Which Azure Certification is Good for You?
Over the past few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the world of computing, with cloud computing being on the forefront. It is a computing model based on the internet and it provides on-demand data and shared computer processing to computers and devices.
With cloud computing, a pool of computing resources can be shared and accessed. This allows the transfer of information in an effortless manner. Cloud computing has enabled enterprises and users to store and process data in third-party data storage centers. This makes it cost effective for companies as overhead costs for IT infrastructure is avoided.
Since a large majority of organizations all over the world are adopting cloud computing, there is a high demand for professionals who are skilled in this particular area. Cloud computing experts have a wide range of options in addition to getting lucrative salaries, which is why it is an extremely sought-after position in the world of IT.
Before thinking of Azure certification, it is important to know whether getting any cloud certification is worth it for your career.
An IT professional considering taking a cloud certification may be confused whether to go for Microsoft Azure or AWS (Amazon Web Services) certification. For such professionals, the following points should be considered before making a decision:
Microsoft has a vast platform with lots of features. Furthermore, new features are released by Microsoft on a regular basis. As such, the landscape of Azure continuous to evolve regularly. Having said that, with an Azure certification exam, you will gain a good understanding on certain feature sets that form the core of the entire platform. These features include Cloud Services, Web Apps, Messaging, Storage, Virtual Machines and a lot more.
Microsoft doesn’t have certifications specifically for each set of Azure features. Instead, the certifications target a particular work role through more encompassing exams. The three main roles targeted in this regard are IT Professional, Developer and Architect. Hence, the materials for each specific exam do end up overlapping, although they target a particular work role.
Getting certified in Microsoft Azure is indicative of a skill that certainly increases the chances of a candidate getting hired. Given the increasing demand, there has also been a drastic increase in opportunities for Microsoft Azure certified aspirants in recent years.
Microsoft Azure meets all the needs for satisfying millions of users across the world.
The industry recognized Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certifications demonstrate your IT professional and developer technical expertise through various industry-recognized exams. On passing your first qualifying MCP exam, you will automatically become a Microsoft Certified Professional.
Note that the Microsoft Certified Professional(MCP) certification is no longer available, but will be added to your transcript when you pass an MCP exam. However, you may not be able to get all the program benefits until you successfully earn your first certification.
The main consideration is which exam should you take first? To decide that you need to consider the following factors:
In 2018, new Azure certifications were added for the IT professionals and some of the existing ones were retired. The new Azure role-based Azure certifications were launched after getting feedback from the previous exam takers. To select the best certification, you must know about all the certifications Microsoft has to offer. Here, we are providing you with six different Azure Certifications path based on the roles:
AZ-900 is the foundational level exam created for IT professionals wanting to validate their knowledge of the Microsoft Azure platform. You can take this exam even if you are not from a technical background but have a basic knowledge of the cloud concepts. This exam is also a stepping stone for other associate and expert level Azure certifications. The exam will cover the cloud concepts, the core services of Azure, Azure support and pricing, and security, trust, compliance, and privacy. The exam is available in English and costs $99 USD.
For this role, you need to pass Exam AZ-103. To be eligible for this exam, you must have an understanding of Azure applications, cloud, operating systems, and storage infrastructure. Apart from this, you must know how the virtualization tools and networking components work. Having a basic understanding of Command Line Interface and PowerShell will act as an advantage. In the exam, there will be a number of different domains covered including Implementing and managing storage, configuring and managing virtual networks, managing Azure resources and subscriptions, managing identities, and deploying and managing virtual machines. It is available in English and costs $165 USD.
For this role, you need to pass AZ-203 exam. The prerequisites for this exam include expertise in developing apps and services by implementing tools and technologies provided on the Azure platform. At least 1 year of working experience in developing solutions that are scalable is required. Also, the candidate must be proficient in at least one programming language supported by the cloud. During the exam, you will be asked questions regarding developing for Azure storage, developing Azure infrastructure as a solution for service compute, implementing Azure security, troubleshooting, monitoring, and optimizing Azure solutions, and connecting and consuming services from third-parties and Azure. The exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD.
You need to pass two exams for this role, AZ-300 and AZ-301.
For the AZ-300 exam: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies, you must have at least 1 year of experience working with the Azure platform. A basic knowledge of data management, identity, security, and IT operations is also required. Also, you must be familiar with DevOps, Azure administration, and Azure development. The exam covers several domains including deploying and configuring infrastructure, implementing security and workloads, creating and deploying apps, architecting solutions using cloud technology, developing for the cloud, securing data, and implementing authentication. The exam, costing about $165 USD, is only available in English.
For the AZ-301 exam: Microsoft Azure Architect Design, the prerequisites are the same as for the AZ-300. However, you also need to pass the AZ-300 exam to be eligible for the AZ-301 exam. The domains of this exam include determining requirements of the workload, designing for security and identity, designing a strategy for business continuity, designing a solution for data platform, designing to deploy, migrate, and integrate, and designing a strategy for infrastructure. The exam is only available in English and costs $165 USD.
The exam for this role is the AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions. To be eligible for this exam, candidates must have knowledge of Azure administration and development. You must have the ability of designing and implementing DevOps practices for version control, infrastructure as code, configuration management, releasing, compliance, building, and testing using the Azure technologies. Also, you must be proficient in Agile practices. The exam will include domains like designing a DevOps strategy, implementing continuous integration and delivery, DevOps Development Processes, continuous feedback, dependency management, and application infrastructure. The exam costs $165 USD and is only available in English.
For this new role, you need to pass the AZ-500 exam: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies. The prerequisites for this exam include knowledge of how to implement security controls on the Azure platform, virtualization, Amazon Kubernetes Service, and cloud N-tier architecture. You must have the ability of using security tools for recognizing and addressing vulnerabilities and protecting applications, data, and networks by implementing the security solutions. Expertise in maintaining security status, identity and access management, and scripting and automation is also required. The domains covered in this exam include management of identity and access, and security operations, implementing platform protection, and securing applications and data. The exam is available in English and costs $165 USD.
Now that you have all the information regarding the different Azure certifications, you can select the one that best suits your needs. To learn about the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, check out Microsoft Azure Fundamentals course.
Azure Fundamentals
Azure Administrator Associate
Azure Developer Associate
Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
Azure Security Engineer Associate
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