的學校知識或是日新月異的雲端技術，容易取得而且也已經有系統性的規劃好了！如果你不喜歡讀英文，他也提供很多不同語言的版本。不過我還是會推薦英文版的，畢竟工程師的工作說話常常晶晶體，談起技術英文或許還是比中譯本容易理解一點！
Then? 這樣就夠了嗎?
I still remember that I finished half content in the above link in one day, and feel very easy, so I scheduled an exam immediately. I feel wrong when I see a mock test in a FB group and then rescheduled the test. Because it is an exam, it will test how many things you remember, but many details you may confuse if you just read a book. Just like the paper exam of driver license, you should understand the knowledge behind the rules and take some mock exams. To attend the certificate exam also need practice.
I check some courses via Udemy and take their practice again and again. When I see any answer is wrong in the homework, I will check the correct answer and also read the corresponding article in the above Azure online learning website again. Because that knowledge is what you really learn, and the exam just helps to test yourself.
我記得我一天就讀完一半的內容了，讀完之後覺得這真是太簡單了，馬上就預約了考試，後來看到臉書社團的考古題，覺得自己被狠狠打臉，才延期了考試，認真準備。畢竟是考試，要檢驗你記得多少，你會發現很多的細節真的很容易忘記，這時候上網尋求協助，看看有沒有習題能做，真的是一個釐清盲點的好機會。到最後我發現準備AZ-900考試就像準備汽車駕照筆試一樣，把書念完，多做考題釐清概念，就可以上場了！
舉例來說，Udemy上面就有非常多課程，有的是純粹只有寫作業的，我就挑了一個評價看起來很高的課程，然後一直寫考古題，只要有錯，除了把答案背起來之外，我還會去前面提到的微軟線上學習的網站找到相關的章節再唸一遍。畢竟背後的知識才是真的能讓你了解Azure的東西，考試只是輔助！
After exam 考完之後
After you finished your exam, you will know how many scores you make. For AZ-900, you must get more than 700 in your transcript. In the transcript, you will also know which part makes you lose score. Wait for another hour, you will get an email to congratulate you pass the exam. Inside the mail, there is a link to “youracclaim.com”, you could register a new account if you don't have one before. You will get your badge from the website.
當你在考場完成考試之後，你會馬上知道分數，以AZ-900來說，你至少要獲得700分才能算是過關。成績單也會跟你說你在哪個部分被扣分，只是不會很詳細就是了XD 大概一個小時之後，你會收到一封電子郵件，裡面會有一個link帶你去“youracclaim.com”，你可以在那邊獲得各種badge，例如我就把它加到我的linkedin profile裡面。
That’s it, hope you a pleasant journey in Azure Certificate.
就這樣希望你有一個愉快的Azure認證考試之旅
