Recipe to score above 85% in Microsoft fundamentals exam.
Despite having worked with Microsoft Azure for nearly 5 years, I have attempted the Microsoft Azure fundamentals (AZ-900). At the beginning of my certification journey, I thought that I have enough experience and that I can go for a more advanced certification. I went through the study guide for AZ-900, and boy I was wrong. When learning Azure during work, you learn only what you required to get your work done and skip a lot of important concepts or services of Azure. That is why I decided to go for the fundamentals exams.
I will share with you how I cleared this exam with over 85%.
Go through the exam guide.
Make sure you go through the exam/study guide as all concepts are well defined and weightage of each concept is mentioned.
Moreover, links to learning paths for each concept containing detailed notes and videos are provided.
Study like in your school days
I remember the day I decided to go for the certification. I went to buy a copybook and some stationaries. I know that the formula that works best for me is making notes while going through the study materials.
The learning style varies from person to person. Even if you are a professional with some years of experience, do not hesitate to study like you used to do back in your school days.
Arm yourself with some good learning materials
As mentioned earlier, go through the study guide. The links to learning paths provided will redirect you to documents for each corresponding section. Learning from there will not only allow you to pass the exam but it will also provide you with information you may require for work.
I have also enrolled in a course on Udemy for AZ-900. This practice is not a hard rule and may not be applicable for you. I did it as listening and watching videos help me understand better than just reading. Again, enrolling in courses is not mandatory, it just works best for me.
Once I had the documents provided by the guide and the course, I felt that I got everything I needed. While going through the docs, I wrote down notes about concepts that were new to me and on things I knew I will have to read multiple times to better understand. When watching the course, I also wrote some notes and since there were more pictures and animations, I could illustrate some points in my copybook for further reference.
Try some sample questions
After studying the materials, it is always good to assess your newly acquired knowledge. You can try sample questions provided by Microsoft. These questions will give you an insight about how exam questions are. There are also other sample questions which are easily available on the web.
Book your exam
When you feel confident, you can schedule your exam. Go to the certification page and scroll to the ‘Schedule exam’ section.
The cost depends on your country and you have the choice of sitting for the exam from home or at an exam centre.
I did mine in an exam centre. My advice, if you are planning to do like me, is to reach at least 30 minutes earlier than your scheduled time. When I went for my exam, there were no parking space available and I had to look for one and then walk back to the exam centre. This time buffer will help you cater for any setbacks. Also, do not forget to bring along your ID card as it will be required when you will be registered just before sitting for the exam.
Conclusion
AZ-900 exam covers fundamentals of Azure. Despite being called a ‘fundamentals’ exam, it remains an exam. So, it requires and deserves all hard work and dedication and a good preparation is key.
All the knowledge acquired will not only help you clear the exam with flying colours but also will be helpful in your professional life as everything you have learnt can be applied to your work.
Good luck!
