Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
Demonstrate your ability to design, build, test, and maintain cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure.
Exam Details
Your Progress
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Step-by-Step RoadmapEstimated total: 8 to 12 weeks
Prerequisites: AZ-900 and a development background
AZ-204 expects 1-2 years of Azure development experience. Pass AZ-900 first if you have not.
What to Learn
- AZ-900 fundamentals
- Programming in C#, Python, or Node.js
- Git basics
- REST APIs
Resources
- AZ-900 study guide on PathCert
- Microsoft Learn fundamentals path
If you cannot write a basic REST API in C# or Python yet, learn that before AZ-204. The exam assumes you can code.
Azure compute solutions
Master VMs, App Service, Container Instances, Container Apps, and Azure Functions.
What to Learn
- Azure VMs and scale sets
- Azure App Service (web apps, deployment slots)
- Azure Container Instances and Container Apps
- Azure Functions (triggers, bindings, durable functions)
- Container Registry basics
Resources
- Microsoft Learn: AZ-204 Compute module
- Free Azure account for hands-on
Functions are a huge chunk of the exam. Build at least 3 different Azure Functions: HTTP trigger, blob trigger, and timer.
Storage and databases
Blob storage, Cosmos DB, table/queue storage. Learn the SDK patterns.
What to Learn
- Azure Blob Storage (lifecycle, tiers, SAS tokens)
- Azure Cosmos DB (partitioning, consistency levels)
- Azure SQL Database fundamentals
- Storage account access keys vs SAS vs managed identity
Resources
- Microsoft Learn: AZ-204 Storage modules
Cosmos DB consistency levels (strong, bounded staleness, session, consistent prefix, eventual) come up almost every exam. Know them in order.
Security, identity, and key management
Microsoft Entra ID, managed identities, Key Vault, app authentication.
What to Learn
- Microsoft Entra ID for application auth
- OAuth 2.0 flows
- Managed identities (system-assigned vs user-assigned)
- Azure Key Vault for secrets, keys, certificates
- Microsoft Identity Platform
Resources
- Microsoft Learn: AZ-204 Security module
Managed identities are heavily tested. Know when to use system-assigned vs user-assigned. Pro tip: user-assigned for shared identity across resources.
Monitor, troubleshoot, optimise
Application Insights, Azure Monitor, caching, CDN.
What to Learn
- Application Insights instrumentation
- Azure Monitor metrics and alerts
- Azure Cache for Redis
- Azure CDN
- Logging and diagnostics
Resources
- Microsoft Learn: AZ-204 Monitor module
Application Insights is the biggest topic here. Practise reading and writing KQL queries on sample data.
Azure messaging and event-driven architectures
Service Bus, Event Grid, Event Hubs, Queue Storage. When to use each.
What to Learn
- Service Bus queues and topics
- Event Grid (events vs messages)
- Event Hubs for big data streaming
- Storage queues vs Service Bus queues
Resources
- Microsoft Learn: AZ-204 Integration module
Common exam question: 'which messaging service for X scenario?'. Cheat sheet: Service Bus = enterprise messaging, Event Grid = reactive events, Event Hubs = massive ingestion of telemetry/logs.
Practice tests and final exam prep
Take full timed practice tests, fix weak areas, book the exam.
What to Learn
- MeasureUp AZ-204 practice tests
- Whizlabs AZ-204
- Microsoft Official Practice Assessment (free)
- Hands-on lab time
Resources
- MeasureUp
- Microsoft Learn sandboxes
Aim for 80%+ on MeasureUp before booking. AZ-204 has lab questions where you write/identify code. Practise reading C# and Python Azure SDK snippets.