AZ-104 Exam Guide: Powerful Topics, Tips & Study Plan to Pass First Time

Cloud computing has become one of the most valuable career skills in modern IT, and Microsoft Azure certifications continue to grow in demand worldwide. Among the most respected entry-to-mid level Azure certifications is the AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator exam. This certification validates the skills needed to manage Azure identities, governance, storage, compute resources, networking, and monitoring. For aspiring cloud engineers, system administrators, DevOps professionals, and IT support specialists, passing AZ-104 can open doors to strong career opportunities. If you want to pass on your first attempt, success depends on understanding the exam structure, focusing on high-value topics, practicing hands-on labs, and following a smart study plan.

What Is the AZ-104 Exam?

AZ-104 is the Microsoft Azure Administrator certification exam designed for professionals who manage cloud services spanning storage, security, networking, and compute capabilities in Azure environments. It is one of the most practical Azure certifications because it focuses heavily on real-world administration tasks rather than only theoretical knowledge. Candidates are expected to understand how to deploy resources, manage subscriptions, configure virtual networks, monitor performance, secure identities, and maintain cloud operations.

The certification is especially valuable for those who want roles such as Azure Administrator, Cloud Support Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Systems Administrator, or Junior Cloud Architect.

Why AZ-104 Is Valuable in 2026

As organizations continue migrating workloads to the cloud, they need professionals who can operate and manage Azure environments efficiently. Businesses rely on Azure for hosting applications, storage systems, disaster recovery, hybrid infrastructure, identity management, and enterprise networking. This creates demand for administrators who understand both technical deployment and ongoing operations.

AZ-104 is often seen as a foundational certification for progressing into advanced paths such as Azure Security, Azure Networking, DevOps, Architecture, and Cloud Engineering.

Core Topics Covered in AZ-104

To pass the exam, focus strongly on the main domains Microsoft emphasizes.

1. Manage Azure Identities and Governance

This includes Azure Active Directory, users, groups, subscriptions, role-based access control, policies, and resource locks. You should know how permissions are assigned and how organizations manage access securely.

2. Implement and Manage Storage

Expect questions on storage accounts, Blob Storage, file shares, redundancy options, lifecycle management, access tiers, shared access signatures, and backup options.

3. Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources

This includes virtual machines, availability sets, scale sets, containers, App Services, automation, and VM management tasks such as sizing, monitoring, backups, and updates.

4. Configure and Manage Virtual Networking

Networking is one of the most important sections. Study virtual networks, subnets, DNS, load balancers, NSGs, VPN gateways, peering, private endpoints, and routing.

5. Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources

Learn Azure Monitor, alerts, Log Analytics, backups, recovery services vaults, update management, and performance insights.

Most Important High-Scoring Topics

Some topics repeatedly appear in practice scenarios and real-world exam preparation. Prioritize these:

• Virtual Machines deployment and troubleshooting
• Storage account security and replication
• Azure RBAC and permissions
• VNet peering and subnet planning
• NSGs and traffic filtering
• Backup and recovery services
• Azure Monitor alerts and logs
• App Services basics
• Resource policies and tags
• Cost management basics