How to Pass Azure AZ-104 in 2026: I Failed Twice So You Don't Have To

I bombed the Azure AZ-104 twice. Like, embarrassingly bad. The first time, I walked into the exam center thinking my helpdesk experience and a quick Udemy course would be enough. The second time, I thought memorizing practice questions would save me. I was wrong both times.

The Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) is not a vocabulary test. It is a grueling, scenario-based exam that tests whether you can actually configure, manage, and troubleshoot a real Azure environment. If you do not know where to click or what PowerShell cmdlet to run, you will not pass.

But the third time? I passed with an 850. I completely rebuilt my study strategy from the ground up. If you are preparing for the AZ-104 in 2026, forget what Reddit told you. Here is the brutally honest, step-by-step guide to passing the AZ-104 so you do not have to waste $165 like I did.

Why the AZ-104 Is Harder Than You Think

The biggest trap candidates fall into is underestimating the depth of the exam. Microsoft expects you to be a mid-level Azure administrator, not just someone who knows what a Virtual Machine is. If you're coming straight from the Azure AZ-900, you are in for a shock. The difficulty jump is massive.

It's Not Just About the Portal

You might be comfortable clicking around the Azure Portal, but the exam will hit you with ARM templates, Azure CLI commands, and PowerShell scripts. You cannot guess your way through a missing parameter in a New-AzVM command. You have to know the syntax.

Scenario-Based Questions Will Break You

The questions aren't straightforward "What service does X?" Instead, they look like this: "You have a VNet with 3 subnets. Subnet A has an NSG blocking outbound port 443. Subnet B has a routing table routing traffic through a firewall. You need VM1 in Subnet A to talk to VM2 in Subnet B. What is the most administrative-efficient way to do this?"

These questions require you to understand how services interact, not just what they do in isolation. You have to synthesize networking, security, and compute concepts on the fly. It's similar to the difficulty of the AWS SAA-C03, but more hands-on.

The Time Crunch is Real

You have 120 minutes to answer 50-60 questions, plus lab simulations if they show up (they often do in 2026). If you get stuck on a complicated networking scenario for 5 minutes, you are already falling behind. You need to read fast, eliminate wrong answers immediately, and manage your time ruthlessly.

The 5 Domains of the AZ-104 (And Where People Fail)

Microsoft breaks the exam into five distinct domains. Understanding where the heavy hitters are is crucial for prioritizing your study time. If your end goal is the Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305), you need to master these foundations now.

Manage Azure Identities and Governance (15-20%)

This sounds easy, but it gets complicated fast. You need to understand Azure AD (now Entra ID) inside and out. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) vs. Azure Policy is a classic point of confusion. Remember: RBAC controls who can do something; Policy controls what they can do. If you plan to take the AZ-500 Security Engineer later, pay extra attention here.

Implement and Manage Storage (15-20%)

Storage accounts, blob tiers, Azure Files, and Azure File Sync. The exam loves testing you on the differences between Standard and Premium performance, and when to use cool vs. archive tiers. Pay special attention to SAS (Shared Access Signature) tokens and how to restrict access.

Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (20-25%)

This is the big one. VMs, ARM templates, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure App Service. You must know how to scale VMs (scale sets vs. availability sets) and how to deploy web apps. Do not skip the container stuff; AKS questions are becoming much more common in 2026. Developers targeting the Azure Developer AZ-204 will find this section overlapping heavily.

Configure and Manage Virtual Networking (20-25%)

This is where most people fail. VNets, subnets, NSGs, peering, VPN Gateways, and ExpressRoute. If you do not have a solid grasp of basic networking concepts (IP addressing, routing, DNS), Azure networking will eat you alive. You need to know exactly how NSG rules are evaluated (priority order, default rules).

Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (10-15%)

Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Azure Backup. You need to know how to set up alerts, query logs using KQL (Kusto Query Language), and configure backup vaults for VMs and SQL databases. It is a smaller section, but it is easy points if you study it.

My Proven 8-Week AZ-104 Study Plan

Do not try to cram this exam in a weekend. It will not work. Here is the exact 8-week schedule I used to finally pass and start my Azure administrator certification path.

Weeks 1-3: The Foundation and Video Course

Start with a high-quality video course. John Savill's Azure Master Class on YouTube is incredible and completely free. If you prefer a structured, paid option, Alan Rodrigues on Udemy is top-tier. Take handwritten notes. Do not just watch passively; pause and try to understand the concepts.

• Watch 1-2 hours of video per day.
• Take notes on concepts you do not understand.
• Do not worry about memorizing commands yet; just get the big picture.

Weeks 4-6: Hands-On Labs (Crucial!)

You cannot pass the AZ-104 without touching the Azure Portal. You need muscle memory. Get a free Azure trial or use a sandbox environment.

• Create a VNet with two subnets and deploy a VM in each.
• Set up VNet peering between two different regions.
• Deploy an Azure App Service and configure a custom domain.
• Create an Azure Storage account and use Storage Explorer to upload files.

If you break something, figure out why it broke. Troubleshooting in your own lab is the best way to prepare for the scenario questions on the exam.

Weeks 7-8: Practice Exams and Weakness Targeting

This is where the magic happens. Start taking high-quality practice exams. Do not use exam dumps—they will get your certification revoked and they won't actually teach you the material.

Take a practice test, score it, and then spend twice as much time reviewing the answers. If you got a question right, read the explanation to confirm your logic was sound. If you got it wrong, go back to the Microsoft documentation and read the entire article on that topic.

The Best AZ-104 Practice Resources for 2026

Finding good practice materials is half the battle. Here is what you actually need.

ExamCert's Interactive Practice Tests

I highly recommend using the ExamCert app for your daily study sessions. It has a massive bank of updated AZ-104 questions that mirror the actual exam format. The best part? The explanations are detailed and link directly to Microsoft Learn documentation.

You can even try their AZ-104 free practice test to gauge your baseline knowledge before you commit to the full study plan. Or, if you want to see our full list, check out the best Azure practice exams for 2026.

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn is the official study guide. It is free, comprehensive, and includes built-in sandboxes for labs. It should be your primary reference source when you get a practice question wrong.

Final Tips for Exam Day

The day before the exam, stop studying at 5 PM. Your brain needs to rest. Cramming NSG rules at 2 AM will only make you anxious and prone to mistakes.

Time Management Strategy

When you sit down for the exam, remember this rule: Do not spend more than 2 minutes on a single question. If a scenario is incredibly dense and you are stuck, take your best guess, mark it for review, and move on. You can come back to it at the end if you have time. The worst thing you can do is run out of time with 10 easy questions left unanswered.

Read the Last Sentence First

Scenario questions often have two paragraphs of irrelevant fluff. Read the very last sentence first so you know what the question is actually asking. Then, read the scenario looking specifically for the information needed to answer that question.

FAQ: AZ-104 Exam in 2026