Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ‑204) Practice Exams
About the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam
Exam at a glance
Microsoft's associate-tier Azure developer certification for cloud-native application builders.
Skills measured
- Develop Azure compute solutions — ~25-30%
- Develop for Azure storage — ~15-20%
- Implement Azure security — ~20-25%
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions — ~15-20%
- Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services — ~15-20%
Core services you'll be tested on
- App Service — deployment slots, auto-scaling, App Configuration, custom containers.
- Azure Functions — triggers and bindings, Durable Functions orchestration patterns, hosting plans.
- Container Apps / Container Instances / ACR — image build and push, revisions, KEDA-based scaling.
- Azure Storage — blob / queue / table SDK usage, SAS tokens, lifecycle policies, change-feed.
- Cosmos DB — partition keys, request units (RU/s), consistency levels, change-feed processor.
- Microsoft Entra ID + managed identities — app registrations, OAuth 2.0 / OIDC, MSAL, system vs user-assigned identities.
- Azure Key Vault — secrets, keys, certificates; integration via managed identity.
- Service Bus / Event Grid / Event Hubs — when to use each, dead-letter queues, partitions, consumer groups.
- Application Insights + Azure Monitor — SDK instrumentation, distributed tracing, KQL queries.
- API Management — policy expressions, products, subscriptions, OpenAPI import.
Prerequisites
Microsoft recommends one to two years of professional development experience plus experience with at least one Azure SDK (.NET, Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or Go). No formal prereqs — you can skip AZ-900 Fundamentals, though many candidates start there.
Why take this certification
- Highest-volume Azure developer credential. AZ-204 is the de-facto requirement on Azure developer job postings worldwide and is the prerequisite mindset for the AZ-400 Expert-tier DevOps follow-on.
- Competitive salary. Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associates earn an average of $123,000 USD per year in the United States (source: PayScale, December 2025), with experienced practitioners reaching $135,000-$150,000 in senior cloud-developer roles.
- Gateway to the Expert tier. AZ-204 is the recommended stepping stone to AZ-400 DevOps Engineer Expert, Microsoft's top Azure DevOps credential.
- Free annual renewal. Unlike most cloud certs that require paid recertification every 2-3 years, Microsoft offers a free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn — keeping your credential current without re-paying the $165 exam fee.
What you'll learn in the AZ-204 exam
AZ-204 validates that you can design, build, test, deploy, and maintain cloud-native applications on Azure using the services and SDKs developers reach for day-to-day. The exam is heavy on code-level decisions — choosing the right binding, picking a consistency level, scoping a managed identity — rather than portal click-paths.
Core Azure services you'll be tested on
- Compute: Azure App Service (deployment slots, auto-scale, App Configuration), Azure Functions (triggers, bindings, Durable Functions, hosting plans), Container Apps, Container Instances, Azure Container Registry.
- Storage: Blob storage (block / append / page blobs, lifecycle policies, soft delete), Queue Storage, Table Storage; SAS tokens, encryption with customer-managed keys, change-feed.
- Databases: Cosmos DB (partition key design, request units, consistency levels: strong / bounded staleness / session / consistent prefix / eventual, change-feed processor).
- Security & identity: Microsoft Entra ID (app registrations, MSAL, OAuth 2.0 / OIDC), managed identities (system-assigned vs user-assigned), Azure Key Vault (secrets / keys / certificates), Microsoft Graph SDK basics.
- Messaging: Service Bus (queues vs topics, sessions, dead-letter, duplicate detection), Event Grid (topics / subscriptions, event schemas), Event Hubs (partitions, consumer groups, EventProcessorClient).
- Monitoring: Application Insights (autoinstrumentation, custom telemetry, distributed tracing), Azure Monitor (metrics, alerts, action groups), KQL log queries.
- Integration: API Management (policies, products, OpenAPI), Logic Apps (consumption vs standard), third-party service consumption (REST + SDK auth flows).
Architectural patterns you'll need to recognize
- Choosing between App Service, Functions, and Container Apps for a given workload — request shape, cold-start tolerance, scaling model.
- Designing Durable Function orchestrations (function chaining, fan-out / fan-in, async HTTP APIs, monitor patterns) vs picking Logic Apps instead.
- Partition-key design for Cosmos DB to avoid hot partitions and stay under 10 GB per logical partition.
- Choosing the right Cosmos DB consistency level for a given latency / staleness tradeoff.
- Authenticating from Azure code to Azure services using managed identity + DefaultAzureCredential rather than connection strings or secrets in app settings.
- Picking the right messaging service — Service Bus for ordered transactional workloads, Event Grid for reactive event routing, Event Hubs for high-throughput telemetry.
- Instrumenting an app with Application Insights for distributed tracing and writing KQL queries against the resulting logs.
How the practice exams help
Each free question and every premium exam mirrors the scenario-style format Microsoft uses — short code snippet or design constraint, four to six plausible options, often two correct. Detailed explanations cover not just why the right answer is right but why the distractors are wrong, so you learn the SDK trade-offs rather than memorizing answers.
How to prepare for the AZ-204 exam
A successful AZ-204 preparation strategy combines theoretical study, hands-on coding, and exam simulation. Recommended approach:
- Study the Microsoft Learn AZ-204 path (3-4 weeks). Work through the free Microsoft Learn AZ-204 learning path end-to-end. Focus on the App Service, Functions, Cosmos DB, and Storage modules first — these dominate the question pool. Make sure you can read code samples in C# or Python and identify what they do.
- Hands-on with the Azure free tier (2-3 weeks). Spin up a sample serverless or container app: a Function triggered by Blob Storage that writes to Cosmos DB, then expose it through API Management. Deploy via the Azure CLI, not the portal — the exam tests CLI-level fluency. Add Application Insights and write a couple of KQL queries against your traces.
- Review the official study guide (1 week). Microsoft publishes a per-exam study guide at aka.ms/AZ204-studyguide with the full skills-measured breakdown and recent changes. Cross-check what you've practiced against every bullet — gaps here are your last-mile study targets.
- Practice exams (1-2 weeks). Take timed practice tests to identify weak areas. Detailed explanations on every answer option help you learn the reasoning, not just memorize answers. Aim for consistent 80%+ scores before scheduling your exam.
Recommended timeline
6-10 weeks of focused study (10-15 hours per week) for developers with some Azure exposure. Developers entirely new to Azure should plan 10-12 weeks and consider passing AZ-900 first to build vocabulary.
Official resources
Download the official AZ-204 study guide and work through the AZ-204T00 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Microsoft Learn course. For deeper SDK understanding, Microsoft's Azure for Developers hub hosts language-specific quickstarts (.NET, Java, Python, JavaScript, Go) for every service on the exam.
Frequently asked questions
Are these actual exam questions?
No. All Nex Arc Azure AZ-204 practice questions are original content based on the provider's published exam blueprint, official documentation, and real-world scenarios across every topic the exam covers. We do not offer brain dumps, leaked questions, or actual exam content. Using or distributing real exam questions violates certification provider agreements and can result in certification revocation.
How many questions are in the AZ-204 exam?
The AZ-204 exam typically delivers 40-60 questions that you need to complete in 100 minutes. Question formats include multiple choice, multiple response, case studies, drag-and-drop, and hands-on labs in some sittings. The exact question count varies between attempts because Microsoft draws from a question pool.
What's the AZ-204 passing score?
The passing score is 700 out of 1000. Microsoft uses a scaled scoring model, and not all questions carry the same weight. Case-study and lab questions are often worth more than standalone items, so partial mastery is rewarded. Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing answers.
How do I access the full AZ-204 practice exam?
Click on the Buy Now button in the sidebar to purchase the complete Microsoft Azure AZ-204 course. After payment, you'll have instant access to 12 practice exams with detailed explanations and lifetime access.
What are the prerequisites for the AZ-204 exam?
Microsoft recommends one to two years of professional development experience and experience with at least one Azure SDK (typically .NET, Java, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or Go). There are no formal prerequisites — you do not need AZ-900 Fundamentals to sit AZ-204, though many candidates start there to build foundational Azure knowledge. You should be comfortable writing production code, using the Azure CLI / PowerShell, and consuming REST APIs before scheduling the exam.
How long is the AZ-204 certification valid?
Microsoft role-based certifications including AZ-204 are valid for one year from the date you pass the exam. Microsoft offers a free online renewal assessment that you can take in your Microsoft Learn profile starting six months before the certification expires. The renewal is shorter than the original exam, free of charge, and can be retaken if you fail — making renewal substantially easier than re-sitting the full proctored exam.
What's the exam cost and can I retake it if I fail?
The AZ-204 exam costs $165 USD globally (converted to local currency, with regional pricing in some markets such as India). The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE at testing centers or via online proctoring. If you fail, you must wait 24 hours before retaking the exam at full price. For subsequent retakes the waiting period increases — see Microsoft's exam retake policy. There is no hard limit on attempts, but each one requires a new payment. Microsoft Exam Replay vouchers (bundled retake at a discount) are occasionally offered.
What Azure services are most heavily tested on AZ-204?
Based on the five exam skill areas, the most frequently tested services are: Azure App Service (deployment slots, auto-scale, App Configuration), Azure Functions (triggers, bindings, Durable Functions), Container Apps + Container Instances + Azure Container Registry, Azure Storage (blob, queue, table) SDK usage, Cosmos DB (partition keys, request units, consistency levels), Microsoft Entra ID + managed identities, Azure Key Vault, Service Bus / Event Grid / Event Hubs messaging, Application Insights + Azure Monitor, and API Management. These services dominate the question pool — proficiency with their SDKs and REST APIs matters more than memorizing portal click-paths.
How does AZ-204 differ from AZ-104 and AZ-400?
AZ-204 targets developers writing Azure-native application code — Functions, App Service, Cosmos DB SDKs, Service Bus messaging, managed identities. AZ-104 (Administrator Associate) targets IT pros managing Azure infrastructure — VMs, networking, identity, storage accounts, governance. AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) is the Expert-tier follow-on that combines AZ-104 or AZ-204 skills with Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions, IaC, and SRE practices. Most developers pair AZ-204 with AZ-400 next; admins go AZ-104 → AZ-305.
Can I retake the AZ-204 exam if I fail?
Yes. Microsoft allows a retake 24 hours after the first attempt. For subsequent retakes the waiting period increases (see Microsoft's official retake policy). You pay the full $165 exam fee again each time. There is no hard limit on total attempts.