What AZ-104 is designed to assess
AZ-104 is aimed at Azure administrators who implement, manage and monitor a cloud environment. Microsoft lists virtual networks, storage, compute, identity, security and governance as core areas. The exam therefore spans more than one Azure product and expects you to connect decisions across several services.
Training can support structured study and hands-on practice. It cannot guarantee a pass and attendance alone does not grant a Microsoft certification. Check exam booking, fees and current conditions separately.
Check your foundations before you start
Microsoft identifies operating systems, networking, servers and virtualisation as useful foundations. Practical familiarity with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep and Microsoft Entra ID is also expected. You do not need to be an expert in every area, but you should recognise common concepts and administrative workflows.
Take a short skills inventory before choosing a course. If subnets, role-based access control or basic command-line tasks are completely new, include a foundation module. This leaves more training time for practice and troubleshooting.
- Can you distinguish users, roles and permissions at a basic level?
- Do you understand IP addressing, subnets and DNS basics?
- Have you created or inspected resources in the Azure portal?
- Can you follow basic PowerShell or CLI commands?
Build the study plan around the five skill areas
The official study guide groups the current exam objectives into five areas. NextNowa review date: 29 September 2026. Microsoft can update the objectives, so every study plan should include another review shortly before training and the exam.
- Manage Azure identities and governance: 20 to 25 percent
- Implement and manage storage: 15 to 20 percent
- Deploy and manage Azure compute resources: 20 to 25 percent
- Implement and manage virtual networking: 15 to 20 percent
- Monitor and maintain Azure resources: 10 to 15 percent
Pair every theory block with a hands-on task
Plan labs in which you create, secure, observe and remove resources yourself. A useful sequence might start with a resource group and role assignment, continue through networking and compute, move into monitoring and finish with a short record of your decisions. Use approved accounts and fictional data for exercises.
Azure resources can create charges. Set a budget and alerts before the lab, clean up training resources afterwards and record any dependencies that prevent deletion. Troubleshooting and cost control are part of administration, not just housekeeping.
Compare course offers by specific deliverables
Microsoft describes its AZ-104T00-A reference course as a four-day course. This is a useful reference, but it does not prove that a particular offer fits your starting skills. Ask for the agenda, live teaching time, lab access, group size, language, dates, follow-up and the exact link to the current study guide.
NextNowa confirms pricing and dates on request. The proposal should clearly state whether an exam voucher, external exam fee, lab environment or additional licences are included. Business teams should also decide whether the focus is exam preparation, secure administration or their own Azure scenario.
A realistic study rhythm
Start with a skills check and divide the five areas into manageable study blocks. For each block, cover the foundations, complete a lab and record errors and open questions. Then use Microsoft’s free Practice Assessment and Exam Sandbox to understand the format and identify gaps. Revisit weak areas deliberately instead of only reading more material.
A good plan ends with a decision: practise further, book instructor-led training or schedule the exam. NextNowa can shape a live online course for individuals or teams around your current skills and goals.
Sources and review date
Official information checked on 29 September 2026. This guide does not replace individual funding advice.