AZ-900 vs AZ-104: Which Microsoft Azure Certification Should You Actually Take First?

This is the question that comes up every time someone commits to learning Azure seriously. Two certifications. Both from Microsoft. Both Azure. And no obvious answer until you understand what each one actually tests and what each one is designed to do.

Most advice you will find online defaults to "take AZ-900 first, then AZ-104." That advice is often right. It is also sometimes completely wrong, and the difference matters because taking the wrong one first either wastes your time or sends you into an exam you are not ready for.

Here is how to figure out which one is actually right for you.

What Each Certification Is Actually Testing

The confusion between AZ-900 and AZ-104 comes from the fact that both are Azure certifications. That is where the similarity ends.

AZ-900, the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification, tests conceptual understanding. It is asking whether you understand what cloud computing is, what Azure services exist and what they do at a high level, how Azure manages costs and governance, and what the shared responsibility model means in practice. You are not being asked to configure anything. You are not being asked to manage anything. You are being asked to demonstrate that you understand how Azure works as a system.

AZ-104, the Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate certification, tests applied skill. It is asking whether you can actually administer an Azure environment. Configure virtual machines. Set up virtual networks. Manage identity and access through Microsoft Entra ID. Configure storage accounts. Set up monitoring and backup. Deploy resources using templates. This is hands-on operational knowledge, and the exam includes performance-based questions where you have to complete actual tasks in a simulated Azure environment, not just choose between four written answers.

The gap between these two credentials is significant. AZ-900 is a starting point. AZ-104 is a professional credential that validates real administrative capability.

The Simple Rule That Answers Most Questions

Before getting into specific situations, here is the rule that answers this question for most people:

If you are new to Azure and new to cloud, take AZ-900 first. If you already work with Azure in any hands-on capacity, skip AZ-900 and go directly to AZ-104.

Everything else below is context for specific situations where that rule needs adjustment.

When AZ-900 Makes Sense First

AZ-900 earns its place in your path when the conceptual foundation is genuinely missing. Not when you feel a little uncertain about cloud — when the core vocabulary and mental model of how Azure works are not yet solid.

If you have never worked in IT, never used a cloud console, and cloud computing is a new concept rather than a familiar background, AZ-900 gives you the structured conceptual framework that makes AZ-104 study significantly faster afterward. Candidates who hold az 900 certification before starting AZ-104 preparation consistently report better first-attempt pass rates on AZ-104, because the foundational knowledge does not need to be built from scratch mid-study.

For non-technical professionals who want to demonstrate cloud literacy without moving into a technical role, AZ-900 is the destination rather than the stepping stone. A project manager who holds microsoft azure fundamentals az-900 can participate in cloud architecture conversations, contribute meaningfully to cloud-related decisions, and verify foundational knowledge formally without needing AZ-104 at all.

AZ-900 also makes sense first for career changers who need a verifiable credential to point to before they have relevant work history. The azure fundamentals certification requires no prior experience to earn, which makes it a genuinely accessible entry point into a cloud career path.

When to Skip AZ-900 and Go Straight to AZ-104

This is the part that saves time for a significant portion of people asking this question.

If you already have hands-on IT experience, particularly in systems administration, networking, infrastructure, or cloud operations, AZ-900 covers material you already understand at a practical level. Going through AZ-900 formally would take two to four weeks to verify knowledge you already have and add a foundational credential that AZ-104 immediately supersedes on your resume. That is not a good use of time or money.

Go directly to AZ-104 if you currently work with virtual machines, networks, storage, or identity management in any context. Go directly to AZ-104 if you have been doing helpdesk or IT support and are ready to specialize. Go directly to AZ-104 if you hold another cloud certification from a different vendor and are adding Azure to your credentials. The conceptual framework transfers. What you need is the Azure-specific administrative knowledge AZ-104 validates, not the foundation AZ-900 covers.

The Exam Differences Worth Knowing

Beyond what they test, AZ-900 and AZ-104 differ in format in ways that affect how you prepare.

AZ-900 is 45 minutes, 32 to 60 questions, 700 out of 1000 to pass, $99 USD. All multiple choice. Closed book. No performance-based components.

AZ-104 is 100 to 120 minutes, up to 60 questions, 700 out of 1000 to pass, $165 USD. Includes multiple choice and performance-based questions where you complete real administrative tasks in a simulated Azure environment. These performance-based questions sit at the front of the exam, take longer than multiple choice, and cannot be skipped without careful time management.

Preparation time reflects that difference. AZ-900 takes two to four weeks of part-time study for most candidates. AZ-104 takes six to ten weeks with consistent hands-on practice in a real Azure environment, not just reading and practice questions. Microsoft recommends six months of Azure administrative experience before sitting AZ-104, though many candidates without that background pass with sufficiently intensive preparation.

One more practical note: passing AZ-900 earns you a 50 percent discount on your next Microsoft certification exam voucher. If you are planning to take AZ-104 anyway, taking AZ-900 first reduces the AZ-104 voucher cost from $165 to $82.50. For someone who was going to take AZ-900 anyway, that discount partially offsets the additional time investment.

What the az-900 Reddit Community Actually Says

The is az 900 worth it reddit conversations are consistent on a few points worth noting.

People who took AZ-900 before AZ-104 with no prior IT background almost universally say the foundation made AZ-104 easier. People who already had IT experience and took AZ-900 before AZ-104 frequently say in retrospect they could have skipped it without losing much. The credential on their resume was quickly overshadowed by AZ-104 and the question of whether those two to four weeks of AZ-900 study accelerated or delayed their path to AZ-104 varies by individual.

The one thing the community agrees on: nobody who took AZ-900 regretted learning the material. The regret, when it exists, is about the time cost rather than the knowledge cost. Which brings the question back to where you are starting from.

A Salary and Career Note

If career advancement is the primary motivation for this decision, the salary data points clearly in one direction. AZ-900 alone adds $5,000 to $8,000 to an existing IT salary on average. AZ-104 pushes that to $15,000 to $25,000 on top. Azure Administrators with AZ-104 earn $100,000 to $130,000 in the United States.

AZ-900 is the foundation that makes AZ-104 more achievable. AZ-104 is where the job market and compensation respond meaningfully. If the goal is a cloud career, AZ-900 is a useful step toward AZ-104 for the right candidates, not a destination in its own right.

The Honest Answer

Take AZ-900 first if you are genuinely new to cloud and IT, if you need cloud literacy without administrative depth, or if a foundational credential is useful for your current non-technical role.

Skip AZ-900 and go straight to AZ-104 if you have any hands-on IT experience, if you already understand how virtual machines, networks, and storage work in general terms, or if AZ-900's foundational credential would be immediately superseded by AZ-104 on your resume anyway.

The microsoft azure fundamentals certification is not a mandatory prerequisite for AZ-104. It is an optional foundation that pays off most clearly for people who genuinely need it. Knowing which category you are in makes the decision straightforward.

For practice questions on both AZ-900 and AZ-104 updated to current exam objectives, CertsInfinity covers both certifications with verified question sets: certsinfinity.com