My exam preparation for Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

MVP

 

Hi Azure Friends,

 

Why should I take a certification? What does this certificate bring me? These are questions I am often asked. In all honesty, there is no exact answer to these questions. Let me explain how it would answer for me.

The first question: I'm getting to know a new technology, I invest a lot of time, so why not complete this assignment with a certificate!

Question number two: For me it is just a great feeling to learn new things, to keep up with the times and to get a new certificate. It also looks great in the CV (curriculum vitae) ;-)!

 

So now let's look at the next steps together! My exam preparation checklist:

 

1. Read through the skills measured at your leisure

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-104

 

2.Read the Study Guide by @thomasmaurer . This is super helpful information!

https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2020/03/az-104-study-guide-azure-administrator/

 

3. Create a free Azure account, if you don't already have one, so that you can do all the exercises in a hands-on manner

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/

 

4. Take a close look at the Microsoft learning path, even better work through it right away (the learning paths are listed a little further down on the website)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-104

 

5. Register for the exam early. This creates some pressure and you stay motivated

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-104

 

6. Now it goes to the Microsoft Learn content. These learn paths (as you can see below) I have worked through completely and "mapped"/reconfigured as much as possible in my test environment.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-administrator-prerequisites/

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-manage-identities-governance/

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-manage-storage/

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-manage-compute-resources/

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-manage-virtual-networks/

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/az-104-monitor-backup-resources/

 

7. Practice, practice, practice ... With examples from the Microsoft Azure documentation portal

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/?product=compute

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/?product=identity

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/?product=networking

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/?product=storage

 

Perhaps as an additional tip. If you have learned something new, try to explain it to another person (regardless of whether this person is familiar with this topic), if you succeed without effort, you have understood the newly learned super.

I do this in a similar way. Not that I explain it to another person, no I create a YouTube video.

 

I hope this information helps you and that you successfully pass the exam. I wish you success!

 

Kind regards, Tom Wechsler

2 Replies
I've passed the AZ-900 exam 2 years ago.
I've studied it again at the beginning of 2021, then I've passed through all the learning modules for AZ-103 and for AZ-104 (doing practice and all the simulations) and I've also used my PluralSight subscription: even if I've been studying and having practice for more than 6 months, (the minimum experience required as per Microsoft statement in the AZ-104 exam page) too me many exam's questions still look too far away from what I've studied in the learning paths.
I've recently passed my AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-303/304, AZ-700 and going for the AZ-140 and these questions have helped a lot with motivation as well as the promising career track with learning the technologies which bolster these certs. Pluralsight, MS learn, Thomas Maurer, Mindhub (practice tests) and Global Knowledge have helped me incredibly with passing all of these certs.