Azure Administrator Associate Study Guide 2026: Syllabus, Exam Topics & Study Plan -Edureify
📋 2026 Edition  ·  Updated September 2026

Azure Administrator Associate Study Guide 2026

Complete exam coverage for the Azure Administrator Associate: syllabus, domains, key topics, study plan and practical exam preparation strategy.

40
Questions
120 min
Duration
70
Passing score
5
Domains
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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
-
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Exam at a Glance

Azure Administrator Associate Exam Overview

Key facts about the Azure Administrator Associate exam structure, format and scoring.

🆔
azure-admin-az-104
Exam code
📝
40 questions
Total questions
⏱
120 minutes
Duration
🎯
70
Passing score
📋
5 domains
Exam domains
🏆
Certification
Credential type
ℹ️
Scoring method: Scaled scoring (1-1000). A score of 700 or greater is required to pass. Exam updated April 18, 2025, to include Microsoft Entra ID rebranding and Azure Container Apps. Annual renewal required.. The exam may include unscored pilot questions - treat every question seriously.
Focus Areas

What should you study for the Azure Administrator Associate exam?

Start with the domains that make up the Azure Administrator Associate exam. Use the detailed syllabus below to work through the individual topics.

⚠️
Common mistake: Candidates often memorise terminology but struggle with scenario-based questions. Focus on when to use what, not just what exists.
🔐
Manage Azure Identities and Governance (23%)
Covers Microsoft Entra ID user/group management, RBAC, Azure Policy, resource locks, tags, subscriptions, and management groups.
🏗
Implement and Manage Storage (18%)
Covers Azure storage account configuration, access control, redundancy, Azure Files, and Blob Storage management.
⚡
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (23%)
Covers Azure virtual machines, ARM templates, Bicep, Azure Container Instances, Container Apps, and Azure App Service.
💰
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking (18%)
Covers Azure VNets, subnets, NSGs, routing, load balancing, VPN, ExpressRoute, DNS, and network monitoring.
🔄
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (13%)
Covers Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, and update management.
Full Syllabus

Azure Administrator Associate Exam Syllabus and Topics

The Azure Administrator Associate exam is divided into 5 domains. Each domain covers specific skills and topics. Expand a domain to see the detailed syllabus.

Microsoft Entra ID
Creating and managing users and groups
User and group properties and licenses
External users and guest access (B2B)
Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) configuration
Access Management
Built-in Azure RBAC roles and role assignments
Custom role definitions
Assigning roles at subscription, resource group, and resource scope
Interpreting access assignments and effective permissions
Subscriptions and Governance
Azure Policy: definitions, assignments, and remediation
Resource locks: CanNotDelete and ReadOnly
Tagging resources and enforcing tag policies
Resource groups and resource organization
Management groups and hierarchy design
Azure Advisor recommendations and cost alerts
~9 questions
230 marks
23% of exam weight
Storage Account Setup
Creating and configuring storage accounts
Azure Storage redundancy: LRS, ZRS, GRS, GZRS, RA-GRS
Storage account kinds: General Purpose v2, BlobStorage, FileStorage
Object replication and lifecycle management
Storage Access Control
Storage firewalls and virtual network rules
Shared Access Signatures (SAS): service, account, user delegation
Stored access policies
Access keys and key rotation
Identity-based access for Azure Files with Entra ID
File Shares and Blob Storage
Azure Files: share creation, mounting, and SMB/NFS protocols
Blob container access tiers: Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive
Soft delete for blobs and containers
Blob versioning and snapshots
Lifecycle management rules
AzCopy and Azure Storage Explorer for data transfer
~7 questions
180 marks
18% of exam weight
VM Deployment and Configuration
Creating virtual machines in the portal, CLI, and PowerShell
VM sizes and availability sets vs availability zones
Azure Disk Encryption and managed disk types
VM Scale Sets (VMSS) and autoscaling
Moving VMs across resource groups, subscriptions, and regions
ARM Templates and Bicep
ARM template structure: parameters, variables, resources, outputs
Bicep file syntax and Bicep vs ARM comparison
Deploying templates via CLI and portal
Exporting existing resources as ARM templates
Converting ARM templates to Bicep
Azure Container Services
Azure Container Registry (ACR): creating and managing registries
Azure Container Instances (ACI) for serverless containers
Azure Container Apps for microservices
Container sizing and scaling
Azure App Service
App Service Plan tiers and scaling
Deployment slots and slot swapping
Custom domain mapping and TLS/SSL certificates
App Service networking: VNet integration, private endpoints
Backup and restore for App Service
~9 questions
230 marks
23% of exam weight
VNet Configuration
VNet and subnet creation and address space planning
VNet peering: regional and global
Service endpoints and private endpoints
User Defined Routes (UDR) and route tables
Network Security
Network Security Groups (NSG): inbound and outbound rules
Application Security Groups (ASG) for simplified management
Azure Firewall and Azure DDoS Protection
NSG flow logs and network watcher
Load Balancers and DNS
Azure Load Balancer (L4) vs Application Gateway (L7)
Azure DNS zones and records
Azure Traffic Manager for global routing policies
Azure Front Door and CDN integration
Hybrid Connectivity
VPN Gateway: site-to-site, point-to-site, VNet-to-VNet
ExpressRoute circuits and connection types
Virtual WAN for large-scale networking
~7 questions
180 marks
18% of exam weight
Azure Monitor
Azure Monitor metrics and diagnostic settings
Log Analytics workspace and KQL queries
Alert rules, action groups, and notification channels
Azure Monitor Workbooks and dashboards
VM Insights and Application Insights integration
Azure Backup and Site Recovery
Recovery Services Vault and Backup Vault configuration
Azure Backup for VMs, Azure Files, and SQL
Backup policies and retention
Azure Site Recovery for VM replication and failover
Azure Update Manager for patch management
~5 questions
130 marks
13% of exam weight
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Study Plan

Azure Administrator Associate Structured Study Roadmap

Choose a preparation timeline based on how much time you have available. For a plan based on your actual readiness and weak domains, use the personalised Edureify study experience. Get My Training Plan →

Weeks 1-2
Core Services + Highest-Weighted Domain
Deep-dive into the most heavily tested domain. Spend more time here when its exam weight is significantly higher.
Official exam guideDomain 1 completeCore conceptsPractice questions
Week 3
Domain 2 - Hands-on Practice
Focus on scenario-based study and reinforce concepts through practical application where applicable.
Domain 2Scenario walkthroughsHands-on practicePractice questions
Week 4
Domain 3 - Deeper Concepts
Work through complex concepts and decision scenarios.
Domain 3Scenario drillsPractice examReview
Week 5
Remaining Domains + Weak Area Targeting
Identify your weaker domains and spend focused time closing those gaps.
Remaining domainsDiagnosticTargeted reviewStudy notes
Week 6
Full Simulations + Final Preparation
Use timed simulations to test your preparation and review the reasoning behind incorrect answers.
Full mock examsWrong-answer reviewFinal reviewExam logistics
Exam Strategy

Tips to pass Azure Administrator Associate on your first attempt

Practical advice for applying what you know, managing questions and preparing for exam conditions.

🗓
RBAC is fundamental — know the difference between Owner, Contributor, Reader, and User Access Administrator roles and understand scope inheritance from management groups to resources.
🔍
Azure Policy vs RBAC: RBAC controls who can take actions; Azure Policy controls what actions are permitted regardless of who takes them.
⏭
Storage redundancy: LRS (3 copies in one datacenter), ZRS (3 availability zones), GRS (LRS + 3 copies in a secondary region), GZRS (ZRS + GRS) — know the failover behavior of each.
📊
ARM template structure: know all four main sections (parameters, variables, resources, outputs) and how to use dependsOn for resource sequencing.
🔁
Virtual machine availability: Availability Zones protect against datacenter failure (SLA 99.99%); Availability Sets protect against rack/server failure (SLA 99.95%).
🧪
NSG rules are evaluated from lowest to highest priority number (100 is processed before 4096) — know how default deny rules work.
📝
VNet peering is non-transitive by default — if VNet A peers with B, and B peers with C, A cannot communicate with C without peering A-C directly or using Azure Virtual WAN.
🎯
Azure Backup requires a Recovery Services Vault; backup policies define frequency and retention — know the difference between operational tier and vault tier for blobs.
🗓
Log Analytics KQL basics are tested — practice simple queries using where, project, summarize, and join operators.
🔍
Microsoft recommends Bicep over ARM JSON for new deployments — be familiar with both as the exam includes questions on reading and modifying both formats.
Recommended Resources

Azure Administrator Associate Study Resources

Use a focused set of resources alongside the study guide rather than trying to study from everything available.

Official
Official Exam Guide
Start with the authoritative exam objectives and blueprint.
→ Vendor website
Practice Tests
Azure Administrator Associate Practice Test
Practice questions with explanations and domain-level performance analysis.
→ Start free practice test
Mock Exam
Azure Administrator Associate Mock Exam
Timed preparation under realistic exam-style conditions.
→ Take free mock exam
Training
Azure Administrator Associate Certification Training
Structured preparation with personalised learning support and adaptive practice.
→ Azure Administrator Associate certification online training
AI Tutor
Azure Administrator Associate AI Tutor
Get help understanding concepts and work on weak areas with AI-powered learning support.
→ Try Azure Administrator Associate AI tutor
Reference
Azure Administrator Associate Cheat Sheet
Quick-reference summaries for final revision.
→ Get free cheat sheet
Diagnostic
Azure Administrator Associate Readiness Test
Assess your preparation and identify weaker exam domains.
→ Check my readiness
⚠️
Avoid brain dumps. Sites selling real or stolen exam questions may violate certification-provider rules and can leave candidates studying outdated material.
Reviews

What candidates say after passing

★★★★★
VNet peering vs. VPN Gateway is the networking decision AZ-104 tests most frequently.Edureify AI's connectivity scenarios made the selection automatic: peering for Azure-to-Azure, Gateway for on-premises-to-Azure. After 30 connectivity scenarios, I stopped second-guessing between them.
Freya L.
Agile Coach
★★★★★
Availability Zones vs. Availability Sets is a distinction that matters enormously for disaster recovery design.Edureify AI's HA scenarios - same datacenter failure modes vs. cross-datacenter failure modes - made the protection level of each option concrete rather than definitional.
Monica R.
CFA Analyst
★★★★★
Application Gateway for Layer 7 vs. Load Balancer for Layer 4 is a routing decision the exam presents in many different forms.Edureify AI's traffic management scenarios consistently required me to identify whether the routing requirement was URL-based or TCP-based before selecting the service - the right instinct for the right question.
Arjun K.
DevOps Lead
★★★★★
Management Groups and Azure Policy cascade behavior was the governance content I hadn't prepared enough.Edureify AI's policy inheritance scenarios - apply at Management Group, enforce across all child subscriptions - made the governance model precise in ways that reading the documentation alone didn't achieve.
Jun W.
DevOps Engineer
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Azure Administrator Associate

Most candidates with relevant background can structure their preparation over several weeks, depending on their existing knowledge, available study time and exam difficulty. Use the study roadmap above as a starting point and use the readiness diagnostic to identify where you need more preparation.
The guide covers the exam overview, domains, detailed syllabus and topics, study roadmap, exam preparation tips and links to practice, mock, readiness, cheat-sheet, AI Tutor and training resources.
The guide is designed to organize your preparation around the exam syllabus. You should combine it with practice questions and timed simulations so that you can test both your knowledge and your ability to apply it.
Yes. Start with the exam overview and domain breakdown, then work through the detailed topics using the study roadmap. Candidates with less experience may need additional time for foundational concepts.
Take the Edureify readiness diagnostic to assess your preparation and identify the domains where you need to focus more.
Edureify AI can help explain concepts, identify weaker areas from practice performance and support a more personalised preparation process.

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