{"id":97277,"date":"2024-08-29T17:21:26","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T11:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/?p=97277"},"modified":"2026-09-04T13:16:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:46:20","slug":"how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/","title":{"rendered":"Pass AZ-104 on First Attempt &#8211; Complete AZ-104 Study Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ea7e02;color:#ea7e02\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ea7e02;color:#ea7e02\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#How_to_Pass_AZ-104_on_First_Attempt_%E2%80%93_Complete_AZ-104_Study_Guide_Exam_Pattern_Syllabus\" >How to Pass AZ-104 on First Attempt &#8211; Complete AZ-104 Study Guide, Exam Pattern, &amp; Syllabus\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#An_Overview_of_the_AZ-104_Exam_and_Syllabus\" >An Overview of the AZ-104 Exam and Syllabus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Is_AZ-104_Worth_It\" >Is AZ-104 Worth It?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_Difficulty_How_Hard_Is_It_Really\" >AZ-104 Difficulty: How Hard Is It, Really?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_Exam_Pattern_What_to_Expect_on_Exam_Day\" >AZ-104 Exam Pattern: What to Expect on Exam Day<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#The_AZ-104_Study_Guide_A_Step-by-Step_Preparation_Plan\" >The AZ-104 Study Guide: A Step-by-Step Preparation Plan<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_1_Review_the_Exam_Guide\" >Stage 1: Review the Exam Guide<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_2_Build_a_Study_Plan\" >Stage 2: Build a Study Plan<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_3_Learn_the_Core_Azure_Services\" >Stage 3: Learn the Core Azure Services<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_4_Complete_Hands-On_Lab_Exercises\" >Stage 4: Complete Hands-On Lab Exercises<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_5_Revise_and_Take_Practice_Tests\" >Stage 5: Revise and Take Practice Tests<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_6_Book_Your_Exam\" >Stage 6: Book Your Exam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Stage_7_Take_the_Exam\" >Stage 7: Take the Exam<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_vs_AZ-204_Which_Certification_Should_You_Take\" >AZ-104 vs AZ-204: Which Certification Should You Take?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_Salary_What_to_Expect_After_Certification\" >AZ-104 Salary: What to Expect After Certification<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_Interview_Questions_to_Expect\" >AZ-104 Interview Questions to Expect<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#AZ-104_Renewal_Keeping_Your_Certification_Active\" >AZ-104 Renewal: Keeping Your Certification Active<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/how-to-pass-az-104-on-first-attempt\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Pass_AZ-104_on_First_Attempt_%E2%80%93_Complete_AZ-104_Study_Guide_Exam_Pattern_Syllabus\"><\/span><b>How to Pass AZ-104 on First Attempt &#8211; Complete AZ-104 Study Guide, Exam Pattern, &amp; Syllabus\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-97277-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/How_to_pass_the_AZ-104_exam.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/How_to_pass_the_AZ-104_exam.mp3\">https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/How_to_pass_the_AZ-104_exam.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><b>Passing AZ-104 on first attempt <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">comes down to three things: knowing exactly what the exam guide and syllabus actually cover, building a study plan that fits how you learn, and getting real hands-on practice before exam day, not just watching videos and hoping it sticks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This guide walks through all of it. We&#8217;ll break down the AZ-104 exam pattern (question types, timing, and passing score), map out a proven study plan you can follow stage by stage, and cover the core Azure services the exam actually tests. Along the way, we&#8217;ll answer the questions most candidates ask before they even start studying: is AZ-104 worth it, how difficult is it really, how does it compare to AZ-104 vs AZ-204, what salary can you expect once certified, and what AZ-104 interview questions come up once you land the interview. We&#8217;ll also cover free practice tests to check your readiness and what AZ-104 renewal looks like once you&#8217;re certified.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you&#8217;re starting from the official exam guide or just want a clear <\/span><b>AZ-104 study guide<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that ties everything together, this will be the resource you&#8217;ll need to open before you book your exam.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_Overview_of_the_AZ-104_Exam_and_Syllabus\"><\/span><b>An Overview of the AZ-104 Exam and Syllabus<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate certification is the essential credential for professionals responsible for implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization&#8217;s Microsoft Azure environment. It sits at the intermediate level of the Azure certification path, one step up from the beginner-focused AZ-900, and it validates hands-on ability across compute, storage, networking, identity, and governance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Passing the AZ-104 tells an employer you can deploy and manage virtual machines, configure and secure storage, set up virtual networks, manage identities through Microsoft Entra ID, and monitor Azure resources for cost and performance, not just describe what these services do, but actually operate them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The AZ-104 syllabus is organised into five domains<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and reviewing the official exam guide in detail is the first thing you should do before building any study plan. Microsoft periodically updates the exact weighting of each domain, so always cross-check the current AZ-104 exam guide on Microsoft Learn before finalising your prep, but as a general structure, expect the syllabus to break down roughly like this:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Manage Azure identities and governance (~20-25%)\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Entra ID users and groups, role-based access control (RBAC), Azure subscriptions, and governance policies.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Implement and manage storage (~15-20%)\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Azure Storage accounts, Blob Storage, Azure Files, Azure Disk Storage, and configuring secure access to storage services.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (~20-25%)\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and deploying resources via ARM templates or Bicep files.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Implement and manage virtual networking (~15-20%)\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virtual networks, subnets, network security groups (NSGs), Azure DNS, load balancing, and secure connectivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Monitor and maintain Azure resources (~10-15%)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Azure Monitor, backup and disaster recovery through Azure Backup and Site Recovery, and resource optimisation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The certification has no formal, enforced prerequisites, but Microsoft recommends at least six months of hands-on experience administering Azure, along with a working understanding of core cloud computing concepts. If you&#8217;re completely new to Azure, it&#8217;s worth building foundational knowledge through the AZ-900 first rather than jumping straight into AZ-104 cold.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_AZ-104_Worth_It\"><\/span><b>Is AZ-104 Worth It?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Short answer: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, for the right person. AZ-104 remains one of the most requested Azure certifications in job postings for cloud administrator, cloud support, and infrastructure engineer roles, and it&#8217;s often treated as a baseline credential organisations look for when hiring anyone who&#8217;ll touch their Azure environment day-to-day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s worth it if you&#8217;re already working with Azure in some capacity, whether as an IT administrator moving into cloud, a support engineer wanting to formalize your skills, or someone actively planning a cloud career path. The certification validates practical, job-relevant skills rather than abstract theory, which is part of why it holds real weight with hiring managers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where it&#8217;s less clearly &#8220;worth it&#8221; on its own: if you&#8217;re brand new to IT entirely, or if your target role is deeply development-focused rather than administration-focused, in which case something like AZ-204 might be the better first stop. AZ-104 alone also won&#8217;t guarantee a job, it&#8217;s most valuable when paired with real hands-on experience and, eventually, additional certifications like AZ-305 or AZ-500 as your career progresses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_Difficulty_How_Hard_Is_It_Really\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 Difficulty: How Hard Is It, Really?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To pass AZ-104 on first attempt, it is not an easy task.\u00a0 Azure Administrator exam has a reputation for being tougher than its associate-level label suggests, and that reputation is fair. The difficulty doesn&#8217;t come from obscure trivia; it comes from the exam&#8217;s scenario-based and performance-based question style, which tests whether you actually understand how Azure services interact, not just what each one is called.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Candidates who&#8217;ve only watched videos without touching the Azure portal consistently report the exam feels much harder than expected. Candidates who&#8217;ve spent real time in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/learn\/course\/microsoft-azure-certification-az-104\/298\/sb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" data-schema-attribute=\"about mentions\">AZ-104 exam hands-on labs<\/a>, configuring virtual networks, deploying VMs, setting up storage accounts, tend to find it demanding but fair. If you&#8217;re familiar with basic IT concepts, cloud computing fundamentals, and general security principles going in, the AZ-104 exam objectives will make sense faster, and the difficulty curve flattens considerably.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The honest takeaway: AZ-104 isn&#8217;t hard because the concepts are advanced; it&#8217;s hard because it demands applied knowledge under time pressure, which is exactly why hands-on lab practice matters more here than for most associate-level exams.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_Exam_Pattern_What_to_Expect_on_Exam_Day\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 Exam Pattern: What to Expect on Exam Day<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding the AZ-104 exam pattern in detail can reduce unnecessary anxiety if you aim to pass it on first attempt. Here&#8217;s what the exam actually looks like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Duration:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 120 minutes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Number of questions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> typically 40-60 questions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Passing score:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 700 out of 1000 (individual question marks aren&#8217;t disclosed, and there&#8217;s no negative marking)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Question format:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Microsoft doesn&#8217;t publish the exact format mix in advance, but expect a combination of the following types<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>1. Multiple-choice and multiple-select questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You&#8217;ll either pick one correct answer from a list, or select several correct answers from a set. For example: &#8220;Which of the following Azure services can be used to create virtual networks?&#8221; with options like Azure Storage, Azure Virtual Network, Azure SQL Database, and Azure App Service. Preparing for these means genuinely knowing what each core Azure service does and doesn&#8217;t do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>2. Scenario-based questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You&#8217;ll be given a real-world situation and asked to choose the best configuration or solution. For example: &#8220;You are an administrator for an organisation that needs to deploy a high-availability web application. Which Azure services should you use to ensure availability and scalability?&#8221; These tests apply knowledge, not memorisation, so hands-on experience deploying and configuring services is essential prep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>3. Drag-and-drop questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These typically ask you to match terms with definitions or arrange steps of a process in the correct order, for instance, arranging the steps to create an Azure Virtual Machine. Practising common Azure workflows in a lab environment builds the muscle memory these questions test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4. Azure CLI and PowerShell questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You may need to select the correct command or spot an error in a script, for example, identifying the right Azure CLI command to create a resource group. Comfort with command-line tools, not just the Azure Portal, is genuinely necessary here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>5. Case study questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These present a detailed scenario followed by several related questions (usually 4-6), often around a real-world task like migrating an on-premises database to Azure SQL Database. These take longer to work through than standalone questions, so time management matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>6. Performance-based (lab) questions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These test your ability to perform actual administrative tasks directly in Azure, configuring, managing, or troubleshooting a live service, rather than answering a question about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Topic areas that show up repeatedly across these formats include ARM templates and Bicep files, virtual networking (VNet peering, subnets, NSGs, VPNs), Recovery Services Vault configuration, Azure Monitor and alerting, load balancing (Load Balancers, Application Gateways, Traffic Manager), user and permissions management, Azure Kubernetes Service basics, and the different Azure Storage account models.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 120 minutes for up to 60 questions, most well-prepared candidates have enough time, but case studies and performance-based tasks eat more time than a straightforward multiple-choice question, so pace yourself and don&#8217;t get stuck. If a question is taking too long, select your best answer, flag it for review, and move on.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_AZ-104_Study_Guide_A_Step-by-Step_Preparation_Plan\"><\/span><b>The AZ-104 Study Guide: A Step-by-Step Preparation Plan<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s where preparation actually happens. This plan breaks the process into manageable stages, each with a clear goal, so you&#8217;re never left wondering what to study next.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_1_Review_the_Exam_Guide\"><\/span><b>Stage 1: Review the Exam Guide<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before opening a single video course, read <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/credentials\/certifications\/resources\/study-guides\/az-104\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" data-schema-attribute=\"about mentions\">Microsoft&#8217;s official AZ-104 exam guide<\/a> in full. Note the exam overview and target audience, the skills measured and the percentage weighting for each domain, any prerequisites, the study resources Microsoft itself recommends, and any policy or format notes. This single step prevents the most common mistake in AZ-104 preparation: studying broadly instead of studying to the actual exam scope.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_2_Build_a_Study_Plan\"><\/span><b>Stage 2: Build a Study Plan<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you know the syllabus and its weighting, set your exam date first, this creates a deadline that keeps momentum going and prevents indefinite procrastination. Preparation time varies by background, but as a rough guide, a three-month plan with daily two-hour study sessions works well for most candidates balancing this alongside a full-time job. Here&#8217;s what that might look like in the early weeks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 1-4:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Manage Azure identities and governance, Microsoft Entra ID users and groups, managing access to Azure resources, subscription and governance management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 5-8:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Implement and manage storage, configuring access to Azure Storage, managing storage accounts, working with Azure Files and Blob Storage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 9-12:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Deploy and manage Azure compute resources, ARM templates and Bicep files, creating and configuring virtual machines, provisioning containers, configuring Azure App Service.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 12-14:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Implement and manage virtual networking, configuring virtual networks, secure network access, Azure DNS, and load balancing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 15-16:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Monitor and maintain Azure resources, Azure Monitor, Azure Backup, and Recovery Services Vault.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 17-18:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hands-on labs and sandbox practice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Days 19-20:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Practice tests focused on the actual AZ-104 exam pattern.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adjust the pace to your own schedule and prior experience; the structure matters more than the exact day count.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_3_Learn_the_Core_Azure_Services\"><\/span><b>Stage 3: Learn the Core Azure Services<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The AZ-104 syllabus requires depth across several service categories, not just familiarity. Focus your study time on:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Compute:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Azure App Service, and Azure Functions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Storage:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Azure Blob Storage, Azure Disk Storage, Azure Files, and Azure Table Storage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Identity and access management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Microsoft Entra ID (Microsoft&#8217;s cloud-based identity service providing single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and conditional access) and Azure Role-Based Access Control, which lets you assign granular permissions to users, groups, and services based on job function.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond service knowledge, build comfort with the tools you&#8217;ll actually use day-to-day: the Azure Portal as your primary management interface, and Azure CLI and PowerShell for automating tasks and running operations the portal doesn&#8217;t expose easily. Round this out with practical skill in high availability and disaster recovery design, Azure Backup and Site Recovery configuration, troubleshooting common connectivity and configuration issues, applying security best practices like firewall setup and access control, and optimising resource usage to control cost.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_4_Complete_Hands-On_Lab_Exercises\"><\/span><b>Stage 4: Complete Hands-On Lab Exercises<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the stage where most candidates either build real readiness or fall short. Azure documentation gives you the theory, but the AZ-104 exam&#8217;s scenario-based and performance-based questions require knowing how services interact in practice, something reading alone can&#8217;t teach. That&#8217;s where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/microsoft-azure-certification-az-104\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" data-schema-attribute=\"about mentions\">Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate practice<\/a><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"> tests help you. I gives you clarity with explanations and hands-on labs for practical experimentation that add up to your theoretical understanding.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work through labs covering tasks like deploying an ASP.NET app to Azure with Azure SQL Database, subscribing to Azure Kubernetes Service events through Azure Event Grid, implementing DNS name resolution in Azure, creating a C# function using Visual Studio Code, navigating the Azure Portal, creating an Azure DNS zone using Terraform, and setting up a secure site-to-site VPN connection between two virtual networks. Alongside labs, use a cloud <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/learn\/course\/microsoft-azure-certification-az-104\/298\/sb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\" data-schema-attribute=\"about mentions\">AZ-104 Sandbox environment<\/a> an Azure playground with unlimited access, so you can experiment, break things, and fix them without worrying about racking up a surprise Azure bill.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Document what you do as you go. Keeping notes on each lab, what worked, what didn&#8217;t, and why, turns hands-on practice into a resource you can revisit during revision instead of information you half-remember later.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_5_Revise_and_Take_Practice_Tests\"><\/span><b>Stage 5: Revise and Take Practice Tests<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revision is where preparation gets consolidated into exam-day readiness. Before you start revising, assess where you stand: review the exam topics and goals again, compare your study plan&#8217;s coverage against them, check your past practice test performance for recurring mistake patterns, and revisit your lab notes and bookmarks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From there, build a focused revision plan and start working through AZ-104 practice tests seriously, timed, under conditions that mimic the real exam. If you want to gauge your starting point before committing to a full study plan, try a free practice test first, it&#8217;s a quick way to see which domains need the most attention before you invest weeks of study time. As you progress, keep taking practice tests regularly and treat each one as diagnostic: the goal isn&#8217;t just a score, it&#8217;s identifying exactly which topics still need work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_6_Book_Your_Exam\"><\/span><b>Stage 6: Book Your Exam<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you&#8217;re consistently scoring well on practice tests, book your exam. Booking early secures your preferred date and time. When booking, decide whether you&#8217;ll test at a physical center or online, review the reschedule and cancellation policy, and confirm identification requirements ahead of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose your exam time strategically. Cognitive performance, memory, attention, focus, varies by time of day for most people, so pick a slot that matches when you&#8217;re naturally sharpest. If testing at a center, account for travel time so you arrive settled rather than rushed. If testing from home, confirm the technical requirements and make sure your space meets the exam&#8217;s environment rules well before the day itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stage_7_Take_the_Exam\"><\/span><b>Stage 7: Take the Exam<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On exam day, recall the format details from Stage 1: 120 minutes, roughly 40-60 questions, a passing score of 700 out of 1000 with no negative marking. Pace yourself against the clock, case studies and performance-based tasks take longer than straightforward multiple-choice questions, so budget your time accordingly rather than spending too long on any single item. If a question is taking too long, make your best selection, flag it for review, and keep moving. With solid preparation behind you, 120 minutes is generally enough time to attempt every question without feeling rushed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_vs_AZ-204_Which_Certification_Should_You_Take\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 vs AZ-204: Which Certification Should You Take?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This comes up constantly, and the answer depends entirely on the role you&#8217;re aiming for, not which exam is &#8220;better.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is built for people who manage and operate Azure infrastructure: provisioning virtual machines, configuring storage and networking, managing identities and governance, and monitoring resources. It&#8217;s the right choice if you&#8217;re heading toward cloud administrator, cloud support engineer, or infrastructure-focused roles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AZ-204 (Azure Developer Associate)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is built for people who design and build applications on Azure: writing code that integrates with Azure services, implementing Azure Functions, working with APIs, and handling application-level security and performance. It&#8217;s the right choice if your role centers on development rather than infrastructure operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many cloud engineers eventually hold both, since the two certifications complement each other well: AZ-104 covers the infrastructure a Cloud Engineer manages, while AZ-204 covers the application layer that runs on top of it. If you&#8217;re deciding which to take first, let your current job function be the deciding factor: administrators and IT operations professionals should start with AZ-104, while developers building on Azure should start with AZ-204.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_Salary_What_to_Expect_After_Certification\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 Salary: What to Expect After Certification<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salary figures for AZ-104-certified professionals vary meaningfully by source, region, experience level, and the specific role you land, so treat any single number as a rough benchmark rather than a guarantee. Across recent industry data, AZ-104-certified Azure Administrators in the US commonly report average salaries in the range of roughly $79,000 to $130,000 annually, with the lower end reflecting entry-level roles and newer hires, and the higher end reflecting administrators with several years of experience or those in higher cost-of-living markets. In India, reported ranges commonly fall between \u20b97-14 LPA depending on experience and employer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the certification itself, salary tends to scale with what you do with it: professionals who pair AZ-104 with real hands-on project experience, and who go on to earn AZ-305 or AZ-500, typically see stronger salary growth than those who stop at the associate-level credential alone. For the most current, location-specific figures, cross-reference sources like Glassdoor, Payscale, or Microsoft&#8217;s own salary survey data before setting expectations for a specific job offer or negotiation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_Interview_Questions_to_Expect\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 Interview Questions to Expect<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you&#8217;re certified and interviewing for Azure Administrator or related roles, expect questions that test whether your certification reflects real, applied understanding. Common areas interviewers probe include:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;Walk me through how you&#8217;d set up role-based access control for a new team in Azure.&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This tests your practical grasp of Microsoft Entra ID and RBAC, not just the definition of the terms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;How would you troubleshoot a virtual machine that&#8217;s unreachable over the network?&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Expect to talk through NSG rules, subnet configuration, and diagnostic tools like Network Watcher.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;Describe how you&#8217;d design a backup and disaster recovery strategy for a critical application.&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This checks your understanding of Azure Backup and Site Recovery beyond just knowing the services exist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;What&#8217;s the difference between an Azure Resource Manager template and a Bicep file, and when would you use each?&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A direct, practical question testing your infrastructure-as-code knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;How do you monitor and control cloud costs across a subscription?&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Interviewers want to see you understand Azure Cost Management and resource optimization, not just performance monitoring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8220;Tell me about a time you had to troubleshoot an Azure issue under pressure.&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A behavioral question pairing your technical knowledge with real problem-solving experience, worth preparing a genuine example from your labs or work history ahead of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing for these means going beyond exam content and actually being able to narrate your hands-on lab experience out loud, interviewers can tell the difference between memorised answers and applied understanding fairly quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AZ-104_Renewal_Keeping_Your_Certification_Active\"><\/span><b>AZ-104 Renewal: Keeping Your Certification Active<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Azure associate-level certifications, including AZ-104, are valid for one year from the date you pass, and renewal is handled through a free online renewal assessment rather than requiring you to retake the full exam. The renewal assessment is shorter, can be taken online through Microsoft Learn, and becomes available starting six months before your certification&#8217;s expiration date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s worth setting a calendar reminder well ahead of your renewal window, since letting the certification lapse means you&#8217;d need to retake the full AZ-104 exam rather than the shorter renewal assessment. Staying current also keeps you aligned with any updates Microsoft has made to Azure services since you first certified, since the renewal assessment reflects the current syllabus, not the one you originally studied.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><b>Conclusion<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To pass AZ-104 on first attempt isn&#8217;t about cramming every Azure service into memory; it&#8217;s about understanding the syllabus, following a structured study plan, and getting genuine hands-on practice before you sit the exam. Between the exam guide, a realistic study plan, real lab work, and consistent practice testing, you have everything you need to walk in prepared rather than hopeful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the certification is just the starting point. Whether you&#8217;re weighing AZ-104 vs AZ-204, wondering what salary to expect, or already thinking ahead to AZ-305 or AZ-500, AZ-104 remains one of the most practical, in-demand credentials in cloud administration today. Start with a free practice test to see where you stand, build your study plan around the gaps it reveals, and take the exam knowing exactly what to expect on the other side. Good luck, and reach out if you have questions along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Pass AZ-104 on First Attempt &#8211; Complete AZ-104 Study Guide, Exam Pattern, &amp; Syllabus\u00a0 Passing AZ-104 on first attempt comes down to three things: knowing exactly what the exam guide and syllabus actually cover, building a study plan that fits how you learn, and getting real hands-on practice before exam day, not just watching videos and hoping it sticks. This guide walks through all of it. We&#8217;ll break down the AZ-104 exam pattern (question types, timing, and passing score), map out a proven study plan you can follow stage by stage, and cover the core Azure services the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":415,"featured_media":97291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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Maniraj","author_link":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/author\/sudha-maniraj\/"},"uagb_comment_info":2,"uagb_excerpt":"How to Pass AZ-104 on First Attempt &#8211; Complete AZ-104 Study Guide, Exam Pattern, &amp; Syllabus\u00a0 Passing AZ-104 on first attempt comes down to three things: knowing exactly what the exam guide and syllabus actually cover, building a study plan that fits how you learn, and getting real hands-on practice before exam day, not just&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/415"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97277"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101764,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97277\/revisions\/101764"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whizlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}