For IT professionals in the domain of cloud computing, a Microsoft Azure certification is extremely valuable. The fact that Azure is the world’s second-largest cloud computing platform should hint at why these certifications are prevalent.
A professional who possesses a certification in Azure would get to enjoy lucrative career opportunities.
Microsoft has launched several certifications and certification paths. Based on the job role that you ultimately wish to obtain, you would have to choose the certifications to pursue. The AZ-900 offered by uCertify is one of the best among these and is a good option if you wish to become an Azure administrator.
Who is a Microsoft Azure administrator?
Azure is a rather vast cloud computing platform. Therefore, an enterprise needs professionals with different roles and responsibilities to take care of its cloud infrastructure on Azure.
For example, the job of a Microsoft Azure administrator is to monitor, manage and implement governance, storage, virtual networks, etc., in a cloud environment.
The responsibilities also include sizing, provisioning, monitoring, and adjusting resources as and when needed.
What is the AZ-900 exam structure like?
Before appearing for azure certifications, you must always stay aware of the exam structure. This would give you a reasonably clear idea of what to expect and which parts of the syllabus to focus on more. For example, the AZ-104 exam consists of five modules, which are as follows:
- Implementing and managing storage (10% to 15%)
- Backing up and monitoring Azure resources (10% to 15%)
- Managing Azure governance and identities (15% to 20%)
- Deploying and managing Azure compute resources (25% to 30%)
- Configuring and managing virtual networking (30% to 35%)
This three-hour exam usually consists of more than sixty questions. The questions typically remain divided into three sections, each of which you must clear.
Usually, the three sections include a hands-on section, a case study section, and a section with yes-no-type questions. To earn the Microsoft azure certification, you must score at least 70% in this examination.
What are the prerequisites for this examination?
You would need to meet certain prerequisites before you can appear for this Microsoft certification examination. These include a good understanding of Azure workloads, services, governance, and security and six months of practical experience in administration in Azure. You should also possess some experience using PowerShell, ARM templates, the Azure portal, and the Command Line Interface.
Essential Things to remember
The key objective of this Microsoft Cloud certification is to test the candidates for their configuration knowledge and their ability to apply it in real-world scenarios. Therefore, it is highly advisable to gain plenty of practical experience before you appear for the examinations. You might also want to learn from and analyze different case studies.
Adequate practical knowledge would make it much easier to pass the examination. In addition, you might want to focus primarily on storage and virtual network areas as these are where most of the questions would be from.
Where should you gather study materials?
Microsoft has released free course materials for those who wish to take a self-learning approach. Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC), Microsoft Documentation, and Microsoft Learning are the three key self-learning portals from Microsoft. In addition, you may access free reading materials, control questions, and online labs.
In addition to the materials from Microsoft, you might also want to undergo Azure certification training from a reputed institution. The leading IT institutes provide candidates with reliable and up-to-date course materials. Moreover, instructor-led learning would enable you to develop your skills much better and get any doubts cleared.
Choosing an institute for AZ-900 training: How to go about it?
While considering the Azure certification cost, you should also consider the cost of training. Thus, it would help if you were careful while choosing an institution to get yourself enrolled in. Some of the critical factors to consider are:
- Flexibility: Rigid course routines may not work for you if you are a working professional. Look for an institute that offers adequate flexibility and, preferably, online training.
- Reputation: Check out specific vital parameters to understand how reliable an institution is. These include their track record, reviews, and achievements.
- Accreditations: Try to join institutes that are accredited training partners of the organization offering the certification. For Microsoft Azure certifications, you should ideally choose an institute that is a Gold partner of Microsoft.
