With the Cloud Computing industry all set to cross the US$500 Billion mark by the year 2023, the demand and supply gap of certified cloud professionals is set to be at its all-time high. Take any market leader in the cloud industry- be it Azure, AWS, IBM Cloud or Google Cloud Platform, all of them are on their toes to get more skilled and certified cloud professionals onboard.

With Azure holding almost 29% of the market to itself, you can only imagine the importance of getting the right Azure certification for yourself. The certification would not just boost your career, but also increase your chances of being sought-after by top recruiters to manage their Cloud Computing operations.

Even though we are going to talk about the top 5 Microsoft Fundamental certifications for Cloud, you can also go through CloudThat’s Azure training programmes. We provide you with an industry perspective and hands-on knowledge of the platform, preparing you for the industry challenges.

Coming back to our top pick of Microsoft fundamental certifications that will help you master Cloud Computing are:

1. Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

If you have only just begun your journey in Cloud Computing and are looking to get certified, the Fundamentals AZ-900 certification is the right choice for you. This certification can be taken even by non-technical professionals, who want to understand other operations like sales, purchasing and marketing of cloud services.

In this certification exam, you will cover the most basic areas, such as – Scalability, high availability, disaster recovery, architectural components, resource availability, Network Security Group, Azure Firewall, etc.

The cost of the certification is $99/INR 3696. The certification exam will consist of around 40 questions, and the test will last for 60 minutes. In order to pass the exam and get certified successfully, you will need to score at least 700 marks.

Here is a step-by-step study guide to help you crack the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam AZ-900.

2. Exam AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals

Another fundamental certification that you can go for is the Azure AI-900, which is usually undertaken by professionals who wish to apply Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence concepts to Cloud Computing. As you might have guessed, AI in the examination name stands for Artificial Intelligence.

In order to pass the examination, you should have a good hold over AI workloads and considerations, principles of machine learning on Azure, computer vision on Azure, conversational AI workloads, etc.

There are no special pre-requisites to take the certification examination, which will cost you $99/INR 3696.

Here is a step-by-step study guide to help you crack the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Exam AI-900.

3. Exam DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals

You might have already guessed from the name of the certification – it is usually taken by professionals who have a prior understanding of data and can use the same while implementing cloud architectures.

If you wish to take the certification, you need to have a thorough understanding of core data workloads, streaming data, relational data workloads, analytics workloads, data ingestion, data processing, etc.

There are no prerequisites as such, the certification will cost you $99/INR 3696 and happens to be one of the most in-demand Microsoft Azure certifications today.

Here is a step-by-step study guide to help you crack the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Exam DP-900.

4. Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator

This is an intermediate level certification. This will provide you with all the detailed knowledge of the Cloud Computing environment and also helps you to understand how to implement best practices in an organization. Even though it is an intermediate level certification, the certification examination often consists of basic operations-based questions that only the candidates with practical hands-on experience and knowledge are able to crack.

The certification will cover various topics from an administrator perspective, such as managing Azure objects, configuring Azure files, configuring VMs, creating and configuring apps, managing virtual networking, etc.

In order to give this certification examination, you would need to pass the AZ-900 certification exam first. The certification will cost you $165.

Here is a step-by-step study guide to help you crack the Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam AZ-104.

5. Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure

If you want to master the building, testing and deployment of Azure-based apps, then the Azure Developer AZ-204 certification is appropriate for you. However, you should have at least 1-2 years of deployment experience before you choose to go for this certification. Not only that, but you should also be well aware of managing Azure SDKs and monitoring the performance of apps.

The certification will cover various topics related to Azure-based development, such as the implementation of IaaS services, development of solutions for CosmosDB, implementing Azure security, development of event-based solutions, etc.

Even though it is not mandatory, we advise you to first undertake the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 certification and then go for the intermediate AZ-204 certification, which will cost you $165/INR 4,800.

Here is a step-by-step study guide to help you crack the Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-204.

Summary: 

Microsoft is one of the market leaders when it comes to Cloud Computing. And as the market continues to grow, so does Microsoft’s share and preference in the market. Therefore, we highly recommend taking up Microsoft certifications that would not only help you understand basic concepts of Cloud Computing but also improve your chances of being recruited by top organizations and businesses.

Even though these are the most popular and the easiest of cloud-based certifications from Microsoft, we recommend that you first decide the role you would want to pursue in Cloud Computing. Based on the job role, you can take up the more advanced level certifications that will help you to advance in your career.

Drop your comments if you have any queries and we will get back to you at the earliest.

WRITTEN BY CloudThat

CloudThat is a leading provider of cloud training and consulting services, empowering individuals and organizations to leverage the full potential of cloud computing. With a commitment to delivering cutting-edge expertise, CloudThat equips professionals with the skills needed to thrive in the digital era.