Azure Fundamentals: Is this Certification for Me?
Tags: azure, dotnet, cloud, certification
Published: 2020-05-22 12:19:34

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Want to get an Azure certification to spruce up that resume?  Or maybe you just want a structured way to learn some foundational concepts of Azure?  This is the place for you!

In this series of articles I'll walk through what helped me pass [AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals] (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-900).

#What is AZ-900?
AZ-900 is a "starter" certification and will allow you to demonstrate your general knowledge of Azure fundamentals.  The exam covers 4 broad areas which we'll discuss in detail:
1. general cloud concepts
2. Azure services
3. security
4. pricing

This exam is not a prerequisite for any other certification exam.

#Who Should Take It
The exam is ideal for candidates with roles such as business analysts, QA, DevOps, scrum masters, delivery managers, and IT sales leads reps.  General IT experience is a great benefit, although not absolutely required. 

This exam is also ideal for a developer that wants to get a handle of the key Azure services and get their feet wet in the world of Azure certifications.

#My Results - your mileage may vary
I am a "seasoned" IT professional that started as a developer and now focuses on test automation and architecting automation solutions.  I have successfully completed a number of Microsoft certifications in the past, even going back to the Stone Age where I was certified with SQL Server 6.5.  More recently I completed [AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate](https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-associate/). 

I decided to work toward the certification when I started working on an Azure project.  I didn't have a ton of Azure experience, so it seemed like the perfect time to get this certification.  After deciding to focus on AZ-900, the first thing I did was schedule the test, 2 weeks out.  Scheduling the exam before I'm ready tends to get me motivated to prepare.

I took the exam on May 19, 2020.  At that time all exams were taken online and proctored via webcam using software provided in the registration process.  I was given 60 minutes for the exam and completed the 32 question exam in about 40 minutes. I spent about 8 hours total prepping for the exam, and was able to pass with a decent score.

#Enough about me, it's study time!
Although the exam covers a lot of ground, it really just scrapes the surface of each topic.  There is no requirement to have a deep understanding of any of these topics, and my notes reflect that.  Also, these notes were cobbled together before I took the exam so there are no juicy details from the actual exam. 

The rest of this series discusses the specific exam requirements from [Microsoft's exam skills outline](https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE3VwUY), with bulleted details provided by me.  Understanding the information at this level of detail will give you a good start at passing AZ-900.  Best of luck to you!   

Now head over to [Part 2](https://dev.to/leading-edje/azure-fundamentals-cloud-concepts-and-azure-services-3ljd) and let's get down to business!

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