Free Azure Practice Exam 2026 — Stop Winging It, Start Scoring
Real exam-format questions for AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-500, and more. Find out where you actually stand before you pay $165.
Here's the Thing About Azure Exams Nobody Tells You
You've watched the YouTube tutorials. You've read the Microsoft Learn modules. You even bought a $40 Udemy course during a sale. And now you're wondering: am I actually ready?
The honest answer? You probably don't know until you take a proper practice exam. And most people underestimate Azure exams the first time through — especially the scenario-based ones like AZ-104 and AZ-305, where knowing the definition of a service isn't enough. Microsoft wants to know what you'd actually do in a real situation.
This guide gives you free Azure practice questions across multiple certification levels, a breakdown of each exam's difficulty, and a study strategy that actually works in 2026.
The Microsoft Azure Certification Roadmap in 2026
Microsoft's certification paths are better structured than ever. Here's the lay of the land:
| Certification | Level | Who It's For | Exam Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-900 | Fundamentals | Everyone new to Azure | $165 |
| AI-900 | Fundamentals | Non-technical AI overview | $165 |
| AZ-104 | Associate | Azure Administrators | $165 |
| AZ-204 | Associate | Azure Developers | $165 |
| AZ-305 | Expert | Cloud Solution Architects | $165 |
| AZ-500 | Associate | Azure Security Engineers | $165 |
Which cert should you get first? If you're new to cloud: AZ-900. If you manage Azure infrastructure day-to-day: AZ-104. If you're building apps on Azure: AZ-204. If you make architectural decisions: AZ-305. If you own security: AZ-500. See our full Azure certification path guide.
Free Azure Practice Exam Questions — AZ-900 Level
AZ-900 tests your understanding of cloud fundamentals and Azure services. These questions should take you 3-4 minutes each. If you're struggling here, your foundation needs work before any other Azure exam.
Question 1 — AZ-900: Cloud Fundamentals
A company wants to move their on-premises applications to the cloud but retain control over the operating systems and runtime environments. Which cloud service model best fits this requirement?
IaaS gives you virtual machines, networking, and storage while Microsoft manages the underlying physical infrastructure. You control the OS, middleware, and runtime. PaaS abstracts away the OS too, and SaaS is fully managed software (like Microsoft 365).
Question 2 — AZ-900: Azure Services
Which Azure service provides a serverless, event-driven compute platform where you only pay when your code runs?
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service. You write the code, Azure handles the infrastructure. You're billed per execution (consumption plan). App Service is PaaS for web apps with persistent servers. VMs are IaaS with always-running compute.
Question 3 — AZ-900: Security
A company wants to protect their Azure subscription by requiring users to use multi-factor authentication when signing in from new locations. Which Azure service enables this?
Entra Conditional Access (formerly Azure AD Conditional Access) lets you create policies that require MFA based on conditions like sign-in location, device state, or risk level. Azure Firewall and NSGs control network traffic, not identity-based authentication policies.
Free Azure Practice Questions — AZ-104 Level
AZ-104 is where people fail. The questions aren't just "what is X" — they're "you need to accomplish Y in Azure, which service and configuration achieves this?" Here's what that actually looks like:
Question 4 — AZ-104: Identity & Governance
You need to allow a developer to deploy virtual machines to a specific resource group but prevent them from modifying the resource group's settings or creating new resource groups. Which built-in role should you assign?
Contributor can create and manage all types of Azure resources within the resource group but cannot assign roles (which Owner can), cannot modify resource group settings that require Owner permissions, and cannot create resource groups at subscription level (scoped to the resource group). Virtual Machine Contributor is too narrow — they need to deploy VMs which may require other resource types.
Question 5 — AZ-104: Networking
Two virtual networks in different Azure regions need to communicate privately. Which solution provides the lowest latency while keeping traffic on the Microsoft backbone?
Global VNet Peering connects VNets across Azure regions using Microsoft's private backbone network — no internet traversal, low latency, and no encryption overhead since the backbone is private. ExpressRoute is for on-premises to Azure private connectivity. VPN Gateways add overhead. Azure Relay is a hybrid connectivity service, not for VNet-to-VNet.
Question 6 — AZ-104: Storage
A developer needs to provide time-limited read access to a specific Azure Blob to a third party without exposing the storage account key. What should you provide?
A SAS token grants scoped, time-limited access to specific resources without exposing the full account key. You can specify exact permissions (read only), the resource, IP ranges, and expiry time. Sharing the account key gives full access. Anonymous public access removes all access control entirely.
The Azure Certification Study Blueprint for 2026
After talking to hundreds of candidates who passed Azure exams, a clear pattern emerges. Here's what works:
Week 1: Concepts and Foundation
Don't touch practice questions yet. Spend the first week building a mental model. Use Microsoft Learn (free), a structured video course, or both. Your goal is to understand why services exist — not just what they do.
Weeks 2-3: Deep Practice
Now you practice. Don't just do random questions — review every explanation, even for questions you got right. The explanation often contains context the question didn't test. Aim for 50-100 questions per day at this stage.
Week 4: Exam Simulation
Take full timed practice exams. For AZ-900, you need 700/1000 (roughly 65-70% correct). For AZ-104, same threshold. Keep taking exams until you're consistently scoring 80%+. That buffer protects you on exam day when nerves kick in.
Pro tip: ExamCert's free Azure practice tests let you try before you buy. Start with free AZ-900 practice questions or jump into free AZ-104 practice questions. Both are available in the app, no sign-up needed for the free tier.
AZ-900 vs AZ-104: Which Should You Take in 2026?
This is the most common question we get, so let's settle it.
Take AZ-900 if:
- You're new to cloud computing
- You're in a non-technical role (sales, project management, business analyst) but need cloud fluency
- You want a confidence boost before tackling a harder exam
- Your employer is paying and you want a quick win first
Skip AZ-900 and go straight to AZ-104 if:
- You already have AWS, GCP, or Linux sysadmin experience
- You're actively managing Azure resources in your current job
- You've already passed a cloud fundamentals exam from another provider
AZ-900 is not a prerequisite for AZ-104. It's purely optional. If you're technical and in a time crunch, skip it. If you want the credential and the confidence boost, get it — it's the easiest Azure exam and takes 3 weeks to prepare for. Check our full AZ-900 vs AWS Cloud Practitioner comparison too.
How ExamCert's Free Azure Practice Exams Are Different
Here's an uncomfortable truth: a lot of free Azure practice tests online are recycled from 2023, inaccurate, or just wrong. We've seen it — questions about deprecated services, incorrect answers, explanations that contradict each other.
ExamCert is different because:
- Written by certified professionals: Our Azure questions are created by people who hold current AZ-104, AZ-305, and AZ-500 certifications
- Updated quarterly: We review and update our question banks when Microsoft updates exam objectives
- Explanations that teach: Our explanations don't just say "the answer is B" — they explain why A, C, and D are wrong too
- App-based study: Mobile-first design means you can practice on the train, during lunch, or whenever you have 10 minutes
The free tier gives you enough questions to evaluate your readiness. Premium ($4.99 one-time, money-back guarantee) unlocks everything.
Full Azure Exam Coverage on ExamCert
We cover the full Microsoft Azure certification path. Here's where to go for each exam:
- AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals practice test
- AZ-104: Azure Administrator practice test
- AZ-204: Azure Developer practice test
- AI-900: Azure AI Fundamentals practice test
- AI-102: Azure AI Engineer practice test
Want to compare Azure against AWS before choosing a path? Read our AWS vs Azure certification comparison for 2026.
Ready to Ace Your Azure Exam?
Join 500,000+ learners who've used ExamCert to prepare for Microsoft Azure certifications. Free to start, mobile-first, and updated for 2026.
📱 App Store ▶️ Google PlayFrequently Asked Questions — Free Azure Practice Exam 2026
Which Azure exam should I take first in 2026?
Start with AZ-900 if you're new to cloud. It's entry-level and validates foundational knowledge. If you have technical experience, skip to AZ-104 (administrator) or AZ-204 (developer) depending on your role.
How hard is the AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals exam?
AZ-900 is designed for non-technical people and is the easiest Microsoft certification exam. With 2-4 weeks of study using free resources and practice tests, most people pass on their first attempt. Passing score is 700/1000.
Are free Azure practice exams accurate?
Quality varies widely online. ExamCert's practice exams are created by certified Azure professionals, updated quarterly, and aligned with current Microsoft exam blueprints. Our accuracy rate (verified by passing candidates) exceeds 95%.
How long does it take to prepare for an Azure exam?
AZ-900: 2-4 weeks. AZ-104: 6-10 weeks with hands-on practice. AZ-305: 8-12 weeks. Times assume 1-2 hours of daily study. Hands-on Azure portal practice is non-negotiable for AZ-104 and above.
How much does an Azure certification exam cost in 2026?
Most Azure exams cost $165 USD. Discounts are available for students and through Microsoft ESI agreements. Use ExamCert's free practice exams to prepare so you pass first attempt and don't waste $165 on a retake.
What is the best free Azure practice exam for 2026?
ExamCert offers free Azure practice exams for AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-204, AZ-305, AZ-500, AI-900, and AI-102. All are written by certified professionals, include detailed explanations, and are updated for 2026.