AZ-900 study guide · 2026

The 3 AZ-900 domains, explained

3 domains and 11 official functional groups. Describe Azure architecture and services carries the most weight at 35–40%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 2 See all domains
Questions
40–60 (varies)
Time
45 minutes
Passing score
700 / 1000
Outline
Skills measured as of 14 January 2026 (current)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights, scaled to fit the bar. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 25–30%
  2. 2 35–40%
  3. 3 30–35%
  1. 1 Describe cloud concepts
  2. 2 Describe Azure architecture and services
  3. 3 Describe Azure management and governance

All 3 domains

11 official functional groups 20–35 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 25–30%

    Describe cloud concepts

    This domain establishes the cloud vocabulary the rest of AZ-900 assumes. It covers what cloud computing is, the shared responsibility model, the public, private and hybrid cloud models, the economics of consumption-based pricing, and the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS service types.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe cloud computing
    • Describe the benefits of using cloud services
    • Describe cloud service types

    Watch for Model is a service type

    Functional groups
    3
    Questions est.
    11–16
    Study time est.
    5–10 hrs
  2. Domain 02 35–40%

    Describe Azure architecture and services

    This is the largest AZ-900 group. It covers the building blocks of Azure: regions, resource groups, subscriptions and management groups, the compute, networking and storage services, and the identity, access and security features.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the core architectural components of Azure
    • Describe Azure compute and networking services
    • Describe Azure storage services
    • Describe Azure identity, access, and security

    Watch for Hierarchy reversed

    Functional groups
    4
    Questions est.
    15–22
    Study time est.
    10–15 hrs
  3. Domain 03 30–35%

    Describe Azure management and governance

    This group covers managing, governing and monitoring Azure. It covers cost management, governance and compliance tools such as Azure Policy and resource locks, deployment and management tools from the portal to ARM templates, and monitoring tools.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe cost management in Azure
    • Describe features and tools in Azure for governance and compliance
    • Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources
    • Describe monitoring tools in Azure

    Watch for Policy prevents deletion

    Functional groups
    4
    Questions est.
    13–20
    Study time est.
    5–10 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 20–35 hrs of study.

  1. 2 Describe Azure architecture and services 35–40% · 10–15 hrs
  2. 3 Describe Azure management and governance 30–35% · 5–10 hrs
  3. 1 Describe cloud concepts 25–30% · 5–10 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 2: Describe Azure architecture and services

An organization needs a dedicated, private, high-bandwidth connection between its on-premises datacenter and Azure that does not travel over the public internet. Which Azure networking service should it use?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Model is a service type

    Clue The scenario is about deployment location versus management responsibility.

  • Domain 2

    Hierarchy reversed

    Clue The question asks about governance scope order.

  • Domain 3

    Policy prevents deletion

    Clue The need is to block accidental deletion.

Other Cloud Computing certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with AZ-900.

Practise what you read

AZ-900 domains: common questions

How many domains are in the AZ-900 exam?

AZ-900 has 3 domains with 11 official functional groups between them: Describe cloud concepts, Describe Azure architecture and services and Describe Azure management and governance.

Which AZ-900 domain carries the most weight?

Describe Azure architecture and services is the heaviest at 35–40%, followed by Describe Azure management and governance (30–35%). The lightest is Describe cloud concepts (25–30%). Weights come from Microsoft's official outline.

What is the AZ-900 exam format?

Questions: 40–60 (varies). Time allowed: 45 minutes. Passing score: 700 / 1000.

How long should I study for AZ-900?

Our planning estimate is 20–35 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Describe Azure architecture and services, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows Skills measured as of 14 January 2026 (current), published by Microsoft. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and functional groups come from Microsoft's official outline (Skills measured as of 14 January 2026 (current)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.