Am I Ready for AZ-120? Exam Readiness Checklist (2026)
Tick what you can do today, without notes. The board scores you against the Microsoft outline and says GO, HOLD or NO-GO before you spend US$165 on a booking.
- Not publishedQuestions
- 100 minTime
- 700 / 1000Pass mark
- US$165Fee
- Pearson VUEDelivery
Table of Contents
AZ-120 earns Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty. It is written for architects and engineers who plan, migrate and run SAP landscapes on Azure: sizing SAP-certified VMs, designing storage and networking for HANA, building Pacemaker clusters, integrating RISE with SAP, and keeping everything monitored and cost-efficient. Microsoft strongly recommends holding Azure Administrator Associate first and expects real knowledge of SAP HANA, NetWeaver and Business Suite.
Ready for AZ-120 means being fluent in both worlds. Azure-only candidates tend to stumble on SAP terms such as ASCS/ERS, HANA System Replication or SAPControl; SAP Basis people tend to stumble on Azure networking, storage types and availability options. The current outline, dated 17 April 2026, has four domains weighted 20-30% each, so you need a confident answer in every area rather than one deep specialty. There is no free Microsoft Practice Assessment for this exam, so build your own evidence.
How to use this checklist
Tick only what you can do today, without notes. Each tick is weighted by its domain's share of the official outline, so the score follows the exam, not the number of boxes. A heavy domain (15%+ of the weight) at NO-GO holds the verdict even when the total looks fine. Your ticks are saved in this browser only.
The AZ-120 readiness checklist
18 items across 4 domains, each one a thing the exam expects you to do rather than recognise.
Your go / no-go board
One lamp per domain, one verdict overall. Amber and red rows are your study plan for the next week or two.
Check your ticks under exam conditions
A tick is a claim; a timed set of questions is the evidence. ExamCert AI has 600+ exam-style AZ-120 questions with an explanation for every option. Do a mixed set and see whether the domains you ticked hold up.
Practise on ExamCert AIAZ-120 practice questionsRed flags: don't book yet if...
Any one of these on the AZ-120 is a better predictor of a fail than a low tick count.
You only speak one side: Azure or SAP
AZ-120 assumes both Azure administration skills and real SAP knowledge. Microsoft strongly recommends Azure Administrator Associate and expects experience with HANA, NetWeaver and Business Suite.
Fix:List the ten Azure and ten SAP terms in the study guide you could not explain to a colleague, and close each gap with the SAP on Azure documentation.
You have never built a Pacemaker cluster
The HADR objectives name Pacemaker, STONITH, the Azure fence agent, SBD and load balancing explicitly. These are configuration details that are hard to fake from diagrams.
Fix:Follow Microsoft's high-availability guide for SUSE or Red Hat in a lab subscription, and note every step that differs between the fence agent and SBD.
Storage choices for HANA are fuzzy
Disk types, striping, caching, Write Accelerator and Azure NetApp Files volumes form a whole objective group, and the wrong choice can break SAP's supported configurations.
Fix:Build a table per storage option: which HANA volumes it suits, the caching rule, and where Write Accelerator applies. Check it against the SAP on Azure docs.
RISE with SAP is a blank
The April 2026 outline has a dedicated subsection on integrating with SAP RISE, covering networking, compute and storage services, data management, identity and security.
Fix:Read Microsoft's RISE with SAP integration docs and sketch the network peering and DNS between your subscription and the SAP-managed environment.
You have no timed practice score at all
Unlike many Microsoft exams, AZ-120 has no free Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn; the study guide links a paid MeasureUp practice test instead. Without timed practice you have no score signal.
Fix:Use the exam sandbox for format, Learn module knowledge checks for coverage, and one timed practice test you trust for a score.
The numbers that say you're ready
Rules of thumb, not official thresholds: Microsoft does not publish a readiness score. Hit all four before you pay for a booking.
Rule of thumb, not an official cut score. Microsoft offers no free Practice Assessment for AZ-120, so use a timed test you have not seen before and score it honestly.
Rule of thumb. Draw an S/4HANA system across zones with cluster, load balancer, storage and DR region, and justify each choice, without notes.
Rule of thumb. Trigger a failover in a lab Pacemaker cluster and explain what the fence agent or SBD did. That covers the hardest hands-on objectives.
Rule of thumb. With all four domains at 20-30%, one weak area such as HADR or migration can sink an otherwise strong attempt.
Booking and ID checklist
The logistics that trip people up are specific to the AZ-120 and its delivery provider. Work through them in order.
Set up your certification profile
Sign in to Microsoft Learn with a personal Microsoft account; Microsoft warns that records on a work or school account can be lost if you leave. Make the profile name match your government ID exactly.
Close the Azure administration gap
No prerequisite is enforced, but Microsoft strongly recommends Azure Administrator Associate. If you skipped it, review its networking, storage and identity material before booking.
Check the language and accommodations
AZ-120 is offered in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Spanish and Portuguese (Brazil). If yours is not listed, request an extra 30 minutes; any accommodation must be approved before you book.
Book through Pearson VUE
Use Schedule exam on the certification page and choose a test centre or online (OnVUE). The US price is US$165; other countries differ and tax may apply. Apply any voucher or Exam Replay offer at checkout.
Run the OnVUE system test
For online delivery, run Pearson VUE's system test on the same computer, network and room you will use. A personal machine with admin rights avoids corporate VPNs and security agents that block the secure browser.
Last chance to move the slot
Reschedule or cancel from your Learn profile at least 24 hours ahead. Later than that, the fee or voucher is forfeited.
Check in on time
Online, check in from 30 minutes before to 15 minutes after your start via Learn profile, Certifications, Go to the exam. At a centre, arrive early with ID whose name matches your profile.
Exam-week countdown: T-7 to T-0
Take a timed practice test and sort every miss into the four domains. Redo the weakest area hands-on, such as a cluster failover or storage layout, in a lab.
Redraw your HA/DR landscape from memory, reread your storage table, and walk the Azure Center for SAP solutions and Azure Monitor for SAP solutions docs once.
No new topics. Delete lab resources, rerun the OnVUE system test or check the route to the centre, confirm your ID name matches your profile, and sleep.
Read each scenario for the deciding constraint first, such as RPO, latency, HANA size or RISE scope. Flag anything slow, keep time for review, and finish open questions before any break.
Test-day rules
✓ Allowed / expected
- One current government-issued photo ID whose name exactly matches your Microsoft certification profile
- Unscheduled breaks through the Take a break button; the clock keeps running and 5 minutes are built into the exam time
- Pearson VUE's digital whiteboard online, or the note board provided at a test centre
- A drink in a clear, spill-proof container during an online exam
- Your phone placed out of arm's reach but within hearing, in case the online proctor needs to call
✕ Not allowed
- Phones, watches, notes, pens, paper or extra monitors within reach during an online exam
- Anyone else in the room, or help from another person or any AI tool
- Going back to questions you viewed before taking a break
- Copying, recording or sharing exam content; Microsoft can decertify and ban candidates
- Eating, smoking or chewing gum without an approved accommodation
After you pass
Score in minutes
Most Microsoft exams show pass or fail and a score report within minutes (about 30 minutes when labs are included). The report has a bar chart by skill area and reaches your Learn profile within 24 hours.
Credential in your Learn profile
Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty appears under Credentials in your Microsoft Learn profile with an Online Verifiable tag, ready to share on LinkedIn, by link or as a printed certificate.
Free renewal every year
The certification lasts 12 months. In the six months before it expires, pass a free, unproctored, open-book renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn; you can retake it as often as needed before the expiry date.
The AZ-120 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | Not published for AZ-120; Microsoft says most of its exams have 40-60 questions |
| Time | 100 minutes of exam time (stated on the certification page); seat time is about 20 minutes longer. The exam may include interactive components |
| Passing score | 700 on a scaled 1-1,000 score (not the same as 70% correct) |
| Fee | US$165 in the United States; price varies by country or region and excludes tax |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centre or online proctored (OnVUE) |
| Retakes | 24 hours after a first fail, then 14 days between later attempts; no more than 5 attempts in 12 months; each retake is paid |
| Results | Pass/fail and a score report within minutes of finishing (about 30 minutes if labs are included); in your Learn profile within 24 hours |
| Validity and renewal | 12 months; renew free with an unproctored, open-book Microsoft Learn assessment in the 6 months before expiry |
Turn the amber rows green
Work AZ-120 questions by domain, starting with whatever the board marked HOLD or NO-GO, then tick again.
Practise on ExamCert AIAZ-120 practice questionsFAQ
Is there a free Microsoft Practice Assessment for AZ-120?
No. The AZ-120 certification page offers the exam sandbox, which shows the interface and question types, but no free Practice Assessment. The study guide links a paid practice test from MeasureUp instead. You can still check coverage with the knowledge checks in Microsoft Learn's AZ-120 modules and with hands-on labs in your own subscription.
Do I need Azure Administrator Associate before AZ-120?
It is not required; you earn Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty by passing AZ-120 alone. Microsoft does strongly recommend holding Azure Administrator Associate first, because the exam assumes you already handle Azure networking, storage, identity, monitoring and backup. Without that base, the SAP-specific design questions are much harder to read quickly.
How long is AZ-120 and how many questions are there?
Microsoft's certification page gives 100 minutes to complete AZ-120, with seat time about 20 minutes longer for instructions and the agreement. Microsoft does not publish a question count for this exam; its general guidance says most exams have 40 to 60 questions. The page also says you may have interactive components to complete.
Is AZ-120 being retired?
As of 14 October 2026 AZ-120 is not on Microsoft's list of exams scheduled to retire, and its skills outline was refreshed on 17 April 2026, which points to active maintenance. Microsoft lists retirements roughly a year ahead on its exam retirement page, so check that page before you book a date far in the future.
What happens if I fail AZ-120?
You can retake it 24 hours after a first failed attempt, then must wait 14 days between later attempts, with no more than five attempts in 12 months. Each retake is paid unless you bought an Exam Replay offer. Use the score report's bar chart to find weak skill areas; Microsoft does not reveal which questions you missed.
Sources
Figures on this page come from Microsoft and the other primary sources below:
- Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty (Exam AZ-120)
- Study guide for Exam AZ-120
- Exam and Applied Skills retirement
- Exam duration and exam experience
- Exam scoring and score reports
- Exam and Applied Skills retake policies
- Reschedule and cancellation policies
- About online exams with Pearson VUE
- Microsoft Certification renewal
Checked October 14, 2026. Fees, outlines and eligibility rules change — confirm with Microsoft before you book.