Microsoft unveiled a new Azure certification path at Ignite 2018. Or, to be more precise, a series pointing to various Azure certs. The AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam was one of the new features in this approach.
Although it is not mandatory, it is the first step in every Azure certification path. This means that it offers a lot of value for your money. All azure certifications offer bang for your bucks.
This article will explore the AZ900 exam’s structure and the context surrounding it. It will answer the question, “Is AZ900 worth it?”
What does the AZ-900 cover?
Microsoft’s new role-based certification pathways narrow the focus of each certificate to specific roles within an organization. These certifications are extremely easy, with only one exam required for more than half of them.
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Start trainingThe AZ900 exam is an optional preparatory step on your path to the actual certification exams. This tells us two important things. The material is sufficiently broad to be applicable to all Azure roles, which also means that it won’t be critical enough to play any role in any of Microsoft’s mandatory exams.
The chart above shows that as much as half of the exam is made up of basic principles (Understanding Cloud Concepts, Understanding Security, Privacy, Compliance, Trust, and Trust). The second half of the exam covers core Azure concepts such as Pricing, Support, and Services. We need to look at the wider economic context in order to understand why Microsoft created this exam.
Cloud computing services are revolutionizing IT industry. AWS is still the market leader in overall market size, but Azure is growing fast and is quickly gaining ground. These two giants offer services at a 99 percent equivalence, which makes the distinction for subscribers a business decision and not a technological one.
Microsoft realized that to keep up with AWS’s expansion and competition, they needed to quickly recruit a large number of professionals. Because of the sheer number of people involved, many would not have technical backgrounds or be able to use cloud computing. This makes an introductory path a necessity.
Is the AZ-900 worth it? Maybe.
This problem was solved by AZ-900. Microsoft’s learning path is designed to take anyone from a “I don’t know anything about Azure or cloud computing” position to pass the exam in a mere ten hours. This is great news for those who fall into one of these categories:
Cloud computing is new to you. You are just starting out in the industry and don’t know how your career will develop or what role you want to play.
Although you are familiar with cloud computing, you have little to no experience with Azure.
You are an architect or sysadmin on the prem who is moving into a cloud-based position.
This video will discuss the question in more detail.
Cloud Computing is a new concept
AZ-900 may be a good choice if you’re new to cloud computing. It’s a significant achievement to pass your first official exam. AZ-900 provides a low-risk environment for you to do this. You can gain momentum by preparing for tougher tests with momentum. This will help you get far and you don’t want to let your first failure discourage you from making further progress. It can also give you an opportunity to see the multi-step certification process in action: AZ-900 prepares for the next exam, regardless if you choose the path that leads to a Microsoft Azure certification.
You have used GCP or AWS, but not Azure
If you