AZ-104 vs AZ-900: which Azure certification comes first?
AZ-104 vs AZ-900: take AZ-900, Microsoft's beginner cloud exam, only if cloud work is new to you; otherwise take AZ-104, the Azure administrator exam. Of 7,726 US cloud-engineer ads on Adzuna, a job-ad site, in October 2026, 105 contained the text az-104 and 5 contained az-900.
AZ-900 is the exam for Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, which Microsoft rates Beginner. AZ-104 is the exam for Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, rated Intermediate. Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform: it rents out servers, storage and networks over the internet.
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Show the numbers
| Country | AZ-104 | AZ-900 |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | 5% | 1 of 332 |
| United Kingdom | 3% | 4 of 475 |
| France | 3% | 0 of 340 |
| India | 1.5% | 4 of 1,150 |
| Italy | 2% | 0 of 121 |
| United States | 1.4% | 5 of 7,726 |
| Germany | 2 of 1,160 | 1 of 1,160 |
AZ-104 or AZ-900: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
AZ-104 is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
- Which should you take first, AZ-104 or AZ-900?
- Do you need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
- How do the AZ-104 and AZ-900 exams differ?
- How much do AZ-104 and AZ-900 cost?
- Do AZ-104 and AZ-900 expire?
- How often do cloud-engineer ads name AZ-104 and AZ-900?
- What comes after AZ-900 and AZ-104?
- What we did not check
- Sources
Which should you take first, AZ-104 or AZ-900?
Take AZ-900 first if cloud computing is new to you, and go straight to AZ-104 if you already look after servers or networks. The two exams sit at different levels: AZ-900 checks that you understand cloud ideas and Azure services, while AZ-104 checks that you can set up and run them.
- New to IT or to cloud computing: start with AZ-900. Microsoft describes Azure Fundamentals as a common starting point for an Azure career, and its study guide aims it at people who want to show foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Azure.
- Working on a help desk, with little server experience: AZ-900 is a reasonable first exam, but plan for AZ-104 next. Microsoft expects AZ-104 candidates to be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers and virtualization (running several virtual computers on one physical machine).
- Already a system administrator (someone who runs a company's servers): skip AZ-900 if you like and take AZ-104. Microsoft expects experience with PowerShell (a Windows scripting tool), the Azure CLI (a command-line tool for Azure), the Azure portal (Azure's web console) and Microsoft Entra ID (Microsoft's sign-in and user-account service) among the things AZ-104 candidates should know.
- A manager or salesperson who needs the vocabulary (our reading): AZ-900 alone may be enough. It tests what cloud services are and how Azure is run and controlled, not hands-on administration.
A first step that works even without a target job: sign in to Microsoft Learn, Microsoft's free training site, and take the free AZ-104 practice assessment, a set of sample questions that you can retake for free. Our reading: if most questions are unfamiliar and cloud is new to you, AZ-900 is a gentler start; if you get some right, study the weak areas with our AZ-104 page first; if most are familiar, book AZ-104.
Do you need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No. You do not need AZ-900 before AZ-104: when we read Microsoft Learn on October 12, 2026, Microsoft's AZ-104 certification page and study guide named no certification you must earn first. What they list instead is knowledge Microsoft expects you to bring: operating systems, networking, servers and virtualization.
How do the AZ-104 and AZ-900 exams differ?
AZ-104 is longer, rated a level higher and focused on doing administration tasks; AZ-900 is shorter and tests concepts. Both exams are proctored, which means a supervisor watches you while you take them. Microsoft's AZ-900 page says you book it through Pearson VUE, an exam-delivery company, or through Certiport, a second delivery company, if you are a student or educator.
| AZ-900 | AZ-104 | |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals | Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate |
| Microsoft's level | Beginner | Intermediate |
| Who it is for | People who want to show foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Azure | People who implement, manage and monitor an organization's Azure environment |
| Required certification first | None named | None named |
| Exam time | 45 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000 | 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Exam languages | 13 | 10 |
| US price | $99 | $165 |
| Valid for | Does not expire | 12 months, free renewal |
Source: Microsoft Learn certification pages, study guides, certification FAQ and renewal page.
Microsoft reports scores on a scaled range of 1 to 1,000, not as a percentage of questions. Both exam pages say you may meet interactive components, tasks beyond plain multiple choice. Microsoft offers a free exam sandbox, a demo of the exam screen, for each exam.
Show the numbers
| Item | AZ-104 | AZ-900 |
|---|---|---|
| Exam time | 100 minutes (1 h 40 min) | 45 minutes |
| Languages | 10 languages | 13 languages |
| Where you take it | test center · online, proctored | Pearson VUE (proctored); Certiport for students and educators |
What does each exam test?
Microsoft's study guides split each exam into skill areas, with a share of the exam for each.
| Exam | Skill areas and their share of the exam |
|---|---|
| AZ-900 (skills as of July 20, 2026) | Describe cloud concepts 25–30%; Describe Azure architecture and services 35–40%; Describe Azure management and governance 30–35% |
| AZ-104 (skills as of April 17, 2026) | Manage Azure identities and governance 20–25%; Implement and manage storage 15–20%; Deploy and manage Azure compute resources 20–25%; Implement and manage virtual networking 15–20%; Monitor and maintain Azure resources 10–15% |
Source: Microsoft Learn study guides for AZ-900 and AZ-104.
Every AZ-900 area starts with "Describe": you explain what a service is and when to use it. Governance here means the rules and controls an organization sets on who can do what in Azure and how much it may spend, and the AZ-900 area on it covers how Azure is run and controlled. The AZ-104 areas start with verbs such as manage, implement and deploy: you create user accounts, storage, virtual machines (software computers that run on a real one) and networks and keep them running.
Which is harder, AZ-104 or AZ-900?
Microsoft publishes no pass rate for either exam, so no source measures it. On Microsoft's own scale, AZ-104 is Intermediate and AZ-900 is Beginner, and AZ-104 gives you 100 minutes against 45.
Study time reported on Reddit points the same way, though it is self-reported by people who chose to post. We collected Reddit posts in 2026, mainly from r/AzureCertification, a forum for Microsoft exam candidates. In 13 posts, people who said they had passed AZ-900 reported a median of 11 days of study, with a range of 1 to 28 days; the median is the middle value. For AZ-104, 21 posts gave a median of 5.5 weeks. We screened the two samples separately, so treat the comparison as rough. Our AZ-104 study-time section gives the full AZ-104 figures.
How much do AZ-104 and AZ-900 cost?
In the US, one attempt at each comes to $264: $99 for AZ-900 plus $165 for AZ-104. Microsoft prices exams by the country or region where you take them, and taxes may apply.
| AZ-900 | AZ-104 | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First attempt, US | $99 | $165 | $264 |
| Renewal | None needed | Free, every 12 months | $0 |
Source: Microsoft's US exam pages for AZ-900 and AZ-104, read October 12, 2026; Microsoft says the price depends on the country or region where you take the exam. Totals are our sums: $99 + $165 = $264, and renewal adds $0.
Failing adds cost. Each retake costs the fee again, and Microsoft gives no refund for an exam you fail or miss. After a first failed attempt you wait 24 hours; later attempts need 14 days between them, up to five attempts in 12 months from the first one. Microsoft's practice assessments and study guides are free.
Do AZ-104 and AZ-900 expire?
AZ-900 does not; AZ-104 lasts 12 months and renews for free. Microsoft's renewal page says Fundamentals certifications do not expire.
For AZ-104, a six-month renewal window opens before the expiration date. In it you pass a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn that is unproctored (no one watches you) and open book (you may look things up), and you may retake it until you pass. Passing extends the certification one year from the expiration date. If the date passes first, the certification expires.
How often do cloud-engineer ads name AZ-104 and AZ-900?
We count both exam codes in ads for cloud engineers, people who build and run systems on cloud platforms, because AZ-900 is counted against that job title only. In October 2026, of the 7,726 US cloud-engineer ads we counted on Adzuna, 105 contained the phrase az-104 and 5 contained the phrase az-900.
| Country | Cloud-engineer ads counted | With az-104 |
With az-900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7,726 | 105 | 5 |
| United Kingdom | 475 | 15 | 4 |
| India | 1,150 | 17 | 4 |
| France | 340 | 9 | 0 |
| Poland | 332 | 17 | 1 |
Source: Adzuna job-ad data, cloud-engineer ads by local job title, collected in October 2026, searched for the phrases az-104 and az-900. Analysis: CertWorthIt.
The UK sample held 475 cloud-engineer ads and the Polish one 332 in October 2026 (Adzuna), so small changes in the number of ads can shift those counts. We leave out Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Italy, where the cloud-engineer samples were too small to report.
Our reading: if you apply for cloud-engineer jobs in the US, the UK, India, France or Poland, AZ-104 appeared in more cloud-engineer ads than AZ-900 in all five countries above, so AZ-104 is the exam code to aim for.
The counts have limits. An ad that writes only the full name, such as Azure Administrator Associate, is not counted, so read each figure as a minimum. An ad can name both codes, so the two counts overlap. A count also does not show whether the employer requires the exam or lists it as a plus. The methodology page explains how we count.
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| Terraform | 1,519 | 20% |
| Kubernetes | 1,121 | 15% |
| AWS | 297 | 3.8% |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate | 242 | 3.1% |
| Microsoft Azure certifications | 178 | 2.3% |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer | 167 | 2.2% |
| AZ-305 | 117 | 1.5% |
| AZ-104 | 105 | 1.4% |
| AZ-900 | 5 | 5 of 7,726 |
What comes after AZ-900 and AZ-104?
After AZ-900, the next exam for administration and cloud-engineer work is AZ-104. After AZ-104, Microsoft's architect path opens: to become Azure Solutions Architect Expert (a senior role that designs Azure systems) you must earn Azure Administrator Associate and pass exam AZ-305.
Our cloud-engineer page lists the tools and certificates those job ads name besides Azure exams, and our system-administrator page does the same for server jobs.
For other routes after AZ-104, see what comes after AZ-104 and the roadmap in our Azure certifications overview.
What we did not check
- Prices outside the US. Microsoft sets them by country, so check the exam page for yours before you book.
- Pass rates: Microsoft publishes none for either exam.
- Pay: we found no source that measures what either certification adds to salary.
Sources
All Microsoft pages below were read on October 12, 2026.
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Fundamentals certification, AZ-900 exam page and AZ-104 exam page (US prices), AZ-900 study guide, Azure Administrator Associate certification, AZ-104 study guide, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, exam scoring, certification FAQ (practice assessments, refunds), renewal and retake policy.
- Job ads: Adzuna job-ad data, cloud-engineer ads collected in October 2026.
- Study time: the Reddit posts and comments we collected in 2026, mainly from r/AzureCertification; self-reported.
Edited by Jere Salmisto · Data checked October 12, 2026
Questions people ask
Do I need AZ-900 before AZ-104?
No. When we read Microsoft Learn on October 12, 2026, the page for Azure Administrator Associate (exam AZ-104) named no certification you must hold first, so Microsoft does not require Azure Fundamentals (exam AZ-900) first. Microsoft does expect AZ-104 candidates to be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers and virtualization (running several virtual computers on one physical machine). If those are new to you, AZ-900 is an optional first step.
Should I take AZ-900 or AZ-104 first?
Take Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) first only if cloud computing and Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, are new to you. Microsoft rates AZ-900 Beginner and AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) Intermediate. If you already manage servers or networks, go straight to AZ-104: Microsoft names no required certification before it. Our reading: before you pay for either, try Microsoft's free practice assessment for AZ-104, a set of sample questions on Microsoft Learn, to see how much of it you already know.
Which is harder, AZ-104 or AZ-900?
Microsoft publishes no pass rate for either exam, so there is no measured answer. Microsoft rates Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) Intermediate and Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Beginner. AZ-104 gives you 100 minutes and AZ-900 gives you 45, and both need a scaled score (a converted score, not a percentage of questions) of 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000. In 2026 Reddit posts, people who said they passed AZ-900 reported a median of 11 days of study (13 posts), and people who said they passed AZ-104 a median of 5.5 weeks (21 posts); the median is the middle value. These figures are self-reported.
How much do AZ-900 and AZ-104 cost?
In the US, $264 for one attempt at each. Microsoft's US exam pages listed Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) at $99 and Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) at $165 when we read them on October 12, 2026, and $99 plus $165 comes to $264. Prices are set by the country where you take the exam, taxes may apply, a retake costs the fee again and Microsoft gives no refund for a failed exam. Renewing AZ-104 is free.
Does AZ-900 expire?
No. Microsoft says its Fundamentals certifications, which include Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), do not expire. Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) lasts 12 months; you renew it for free by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn in the six months before the expiration date. The assessment is open book (you may look things up) and unproctored (no one watches you). Passing extends the certification one year from the expiration date.
Do employers ask for AZ-900 or AZ-104?
We counted how often each exam code appears in cloud-engineer ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site. In October 2026, of 7,726 US cloud-engineer ads, 105 contained the text az-104 and 5 contained the text az-900. Ads that write only the certification's full name are not in these counts, so read them as minimums.