Tag: azure exams

Microsoft Azure Certifications Explained – A Deep Dive for IT Professionals in 2020

It’s common knowledge, or at least should be, that certifications are the most effective way for IT professionals to climb the career ladder and it’s only getting more important in an increasingly competitive professional marketplace. Similarly, cloud-based technologies are experiencing unparalleled growth and the demand for IT professionals with qualifications in this sector are growing rapidly. Make 2020 your breakthrough year – check out this free upcoming webinar hosted by two Microsoft cloud experts to plan your Azure certification strategy in 2020. 

The webinar features a full analysis of the Microsoft Azure certification landscape in 2020, giving you the knowledge to properly prepare for a future working with cloud-based workloads. Seasoned veterans Microsoft MVP Andy Syrewicze and Microsoft cloud expert Michael Bender will be hosting the event which includes Azure certification tracks, training and examination costs, learning materials, resources and labs for self-study, how to gain access to FREE Azure resources, and more. 

Altaro’s webinars are always well attended and one reason for this is the encouragement for attendee participation. Every single question asked is answered and no stone is left unturned by the presenters. They also present the event live twice to allow as many people as possible to have the chance of attending the event and asking their questions in person! 

For IT professionals in 202, and especially those with a Microsoft ecosystem focus, this event is a must-attend! 

The webinar will be held on Wednesday February 19, at 3pm CET/6am PST/9am EST and at again 7pm CET/10am PST/1pm EST. I’ll be attending so I’ll see you there! 

Save your free webinar seat 

Passed Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Finally, I passed the last required AZ-301 exam and became certified as Azure Solutions Architect Expert. I shared my thoughts on AZ-103 exam about two months ago, but now want to provide my feedback on AZ-301/AZ-300 and the certification path itself:

  • If you thoroughly prepared yourself for AZ-300, you could take AZ-301 on the next day. And, most likely, it’d be pretty successfully. Azure infrastructure exams are partly overlapped. Only AZ-400 stands out from the “crowd” and AZ-103 together with AZ-300 are fundamental exams.
  • AZ-300 has performance sections or simply labs. Be ready to spend 3 hours for taking the exam. More details are here
  • AZ-301 includes 41 questions (2 case studies and test questions). The main topics I had: Azure SQL Database, Site Recovery, Backup, Cosmos DB, Azure migration tools, Azure AD, ExpressRoute, Application Gateway, VPN Gateway, Traffic Manager, Azure Storage, File Sync, Containers, Virtual Machines, Monitor, Logic Apps and Functions.

How to prepare?

  1. Gain a real Azure experience (external/internal projects)
  2. If you don’t have Azure subscription, request a trial, and then activate Azure AD Premium features to explore advanced Identity and Security management. Azure AD should be your start point.
  3. Check the list of free Azure certification training courses. I used Pluralsight, OpenEDX courses (they are based on MCT training guides) and completed Udemy AZ-300 paid course (it’s pretty good, but not required)
  4. If you are not familiar with some of the Azure Services, I’d highly recommend to purchase pBook or download FREE ebook “Learn Azure in a Month Of Lunches” that I reviewed a few months ago. It’s a great all-in-one guide to get started with almost everything in Azure.
  5. The certification will be valid only for 2 years, so keep learning and practice every day! I wish you good luck on the exam and may the force be with you.

azure-solutions-architect-expert