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If you’re getting started with Azure training for yourself or your team, you’re likely considering a few things:
In this post we’ll run through a combination of free Azure training and learning materials, as well as Microsoft’s Azure Certification Path to help you understand which courses, resources, and certifications are right for you or the members of your organization.
The good news on learning Azure is there is a lot of documentation and support from Microsoft, and a robust community creating educational content. Below we’ll run through the most frequently recommended resources for learning Azure (as recommended by active Azure developers).
While certifications have a moderate cost associated with them (more on that later in this article) Microsoft offers a lot of free Azure learning materials, including:
There is a mix of beginner content and more specialized content for specific areas like security, AI, DevOps, and more.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/azure/
Udemy is a marketplace for video courses, and offers a number of courses specific to Azure. Many are in the $15-$20 range, and some are designed to be preparation for individual certification exams.
One benefit for Udemy courses is you can see the course instructor’s biography to determine if you think they’re qualified, and can read reviews of the course. As with any marketplace, the quality of the content can vary wildly (including being worse than free materials) so keep that in mind.
https://www.udemy.com/topic/microsoft-azure/
Pluralsight is another course marketplace, but rather than per course they charge a monthly fee (starting at $29 / month).
They have a few types of Azure content:
If your preference is consistency and structure and you’re comfortable with the monthly pricing, this could be a good option for you:
https://www.pluralsight.com/browse/cloud/microsoft-azure
If you’re more of a hands-on learner, A Cloud Guru has more interactive course options featuring practice exams along with periodic quizzes, labs, and challenges. Access to courses starts at $35 / month as of the writing of this post. A Cloud Guru is actually a part of Pluralsight now, but the courses are still distinct.
https://acloudguru.com/courses/azure
Of course, there’s also YouTube. This content is free, but even more uneven than a course marketplace like Udemy (with fewer options to vet the content and the presenter before you dive in).
That said, there are a lot of channels where you can get very useful information from trusted sources (including Microsoft itself). A few worth checking out:
As with anything there will be some challenges and pitfalls as you or your team members are skilling up with Microsoft Azure. Some common areas that developers referenced as pain points in getting up to speed with Azure training:
Many of these difficulties are similar for any cloud computing platform, but they’re worth being aware of as you get started with Azure training.
A few tips for those getting started with Azure training:
The most important “tip” is to focus on finding a quality training resource that maps to the way you learn best.
Azure offers a “Certification Path” with a series of individual certifications that range in price from $99-$165. This is a good opportunity to both learn Azure, and to add a certification and credential to your resume.
Many of the courses outlined above serve as support materials for these individual certifications, and the individual certifications and exams often map to specific job functions. Below is a list of the certifications and associated exams:
Certification |
Exam |
Job Titles |
Azure Administrator Associate |
Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator |
Azure Administrator |
Azure Developer Associate |
Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure |
Azure Developer |
Azure Security Engineer Associate |
Exam AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies |
Azure Security Engineer |
Azure AI Engineer Associate |
Exam AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution |
Azure AI Engineer |
Azure Data Scientist Associate |
Exam DP-100: Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure |
Azure Data Scientist |
Azure Database Administrator Associate |
Exam DP-300: Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure |
Azure Database Administrator |
Azure Solutions Architect Expert |
Exam AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies <br>(Retired) |
Azure Solutions Architect |
Azure Solutions Architect Expert |
Exam AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design <br>(Retired) |
Azure Solutions Architect |
Azure Solutions Architect Expert |
Exam AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions |
Azure Solutions Architect |
Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert |
Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions |
Azure DevOps Engineer |
Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty |
Exam AZ-120: Planning and Administering Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads |
Azure SAP Workloads Specialist |
Microsoft Certified: Azure IoT Developer Specialty |
Exam AZ-220: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer |
Azure IoT Developer |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform App Maker Associate |
Exam PL-100: Microsoft Power Platform App Maker |
Power Platform App Maker |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate |
Exam PL-200: Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant |
Power Platform Developer |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate |
Exam PL-200: Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant |
Power Platform Functional Consultant |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Solution Architect Expert |
Exam PL-600: Microsoft Power Platform Solution Architect |
Power Platform Solution Architect |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Data Analyst Associate |
Exam DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI (Retired) |
Power Platform Data Analyst |
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Data Analyst Associate |
Exam PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst |
Power Platform Data Analyst |
Given the variety of exams and the varying level of experience required for each, finding the right course with the right learning style for you is the key to preparing for the exam.
A subject matter expert will reach out to you within 24 hours.