The short version
The AZ-305 exam page lists no prerequisite exam, but the Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential does: Microsoft says you must also earn Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate. Microsoft also expects advanced experience in IT operations and in Azure administration, development, and DevOps. Checked on Microsoft Learn on October 18, 2026.
Required versus recommended
| Item | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite exam to sit AZ-305 | None listed on the exam page | Exam page |
| Azure Administrator Associate credential | Required for the Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential (“Prerequisites: 1 certification”) | Credential page |
| Advanced IT operations knowledge | Expected of candidates | Study guide |
| Azure administration, development, and DevOps experience | Expected of candidates | Study guide |
Read that carefully. Microsoft’s pages say you must hold the administrator credential to become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert. They do not say you must hold it to take the exam. If you want the expert credential, you need both, and Microsoft’s credential page is the place to check how it applies to you.
What to know before you start
Microsoft’s instructor-led course for AZ-305 (AZ-305T00) names the groundwork it expects: experience deploying or administering Azure resources, plus strong conceptual knowledge of:
- Azure compute technologies such as virtual machines, containers, and serverless
- Azure virtual networking, including load balancers
- Azure Storage technologies, both unstructured data and databases
- General application design concepts such as messaging and high availability
The exam then builds on this. It does not ask you to configure these things. It asks you to choose between them.
Skills self-check
Answer honestly. “Yes” means you could explain it to a colleague without looking it up.
- I can explain how management groups, subscriptions, and resource groups relate, and where a policy or role assignment applies.
- I know the difference between a managed identity and a service principal.
- I can name the main ways to store relational data in Azure and one reason to pick each.
- I understand RPO and RTO and can match them to a backup or recovery approach.
- I know the difference between availability zones and regions.
- I can say what a virtual network, a subnet, a network security group, and a load balancer do.
- I have created a virtual machine and an App Service app, and can describe when a container or serverless option fits better.
- I can explain why a queue, an event service, and a streaming service are different tools.
- I have read an Azure Monitor chart or a Log Analytics query, even a basic one.
- I have seen the Azure Well-Architected Framework pillars: reliability, security, cost optimization, operational excellence, and performance efficiency.
Eight or more “yes” answers suggest you can start the study plan as it is. Four to seven means you can start, but give the longer 8-week plan to the weak spots. Fewer than four means build the basics first, with Azure Administrator material, before design.
Suggested preceding credential
Microsoft names Azure Administrator Associate as the credential that goes with this one. It is the only preceding credential Microsoft names on the pages we checked, so we do not suggest others. Microsoft Learn also offers a free practice assessment for AZ-305, which is a good way to test where you stand.
More guides for AZ-305
- AZ-305 Exam Format, Scoring, and Retakes
- AZ-305 Domains Explained With Weightings
- AZ-305 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is AZ-305 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- AZ-305 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is AZ-305 Worth It? An Honest Look
- AZ-305 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- AZ-305 vs AZ-400: Which Exam First?
- AZ-104 vs AZ-305: Which First?
Next step
Take the study plan once the self-check looks good. If you want a measured baseline first, the AZ-305 practice tests give you a score per domain to start from.