Microsoft · AZ-305
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) Practice Tests
Measures your ability to design cloud and hybrid solutions on Azure, including identity, governance, monitoring, data storage, business continuity, and infrastructure solutions.
Exam Details
Practice Questions
530
≈ 10 practice exams
Duration
120 minutes
Passing Score
700/1000
Difficulty
ExpertLast Updated
Jan 2026
Topics Covered
Identity, governance, and monitoring solutionsData storage solutionsBusiness continuity solutionsInfrastructure solutions
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) Practice Exam Preparation
Use this AZ-305 practice exam to prepare for Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) with realistic questions, detailed explanations, and focused study modes. The practice bank includes 530 questions for Microsoft AZ-305, so you can review the exam steadily instead of relying on one long cram session.
As you practice, pay extra attention to recurring topics such as Identity, governance, and monitoring solutions, Data storage solutions, Business continuity solutions, and Infrastructure solutions. Start with short sessions to identify weak areas, then move into timed quizzes once your accuracy is consistent.
The explanations are especially useful when you want to connect exam wording to the responsibilities and scenarios described in the official certification guidance. Use the free preview first, then unlock the full question bank when you are ready to build a complete study routine.
Exam Domain Breakdown
Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions28%
Design data storage solutions23%
Design business continuity solutions18%
Design infrastructure solutions33%
Exam Overview
The AZ-305 exam, titled 'Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions,' validates expert-level competency in architecting cloud and hybrid solutions on Microsoft Azure. Candidates demonstrate mastery across compute, networking, storage, monitoring, and security design — translating complex business requirements into Azure solutions that conform to the Azure Well-Architected Framework and Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure. The exam was significantly updated on October 18, 2024, and was reviewed for technical accuracy as recently as January 14, 2026, making it reflective of current Azure capabilities and architectural best practices.
Passing this exam, in combination with the prerequisite AZ-104 Azure Administrator Associate certification, earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential. This expert-level designation signals that a professional can operate at the intersection of business strategy and technical implementation — advising stakeholders, evaluating trade-offs across solution domains, and collaborating with developers, security engineers, administrators, and data engineers to deliver end-to-end Azure architectures.
Who Should Take This Exam
This certification is designed for senior IT professionals who function in an architecture or lead technical role, such as Azure Solutions Architect, Cloud Architect, Senior Cloud Engineer, or Technical Architect. Ideal candidates have advanced experience across IT operations domains including networking, virtualization, identity management, security, disaster recovery, data platforms, and governance — and understand how architectural decisions in one domain affect the overall solution.
Candidates typically have hands-on background in Azure administration (AZ-104 level), Azure development, and DevOps practices. Professionals transitioning from on-premises infrastructure architecture, senior cloud engineers looking to move into design-focused roles, and consultants advising enterprises on Azure adoption strategies are well-suited for this certification.
Prerequisites
There are no formal exam prerequisites for sitting the AZ-305 exam itself, but earning the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification requires holding an active Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) certification. Candidates may take AZ-305 before AZ-104, but the Expert credential will not be awarded until both are satisfied.
In terms of recommended experience, Microsoft advises that candidates have strong conceptual and practical knowledge of Azure compute technologies (VMs, containers, serverless), Azure Virtual Networking including load balancers, Azure Storage technologies (unstructured and database), and general application design concepts such as messaging and high availability. Prior experience with DevOps processes and Azure development workflows also helps candidates contextualize the architecture design scenarios presented on the exam.
Exam Format
The AZ-305 exam is delivered through Pearson VUE and is available both online (proctored) and at testing centers. The exam includes approximately 40–60 questions, which may include multiple-choice, multi-select, drag-and-drop, case study scenarios, and short-answer formats. Case studies present a business scenario requiring candidates to recommend architectural solutions aligned with stated requirements. The time limit is 120 minutes.
The passing score is 700 out of 1000 on Microsoft's scaled scoring system, where raw scores are converted and do not correspond to a simple percentage of correct answers. The exam is available in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Traditional), and Italian. Candidates taking a localized version may request an additional 30 minutes if their preferred language version is not yet updated to match the current English version. The exam has no scheduled retirement date.
Skills Measured
- 1.Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions (25–30%): Covers designing logging and monitoring solutions (recommending log routing, monitoring tools), authentication and authorization solutions (identity management, access to Azure and on-premises resources, secrets/certificates/keys management via Azure Key Vault), and governance (management group and subscription structure, resource tagging, compliance solutions using Azure Policy, and identity governance).
- 2.Design data storage solutions (20–25%): Covers relational data storage (selecting the right Azure SQL service tier, scalability, and data protection strategies), semi-structured and unstructured data storage (Cosmos DB, Azure Blob, Azure Data Lake), balancing features/performance/cost trade-offs, and data integration and analysis solutions using services like Azure Data Factory and Azure Synapse Analytics.
- 3.Design business continuity solutions (15–20%): Covers backup and disaster recovery for Azure and hybrid workloads — including compute (VMs, containers), databases (Azure SQL, managed instances), and unstructured data — meeting defined RPO/RTO objectives using Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery. Also includes high availability design for compute, relational data, and semi-structured/unstructured data.
- 4.Design infrastructure solutions (30–35%): The largest domain, covering compute solution design (VMs, containers via AKS, serverless via Azure Functions/Logic Apps, batch processing), application architecture (messaging with Service Bus/Event Hubs, event-driven patterns, API Management, caching with Azure Cache for Redis, automated deployment), migration strategies using the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (evaluating on-premises servers, databases, and unstructured data for IaaS/PaaS migration), and network solutions (internet connectivity, hybrid connectivity via VPN/ExpressRoute, network performance, security with Azure Firewall/NSGs, and load balancing/routing with Azure Load Balancer/Traffic Manager/Front Door).
Study Tips
- Use the official AZ-305 Study Guide on Microsoft Learn (aka.ms/AZ305-StudyGuide) as your syllabus backbone — it lists every objective domain, subtopic, and links to relevant Microsoft documentation, ensuring you cover the exact skills measured as of October 18, 2024.
- Watch the official 'Exam Readiness Zone' AZ-305 video series on Microsoft Learn, which covers each of the four domains in dedicated episodes and explains how Microsoft frames architectural decision-making questions on the exam.
- Take the free Official Practice Assessment for AZ-305 available directly on the Microsoft Learn exam page — these questions are authored by Microsoft and closely reflect the format and phrasing of real exam scenarios, making them the most reliable indicator of readiness.
- Enroll in the instructor-led course AZ-305T00: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, which uses case studies to practice translating business requirements into architecture designs — the exact skill tested in AZ-305 scenario and case study questions.
- Practice hands-on architecture design by working through the Azure Architecture Center (learn.microsoft.com/azure/architecture) and studying reference architectures for common patterns like hub-and-spoke networking, multi-region high availability, and data lake analytics — these scenarios frequently appear in case study questions.
- Use the Azure Sandbox and exam sandbox (go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2226877) to familiarize yourself with the exam interface and question types before exam day, particularly the drag-and-drop and case study formats that can be time-consuming if encountered unexpectedly.
- After completing your studies, attempt the MindHub Microsoft Official Practice Test for AZ-305 to simulate full exam conditions and identify any remaining knowledge gaps across the four domains before your scheduled exam date.
Career Benefits
The Azure Solutions Architect Expert is consistently ranked among the highest-paying Microsoft certifications. In the United States, certified professionals typically earn between $130,000 and $200,000+ annually, with ZipRecruiter reporting an average of approximately $146,601 and Glassdoor showing median total compensation exceeding $228,000 for Azure Architect roles as of early 2026. Top earners in senior principal and enterprise architect roles can command $215,000 or more. This premium reflects the seniority of the role — architects directly influence infrastructure spend, security posture, and business continuity across entire organizations.
Job titles unlocked include Azure Solutions Architect, Cloud Architect, Senior Cloud Engineer, Principal Cloud Architect, and Technical/Pre-sales Consultant. Compared to the associate-level AZ-104, this expert credential signals readiness for design-leadership roles rather than administrative execution, and it is often a prerequisite for senior or staff-level cloud positions at large enterprises and consulting firms. Organizations heavily invested in Azure — including financial services, healthcare, and government sectors — show consistent demand for this credential. The certification renews annually for free via an online assessment on Microsoft Learn, keeping the credential current without requiring a full re-examination.
Sample Questions
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 530 questions, enough for 10 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. A global retailer, Wingtip Toys, is launching an internal web application named 'SalesTracker' which will use Azure AD for authentication. Sales representatives will access this app from their company-issued laptops, which are all Azure AD joined. You need to design an access solution that meets two key security requirements. First, when a rep opens the app from their managed laptop, they should be logged in automatically without seeing a password prompt. Second, access must be restricted to only these company-issued laptops. What should you recommend for each requirement?
AFor seamless login: Seamless single sign-on (SSO), For device restriction: Conditional Access policies
BFor seamless login: Azure AD Application Proxy, For device restriction: Azure Bastion
CFor seamless login: Seamless single sign-on (SSO), For device restriction: Azure Firewall
DFor seamless login: Multi-factor authentication, For device restriction: Network security groups
Explanation
This scenario has two distinct parts. For the first requirement, Seamless single sign-on (SSO) is the correct technology. Because the user's laptop is Azure AD joined, their device has a Primary Refresh Token that securely authenticates them to Azure AD resources like the SalesTracker app without needing to re-enter their password. For the second requirement, Conditional Access policies are the right tool. You can create a policy that says to grant access to the SalesTracker app, the user must not only be authenticated but must also be connecting from a device that is marked as compliant or hybrid Azure AD joined, effectively limiting access to company-managed machines. A, B, & C: The other options are incorrect. Multi-factor authentication adds a verification step, it does not provide a seamless login. Network security groups and Azure Firewall control network traffic at the packet level, they do not understand device identity or compliance. Azure AD Application Proxy is for publishing on-premises apps, and Azure Bastion provides secure RDP/SSH access to VMs, neither of which applies here.
2. An enterprise architecture team has defined a standard 'gold image' deployment for new projects, consisting of a specific set of VMs, load balancers, and storage accounts. They need a way to automate the deployment of this standard infrastructure. The solution must allow project managers, who are not developers, to initiate a deployment from the Azure portal by simply filling out a form with parameters like 'ProjectName' and 'EnvironmentType'. What technology should you use to create this reusable, parameter-driven deployment?
AAzure CLI scripts
BTerraform
CPowerShell scripts
DARM templates
Explanation
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates are the correct choice. ARM templates are JSON files that define the Azure resources you want to deploy. A key feature is that you can parameterize them, allowing for user input at deployment time. Crucially, you can save these templates in Azure and create a 'Template Deployment' experience in the Azure portal that presents a user-friendly form based on the template's parameters. This perfectly matches the requirement to allow non-technical users to deploy a standard architecture from the portal. A, C, & D: While CLI, PowerShell, and Terraform are all powerful automation tools, they do not provide a native, built-in way to create a simple deployment form directly within the Azure portal interface.
3. A company is migrating an on-premises database running on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 to a fully managed Azure SQL Database instance. Before beginning the data transfer, they need a tool that can assess the on-premises database to identify any compatibility issues or unsupported features that would prevent a smooth migration. The tool should also be able to help perform the actual migration of the database schema and data. Which Microsoft tool is specifically designed for this purpose?
AData Migration Assistant (DMA)
BAzCopy
CAzure Cosmos DB Data Migration tool
DAzure Data Factory
Explanation
The Data Migration Assistant (DMA) is the correct tool for this job. It is a standalone desktop application provided by Microsoft specifically to help modernize your data platform by migrating to Azure. Its primary functions are to run an assessment on your source SQL Server database to detect compatibility issues and recommend performance improvements, and then to guide you through the process of migrating the schema, data, and users to an Azure SQL Database or Managed Instance. A. AzCopy is a command-line utility for copying data to and from Azure Storage, not for database migrations. B. The Cosmos DB migration tool is for migrating data to Cosmos DB, not to Azure SQL. D. Data Factory is a data integration service, not a dedicated database assessment and migration tool.
4. A development team is managing multiple microservices. They have separate Azure App Configuration stores for their 'dev' and 'prod' environments. They need an easy way to promote a set of configuration changes from 'dev' to 'prod' after successful testing. Which feature of Azure App Configuration facilitates this process?
AExporting and importing as a JSON file
BUsing Key-Value labels
CSoft Delete
DUsing Managed Identities
Explanation
The best way to manage this is by using Key-Value labels. Instead of having separate stores, the team can use a single store and use labels to differentiate between environments. For example, a key named 'ConnectionString' could have one value with the 'dev' label and another value with the 'prod' label. To promote a change, they can simply update the value associated with the 'prod' label. The application can then be configured to load the key-values for its specific environment by specifying the correct label. This provides a robust and manageable way to handle configuration across different environments within a single store. While exporting/importing can work, it's a more manual and error-prone process than using the built-in labeling feature.
5. To enhance security, Global-Tech Industries has a policy that all members of their 'Azure Admins' custom security group must use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) whenever they sign in to the Azure portal from a location outside of the corporate network (which is defined as a trusted IP range). Which Azure AD feature allows for creating such a specific, condition-based security rule?
AAzure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM).
BPer-user MFA enforcement.
CAzure AD Conditional Access.
DAzure AD Identity Protection's Sign-in Risk Policy.
Explanation
This scenario requires applying a security control (MFA) based on a combination of conditions: who the user is (group membership), what they are accessing (the Azure portal), and where they are (location). This is the core purpose of Conditional Access. Azure AD Conditional Access is the correct answer. A Conditional Access policy is like a powerful if-then statement for authentication. The administrator can configure it as follows: IF the user is in the 'Azure Admins' group AND they are accessing the 'Microsoft Azure Management' cloud app AND their location is NOT in the 'Corporate HQ' trusted location, THEN grant access BUT require multi-factor authentication. This perfectly implements the policy. Here's why the other approaches don't fit as well: - Azure AD Identity Protection's Sign-in Risk Policy focuses on the real-time risk of a sign-in (e.g., from a Tor browser), not on a static policy for a specific group and location. - Per-user MFA enforcement is a legacy, all-or-nothing approach. It would require MFA for the user for every sign-in, regardless of location or application, which doesn't meet the requirement. - Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM) is for managing privileged roles (just-in-time access) but isn't the primary tool for creating location-based access rules for day-to-day sign-ins.
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