Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) practice exam & study guide

Microsoft positions the Azure Administrator as validating subject-matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an Azure environment — identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring. It expects familiarity with the Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell, and ARM/Bicep templates.

It is a practical exam: you are expected to know how Azure services behave and how to configure them, such as assigning RBAC roles at the right scope, choosing storage redundancy, or evaluating effective NSG rules — not just recognising what a service is.

AZ-104 is a clear step up from AZ-900. It is an associate administrator exam, so it expects working knowledge of configuring Azure, and it can include case studies and interactive question formats rather than only multiple choice.

The difficulty comes from breadth across identity, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring, plus needing to know exact behaviours — RBAC scope inheritance, storage redundancy options, effective NSG rules. Practising scenario questions until those distinctions are automatic is the key.

Microsoft does not fix a single question count for AZ-104; it typically presents roughly 40–60 questions in a mix of formats — multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, and sometimes case studies — with about 100 minutes of working time.

Our full-length practice mock uses a 60-question, 100-minute session so you can rehearse pacing under realistic time pressure before test day.

Microsoft scores AZ-104 on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and the passing score is 700. That is a scaled score rather than a raw 70%, because Microsoft adjusts for question difficulty, and there is no penalty for wrong answers, so you should never leave a question blank. Our practice mock uses a 70% threshold to give you a comparable target.

The AZ-104 exam fee is set by Microsoft and varies by region — check the Microsoft certification page for current pricing. Microsoft associate certifications are valid for one year and can be renewed for free through an online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Everything on this hub is free.

The Azure Administrator is aimed at people who implement, manage, and monitor an organization’s Azure environment — cloud administrators, systems administrators moving to Azure, and infrastructure engineers.

Microsoft recommends familiarity with the Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell, ARM/Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID, plus general operating-system, networking, and virtualization knowledge. AZ-900 is a helpful precursor but not required.

AZ-104 is relevant to roles such as Azure administrator, cloud administrator, systems administrator, and infrastructure engineer, where running an Azure environment is part of the job. It is a foundation for Azure associate and expert paths.

How much any certification moves compensation depends heavily on geography, seniority, and hands-on experience, so treat any single salary figure with caution. AZ-104 is best viewed as a way to demonstrate Azure administration skills rather than a guaranteed raise on its own.

Candidates with Azure experience often need four to eight weeks; those newer to Azure should plan for two to three months at roughly an hour a day. The most efficient path is to learn the five skill areas while practising in the Azure portal, then shift the majority of your time to timed scenario practice.

A good rhythm is to study one skill area at a time and drill its topic quiz immediately, then move to mixed, full-length timed mocks in the final stretch — reviewing every explanation, including for questions you answered correctly, because AZ-104 distractors are built from plausible but incorrect Azure configurations. Use the per-domain results here to find your weakest area.

Study the five skill areas above, giving the most time to identity/governance and compute, then drill practice questions area by area. Every MockAPI question reveals a full explanation and tells you why each wrong answer is wrong — essential for an exam whose distractors are realistic misconfigurations.

When you can answer topic drills comfortably, move to a full-length timed mock to rehearse pacing, and pair this with hands-on practice in the Azure portal. Use the glossary to nail terminology, and aim to score consistently above the pass mark on mocks before you book.

Yes. Microsoft delivers AZ-104 through Pearson VUE, so you can test at a physical Pearson VUE centre or online with remote proctoring (OnVUE). The online exam requires a private, quiet room, a clear workspace, a webcam and microphone, a stable connection, and government-issued photo ID, with a proctor monitoring you and a room scan before you start.

If you do not pass, Microsoft requires a 24-hour wait before a second attempt; after that, a 14-day wait applies between further attempts, with a limit of five attempts in a 12-month period, and each attempt needs its own registration. Once you pass, the certification is renewable for free on Microsoft Learn.

After AZ-104, common next steps include the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), which builds directly on administrator knowledge, or role-based associate exams such as the Azure Developer (AZ-204) or Azure Network Engineer.

Microsoft also offers specialty and security certifications (for example Azure Security Engineer, AZ-500) that pair well with administrator skills. Pairing any of these with hands-on Azure experience is what turns a certificate into a career.