Is the Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) certification worth it?

Take AZ-104 if you already operate infrastructure and are targeting hands-on Azure administration. If you are new to IT or only need cloud vocabulary, build operating-system, networking, and Azure foundations first. Microsoft describes the target candidate as experienced in implementing, managing, and monitoring Azure environments. That makes this a fit decision for infrastructure operators, not a universal beginner starting point or a guaranteed outcome.

How long does it take to study for the Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam?

Learnerside's reviewed evidence establishes no reliable universal study-duration range for Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104). Plan from the official exam scope, the vendor's recommended background, and the labs you cannot yet complete without help. Start with a scope check, practice the weak domains hands-on, and schedule only after you can explain and perform the tested work consistently. Calendar time without a measured skill gap is not a defensible readiness estimate.

Is the Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam hard?

How hard Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) is depends on the background it assumes, and the vendor states that directly: Microsoft describes the target candidate as having subject-matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an Azure environment, plus familiarity with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the portal, ARM/Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID (Intermediate level; a recommendation, not a requirement). That is the vendor's own statement, not a Learnerside rating and not a pass rate — we found no candidate pass rate on the vendor pages we reviewed. Compare it against the exam scope the vendor publishes and your own hands-on gaps to decide what to practise.

What should I know before taking the Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam?

Before AZ-104, Microsoft recommends (not requires) hands-on experience with Azure administration plus PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, and ARM/Bicep. There's no formal prerequisite and AZ-900 is not required — but the recommended experience is real, so plan for any gaps. Anyone can register for AZ-104; Microsoft states no hard prerequisite and AZ-900 is not required. The vendor describes the target candidate as having subject-matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an Azure environment, and being familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization, plus PowerShell, Azure CLI, the portal, ARM/Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID. That's a recommendation framing your readiness, not a gate — and being eligible is separate from getting hired.

Does Microsoft AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) expire?

Yes - and notably, this role-based cert expires every 1 year, so it renews on a yearly cycle rather than every three (as of 2026-06-14). Microsoft role-based certifications like AZ-104 expire annually and must be renewed each year.

How do I renew Microsoft AZ-104?

Renew AZ-104 for free by passing the open-book online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn within the 6-month window before expiry (as of 2026-06-14). The renewal is a free, open-book assessment on Microsoft Learn and extends the credential one year; there is no exam-center visit.

How much does Microsoft AZ-104 renewal cost (and how many CEUs)?

AZ-104 renewal is free - the open-book Microsoft Learn assessment costs $0 and extends the credential one year (as of 2026-06-14). Microsoft uses an assessment, not CEUs, so there is no CEU requirement. No maintenance fee and no CEU count apply; the cost is your time to pass the free assessment.

certification

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

AZ-104 decision

Take AZ-104 for Azure administration, build cloud foundations first, or choose another platform?

The call: Choose Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate when your target work involves operating Azure identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring and you can practice those tasks in the platform. Choose AZ-900 first when Azure concepts are still new; compare AWS SAA when the real choice is Azure operations versus AWS architecture.

Take AZ-104 now when

You are targeting hands-on Azure administration rather than general cloud literacy.
You can work through operating-system, networking, server, virtualization, and identity concepts and want an Azure-specific implementation target.
You will use the portal, command line, and infrastructure tooling instead of preparing only from summaries.

Wait, choose another route, or skip it when

Subscriptions, identity, virtual networks, storage, compute, and monitoring are still only vocabulary.
Your target work is architecture on AWS rather than administration on Azure.
You cannot access a safe environment for the hands-on practice the exam scope assumes.

Current exam: AZ-104 Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — current exam/version · checked 2026-09-30
Formal prerequisite: No formal exam-registration prerequisite was observed on the Microsoft credential page and study guide checked September 30, 2026; neither lists AZ-900 as required. This observation is separate from preparation and course-entry expectations. Microsoft Azure Administrator credential page · checked 2026-09-30
Recommended background: Microsoft says candidates should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization, and should have experience with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft AZ-104 study guide · checked 2026-09-30
Training-path/course readiness: Microsoft Learn lists three Azure Fundamentals learning paths as educational prerequisites; earning AZ-900 is not required by that list. AZ-104T00-A separately assumes virtualization, networking, identity, storage and recovery foundations. Course providers may set their own entry expectations. Microsoft specifies no required number of months or years for AZ-104 in these checked sources. Microsoft AZ-104 prerequisite learning path · checked 2026-09-30
Exam price: $165 Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-09-29
Renewal: Free annual renewal assessment AZ-104 renewal terms · checked 2026-09-25
Page reviewed: 2026-09-30

Certification details change. Always confirm final pricing, availability, and credential terms on the official provider page linked in the sources below before you pay for anything.

AZ-104 exam version and language timing

Current study target checked September 30 2026: AZ-104. English skills measured are effective April 17 2026; the credential lists a 100-minute proctored assessment and the study guide requires a score of at least 700. Microsoft updates English first and usually localizes about eight weeks later; that timing is not guaranteed. Its change log describes minor audience and task revisions in storage; compute; networking; and monitoring without replacing the five domain groups. Exact question count; future update dates; and language-specific cutovers remain unknown.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — current exam/version · checked 2026-09-30 Microsoft English objectives and change log · checked 2026-09-30

What the decision means

An Azure operations target, not proof that you can administer a production tenant safely

AZ-104 is useful when the work involves operating Azure identity, governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring. It is an administrator credential rather than a general cloud-literacy badge or an architecture credential, so it makes sense only when Azure operations match the work you need to practice.

What the exam tests

Managing Azure identities and governance, including access and subscription controls.
Implementing and managing storage, compute resources, and virtual networking.
Monitoring, maintaining, backing up, and recovering Azure resources.

Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

What holding it does not prove

That you can administer a production tenant, investigate an incident, or make a safe change unsupervised.
That you can design a complete cloud architecture or make platform-neutral tradeoffs.
That you have handled real identity, cost, reliability, backup, or recovery consequences.

What to build alongside it

An Entra ID and RBAC review that explains users, groups, roles, scope, least privilege, and an access correction.
A small Azure environment with networking, storage, compute, policy, and monitoring you can rebuild and explain.
An alert or failure investigation using metrics, logs, resource health, and a documented diagnosis.
A backup-and-restore or infrastructure change exercise with validation, cost notes, and rollback evidence.

Use only systems and labs you own or are authorized to operate.

Before you schedule

Build cloud and systems foundations first if Azure resources are still disconnected vocabulary

No certification prerequisite was observed on the checked Microsoft exam sources. Its candidate profile nevertheless assumes Azure administration work and familiarity with the portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, ARM or Bicep, and Entra ID. Build the operating-system, networking, identity, and command-line context that makes those tools meaningful before scheduling.

Systems and virtualization

Work with operating systems, processes, storage, permissions, virtual machines, updates, backups, and basic troubleshooting without treating the cloud portal as the whole system.

Networking and identity

Explain IP addressing, DNS, routes, firewalls, load balancing, users, groups, roles, scope, authentication, and least privilege well enough to predict the effect of a change.

Portal and command-line practice

Create, inspect, change, and remove safe lab resources through the portal and at least one command-line or infrastructure-as-code route, while watching cost and permissions.

Choose AZ-900 first when Azure concepts and shared-responsibility basics are still the gap. Compare AWS Solutions Architect Associate when the real target is AWS architecture rather than Azure administration. Skip AZ-104 when you will not operate Azure or cannot get safe hands-on practice.

Training format decision

Choose the pace from your readiness—not the course title

A short boot camp, a longer full-day course, and an evening or weekend schedule can cover the same certification while offering very different amounts of instruction, practice, feedback, and recovery time.

Focused or accelerated

If you already perform the AZ-104 skills in real work or labs, compare focused exam preparation and targeted gap-closing labs instead of automatically buying a full foundations course.

Confirm the prerequisite assumptions and the hours spent on review versus hands-on work.

Foundations and guided practice

If the prerequisite tasks above are still new, compare a longer or spread-out AZ-104 course that leaves time for guided practice rather than assuming an intensive week will create the missing foundation.

Prioritize individual lab time, instructor feedback, and enough space between sessions to practise.

Schedule-led

Compare consecutive weekdays, shorter sessions, evenings, and weekends in your own time zone. Count every live meeting and total teaching hours; calendar duration alone does not establish depth.

Verify before you shortlist

Current course and exam version, every meeting date, local time, and seat availability
Total price, taxes, official courseware, labs, vouchers, retakes, and access periods
Instructor background, class size, recordings, support, and cancellation terms
Vendor authorization, learning-credit eligibility, and seller-versus-delivery identity

See dated, provider-published class references when available before deciding whether to contact Learnerside. These dates are not seat confirmations or a match to your requirements. Public provider research remains named and sourced.

See published class dates or ask for help

Preparation decision

The cheapest sensible route is Microsoft’s study guide, free learning, and a controlled Azure lab

Start free

Start with the current AZ-104 study guide, Microsoft Learn, and the official practice assessment. Use a budget-controlled or sandbox environment to build the identity, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, backup, and troubleshooting evidence the exam outline names.

Azure Administrator (AZ-104) free learning-path series · Checked 2026-09-30.

Free learning content is not free Azure infrastructure. Confirm subscription and exercise costs; use spending controls and remove lab resources. Instructor-led delivery is separate and paid.

Open the AZ-104 free-study route →

Pay only for a named constraint

Paid AZ-104 instruction can make sense when instructor feedback, guided labs, a fixed deadline, employer funding, or a schedule you will actually keep solves a real blocker. Compare formats, lab access, recordings, support, voucher inclusion, retakes, and cancellation terms rather than treating unlike offers as interchangeable.

Compare published AZ-104 training prices →

Employer-funded or team training

Define the capability target, learner count, starting level, deadline, delivery format, time zone, and approval requirement before asking for quotes.

Plan employer or team training →

Official course outline and exam scope

AZ-104 is an intermediate administrator course, not a first introduction to cloud. Compare each offer against Microsoft’s current role profile, the practice you will perform, the pace you can absorb and the complete approval package.

Official baseline

Exam scope: Microsoft’s April 17, 2026 study guide weights identities and governance at 20–25%, storage at 15–20%, compute at 20–25%, virtual networking at 15–20%, and monitoring and maintenance at 10–15%.

Training scope: Microsoft identifies AZ-104T00-A as a four-day intermediate course for Azure administrators. It expects experience with virtualization, networking, identity and storage and covers subscriptions, infrastructure, networking, storage, compute, backup and monitoring.

How to use it: The related credential and topic alignment do not establish complete exam readiness or equal lab depth. Four days is Microsoft’s course duration, not 96 preparation hours. Total instructional hours, time per domain, learner-performed lab time and the exact courseware revision at a provider remain unknown unless that delivery source states them.

Course and learning-series topics below are paraphrased. Exam weights come from the separate study guide; they are not classroom time allocations or guaranteed question proportions. Topic mappings are Learnerside’s interpretation, not an official course-to-exam coverage guarantee.

Azure administration foundations: Course/readiness prerequisites; not an exam domain · Exam weight: Not applicable.
Identity and governance practice: Manage Azure identities and governance · Exam weight: 20–25%.
Storage administration: Implement and manage storage · Exam weight: 15–20%.
Compute administration: Deploy and manage Azure compute resources · Exam weight: 20–25%.
Virtual-network administration: Implement and manage virtual networking · Exam weight: 15–20%.
Monitoring and backup practice: Monitor and maintain Azure resources · Exam weight: 10–15%.

Microsoft AZ-104 study guide (checked September 30, 2026) · Microsoft AZ-104T00-A official course page (checked September 30, 2026) · Microsoft six-path Azure Administrator learning series (checked September 30, 2026)

Evidence boundary: This comparison paraphrases public outlines; it does not republish a provider syllabus, verify a seat, or prove that every listed topic receives equal live instruction. A provider-issued proposal should identify the exact course version, schedule, delivery organization, inclusions and terms.

Detailed exam costs and entry requirements

What Microsoft asks for

Recommended background: Microsoft describes candidates as having subject-matter expertise implementing, managing, and monitoring Azure environments; familiarity with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization; and experience with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID. This is candidate guidance, not a registration requirement. A recommendation, not a registration requirement.

Prerequisites: The current credential page and study guide reviewed on 2026-09-09 do not list a formal registration prerequisite or name AZ-900 as required.

The exam itself
Length	100 minutes

Exam details read from Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-06-12T17:55:54+00:00.

Cost & upkeep

Exam fee plus what it takes to keep it — the recurring cost most pages hide.

Exam price (US): $165 Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-09-29Recorded United States regional exam price, not a worldwide quote. Confirm the applicable country or region price before purchase. · verified 2026-09-29 · read from the official vendor page
Renewal fee (annual): Free renewal assessment Microsoft renewal fees · checked 2026-09-25Free open-book online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn: pass during the 6-month window before expiry to extend certification one year from its expiration date

We publish no ROI or payback figure for this credential. What providers actually charge to train you → Training a team instead of yourself? →

Exam logistics

Exam at a glance

How Microsoft administers the exam — the logistics only. This is format, not a pass prediction, and it says nothing about how hard the material is for your background.

Duration: 100 minutes
Testing provider: Pearson VUE
Delivery: Microsoft exams are delivered by Pearson VUE, online-proctored (OnVUE) or at a test center, with the proctor monitoring by webcam and microphone.
Online proctoring: A government ID whose name exactly matches your profile (legal-name-change or ID-renewal forms are not accepted online), a walled room with the door closed and no one else present, a phone-camera scan of the room/desk/ID reviewed by a greeter, a clear work area with no notes or food (a clear spill-proof drink is OK), and a system test with admin permissions.

Policies change; verify delivery, ID, room-scan, reschedule, and refund rules on the official page before you book or pay. See exam-day logistics →

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-06-12 Microsoft Learn · checked 2026-06-14

Preparation planning

Preparation time

We have not recorded an official prep-time estimate

Microsoft lists the AZ-104T00-A instructor-led course as 4 days. It does not publish teaching hours or a universal exam-preparation duration there; individual preparation varies by background.

This figure is the published length of the vendor's own official training for this exam, or an explicit no-estimate gap. It is not a vendor estimate of preparation time, and not a promise of how long a learner will need to pass.

Microsoft — AZ-104T00-A: Microsoft Azure Administrator · checked 2026-09-29

Exam domains and weighting

Skills measured

Vendor-published objective domains and exam weights, normalized for display; use the cited official objectives for exact wording. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-06-12

20–25%Manage Azure identities and governancePractice users, groups, role scope, policies, subscriptions, and cost controls; explain who can change each resource and why.Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

20–25%Deploy and manage Azure compute resourcesDeploy and troubleshoot virtual machines, containers and App Service, including repeatable ARM or Bicep changes.Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

15–20%Implement and manage storageConfigure storage access, redundancy, files and blobs; choose lifecycle and recovery settings for a stated data need.Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

15–20%Implement and manage virtual networkingBuild virtual networks and access boundaries, then test name resolution, routing and connectivity.Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

10–15%Monitor and maintain Azure resourcesUse metrics, logs, alerts, backup and recovery evidence to diagnose and restore Azure resources.Microsoft Learn (AZ-104) · checked 2026-09-09

Compare learning with the exam scope

Name an Azure administration task and the support you need. Public research and an employer brief require no contact details; instruction can be useful without buying an exam.

Ask about AZ-104 training Draft an employer or team brief

AZ-104T00-A: Microsoft Azure Administrator

Course outline reference: Observed 2026-10-07: Intermediate course outline; four-day published duration; instructor-led or self-paced preparation listed; contact hours and personal effort unknown. Selected tuition and practice access unknown; duration is not personal preparation time.

Starting knowledge: Microsoft expects experience in virtualization, networking, identity and storage, including TCP/IP, DNS, VPNs/firewalls, Active Directory and backup/recovery. These are audience recommendations, not verified personal admission or formal exam prerequisites.

Read the taught scope and access limits

Azure subscription and identity administration; Infrastructure and virtual networking; Hybrid connectivity and traffic; Storage solutions; Virtual machines, web applications and containers; Backup, recovery and monitoring

The public official overview describes a four-day Intermediate course and instructor-led or self-paced preparation. It covers subscription and identity administration, infrastructure and networking, storage, compute, backup and monitoring. Syllabus controls and identifiers were captured, but individual lesson bodies or exercises were not inspected. Selected seller, tuition, seat, delivered revision, live contact hours, personal effort, account/compute permission, furnished labs, feedback, access period and voucher inclusion remain unknown. Reading this outline is not enrollment, personal admission or demonstrated readiness.

Official outline observed 2026-10-07. This is not a selected delivered course.

AZ-104 official exam objectives (April 17, 2026 scope)

Exam objective reference: Public scope reading; no taught course, practice environment or exam purchase.

Use this to check what the exam assesses, separately from what an instructor teaches or how much practice you need.

Read objective weights and their limits

The separately captured study guide is effective April 17, 2026: Azure identities/governance 20–25%; storage 15–20%; compute 20–25%; networking 15–20%; monitoring/maintenance 10–15%. These are exam objectives and weight ranges, not taught topics, classroom allocations, guaranteed question proportions or a personal readiness score. Public scope reading is not purchased instruction, a furnished practice environment or exam registration. Selected instruction and permitted practice have separate costs and access conditions.

Observed 2026-10-07; weights are not teaching allocations or a readiness score.

Official course modules and provider options

Course and learning-path modules checked 2026-10-15 UTC. AZ-104T00-A is intermediate, with four classroom days. Its six linked paths contain 28 modules; four days is not a self-directed study estimate, personal readiness result or verified live contact time.

The exam skills above describe assessment. These modules describe learning. Related topics do not prove every exam objective is taught or that a partner delivers this exact revision.

Six official learning paths and 28 taught modules

Administrator prerequisites (2 modules)

Identity and governance (6 modules)

Storage (4 modules)

Compute (5 modules)

Virtual networks (8 modules)

Monitoring and backup (3 modules)

Published exercises and practice access

ARM template exercises
The module lists exercises to deploy a template and add parameters and outputs. It expects an Azure account, local Visual Studio Code and Azure CLI or PowerShell. Published tasks do not supply a practice subscription or prove a paid class includes them.
Azure DNS exercises
The module describes a DNS zone/A record and alias-record exercises. Its optional exercises require your own subscription and might incur charges. No account, trial, deployment or charge was operated during this review.

Microsoft Learn content is free to read. Microsoft says Learn sandboxes are no longer available; Azure exercises need a permitted subscription and may incur resource charges. The exam-interface sandbox is a different product. A paid seller must specify its furnished lab account, exercises, permissions, usage charges, expiry and feedback.

Start with an authorized delivery match

Use Microsoft’s Training Services Partners overview and Find a partner link to match the invoicing seller, delivering organization, territory and MCT instructor. Provider claims and issuer-named activities are different evidence; no exact current directory match is established for your selected offer here.

ONLC

Provider page code AAZ104; four-day Azure Administrator course aligned to AZ-104

Retained course reference: September 13, 2026. Confirm delivered courseware, live or recorded teaching, personally operated labs, feedback and access term.

Inspect the exact course reference

New Horizons

AZ-104T00 Microsoft Azure Administrator: URL catalog record 200015042; provider-displayed CourseID 360334E

Retained course reference: September 28, 2026. Confirm delivered courseware, live or recorded teaching, personally operated labs, feedback and access term.

Inspect the exact course reference

Learning Tree International

Course 8542, Microsoft Azure Administrator Training (AZ-104)

Retained course reference: September 13, 2026. Confirm delivered courseware, live or recorded teaching, personally operated labs, feedback and access term.

Inspect the exact course reference

Global Knowledge

GK 100763 / vendor MAZ-104T00, Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104T00)

Retained course reference: September 13, 2026. Confirm delivered courseware, live or recorded teaching, personally operated labs, feedback and access term.

Inspect the exact course reference

NetCom Learning

US AZ-104T00 course reference. Microsoft’s current partner overview names NetCom activity for another course; that does not verify this AZ-104 seller, delivery territory or package. Price, voucher, labs and a matched self-paced offer remain unverified.

Inspect the US AZ-104 reference

Authorization and package evidence by provider

New Horizons’ October 15 course page claims Training Services Partner status and excludes the separately purchased voucher. Match the exact seller/franchise and delivering organization.
Learning Tree claims Data & AI Training Services Partner status. Its course page describes Official Courseware, coaching and a voucher obtained after class. Confirm buyer eligibility, voucher expiry and the actual lab/coaching entitlement.
ONLC claims Solutions Partner for Training Services status. Its dated offers have buyer-location/funding restrictions and conditional Exam Pak terms; check the buyer policy before treating a price as purchasable.
Global Knowledge’s US AZ-104T00 reference is distinct from regional M-AZ104/VAT listings. Exact current US price, seller authorization, timetable, seat and lab/voucher package need confirmation.

These October 15 provider statements and references do not refresh the older tuition observations below. A shared official syllabus does not make delivery, lab access or support interchangeable.

Dated self-paced and live packages

Keep free Microsoft content, ONLC’s recorded course and live instruction separate. Compare the complete package and your need for feedback. Each price retains its own checked date; government eligibility, conditional vouchers, seats and team quotes are separate questions. Full market coverage remains incomplete.

5 dated options shown. Prices are in USD; check the date and package before using one in a budget.

Self-paced courses

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

$0 per course

Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104T00 — self-directed learning

Delivery: on demand
Exam: Inclusion to confirm
Buyer: Commercial
Observed: 2026-10-12

Free self-directed Microsoft Learn modules and learning paths linked from the official course syllabus. USD 0 is the training-content access price, not missing tuition. This is not a guaranteed recorded-video course or live instructor-led class. Exam voucher, practice-test license and instructor support are not established. Azure exercises require an Azure subscription; resource/service charges may apply. Microsoft says Learn sandboxes are no longer available. The course page classroom duration is not a self-directed completion estimate. No seat, exam pass or complete exam coverage guarantee.

Check this offer on Microsoft Learn ↗

ONLC Training Centers

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

$345 per course

Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104 (on-demand)

Delivery: on demand
Exam: Separate purchase
Buyer: Commercial
Observed: 2026-10-12

AZ-104; 180-day self-study access with 18 hours 56 minutes of video plus Microsoft Learn content. A reserved live-class audit permits watching/listening but excludes instructor interaction and live lab machines. Optional USD 250 Exam Pak must be ordered with the course by phone; voucher release requires an 85% practice score. Other lab entitlement is not established. Tax may apply.

Check this offer on ONLC Training Centers ↗

Live instructor-led courses

Learning Tree International

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

$3,140 per course

Azure Administrator AZ-104 (commercial)

Delivery: instructor led
Exam: Voucher listed — check conditions below
Buyer: Commercial
Observed: 2026-10-07

October 7, 2026 source check: published commercial tuition USD 3,140 for four-day AnyWare classes October 13-16 and October 27-30, 2026, 9:00 AM-4:30 PM EDT. The provider labels both Guaranteed to Run while permitting delivery-format changes; seats remain unverified. The page states Microsoft courseware, after-course coaching and an included voucher. Government eligibility, private-team pricing, labs, recordings and final terms require separate confirmation; this is published evidence, not a current quote.

Check this offer on Learning Tree International ↗

New Horizons

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

$2,495 per course

Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104

Delivery: virtual live
Exam: Separate purchase
Buyer: Commercial
Observed: 2026-10-12

AZ-104; four-day virtual instructor-led course with hands-on Azure portal labs and 90-day class recordings. Exam voucher is not included and is available separately. Confirm exact session, lab access duration, taxes/extras and cancellation/rescheduling terms.

Check this offer on New Horizons ↗

ONLC Training Centers

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

$2,395 per course

Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104 (instructor-led)

Delivery: instructor led
Exam: Inclusion to confirm
Buyer: Commercial
Observed: 2026-10-12

AZ-104; four-day live instructor-led course with labs. October 27–30 registration is USD 2,395 before October 21 and USD 2,635 on/after October 21; last registration October 22. The separate optional Exam Pak requires a phone request during new registration and an 85% practice score for voucher release. Do not assume automatic voucher inclusion. Confirm jurisdiction eligibility, exact session total, taxes and policies.

Check this offer on ONLC Training Centers ↗

If the starting knowledge is unfamiliar, compare targeted foundations and feedback. AZ-900 explains foundational scope; holding that certification is not established as a prerequisite here. A short course duration cannot prove readiness.

Drafting a brief does not send it. A short request permits Learnerside to reply; provider sharing requires separate consent naming the recipient.

Full prerequisite and version notes

Prerequisites

What's required vs merely recommended — stated plainly.

What Microsoft lists as prerequisites: The current credential page and study guide reviewed on 2026-09-09 do not list a formal registration prerequisite or name AZ-900 as required. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-06-12

Version and change history

Version & change log

Which version is current — so you prepare for the exam that’s live today, not a retired one.

Version status: Current study target checked September 30 2026: AZ-104. English skills measured are effective April 17 2026; the credential lists a 100-minute proctored assessment and the study guide requires a score of at least 700. Microsoft updates English first and usually localizes about eight weeks later; that timing is not guaranteed. Its change log describes minor audience and task revisions in storage; compute; networking; and monitoring without replacing the five domain groups. Exact question count; future update dates; and language-specific cutovers remain unknown.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — current exam/version · checked 2026-09-30

Official scope and provider study material

What this proves — and how Microsoft says to prepare

Microsoft’s own framing of who earns it and what it signals, plus official study material previously recorded as free. Access can change; verify the current free label on the provider page before relying on it. Quoted and cited — never dressed up as a job guarantee.

What it signals you can do: Manage Azure identities and governance; Implement and manage storage; Deploy and manage Azure compute resources; Implement and manage virtual networking; Monitor and maintain Azure resources

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — official vendor page · checked 2026-06-12

Skills, roles, and occupation context

Skills this credential is associated with

Derived from the roles Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate supports — the skills those roles commonly require. This is a role-mediated association, not a claim that the exam objectives cover each skill. See the “Skills measured” section above for what the exam itself tests.

AWS architecture
Azure administration
Cloud fundamentals
Linux administration
Networking fundamentals
Python automation
Stakeholder communication
Systems analysis
Troubleshooting

Learnerside planning roles associated with this credential

These are Learnerside editorial associations based on skill and role fit, not a vendor, O*NET, employer-demand, or universal-requirement claim. The sequence labels are planning context, not proof that this credential causes advancement, hiring, or placement.

Cloud Architect · entry association
Cloud Engineer · entry association
Cloud Operations Engineer · advancement association
Junior Systems Administrator · adjacent context
Solutions Architect · entry association

Occupation wages and role associations

Related occupation wage context

Learnerside role association: Cloud Engineer. medium-confidence occupation mapping.

Related O*NET occupation: Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (15-1299.08).

BLS wage series: Computer Occupations, All Other (SOC 15-1299), U.S. national.

10th–90th percentile: $55,940 to $188,470 BLS OEWS May 2025 — Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299), national · checked 2026-06-25

This broad “All Other” group includes many jobs; its wages are not specific to Cloud Engineer.

These are occupation wages across credentials and experience levels, not certification-holder pay or a certification salary premium.

Employer-funded next step

Prepare a manager-ready Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate request

After confirming fit and reviewing the free route, build a private approval brief that separates required exam costs, dated training observations, employer-plan checks, and quote unknowns. Nothing is saved or sent.

Build my employer-ready proposal

Core source records

This table lists the page’s core content records and when they were checked. Claim-specific citations appear beside the relevant text and may not be repeated here.

ID	Supports	Source	Checked
CIT-01	Public official credential page for Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate.	Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate	2026-07-01T00:22:53+00:00
CIT-02	Supports official facts for Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate.	Official Microsoft Learn objective-domain source	2026-09-09T00:00:00+00:00
CIT-03	Supports official facts for Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate.	Official Microsoft Learn field source	2026-06-12T17:55:54+00:00