Microsoft Azure AZ-204 is a certification exam for developers who want to validate their skills in developing solutions using Microsoft Azure technologies. The exam covers a wide range of topics related to Azure development, including Azure compute, storage, security, integration, and deployment. Here are some reasons why you might consider taking the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam:
- Validate your skills: By passing the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam, you can demonstrate to potential employers or clients that you have the skills and knowledge needed to develop Azure solutions.
- Enhance your career prospects: As more and more companies move their applications and services to the cloud, demand for Azure developers is growing. Earning the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification can help you stand out in the job market and increase your career prospects.
- Stay current: The Microsoft Azure platform is constantly evolving, with new features and capabilities being added all the time. By studying for and taking the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam, you can stay up-to-date on the latest Azure technologies and best practices.
- Access to Microsoft resources: Microsoft offers a variety of resources and tools to help you prepare for the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam, including training courses, study guides, and practice exams. By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your knowledge and improve your chances of passing the exam.
Overall, the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification exam can be a valuable credential for developers looking to enhance their Azure development skills and advance their careers in the cloud computing industry.
Microsoft Azure AZ-204 Exam Prerequisites
There are no special requirements for the AZ-204 exam in general. However, applicants are advised to meet the recommended knowledge and experience requirements to improve their chances of passing the exam. The following are the AZ-204 exam prerequisites:
- Applicants should have a minimum of 1-2 years of experience in cloud solution advancement and Microsoft Azure.
- Candidates should demonstrate encouraging programming fluency in a high-level programming language supported by Azure.
Exam Format
Now, let’s go over the fundamentals of the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam. The Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam allows a candidate 150 minutes to complete the exam; ensure that you complete and recheck the exam within the time limit. In addition, the exam format is Multi-Response and Multiple Choice Questions.
The Microsoft AZ-204 questions range from 40 to 60, depending on the nature of the exam. In addition, the AZ-204 certification exam costs USD 165. * In addition, the Microsoft Azure (Beta) AZ-204 exam is available in English. Furthermore, there is no expiration date for the Microsoft Azure (Beta) AZ-204 exam.
How tough is the Microsoft Azure AZ – 204 exam?
The Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam is considered to be a moderately difficult exam. The exam covers a broad range of Azure development topics, including Azure compute, storage, security, integration, and deployment, and requires a deep understanding of Azure technologies and best practices.
To pass the exam, candidates must demonstrate their ability to design and develop Azure solutions that meet specific business requirements, as well as their proficiency in using Azure tools and technologies to build, test, and deploy applications.
The Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam consists of around 40-60 multiple-choice questions and must be completed within 150 minutes. The passing score for the exam is 700 out of 1000 points.
To prepare for the exam, candidates should have experience with Azure development and should study the exam objectives, review Azure documentation and tutorials, and take advantage of available training and practice resources.
Overall, the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam requires a significant amount of study and preparation, but with dedication and effort, it is definitely achievable for experienced Azure developers.
Microsoft Azure AZ – 204 Exam Glossary
Here are some important terms and concepts related to the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification exam:
- Azure: Microsoft’s cloud computing platform that provides a range of services for building, deploying, and managing applications and services.
- Learning Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service that provides authentication and authorization for Azure resources and other applications.
- Understanding Azure App Service: A platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering that allows developers to build, deploy, and scale web, mobile, and API applications.
- Understanding Azure Functions: A serverless computing service that allows developers to build and run event-driven applications and microservices.
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): A managed Kubernetes service that simplifies the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
- Understanding Azure Cosmos DB: A globally distributed, multi-model database service that provides high availability, low latency, and scalability for mission-critical applications.
- Azure Storage: A cloud-based storage service that provides highly scalable and durable storage for various data types, such as blobs, files, queues, and tables.
- Azure Resource Manager (ARM): A management service that enables you to deploy, manage, and organize Azure resources in a consistent and repeatable way.
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): A software development practice that involves automatically building, testing, and deploying applications to production.
- Azure DevOps: A set of services for planning, building, testing, and deploying applications to Azure and other platforms.
These are just some of the key terms and concepts you should be familiar with when preparing for the AZ-204 exam. It is important to have a solid understanding of these and other Azure services and technologies to succeed in the exam and as an Azure developer.
Microsoft Azure AZ-204 Study Guide
If you are preparing for the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification exam, here are some resources that can help you:
- Official Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification page: This page contains information about the exam, including the skills measured, exam structure, and prerequisites.
- Microsoft Azure documentation: Microsoft Azure documentation is a great resource for learning about Azure services and preparing for the exam. You can find comprehensive documentation on Azure services, tutorials, and sample code.
- Azure developer learning paths: Microsoft provides a set of learning paths for developers that cover different aspects of Azure development, including Azure Fundamentals, Azure Developer Core Solutions, and Azure Developer Advanced Solutions.
- Microsoft Azure training courses: You can also take official Azure training courses to prepare for the AZ-204 exam. Microsoft offers instructor-led and self-paced online courses that cover various Azure services and technologies.
- Practice tests: Practice tests can help you gauge your readiness for the AZ-204 exam. Microsoft offers official practice tests for the AZ-204 exam on their certification page, or you can find practice tests from third-party providers.
- Azure developer community: Joining the Azure developer community can be a great way to learn from others and get help with your Azure development projects. You can find online communities, user groups, and forums dedicated to Azure development.
Overall, the key to success in the AZ-204 exam is to have a solid understanding of Azure services, development tools, and best practices. The resources above can help you prepare and pass the exam.
Microsoft Azure AZ-204 Expert Tips and Tricks
Preparing for the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 certification exam requires a lot of effort and dedication. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you pass the exam:
- Understand the exam objectives: The first step in preparing for the AZ-204 exam is to understand the exam objectives. Microsoft provides a detailed list of skills measured in the exam, which can help you focus your study efforts.
- Use official Microsoft resources: Microsoft provides a range of official resources, including documentation, learning paths, and practice tests, to help you prepare for the exam. These resources are designed to cover all the exam objectives and provide a comprehensive understanding of Azure services and technologies.
- Practice with hands-on experience: Hands-on experience is critical to understanding how Azure services work and how to use them effectively. Microsoft provides free Azure accounts that allow you to create and experiment with Azure resources.
- Take practice tests: Practice tests can help you gauge your readiness for the AZ-204 exam and identify areas where you need to focus your study efforts. Microsoft provides official practice tests, or you can find practice tests from third-party providers.
- Join Azure developer communities: Joining online communities, user groups, and forums dedicated to Azure development can help you learn from others and get help with your Azure projects.
- Manage your time during the exam: The AZ-204 exam is a timed exam, and you need to manage your time effectively to complete all the questions within the given time. Read each question carefully, eliminate obviously wrong answers, and then focus on the remaining options.
- Read the questions carefully: The exam questions can be tricky, and it is important to read each question carefully and understand what is being asked. Look for keywords and phrases that can help you identify the correct answer.
By following these tips and tricks, you can improve your chances of passing the AZ-204 exam and becoming a certified Azure developer. Remember to stay focused, stay motivated, and keep learning.
AZ-204 Course Outline
Microsoft AZ-204 Exam course outline content was updated on April 19, 2022.
The updated Microsoft AZ-204 course outline includes:
1. Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)
1.1 Implement IaaS solutions
- Provision VMs (Microsoft Documentation: Create a Windows virtual machine in Azure with PowerShell)
- Configure, validate, and deploy ARM templates (Microsoft Documentation: Create and deploy ARM templates)
- Configure container images for solutions (Microsoft Documentation: Build and deploy container images)
- Publish an image to the Azure Container Registry (Microsoft Documentation: Push image to Azure Container Registry)
- Run containers by using Azure Container Instance (Microsoft Documentation: Deploy a container application to Azure Container Instances)
1.2 Create Azure App Service Web Apps
- Create an Azure App Service Web App (Microsoft Documentation: Create an ASP.NET Core web app in Azure)
- Enable diagnostics logging (Microsoft Documentation: Enable diagnostics logging for apps in Azure App Service)
- Deploy code to a web app (Microsoft Documentation: Deploy your app to Azure App Service with a ZIP or WAR file)
- Configure web app settings including SSL, API, and connection strings (Microsoft Documentation: Configuring web app settings with SSL, Configuring web app settings with connection strings and Host Restful APIs in Azure App Service)
- Implement autoscaling rules, including scheduled autoscaling, and scaling by operational or system metrics (Microsoft Documentation: Azure App Service Autoscaling rules, Scheduled Autoscaling & scaling by operational or system metrics and Also, review the common autoscale patterns)
1.3 Implement Azure functions
- Create and deploy Azure Functions apps
- Implement input and output bindings for a function (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Functions triggers and bindings concepts)
- Implementing function triggers by using data operations, timers, and webhooks (Microsoft Documentation: Timer trigger for Azure Functions)
- Implement Azure Durable Functions (Microsoft Documentation: Create Durable Functions using the Azure portal)
2. Develop for Azure storage (15-20%)
2.1 Develop solutions that use Cosmos DB storage
- Select the appropriate API and SDK for a solution
- Implement partitioning schemes and partition keys (Microsoft Documentation: Partition data on Azure Cosmos DB using a real-world example)
- Perform operations on data and Cosmos DB containers
- Set the appropriate consistency level for operations (Microsoft Documentation: Choose the right consistency level)
- Manage change feed notifications Change feed in Azure Cosmos DB)
2.2 Develop solutions that use blob storage
- Move items in Blob storage between storage accounts or containers (Microsoft Documentation: Move Azure storage blobs from the command line with the Azure CLI)
- Set and retrieve properties and metadata (Microsoft Documentation: Setting properties and metadata during the import process)
- Perform operations on data by using the appropriate SDK (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Blob storage client library v12 for .NET)
- Implement storage policies, data archiving and retention
3. Implement Azure security (20-25%)
3.1 Implement user authentication and authorization
- Authenticate and authorize users by using the Microsoft Identity platform (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft identity platform)
- Authenticate and authorize users and apps by using Azure Active Directory (Microsoft Documentation: Configure your App Service or Azure Functions)
- Create and implement shared access signatures (Microsoft Documentation: Grant limited access to Azure Storage resources using shared access signatures (SAS))
- Implement solutions that interact with Microsoft Graph
3.2 Implement secure cloud solutions
- Secure app configuration data by using the App Configuration and Azure Key Vault (Microsoft Documentation: Securely save secret application settings for a web application)
- Develop code that uses keys, secrets, and certificates stored in Azure Key Vault (Microsoft Documentation: Configure and manage secrets in Azure Key Vault)
- Implement Managed Identities for Azure resources (Microsoft Documentation: Use a Windows VM system-assigned managed identity to access Resource Manager)
4. Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (15-20%)
4.1 Implement caching for solutions
- Configure cache and expiration policies for Azure Cache for Redis configure Azure Cache for Redis)
- Implement secure and optimized application cache patterns including data sizing, connections, encryption, and expiration Caching guidance)
4.2 Troubleshoot solutions by using metrics and log data
- Configure an app or service to use Application Insights Application Insights overview)
- Review and analyze metrics and log data Azure Monitor Metrics overview)
- Implement Application Insights Web Test and Alerts (Microsoft Documentation: Creating an Application Insights Web Test and Alert Programmatically)
5. Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (15-20%)
5.1 Implement API Management
- Create an APIM instance (Microsoft Documentation: Create a new Azure API Management service instance)
- Create and document APIs
- Configure authentication for APIs (Microsoft Documentation: Secure APIs using client certificate authentication in API Management)
- Define policies for APIs (Microsoft Documentation: Set or edit Azure API Management policies)
5.3 Develop event-based solutions
- Implement solutions that use Azure Event Grid (Microsoft Documentation: Automate resizing uploaded images using Event Grid)
- Implement solutions that use Azure Event Hub (Microsoft Documentation: Visualize data anomalies in real-time events sent to Azure Event Hubs)
5.4 Develop message-based solutions
- Implement solutions that use Azure Service Bus (Microsoft Documentation: Update inventory using PowerShell and topics/subscriptions)
- Implement solutions that use Azure Queue Storage queues (Microsoft Documentation: Work with Azure storage queues)
Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-204 Preparation Resources
Let’s go over some resources you’ll need to study for the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam. As a result, the first step for any candidate should be to visit the official certification page. Also, The certification page informs the candidate about the beta exam’s availability and scoring system. The candidate should consult the resources listed below.
Referring the Blueprint
The first step in effective preparation for candidates is to obtain a study guide. The study guide or exam guide can be downloaded from the official certification page. Moreover, Candidates should download the exam blueprint to learn about the objectives and other important information. A blueprint is a dependable tool for studying only the content required for the exam and better AZ-204 exam review.
Microsoft Azure training courses
You can also take official Azure training courses to prepare for the AZ-204 exam. Microsoft offers instructor-led and self-paced online courses that cover various Azure services and technologies.
Azure developer learning paths
Microsoft provides a set of learning paths for developers that cover different aspects of Azure development, including Azure Fundamentals, Azure Developer Core Solutions, and Azure Developer Advanced Solutions.
Reference Books
There are several books available on Azure development, including “Exam Ref AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure” by Santiago Fernandez Munoz and “Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Exam Guide AZ-303: A Complete Certification Guide” by Sjoukje Zaal.
Microsoft official Training
Candidates should select appropriate training courses from reputable certification training providers. The primary advantage of such online AZ-204 training courses is the ability of subject matter experts to provide expert guidance. Furthermore, having knowledge of all exam topics in appealing tutorial videos with practical demonstrations makes learning easier and more effective. Also, Hands-on labs help students improve their ability to approach technical tasks in certification exams. The candidate can sign up for the Azure free tier and put their skills to the test. Access the Azure training by Microsoft here.
Online Tutorials
Online tutorials supplement your knowledge and provide a thorough understanding of exam concepts. They also go over exam specifics and policies. Nonetheless, these online tutorials provide detailed information about the exam. As a result, you will be better prepared for the exam. As a result, learning with Online Tutorials will help you prepare better.
Practice tests
Before sitting for a certification exam, the candidate should always prioritize practice tests. Moreover, With expert-curated Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam Questions, Microsoft AZ-204 practice tests can be a validated method for confirming the level of preparation for the exam. This allows the candidate to benefit from improved time management and quick thinking skills.
Expert Corner
The goal of the AZ-204 developing Microsoft solutions certification is for candidates to qualify as subject matter experts as Azure developers, collaborate with cloud architects, administrators, and DBAs, and implement solutions for clients. You will be thoroughly tested for your knowledge of various phases of the Software Development lifecycle, such as designing, development, performance testing, and troubleshooting to optimize the solutions. Moreover, To gain a better understanding of the concepts, you should gain hands-on experience developing cloud solutions and creating an Azure account.
Remember to focus on the exam objectives and practice with hands-on experience to fully prepare for the AZ-204 exam. Good luck!
