AZ-900 — Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Practice Questions

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90 questions
June 11, 2026 updated
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Domain coverage

  • Describe Cloud Concepts
  • Describe Azure Architecture and Services
  • Describe Azure Management and Governance

Sample Questions (9 of 90 shown)

Q1 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
What is the primary characteristic of cloud computing that allows resources to be provisioned and released automatically based on demand?
  1. High availability
  2. Elasticity
  3. Disaster recovery
  4. Fault tolerance
✓ Correct Answer: B
Elasticity is the ability to dynamically scale resources up and down based on demand. In Azure, services like Virtual Machine Scale Sets and Azure Functions automatically add or remove capacity in response to workload changes. High availability ensures uptime. Disaster recovery is about restoring after failure. Fault tolerance enables continued operation during component failures.
Q2 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
Which cloud deployment model provides services over the internet that are available to anyone who wants to purchase them?
  1. Private cloud
  2. Public cloud
  3. Hybrid cloud
  4. Community cloud
✓ Correct Answer: B
Public cloud services are owned and operated by a third-party cloud provider (like Microsoft Azure) and delivered over the internet. Resources are shared among multiple organizations (multi-tenant). Private cloud is for exclusive use by a single organization. Hybrid cloud combines public and private. Community cloud is shared by organizations with common concerns.
Q3 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
A company maintains their own on-premises datacenter for sensitive workloads but uses Azure for development and testing. Which cloud deployment model is this?
  1. Public cloud
  2. Private cloud
  3. Hybrid cloud
  4. Community cloud
✓ Correct Answer: C
Hybrid cloud combines on-premises infrastructure (or private cloud) with public cloud services, allowing data and applications to be shared between them. This is the most common enterprise pattern — keeping sensitive workloads on-premises while leveraging the cloud for elastic, non-sensitive workloads. Azure Arc and Azure Stack extend Azure services to on-premises environments.
Q4 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
Which cloud service model provides the customer with the most control over the operating system and applications?
  1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
  2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
  3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
  4. Function as a Service (FaaS)
✓ Correct Answer: A
IaaS provides the most control — customers manage the OS, middleware, applications, and data, while the cloud provider manages the underlying hardware, networking, and virtualization. Azure Virtual Machines is an IaaS offering. PaaS manages the OS and runtime. SaaS manages everything including the application. More control also means more management responsibility.
Q5 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
Which cloud service model is Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) an example of?
  1. IaaS
  2. PaaS
  3. SaaS
  4. FaaS
✓ Correct Answer: C
Microsoft 365 is SaaS — Microsoft manages everything (infrastructure, platform, application), and users simply consume the service through a web browser or client application. No installation, patching, or maintenance is required by the customer. Azure SQL Database is PaaS. Azure Virtual Machines is IaaS. Azure Functions is FaaS.
Q6 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
What is the difference between Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx) in cloud computing?
  1. CapEx is spending on operations; OpEx is spending on assets
  2. CapEx is upfront spending on physical infrastructure; OpEx is ongoing spending on services consumed
  3. Both terms mean the same thing
  4. CapEx applies only to Azure; OpEx applies to all cloud providers
✓ Correct Answer: B
CapEx is upfront capital investment in physical assets (servers, storage, networking, datacenter facilities) that depreciate over time. OpEx is operational spending on services consumed — pay-as-you-go with no upfront costs. Cloud computing shifts IT spending from CapEx to OpEx, providing financial flexibility and reducing the need for large upfront investments.
Q7 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
What is the primary benefit of the consumption-based pricing model in Azure?
  1. You pay a fixed monthly fee regardless of usage
  2. You pay only for what you use, with no upfront costs, and can scale up or down as needed
  3. You must commit to a minimum spend each month
  4. All services are free for the first year
✓ Correct Answer: B
Consumption-based (pay-as-you-go) pricing charges you only for resources consumed — compute time, storage GBs, network egress. No upfront commitment. You can scale up during peak demand and scale down (or shut off) during off-peak, only paying for what you actually use. This aligns cost directly with business value and eliminates wasted capacity.
Q8 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
What does the "shared responsibility model" mean in cloud computing?
  1. All security responsibilities are shared equally among all customers
  2. The cloud provider is responsible for some security aspects, and the customer is responsible for others — the division varies by service model
  3. The customer is responsible for everything
  4. The provider is responsible for everything
✓ Correct Answer: B
In the shared responsibility model, the cloud provider secures the physical infrastructure, network, and host systems. The customer is responsible for their data, access management, application security, and OS configuration (for IaaS). The division shifts: IaaS → customer manages more (OS, apps); PaaS → provider manages OS/runtime; SaaS → provider manages nearly everything. Azure provides tools (Azure Security Center, Azure Policy) to help with customer responsibilities.
Q9 Describe Cloud Concepts (25%)
Which describes the "economies of scale" benefit of cloud computing?
  1. Cloud providers pass on cost savings from operating at massive scale to customers
  2. Small businesses get worse pricing than large enterprises
  3. Cloud costs increase as usage grows
  4. You must use more cloud services to save money
✓ Correct Answer: A
Cloud providers like Microsoft operate datacenters at massive scale, achieving lower per-unit costs for hardware, electricity, cooling, and network bandwidth than any single organization could. These savings are passed to customers through competitive pricing and continuous price reductions. This is a fundamental economic benefit of public cloud.

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Exam overview

Cloud computing has transformed how organizations architect and operate technology infrastructure — and AZ-900, the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam, validates your understanding of the core concepts that underpin every Azure service. Unlike higher-tier exams that test deep technical implementation skills, AZ-900 focuses on foundational knowledge: cloud deployment models (public, private, hybrid), the Shared Responsibility Model across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, core Azure services across compute, storage, networking, and databases, and the governance and cost management tools that keep cloud environments under control.

No prior cloud experience is required to sit for AZ-900. Microsoft designed this exam as an entry point for anyone — business stakeholders, project managers, sales and marketing professionals, students, or technical staff exploring cloud adoption for the first time. The official preparation course is AZ-900T00-A, a one-day instructor-led (or self-paced) introduction covering cloud concepts, Azure architecture, and management tools. Because AZ-900 is a Fundamentals-level exam, the fee is $99 USD (lower than the $165 for Associate-level exams), and critically, Microsoft Learn documentation access is NOT permitted during the test — you must rely on memorized knowledge rather than searching the documentation mid-exam.

The AZ-900 assessment is structured around three core domains. Describe Azure Architecture and Services (35–40%) is the largest, covering the structural hierarchy of Management Groups, Subscriptions, Resource Groups, and Regions, along with compute resources (VMs, VM Scale Sets, ACI, ACA, AKS, Functions), networking (VNets, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, DNS), storage (Blob hot/cool/cold/archive tiers, Azure Files, Managed Disks, Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB), and identity (Microsoft Entra ID). Describe Azure Management and Governance (30–35%) tests cost management tools (Pricing Calculator, TCO Calculator, Cost Management + Billing, resource tagging), governance standards (Azure Policy, RBAC, resource locks, Cloud Adoption Framework), and deployment and monitoring tooling (Azure Portal, CLI, PowerShell, Cloud Shell, Azure Arc, ARM templates, Azure Advisor, Service Health, Azure Monitor). Describe Cloud Concepts (25–30%) covers the Shared Responsibility Model, cloud deployment types, the consumption-based model (CapEx vs. OpEx), and core architectural benefits (High Availability, Scalability, Reliability, Predictability, Security, Governance, Manageability).

Approach your AZ-900 preparation by building foundational knowledge across these three domains before attempting timed practice tests. Each practice question includes a detailed explanation that reinforces the conceptual distinctions — why an Azure SQL Database shifts patching responsibility to Microsoft (PaaS) while an Azure VM leaves OS patching to you (IaaS), how Availability Zones protect against datacenter-level outages while Availability Sets protect against hardware faults within a single datacenter, and how Azure Policy enforces compliance rules differently from RBAC access control. The downloadable PDF packages the same question bank for offline review, so you can study the Shared Responsibility Model diagram, Azure service hierarchy, and cost management tool comparisons during commutes or in environments without stable internet. Because the Fundamentals exam does not permit Microsoft Learn access, our practice questions are designed to be attempted entirely from memory — exactly the same constraint you will face at the test center.

Official Exam Domains & Weighting

To successfully pass the AZ-900 exam, candidates must master the following core domains:
  • Domain 1: Describe Cloud Concepts — 25–30%
Covers cloud computing mechanics including the Shared Responsibility Model across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, public/private/hybrid cloud deployment models, the consumption-based model comparing capital expenditures (CapEx) vs. operational expenditures (OpEx), and core architectural benefits: High Availability, horizontal and vertical Scalability, Reliability, Predictability, Security, Governance, and Manageability.
  • Domain 2: Describe Azure Architecture and Services — 35–40%
Focuses on the structural hierarchy of Management Groups, Subscriptions, Resource Groups, Regions, Region Pairs, and Availability Zones. Compute resource differentiation includes Azure VMs, VM Scale Sets, Azure Virtual Desktop, ACI, ACA, AKS, and Azure Functions. Networking covers VNets, Subnets, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, and DNS. Storage includes Blob hot/cool/cold/archive tiers, Azure Files, Managed Disks, and Storage Explorer. Database services include Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
  • Domain 3: Describe Azure Management and Governance — 30–35%
Tests cost management via the Pricing Calculator, TCO Calculator, Azure Cost Management + Billing dashboards, and resource tagging. Governance covers Azure Policy, RBAC, resource locks, and the Cloud Adoption Framework. Deployment and observability tooling includes Azure Portal, CLI, PowerShell, Cloud Shell, Azure Arc, ARM templates, Azure Advisor, Service Health, and Azure Monitor with Log Analytics and Application Insights.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Candidates routinely get tripped up on the nuances between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS when applied to specific scenarios — for example, figuring out who owns OS patching for an Azure SQL Database (PaaS — Microsoft handles it) versus an Azure VM (IaaS — you handle OS patching). Another major pitfall is confusing high-availability structures, such as failing to clearly differentiate Availability Sets (local hardware fault protection within a datacenter) from Availability Zones (datacenter-level outage protection across physically separate buildings). Our practice questions reproduce these exact distinctions with clear comparison tables and scenario-based examples.

Unlike Microsoft's role-based Associate, Expert, and Specialty certifications, Fundamentals certifications do not expire. Once you pass AZ-900, the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals credential remains active permanently on your transcript. It does not require annual renewal assessments. This is a key advantage of Fundamentals-level certifications and a common test topic — know that Fundamentals = permanent, Associate/Expert/Specialty = 12-month renewal cycle.

If you do not pass on your first attempt, you must wait a minimum of 24 hours before retaking. For subsequent attempts (up to a maximum of 5 within a rolling 12-month period), a mandatory 14-day cooling-off period is enforced between each attempt. Each sitting requires the $99 USD exam fee unless you purchased a bundle with an Exam Replay voucher. Because AZ-900 has the lowest exam fee in Microsoft's portfolio, the financial risk of a retake is lower than for Associate or Expert-level exams.

No. Access to Microsoft Learn documentation is strictly NOT permitted during Fundamentals-level exams. Unlike Associate and Expert-level exams that provide a split-screen documentation interface, AZ-900 requires you to answer all questions from memory. This means you must memorize key distinctions such as the Shared Responsibility Model for IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS, the difference between Availability Sets and Availability Zones, the hierarchy of Management Groups → Subscriptions → Resource Groups, and the specific cost optimization tools in Azure Cost Management. Our practice tests are designed to be attempted without any external reference — exactly the same conditions you will face at the test center.

The mock exam includes scenario-based questions where you must determine the correct cloud service model for a given workload — for example, identifying that an Azure SQL Database deployment is PaaS with Microsoft-managed OS patching, while an Azure Virtual Machine deployment is IaaS with customer-managed OS and application patching. Topics covered include the Shared Responsibility Model across all three service models, Availability Sets vs. Availability Zones vs. Region Pairs for fault tolerance, Azure Policy vs. RBAC vs. resource locks for governance, Blob Storage access tiers (hot, cool, cold, archive) and their cost-performance tradeoffs, and Azure Monitor vs. Azure Service Health vs. Azure Advisor for observability. Every practice question includes a detailed explanation that reinforces the conceptual distinction rather than just giving the correct answer.

Yes, our complete AZ-900 practice test is available as a downloadable PDF package that includes all conceptual questions, scenario-based exercises, and detailed answer explanations with comparison tables. The PDF covers every domain: Describe Cloud Concepts (Shared Responsibility Model, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, CapEx vs. OpEx, High Availability and Scalability), Describe Azure Architecture and Services (Management Groups, Resource Groups, compute/network/storage/database service differentiation, Availability Zones), and Describe Azure Management and Governance (Azure Policy vs. RBAC, Cost Management, Pricing Calculator, TCO Calculator, Azure Monitor, Azure Advisor, Service Health). Download the PDF for offline review during commutes or in environments without stable internet — the same constraint you will face during the actual exam.

AZ-900 is designed for anyone beginning their cloud journey — business decision makers, project managers, sales professionals, students, or technical staff who want a broad understanding of Azure without deep implementation skills. It requires no prior cloud experience and tests conceptual knowledge only (no labs, no coding, no case studies). In contrast, AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) requires hands-on administration skills, AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert) requires multi-service architecture design reasoning, and both are role-based certifications that expire after 12 months. AZ-900 is the only Azure certification that never expires. Think of AZ-900 as the starting point: pass it to establish foundational cloud literacy, then choose a role-based path (administrator, developer, architect, data, AI, security) for deeper technical certification.