5 Tips to Prepare for Microsoft Azure Cloud Certification Exam

For the last few years, the cloud has become a crucial part of almost every IT organization due to various benefits that come along with it. Various IT giants offer cloud services, such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and others. However, like all other tech-related fields, Microsoft is also leading the cloud domain with its most preferred cloud platform - Azure. Meanwhile, Microsoft offers an Azure Certification that can help you to get recognized as a cloud computing professional and will further you land a high-paying job as well. Statistically, Microsoft Azure Certified professionals earn 15-20% more in comparison to the uncertified ones.

In this article, we will discuss a roadmap regarding the Azure Cloud Certification with appropriate strategies and approaches. But, before moving further, let's take a brief introduction to the Azure Cloud Platform.

What is Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure, launched in 2010, is a cloud computing platform that helps businesses manage and store their data, run applications, and perform various tasks over the internet. With Azure, companies don’t need to worry about buying and maintaining physical servers. Everything is stored in the cloud, which makes it more cost-effective and easier to manage.

Azure allows businesses to scale their services easily, meaning they can increase or decrease resources based on their needs. It also offers strong security features to keep data safe from cyber threats, making it a trusted platform across industries like healthcare, finance, and education. With Azure, companies can access their data and applications from anywhere in the world, at any time, making it a flexible and reliable solution for modern businesses.

How to Prepare for the Azure Cloud Certification?

1. Choose the Relevant Azure Certification

The first and foremost task you need to do is select the right certification for yourself as per your goals. Yes, Microsoft offers various Azure exams and certifications as per the industry's requirements. The certifications are categorized based on various levels - Fundamental, Associate, and Expert. The major Microsoft Azure Certifications as per the work-domain are listed below: 

• Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator (AZ-103)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Developer (AZ-203)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-200, DP-201)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500)
• Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-100)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist (DP-100)
• Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-300, AZ-301)
• Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400)
• Microsoft Certified Azure for SAP Workloads (AZ-120)
• Microsoft Certified Azure IoT Developer (AZ-220)

Hence, you need to get familiar or aware of all the certifications and then identify the particular one to meet your career goals. 

2. Get Familiar with Exam Format

Once you'll be aware of all the Azure Certifications, then you are required to understand the exam format and procedure. It will help you to analyze what type of questions are asked in the exam and make it easier for you to pass with flying colors. You can go through various standard resources over the web to get the right content. Meanwhile, you are recommended to read the Microsoft Azure Official Documentation provided on the certification page. In this documentation, you'll get all the information regarding every topic and other exam prerequisites and resources. It will surely help you to get the right learning path and guidance. Moreover, each certification exam has its own set of questions according to its domain such as Development, Data Science, etc., hence you need to prepare as per the particular certification.

3. Start the Learning Process

After getting familiar with all the exam-related schemes, now it's time to start the learning process. You can start to learn the basics from various resources (both paid and free) available over the web. Apart from the self-learning process, you can also join various training programs offered for specifically Microsoft Azure training. You can also opt for Microsoft Learn, a free learning platform by Microsoft, to get some quality resources and make your preparation better.

Meanwhile, this Microsoft Learning Platform can be proved as the one-stop solution for all the exam-related queries. Moreover, you can join Instructor-led Training to get more exposure and efficient learning. Also, you are recommended to go through some standard books that will help you to learn and prepare more for the certification exam.

4. Get Some Hands-on Experience

Needless to say, the best way to learn anything is to learn by doing! You're required to get some hands-on experience with the technology to have practical knowledge about Microsoft Azure. Apart from reading books, attending lectures, watching tutorials, etc. you are recommended to try all your understood concepts out on a real system to make it more effective. Meanwhile, Microsoft also offers you to create Azure free account and various hands-on labs where you can get to practice with the latest cloud products and services in a live environment and can enhance your cloud skills at zero cost. It will make you more proficient with the technology as you can practice your skills multiple times with real-world scenarios.

5. Must Solve Practice Tests

Regardless of the type of exam or certification, practice papers are always considered as one of the best ways to assess your knowledge and performance. You are recommended to solve official practice papers offered by Microsoft or can prepare from other reliable resources. It will surely help you to cover all the important domains for the perspective of the Microsoft Azure Certification exam. Also, it will help you to get familiar with the real exam environment such as time limit, type of questions, etc. 

You can join various study groups and discussion forums as well to reach out to other learners and professionals that will help you in clearing your doubts and better preparation. Through these groups, you can get various study resources and other additional exam-related information.

Must Read:

• Microsoft Azure tutorial
• AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
• 10 Best Azure Certifications to Consider

Conclusion

To conclude, these are the strategies that you need to follow to prepare for the Azure Cloud Certification. Indeed, Microsoft Azure is the leading player in the cloud industry and as per its rapid growth, it is the best skill to learn to make a career in the tech industry. Now, what are you waiting for? Just follow the above-mentioned roadmap, schedule your exam, and get the most-desired certification!!