Azure

Why Get Azure Certified

Level up your Microsoft Azure skills and earn certifications with expert cloud training, hands-on Challenge Lab and one-on-one coaching.


Why Get Azure Certified

Because Microsoft Azure is the second most popular cloud platform with 21% market share, people who are Microsoft Azure certified are in high demand by companies making the leap to cloud. A certification greatly improves you earning potential and makes you a standout next to peers.

In fact, people who have the most popular Azure cloud certifications — Microsoft Azure Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cloud Platform Administrator and Microsoft Azure Certified Developer — are more likely to earn 5% to 20% more than people without them.

Learn Microsoft Azure with Cloud Institute

We believe cloud training is only successful when you transfer new skills to the workplace and achieve career goals.

That’s why hands-on Challenge Labs—which allow you to practice and validate real skills in risk-free environments—are included with all training. We also offer 1:1 cloud certification coaching because personalized help from experts drives greater learning retention and success.


With Cloud Institute

With Cloud Institute, you get:

  • The most up-to-date curriculum

    New training for in-demand and emerging cloud technologies is continuously developed to help you stay in front of trends.

  • Instruction delivered how you want it

    Choose from self-paced online learning or live instructor-led training in public or private sessions

  • Immersive, hands-on Challenge Labs

    Retain more knowledge by practicing real skills in real, risk-free cloud platform environments.

  • Personalized certification coaching

    Gain the confidence and validation you need to fully understand concepts and skills needed to pass cloud certification exams.

Azure Cloud Certification FAQs

What is an Azure certification?

Microsoft Azure certifications are globally recognized endorsements that you have mastered certain cloud skills. A certification establishes professional credibility and gives you a big advantage over your peers.

There are four types of certifications:

Fundamentals level

Proves you understand the basics of Microsoft Azure cloud and its core services.

Associate level

Proves you are proficient in the basics of Azure cloud storage, compute, networking and security, and can use them to create simple cloud infrastructures.

Expert level

Proves you have advanced knowledge in designing Azure cloud and hybrid solutions.

Specialty level

Proves you have achieved competency of a specialized skill set, for example using Azure to manage SAP workloads.

How much does it cost to get Microsoft Azure certified?​

How much Azure training will cost you depends on the path you choose.

You can lean on mentors, online communities and free training materials provided by Microsoft and on the internet to train yourself—which costs nothing. You’ll only pay for the exam.

To increase the chance of passing an exam the first time, many people turn to instructor-led programs that specialize in Azure certification training.

Some programs offer training for a one-time cost ranging from $10 which provides self-paced training with no support to several thousand dollars for virtual instructor-led training (VILT) which is led live by an Azure instructor over a few days.

Other programs are subscription-based and cost anywhere from $19 to $99 per month, or $249 to over $1,500 per year.

Are Microsoft Azure certifications worth it?​

If you want to expand your income potential and advance your IT career, then yes!

The need for talent who can work with cloud infrastructures is increasing. IT hiring managers give preference (and higher pay) to people with certifications—including any level of Microsoft Azure certifications.

So, become Azure certified is a great way for cloud pros to advance their career and increase salary. In fact,ZipRecruiter reports the average salary of an Azure architect is $152,879 per year!

How do I get Microsoft Azure Certified?​

Earning a Microsoft Azure certification is a straightforward process:

- Prepare for the exam. You can learn on your own or enroll in a Microsoft Azure certification training program. Whichever path you choose, hands-on experience is key to learning new technologies, so you’ll need to practice relevant scenarios in real-world environments and take practice exams.

- Sign up for the exam. Azure certification exams are delivered in person and online by Pearson VUE and Certiport. You can search for upcoming dates and sign up here.

- Take the exam. Tests are timed and proctored, consisting of 40-60 questions in various formats—multiple choice, short answers, labs and more. Exam duration ranges from 45-minutes for Fundamentals exams to 120-minutes for expert and role-based exams that contain labs.

- Renew certification annually . To maintain your Microsoft Azure Certified status, you’ll need to renew your certification every year. Renewal is free and does not require taking an exam. Just be sure to renew before your certification expires.

Which Azure certification is best for beginners?​

AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals is the first step on the Azure certification path. It covers all the skills and concepts needed to get started with Azure, including what it is, how it works, why to use it and more.

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals is even recommended for non-technical individuals who need only a basic understanding of cloud services.

The exam tests:

- Your knowledge of Azure architecture; - Your ability to develop and deploy an Azure cloud service - Manage and provision Azure virtual machines and storage

Is the Azure exam tough?​

Achieving a Microsoft Azure certification is no easy task. This is why many companies spend a lot of time and resources to prepare teams for these exams.

One reason it may be difficult to pass Microsoft's Azure exams is the sheer amount of knowledge tested. Each certification requires a different skill set. You can only learn so much from books, videos and online resources.

But don’t be deterred! With a quality training program, hands-on practice and a certification coach, you can learn what’s needed to confidently pass Azure certification exams.

Additional Resources

How to Become a Cloud Engineer: 3 Steps

Multi-cloud Operations 101

IT Cloud Skills Shortage: Impact Report 2022

How to Ask Your Boss to Pay for Cloud Training

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