Microsoft · AZ-204
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) Practice Tests
Validates your ability to design, build, test, and maintain cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure, including compute solutions, storage, security, monitoring, and service integration.
Exam Details
Practice Questions
640
≈ 12 practice exams
Duration
100 minutes
Passing Score
700/1000
Difficulty
AssociateLast Updated
Jun 2026
Topics Covered
Azure Compute SolutionsAzure StorageAzure SecurityMonitoring and OptimizationAzure Services Integration
AZ-204 Practice Exam (Retiring July 31, 2026)
Microsoft is retiring Exam AZ-204 and the Azure Developer Associate certification on July 31, 2026. If you plan to earn this credential, you need to pass before that cutoff, so focused practice now matters more than ever. This AZ-204 practice exam helps you move quickly through the topics that carry the most weight while there is still time to certify.
The questions mirror what AZ-204 actually tests: developing Azure compute solutions (25-30%), working with Azure storage (15-20%), implementing security (15-20%), monitoring and optimizing solutions (5-10%), and connecting to Azure and third-party services (20-25%). Because it is an intermediate, code-heavy exam that expects hands-on work with the Azure SDKs, CLI, and PowerShell, the explanations focus on why an approach is correct rather than on memorizing service names.
Start with the free preview to find weak areas, then drill the full bank in short timed sessions. You have 100 minutes on test day and need a scaled score of 700 out of 1000. If you are close to ready, schedule your exam before the July 31, 2026 retirement date.
Exam Domain Breakdown
Develop Azure compute solutions28%
Develop for Azure storage18%
Implement Azure security18%
Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions8%
Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services23%
Exam Overview
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification, earned by passing Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure, validates a developer's ability to participate in all phases of cloud application development on Azure—from requirements gathering and design through deployment, security, performance tuning, and monitoring. The exam covers the full spectrum of Azure development skills, including compute solutions (App Service, Azure Functions, Container Apps, Container Instances), storage (Blob Storage, Azure Cosmos DB), security (Microsoft Entra ID, Key Vault, Managed Identities), observability (Application Insights), and service integration (API Management, Event Grid, Event Hubs, Service Bus, Queue Storage).
Last updated on January 14, 2026, the certification reflects current Azure SDK usage patterns and modern cloud-native development practices. Candidates are expected to work proficiently with Azure SDKs, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, and directly with Azure REST APIs. The certification is positioned at the intermediate (associate) level and is widely recognized across industries as a credible signal of hands-on Azure development capability.
Who Should Take This Exam
This certification targets software developers with at least two years of professional programming experience who are actively building or planning to build cloud-native applications on Azure. Relevant job titles include Azure Developer, Cloud Application Developer, Cloud Solutions Engineer, and Full-Stack Developer with Azure specialization. Candidates typically collaborate with cloud solution architects, DBAs, DevOps engineers, and infrastructure administrators to deliver end-to-end solutions.
The AZ-204 is also a direct stepping stone for developers pursuing the AZ-400: DevOps Engineer Expert certification or adjacent paths such as Azure AI Engineer Associate. It is well-suited for developers transitioning from on-premises .NET, Java, Python, or Node.js backgrounds into cloud-first roles, as well as those already working in Azure environments who want a formal credential to validate their expertise.
Prerequisites
Microsoft does not enforce formal prerequisites to register for AZ-204, but the official audience profile specifies that candidates should have at least two years of professional programming experience and proficiency working with Azure SDKs, Azure CLI, and Azure PowerShell. Familiarity with at least one Azure-supported programming language (C#/.NET, Python, Java, or JavaScript/Node.js) is effectively required, as exam questions are grounded in SDK-level implementation details.
Candidates with no prior Azure exposure are strongly advised to first complete the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam and accumulate hands-on experience deploying and managing Azure resources. Practical experience with compute services (App Service, Azure Functions), data storage (Blob Storage, Cosmos DB), identity (Microsoft Entra ID), and networking basics will significantly reduce preparation time and improve exam performance.
Exam Format
Exam AZ-204 is a proctored assessment with a 100-minute time limit, delivered through Pearson VUE either at a testing center or via online proctoring. The exam may include interactive lab components in addition to traditional question types such as multiple choice, drag-and-drop, case studies, and short-answer scenarios. Microsoft does not publicly disclose a fixed question count; candidates typically report encountering 40–60 scored items, but this varies.
Scoring is on a scale of 1–1000, with a passing score of 700 required. The exam is available in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), and Italian. Candidates who test in a non-English language may request an additional 30 minutes. The certification expires after 12 months but can be renewed at no cost by passing a free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn, available starting six months before expiration.
Skills Measured
- 1.Develop Azure compute solutions (25–30%): Covers implementing containerized solutions using Azure Container Registry, Container Instances, and Container Apps; building and deploying Azure App Service Web Apps including TLS configuration, deployment slots, and autoscaling; and creating Azure Functions with triggers (data operations, timers, webhooks) and input/output bindings.
- 2.Develop for Azure storage (15–20%): Covers developing solutions with Azure Cosmos DB using the SDK—performing operations on containers and items, setting consistency levels, and implementing change feed notifications—as well as Azure Blob Storage operations, metadata management, storage policies, and data lifecycle management.
- 3.Implement Azure security (15–20%): Covers user authentication and authorization using the Microsoft Identity platform and Microsoft Entra ID; implementing shared access signatures; working with Microsoft Graph; securing app configuration data with Azure App Configuration and Azure Key Vault; using keys, secrets, and certificates from Key Vault; and implementing Managed Identities for Azure resources.
- 4.Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (5–10%): Covers using Azure Monitor Application Insights to monitor metrics, logs, and traces; implementing availability tests and alerts; and instrumenting applications or services to emit telemetry to Application Insights.
- 5.Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (20–25%): Covers implementing Azure API Management (creating instances, authoring and documenting APIs, configuring access, and applying policies); building event-based solutions using Azure Event Grid and Azure Event Hubs; and developing message-based solutions using Azure Service Bus and Azure Queue Storage.
Study Tips
- Use the official AZ-204 study guide on Microsoft Learn (https://aka.ms/AZ204-studyguide) as your primary syllabus—it lists every domain, sub-skill, and percentage weight, and is updated to the January 14, 2026 version of the exam.
- Complete Microsoft Learn's official AZ-204 learning path, which includes free self-paced modules, hands-on sandboxes, and exercises directly tied to each exam domain. Prioritize the highest-weighted domains: compute (25–30%) and service integration (20–25%) first.
- Take the free official Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn (assessmentId=35) early and repeatedly—it mirrors the real exam's wording and question style and identifies knowledge gaps by domain so you can focus your remaining study time efficiently.
- Build actual Azure resources in a personal Azure subscription or free trial account. Key hands-on exercises include deploying an Azure Function with Service Bus triggers, publishing a container to Azure Container Registry and running it in Container Apps, configuring Key Vault references in App Service, and wiring up Application Insights to a deployed app.
- Study the Azure SDKs directly using the official Azure documentation linked in the study guide—exam questions are often SDK-level (e.g., which SDK class or method to call), not just conceptual. Focus on the SDKs for Blob Storage, Cosmos DB, Key Vault, Service Bus, and Event Hubs.
- Watch the Exam Readiness Zone video series on Microsoft Learn, which features Microsoft engineers walking through each of the five exam domains with exam-focused tips and scenario walkthroughs (search 'AZ-204' on https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/shows/exam-readiness-zone/).
- Use the Exam Sandbox (https://aka.ms/examdemo) to familiarize yourself with the proctored exam interface and interactive question types before exam day, reducing time spent on UI navigation during the actual exam.
Career Benefits
The AZ-204 certification opens access to high-demand roles such as Azure Developer, Cloud Application Developer, Cloud Solutions Engineer, and Senior Azure DevOps Engineer. Azure developer roles in the United States command salaries broadly ranging from $97,000 to $183,000 depending on seniority, specialization, and location, with median figures for certified professionals typically falling in the $130,000–$160,000 range. The U.S. market currently lists tens of thousands of open cloud engineering roles requiring exactly the skills AZ-204 validates, driven by enterprise cloud migration, distributed-team infrastructure needs, and data-intensive application development.
Beyond immediate salary impact, AZ-204 serves as a prerequisite stepping stone to the AZ-400: DevOps Engineer Expert certification and creates pathways into specialized areas including Azure AI engineering and IoT solution development. Microsoft's annual free renewal model means the credential stays current without additional exam fees, and pairing it with deployed GitHub portfolio projects and Microsoft Applied Skills credentials significantly strengthens a candidate's profile for senior roles and technical interviews.
Sample Questions
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 640 questions, enough for 12 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. A data migration job, implemented as an Azure Function, needs to pull a large volume of records from an Azure Cosmos DB container. The developer wants to have precise control over the pace at which the changes are consumed to avoid overwhelming a downstream system. Which interaction model for the Azure Cosmos DB Change Feed is the most suitable for this requirement?
AThe Continuous model, which is designed for real-time data streaming.
BThe Push model, which is implemented by the Azure Functions trigger.
CThe Push model, which is implemented by using the change feed processor library directly.
DThe Pull model.
Explanation
The Azure Cosmos DB Change Feed can be consumed in two different ways, depending on the level of control and automation that is required. Correct Answer: The Pull model provides the developer with the highest level of control. With this model, the client code must explicitly request (pull) the next batch of changes from the change feed. This allows the client to decide exactly when to get the next batch of data, how many items to process at a time, and how long to wait between batches. This is ideal for scenarios like data migration where controlling the pace is crucial. Incorrect Answers: - The Push model (used by both Functions triggers and the change feed processor library) automatically pushes changes to the client as they occur, which does not provide the desired level of pace control. - 'Continuous model' is not a standard term for a change feed interaction model; both the push and pull models can operate continuously.
2. An IoT solution uses an Azure Event Hub to ingest a high-throughput stream of sensor data. A downstream application needs to process these events but must ensure it doesn't process the same event twice. Which property of the EventData object should the consumer application use to implement its own duplicate detection logic?
APartitionKey
BOffset
CA combination of Offset and PartitionId
DSequenceNumber
Explanation
Each event in an Event Hub partition has a unique position that can be used for identification. Correct Answer: While SequenceNumber and Offset both represent a message's position within a partition, they are only unique within that partition. To create a truly unique identifier for an event across the entire Event Hub, you must use a combination of the event's position (either Offset or SequenceNumber) and the ID of the partition (PartitionId) it came from. The consumer can store this combined key to track processed events and ignore duplicates. Incorrect Answers: - SequenceNumber or Offset alone is not unique across all partitions. - PartitionKey is used for routing events to a partition, not for uniquely identifying an event after it has been written.
3. A startup, 'InnoApp', has an application with highly variable and unpredictable traffic. They are using Azure Cosmos DB and want to ensure the database can handle sudden traffic spikes without throttling requests, but they also want to minimize costs during quiet periods. Which throughput provisioning mode should they choose for their Cosmos DB container?
AAutoscale
BProvisioned Throughput (Manual)
CServerless
DDedicated Throughput
Explanation
Azure Cosmos DB offers several throughput modes to match different workload patterns. Correct Answer: Autoscale throughput is designed for this exact scenario. You set a maximum RU/s (Request Units per second) value, and Cosmos DB will automatically and instantly scale the provisioned throughput up or down between 10% and 100% of that maximum, based on the application's real-time usage. This provides the performance needed during spikes while saving costs by scaling down during idle times. Incorrect Answers: - Manual Provisioned Throughput would require constant manual adjustment or would be over-provisioned and costly. - Serverless is for workloads with intermittent or bursty traffic but may not be as performant for sustained spikes as Autoscale. - 'Dedicated Throughput' is a characteristic of provisioned throughput, not a separate mode. It means the RUs are dedicated to one container.
4. A developer is designing a background processing task that will run continuously as part of an Azure App Service. The task must be restricted to run on only one instance of the App Service, even when the service is scaled out to multiple instances, to prevent duplicate processing. Which type of WebJob should be used to meet this requirement?
AA continuous WebJob.
BA WebJob deployed as a DaemonSet.
CA triggered WebJob scheduled to run every minute.
DA triggered WebJob configured with a lock file.
Explanation
A continuous WebJob should be used. Here's why: Continuous WebJobs are designed to run continuously or in a loop. When you deploy a continuous WebJob to an App Service that is scaled out to multiple instances, Azure ensures that the job runs on all instances by default. However, you can configure it to run as a 'singleton'. By creating a settings.job file and including the setting {"is_singleton": true}, you instruct the App Service platform to acquire a lock, ensuring that only one instance of the WebJob is actively running at any given time across the entire scaled-out App Service plan. This directly meets the requirement. Why the other approaches are incorrect: A triggered WebJob runs on a schedule or an event, not continuously. While triggered WebJobs can also be singletons, the scenario implies a continuous process. The DaemonSet approach is a Kubernetes concept, not an App Service feature. The manual lock file implementation describes a way of implementing locking, but the singleton setting is the built-in, platform-managed way to achieve this requirement without custom code.
5. A software-as-a-service company uses Azure API Management to front its web services. To secure the APIs, they require all clients to authenticate using OpenID Connect and present a valid JWT. A security audit reveals that some API operations can still be accessed anonymously. Which API Management policy should be globally applied to enforce authentication on all incoming requests?
AThe ip-filter policy
BThe set-header policy
CThe validate-jwt policy
DThe cors policy
Explanation
The validate-jwt policy should be applied. Here's why: The validate-jwt policy is specifically designed to enforce JWT-based authentication. When placed in the inbound policy section, it inspects the incoming request for an Authorization header containing a Bearer token. It then performs several critical validations: it checks the token's signature against the OpenID provider's public keys, it checks the token's expiration time, and it validates the issuer and audience claims. If the token is missing, malformed, or invalid, the policy will reject the request with a 401 Unauthorized error. Applying this policy at a global or product level ensures that no request can reach the backend without a valid token. Why the others are incorrect: The cors policy is for managing Cross-Origin Resource Sharing and doesn't perform authentication. The set-header policy modifies headers but doesn't validate them. The ip-filter policy restricts access based on IP address, not on user identity via a token.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AZ-204 exam being retired?
Yes. Microsoft retires Exam AZ-204 and the Azure Developer Associate certification on July 31, 2026. After that date you can no longer take or renew it, so schedule before the cutoff if you are close to ready.
What replaces AZ-204 after it retires?
As of mid-2026, Microsoft has not published a direct successor exam for the Azure Developer Associate path. Watch the official Microsoft Learn certifications page for the updated developer credential.
How much does the AZ-204 exam cost?
AZ-204 costs USD $165 in the United States. The price varies by the country or region where you take the exam.
What score do I need to pass AZ-204?
You need 700 on a scale of 100 to 1000. It is a scaled score, not a straight percentage.
How many questions are on AZ-204 and how long is it?
You get 100 minutes. Microsoft does not publish a fixed question count, but it is typically 40 to 60 items, including multiple choice, drag and drop, and sometimes case studies.
Is AZ-204 hard?
It is an intermediate, code-heavy exam that expects real hands-on Azure development experience with the SDKs, CLI, and PowerShell. Most candidates find it harder than the AZ-900 fundamentals exam.
Are there prerequisites for AZ-204?
There are no formal prerequisites. Microsoft recommends about two years of programming experience plus familiarity with the Azure SDKs and tooling.
What does AZ-204 cover?
Developing Azure compute solutions (25-30%), Azure storage (15-20%), Azure security (15-20%), monitoring and optimization (5-10%), and connecting to and consuming Azure and third-party services (20-25%).
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