Course Overview & Exam Blueprint
AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals · Instructor: Alexandra Zakharova, Senior Technical Trainer at Microsoft
About this course & exam
Instructor
Alexandra Zakharova — Senior Technical Trainer and AI Course Lead at Microsoft. Specializes in Azure cloud solutions and Azure AI Services. Connect: aka.ms/alexandra
Target exam
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals — Foundational certification
Passing score
700 out of 1000 points
Exam format
Define and describe concepts — no hands-on implementation required. Expect multiple choice, hotspot, drag-and-drop matching, and scenario-based questions.
Free study resource
Microsoft Learn (aka.ms/learn) — free, self-paced learning paths aligned directly to this course. All slides are based on Microsoft Learn content.
Who it's for
IT professionals, business stakeholders, students, or anyone new to cloud computing who wants a certified foundation in Azure concepts, services, security, and pricing.
Course structure — 6 study guides
Intro
Course Overview & Blueprint
Course structure, exam weights, and study tips from the instructor.
Session 1
Cloud Concepts
Cloud computing, cloud models, CapEx vs OpEx, 8 benefits, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, shared responsibility model.
Session 2A
Architecture, Compute & Networking
Regions, availability zones, hierarchy, VMs, containers, Functions, VNets, VPN, ExpressRoute.
Session 2B
Storage, Identity & Security
Storage services, redundancy, access tiers, Entra ID, RBAC, Zero Trust, Defender for Cloud.
Session 3
Management, Governance & Monitoring
Cost tools, Azure Policy, resource locks, ARM templates, Bicep, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor.
Final Review
Exam Readiness
Full blueprint, common exam traps, comparison tables, and interactive study checklist.
AZ-900 exam domain breakdown
Describe cloud concepts25–30%
Cloud computing definition
Shared responsibility model
IaaS / PaaS / SaaS
Public / Private / Hybrid cloud
High availability & scalability
Consumption-based pricing
CapEx vs OpEx
Describe Azure architecture and services35–40%
Regions & availability zones
Resource groups & subscriptions
Compute services (VMs, containers, functions)
Networking (VNet, VPN, ExpressRoute)
Storage (Blob, Disk, File, Queue)
Identity & access (Entra ID, MFA, RBAC)
Security (Defender, Key Vault, Sentinel)
Describe Azure management and governance30–35%
Cost management & TCO
Azure Policy & Blueprints
Management groups
Resource locks & tags
Azure Arc
Azure Monitor & Advisor
Compliance & Microsoft Purview
Service Health
Key exam tips from the instructor
You don't need to build anything. The AZ-900 exam tests whether you can define and describe Azure services — not implement them. Focus on what each service does, when to use it, and how it compares to alternatives.
Use Microsoft Learn — it's free and official. The course slides are based directly on Microsoft Learn content. Complete the free AZ-900 learning path at aka.ms/learn for knowledge checks that mirror exam question style.
Architecture and services is the biggest domain (35–40%). Spend the most study time here. Know your compute options (VMs vs containers vs serverless), networking, storage tiers, and identity/security tools cold.
Score 700/1000 to pass. That's 70%. The exam is scenario-based — understanding the "why" behind each service matters more than memorizing product names.