The short version
On the Microsoft pages we checked, AZ-104 has no required prerequisite exam or credential. Microsoft does describe the experience it expects: you should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization, and have experience with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, templates or Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID. This page turns that into a checklist. Page details were checked on October 18, 2026.
Required versus recommended
Required. Microsoft names no earlier exam, course, or number of years. You book the exam, pass it, and earn the credential. If a policy applies to your account or region, Microsoft’s own pages are the authority.
Recommended experience. Microsoft describes the candidate as an administrator who implements, manages, and monitors an Azure environment, usually as part of a larger team that also includes networking, security, database, development, and DevOps roles. The more of that you have done, even in a small lab, the smoother the exam goes.
Optional first step. Microsoft does not list an earlier exam on these pages. As general knowledge, many people start with a fundamentals exam such as AZ-900 to learn the vocabulary, but it is not required, and you can skip it if you already know the basics.
What to know before you start
- Operating systems: Windows and Linux basics, services, disks, and remote access.
- Networking: IP addresses, subnets and CIDR notation, DNS, routing, ports and protocols, firewalls.
- Servers and virtualization: what a virtual machine is, how disks and sizes affect it, what high availability means.
- Identity: the idea of users, groups, roles, and sign-in, ideally with some Microsoft Entra ID.
- Scripting and templates: reading a short PowerShell or Azure CLI command, and recognizing the structure of a Bicep or JSON template.
Skills self-check
Rate yourself on each line: can do it without a guide, can do it with a guide, or have not tried. Anything in the last group is a study target.
Identities and governance
- Create a user and a group in Microsoft Entra ID and assign a license.
- Assign a built-in Azure role at subscription and resource group scope.
- Explain how a lock and a policy assignment differ.
Storage
- Create a storage account and choose a redundancy option for a stated need.
- Generate a shared access signature and explain what it allows.
- Create a blob container and a file share, and set a blob tier.
Compute
- Read a Bicep file and say what it creates.
- Create a virtual machine, resize it, and attach a data disk.
- Deploy a container or a web app and add a deployment slot.
Networking
- Create a virtual network with two subnets and peer it with another.
- Read an NSG rule list and say whether a given flow is allowed.
- Explain when to use a service endpoint and when to use a private endpoint.
Monitoring and backup
- Create an alert rule that notifies a group.
- Run a backup and a restore of a virtual machine.
- Say which vault type protects which workload.
If most lines are “have not tried”, add a hands-on week at the start of your plan. If most are “can do”, you are close to ready for practice exams.
Tools to set up
- A personal Azure account, with a budget alert and a habit of deleting resource groups after each lab.
- Azure CLI and PowerShell installed on your computer, or Cloud Shell in the portal.
- A code editor that can open Bicep files.
- Microsoft’s free practice assessment and exam sandbox, both linked from the Microsoft Learn certification page.
More guides for AZ-104
- AZ-104 Exam Format, Scoring and Retakes
- AZ-104 Domains Explained With Weightings
- AZ-104 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is AZ-104 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- AZ-104 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is AZ-104 Worth It? An Honest Look
- AZ-104 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- AZ-104 vs AZ-305: Which First?
- AZ-104 vs AZ-400: Which First?
- AZ-104 vs AZ-802: Which First?
Next step
Choose your schedule on the study plan page. Once you have covered the basics, our AZ-104 practice tests show which domains still need work.