Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Certification 2026 - Best Entry-Level Cloud Cert for India

About AZ-900

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification is the world’s most widely attempted entry-level cloud certification and arguably the best starting point for anyone in India looking to enter the cloud industry.

Unlike most certifications, AZ-900 has no prerequisites and no expiry date — once you pass, you are certified for life. The exam tests foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure services, making it accessible to IT students, freshers, non-technical professionals, and developers alike.

With Azure being India’s most widely deployed enterprise cloud (HDFC Bank, Reliance, Infosys, TCS, HCL all run significant Azure workloads), AZ-900 is highly valued across BFSI, IT services, and GCC sectors.

Why AZ-900 Is the Right First Certification

Reason	Detail
No prerequisites	Anyone can take it — students, freshers, mid-career switchers
No expiry	Pass once, certified forever
High market recognition	Every major Indian IT company recognises Azure certs
Gateway to higher Azure certs	AZ-900 → AZ-104 (Administrator) → AZ-305 (Solutions Expert)
Affordable	$165 vs $200-$300 for professional-level certs
Free learning path	Microsoft Learn provides free study content

Exam Details

Parameter	Detail
Exam Code	AZ-900
Full Name	Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
Exam Fee	$165 USD (approx ₹13,800 at June 2026 rates)
Duration	45 minutes
Number of Questions	40-60 (multiple choice, drag-and-drop, case studies)
Passing Score	700 out of 1000
Validity	Does not expire
Delivery	Online proctored (from home) OR Pearson VUE test centre
Prerequisites	None

Exam Registration — Direct Steps

1. Go to: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/azure-fundamentals/
2. Click “Schedule exam” → You will be directed to the Pearson VUE scheduling system
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account (create one free if you don’t have one)
4. In Pearson VUE, search for “Azure Fundamentals AZ-900”
5. Select exam delivery method: Online proctored (test from home) OR Test centre
6. For online: Run the Pearson VUE system test to verify your computer, webcam, and internet meet requirements
7. For test centre: Select a Pearson VUE location in your city — available across Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Noida, Chandigarh, Kochi, and 40+ other cities
8. Choose your preferred date, time, and language (English)
9. Pay exam fee via debit card, credit card, or net banking
10. Receive confirmation and appointment details via email

Exam Syllabus

AZ-900 covers six domains:

Domain	Weightage
Describe cloud concepts	25-30%
Describe Azure architecture and services	35-40%
Describe Azure management and governance	30-35%

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (25-30%)

• What is cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
• Shared responsibility model
• Cloud deployment models (public, private, hybrid)
• Benefits: high availability, scalability, reliability, predictability, security, governance, manageability
• CapEx vs OpEx

Domain 2: Azure Architecture and Services (35-40%)

• Azure regions, availability zones, region pairs, sovereign regions
• Azure resources, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups
• Compute: VMs, VM Scale Sets, Azure Container Instances, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Functions, App Service
• Networking: VNet, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, DNS, Peering, Load Balancer, Application Gateway, CDN
• Storage: Blob, File, Queue, Table, Managed Disks, storage tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive)
• Identity: Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), single sign-on, MFA, Conditional Access

Domain 3: Azure Management and Governance (30-35%)

• Cost management: pricing calculator, TCO calculator, Azure Cost Management
• Tags, resource locks, Azure Policy
• Azure Blueprints, Purview, Advisor
• Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Service Health, Azure Arc

Free Study Resources

Microsoft provides free official study materials:

1. Microsoft Learn Learning Path — Official free course: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/azure-fundamentals/ — 6 modules, approximately 10 hours
2. Practice Assessment — Free 50-question practice test directly from Microsoft: available on the AZ-900 certification page under “Practice for exam”
3. Official Study Guide PDF — Free from Microsoft Learn
4. Azure free account — azure.microsoft.com/free — $200 credits for 30 days + always-free services to practice hands-on

After AZ-900 — Azure Certification Roadmap

AZ-900 is the foundation. Progress based on your role:

Role	Next Certification
Cloud Administrator	AZ-104 (Microsoft Azure Administrator)
Cloud Developer	AZ-204 (Developing Solutions for Azure)
Solutions Architect	AZ-305 (Designing Azure Infrastructure Solutions)
AI Engineer	AI-102 (Azure AI Engineer Associate)
Data Engineer	DP-203 (Azure Data Engineer Associate)
Security Engineer	AZ-500 (Azure Security Technologies)

Salary Impact in India

Profile	Salary Range Before AZ-900	After AZ-900 + Experience
IT Fresher	₹3-4 LPA	₹4-6 LPA (faster placement)
IT Support (1-3 yrs)	₹4-7 LPA	₹7-12 LPA (with AZ-104)
Developer (2-4 yrs)	₹8-15 LPA	₹12-22 LPA (with AZ-204)

AZ-900 alone doesn’t significantly change salary — it’s a signal for foundational knowledge. The real ROI comes when you stack it with AZ-104, AZ-204, or AZ-305.

Preparation Tips for Indian Candidates

• Do not skip Microsoft Learn — The official free path is all you need for theory. Spend 10-12 hours on it.
• Practice assessment first — Take Microsoft’s free 50-question practice test to gauge your baseline
• Hands-on is optional for AZ-900 but creates understanding — use the Azure free account to explore the portal
• Attempt in 3-4 weeks — AZ-900 prep should not take more than a month. It’s a beginner exam.
• Adam Marczak’s YouTube series on AZ-900 is highly recommended by Indian candidates for visual learners
• Whizlabs or MeasureUp practice tests if you want additional mock questions beyond Microsoft’s own

Register at: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/azure-fundamentals/