Microsoft study plan
AZ-900 study plan
A step-by-step AZ-900 study plan: the exact order to study in, how long to spend on each stage, and when to start practice questions. Follow it top to bottom.
The real AZ-900 is Typically 40 to 60 questions questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 700 / 1000. For the full domain-by-domain breakdown behind each stage, read the AZ-900 study guide.
Your step-by-step plan
Map the blueprint and book a date
Day 1Read the three domains and their weights so you know where the marks are. Architecture and Services is the largest single block, with Cloud Concepts and Management and Governance close behind, so none can be skipped. Book a provisional exam date now: a fixed date turns vague study into a plan and is the strongest predictor of actually sitting.
Lock the shared responsibility model and service types
Week 1Start with Cloud Concepts because everything else leans on it. Learn the shared responsibility model cold, especially that data and identities are always yours, and drill the IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS split by who manages what. Then pin each cloud benefit word to its exact definition so scalability, availability, reliability, and cost predictability cannot be swapped.
Build the Azure architecture hierarchy
Week 2Learn the nesting ladder from management groups down to resources, and the location terms (region, region pair, availability zone) until they cannot be confused. Spend a few hours in the Azure portal creating a resource group and a virtual machine so the names become concrete rather than abstract. This is the heaviest domain, so give it the most time.
Drill compute, storage, identity, and security services
Weeks 2 to 3Within Architecture and Services, learn each service by the one job it is named for: virtual machines and containers and Functions for compute, the storage account types and redundancy options for storage, Entra ID for identity, and Defender for Cloud for security posture. Practise the close-pair calls, such as Entra ID versus Defender for Cloud, until the need alone picks the answer.
Cover cost, governance, and monitoring tools
Week 3Work through Management and Governance by grouping tools by job: the two calculators for cost, Azure Policy and locks for governance, the portal and CLI and Arc for deployment, and Advisor, Service Health, and Monitor for observability. The marks here come from telling the close neighbours apart, so drill the discriminators inside each group rather than memorising lists.
Practise on scenario questions and review the misses
Week 4Move to mixed practice questions across all three domains and read the worked explanation on every one, including the ones you got right, watching for the close-sounding distractor you nearly chose. Use your per-domain accuracy to attack the weakest area rather than re-reading what you already know, then revisit the recall prompts after a few days to space the review.
Sit a timed mock and calibrate
Week 4Take at least one full timed mock under exam conditions to rehearse pacing and the flag-and-return habit. Treat the result as a per-domain readiness signal rather than a single number, and review every missed question, naming the discriminator you misread, before you book or sit the real exam.
Ready to start stage one?
Free AZ-900 questions with worked explanations. No sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this AZ-900 study plan take?
It is 7 stages, paced by how much time you can give it each week - most candidates work through it in 2 to 6 weeks. Each stage below has a suggested duration; slow down on any stage where the recall checks in the study guide are not landing before moving on.
What order should I study AZ-900 in?
Follow the stages in order below. They are sequenced deliberately: foundational material first, then the domains weighted heaviest on the exam, then timed practice, with review passes built in rather than left to the end.
Do I need practice questions as part of this plan?
Yes. Reading alone does not surface what you have not actually learned. This plan builds in graded practice, and the full 245-question bank is free to use as you work through each stage.
Is this plan enough on its own, or do I need the full study guide too?
This page is the plan: what to do and in what order. The study guide adds the domain-by-domain breakdown, easy-to-confuse traps, and worked examples behind each stage - read it alongside this plan, not instead of it.
Examworthy is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. This study plan is original material based on the public exam blueprint. We never reproduce live exam items. AZ-900 and related marks belong to their respective owners.