Exam Details and Topics

There is no information on the official website concerning the total number of questions included in the Microsoft AZ-204 exam. However, some information is known from the previous test takers. The learners can expect around 40-60 questions that are delivered in a multiple-choice format. The exam costs $165 in the United States but this sum can be different for other countries. If you are applying for the test and you are not living in the USA, you can check the official webpage for information related to the actual exam price. This certification test is available in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. You can take it online as a proctored exam without leaving your home or office. Alternatively, you can also sit for the test at any Pearson VUE center.

Requirements for the Microsoft AZ-204 exam

Please note that you are required to have at least one to two years of professional development experience. You should also have hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure as well as the ability to program in at least one language that is supported by Azure. The individuals also need to have proficiency in Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, Azure SDKs, data connections, data storage options, app authentication and authorization, as well as APIs. They also need competence in performance tuning, monitoring, debugging, compute, and container deployment.

As we already mentioned, there is no prior certificate required for the Microsoft AZ-204 exam. However, you must understand the basics of Azure and Cloud services. You should also know the topics before taking the test.

Knowing what the Microsoft AZ-204 exam topics are is an important step towards your successful preparation for this test. It is crucial that every candidate have a thorough understanding of all the exam domains. The topics and their subtopics contained in this certification exam are highlighted below:

• Develop for Azure Storage (10%)

  The main subtopics that the candidates need to cover within this topic are developing solutions that utilize Cosmos DB storage and blob storage.

• Connect to and Consume Azure Services and Third-Party Services (25%)

  This topic is all about developing an App Service Logic App, implementing API Management, developing event-based solutions, and developing message-based solutions.

• Develop Azure Compute Solutions (25%)

  The subtopics within this subject area include creating Azure App Service Web Apps; implementing IaaS solutions; and implementing Azure functions.

• Implement Azure Security (15%)

  This domain revolves around such subtopics as implementing user authorization and authentication, and applying secure Cloud solutions.

• Monitor, Troubleshoot, & Optimize Azure Solutions (10%)

  To answer the questions associated with this section, the examinees should have an in-depth understanding of the following areas: incrementing solutions for supporting monitoring & logging; integrating content and caching delivery within solutions; etc.

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-204

Microsoft AZ-204 and Recommended Experience

The Microsoft AZ-204 exam is a mandatory requirement for obtaining the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification. Being an associate-level certificate, it does not have any official prerequisites. This means that irrespective of your current experience in the field of IT, you can take this test and earn the certification. However, Microsoft recommends that the students should have from one to two years of experience in professional development with Microsoft Azure before sitting for the exam.