Azure Certification Paths: Explore Your Options

In the cloud computing market, Microsoft’s Azure platform is a highly sought-after option, coming in second in terms of popularity with a 21% market share, behind Amazon Web Services (AWS) with 32% and ahead of Google Cloud with 8%.

With its growing popularity, understanding Azure and its various certification options is a valuable asset for professionals in the field.

This article provides guidance on determining the most suitable Azure certifications to enhance your knowledge and training in the platform.

Azure Certification Profession

Azure certification enables system administrators (IT professionals), developers, and data and AI professionals to validate that they have the skills necessary to cover all aspects of digital transformation.

These skills range from managing on-premises, hybrid, or cloud infrastructure, to innovating with best-in-class applications, to supporting those applications and infrastructure with data and analytics — all with the right security in mind.

Azure Certification Level

There are four levels of Microsoft Azure certification. They are:

  • Fundamentals-level certifications: Perfect for non-technical people who want to get started in cloud computing and cloud professionals who are just beginning.
  • Associate-level certifications: Best suited for candidates who have a solid understanding of Azure’s basics.
  • Expert-level certifications: Ideal for people who have a strong background in the cloud, including associate-level certification and hands-on experience working with the cloud.
  • Specialty certifications: These specialties focus on Azure IOT Developer Specialty and Azure for SAP Workloads.

There are a pair of Azure certification paths outside the classification system. They are:

  • Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate for security engineers who work with threat management, monitoring, and response.
  • Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate for administrators who work with Azure AD to handle Identity and Access Management (AIM).

Why Pursue an Azure Certification?

As cloud technology continues to evolve, it is becoming increasingly important for professionals in the field to stay current with the latest advancements and certifications.

By obtaining a Microsoft Azure certification, individuals can demonstrate their expertise and increase their chances of standing out to potential employers.

With the growing demand for cloud-related roles, having a certification in Azure can be a valuable asset to any IT career.

Azure Certification Path

1. AZ-104: Azure Administrator Associate 

It is a certification exam offered by Microsoft for individuals who want to demonstrate their knowledge and skills as an Azure Administrator.

This certification exam tests an individual’s understanding of various Azure services and the ability to manage and maintain them. It covers topics such as managing Azure subscriptions and resources, implementing and managing storage, configuring and managing virtual networks, and managing identities. P

assing the AZ-104 exam is a requirement for achieving the Azure Administrator Associate certification.

This certification is intended for individuals who have a solid understanding of Azure and have experience with the administration of Azure resources.

It is considered an entry-level certification and is a good starting point for individuals who are new to Azure or looking to start a career in Azure administration.

2. AZ-204: Azure Developer Associate

AZ-204: Azure Developer Associate is a certification exam designed for developers who have a solid understanding of Azure and are proficient in developing and implementing Azure services.

The exam tests your knowledge and skills in developing Azure applications using various Azure services and tools, including Azure App Service, Azure Functions, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Event Grid, and Azure Logic Apps.

To take the AZ-204 exam, you should have a good understanding of the following topics:

  • Develop Azure compute solutions
  • Develop Azure storage solutions
  • Implement Azure security
  • Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions
  • Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services

Passing the AZ-204 exam will earn you the Azure Developer Associate certification, which verifies that you have the skills and knowledge to design, build, test, and maintain Azure applications.

This certification is intended for developers who want to demonstrate their expertise in Azure development and is a prerequisite for many other Azure developer certifications.

3. AI-102: Azure AI Engineer Associate

The AI-102: Azure AI Engineer Associate certification is a professional-level certification offered by Microsoft for individuals who want to demonstrate their expertise in designing, building, and deploying AI solutions on the Azure platform.

This certification is intended for individuals who have experience in developing and deploying AI solutions using Azure services such as Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Databricks.

To earn the AI-102 certification, candidates must pass a single exam, which covers topics such as:

  • Designing and implementing AI solutions using Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Databricks.
  • Developing and deploying AI models using Azure Machine Learning and Azure Databricks.
  • Managing and monitoring AI solutions using Azure Machine Learning and Azure Databricks.
  • Managing and securing AI assets and data using Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning.

The certification is intended for individuals who have experience in developing and deploying AI solutions, and who want to demonstrate their expertise in building and deploying AI solutions on the Azure platform.

It is ideal for developers, data scientists, and AI engineers who are looking to boost their career in the field of AI and machine learning.

4. DP-100: Azure Data Scientist Associate

DP-100: Azure Data Scientist Associate is a certification offered by Microsoft for individuals who want to demonstrate their expertise in designing and implementing data science solutions on the Azure platform.

The certification focuses on the skills required to implement data science solutions using Azure Machine Learning, Azure Databricks, and other Azure data services.

The exam covers topics such as data preparation, model training and evaluation, deployment, and monitoring.

To earn the certification, individuals must pass the DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure exam.

The exam covers a wide range of topics such as data preparation, model training and evaluation, deployment, and monitoring.

Additionally, individuals are expected to have experience working with Azure services such as Azure Machine Learning, Azure Databricks, and Azure Data Factory.

5. AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer Associate

AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer Associate is a certification offered by Microsoft for individuals who wish to demonstrate their expertise in securing Azure environments.

This certification is intended for security engineers and administrators who are responsible for implementing and managing security controls and threat protection in Azure.

To earn this certification, individuals must pass the AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam. The exam covers a wide range of topics, including Azure security management, Azure identity and access management, platform protection, and data protection.

The certification validates an individual’s knowledge of Azure security services and features, such as Azure Security Center, Azure Active Directory, Azure Key Vault, Azure Information Protection, Azure DDoS Protection, and Azure Conditional Access. It also covers the implementation and management of security controls to protect data, applications, and networks in Azure.

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