Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) Practice Test

This certification targets network engineers and cloud infrastructure professionals who plan, implement, and manage Azure networking solutions as part of their day-to-day responsibilities. Ideal candidates typically hold roles such as Azure Network Engineer, Cloud Network Architect, Infrastructure Engineer, or Network Administrator working in organizations that operate workloads in Azure or are migrating from on-premises environments.

Candidates should have hands-on experience creating and managing compute, storage, and networking resources in Azure, along with a solid understanding of networking fundamentals including name resolution, network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, IPsec/IKE), and network address management (CIDR, subnetting). Those who regularly work with Azure VNets, ExpressRoute circuits, Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, or hybrid connectivity scenarios will find the exam content closely aligned with their practical experience.

There are no formal prerequisite certifications required to sit for the AZ-700 exam. However, Microsoft recommends that candidates possess practical experience creating and managing compute, storage, and networking resources in Azure before attempting the exam. A working knowledge of Azure fundamentals—such as the concepts covered in the AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) certification—provides a useful foundation, though it is not mandatory.

Candidates should be proficient in core networking concepts including IP addressing and subnetting, DNS, routing protocols (including BGP for ExpressRoute scenarios), VPN technologies (IPsec/IKE, SSL/TLS), and network security principles. Familiarity with Azure-specific services such as Virtual Networks, Azure Portal, Azure CLI, and Azure PowerShell is strongly recommended. Prior experience with on-premises networking technologies and hybrid connectivity scenarios involving site-to-site VPNs or MPLS/ExpressRoute circuits will be advantageous.

Exam AZ-700 is a proctored assessment delivered through Pearson VUE, available in both online proctored and in-person test center formats. Candidates are given 100 minutes to complete the exam. The exam may include interactive components such as labs or case studies in addition to standard question types like multiple choice, multiple select, drag-and-drop, and scenario-based questions.

The passing score is 700 out of 1000 on Microsoft's scaled scoring system, which uses a compensatory model—meaning candidates do not need to achieve a minimum score in each individual domain, only an overall scaled score of 700 or above. The exam is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional). The exam fee is $165 USD (pricing varies by country/region). Certification earned is valid for 12 months and can be renewed at no cost by passing an online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn.

• 1.Design and implement core networking infrastructure (25–30%): Covers IP addressing for Azure resources (VNet creation, subnetting, public IP prefixes, custom IP prefix/BYOIP), name resolution (Azure DNS public and private zones, Private DNS Resolver, DNS settings for VNets), VNet connectivity and routing (VNet peering, Azure Virtual Network Manager, user-defined routes, forced tunneling, Route Server, NAT gateway), and network monitoring (Azure Network Watcher diagnostics, Azure Monitor Network Insights, DDoS protection, Microsoft Defender for Cloud network recommendations).
• 2.Design, implement, and manage connectivity services (20–25%): Covers site-to-site VPN (policy-based vs. route-based, VPN gateway SKU selection, local network gateways, IPsec/IKE policies, high availability designs, Azure Extended Network), point-to-site VPN (tunnel types, RADIUS and Microsoft Entra ID authentication, Always On VPN, client configuration), Azure ExpressRoute (connectivity models, SKU/tier selection, Global Reach, FastPath, ExpressRoute Direct, private and Microsoft peering, encryption over ExpressRoute, Bidirectional Forwarding Detection), and Azure Virtual WAN (SKU selection, hub configuration, gateway scale units, virtual hub routing, third-party NVA integration).
• 3.Design and implement application delivery services (15–20%): Covers Azure Load Balancer (SKU selection, public vs. internal, regional vs. global, load balancing rules, inbound NAT rules, explicit outbound SNAT rules, gateway load balancer), Azure Traffic Manager (profile and endpoint configuration), Azure Application Gateway (back-end pools, health probes, listeners, routing rules, HTTP settings, TLS, rewrite sets, autoscaling), and Azure Front Door (tier selection, routing, origins, endpoints, SSL termination, end-to-end encryption, caching, traffic acceleration, rules engine, URL rewrite/redirect, Private Link integration).
• 4.Design and implement private access to Azure services (10–15%): Covers Azure Private Link service and private endpoints (planning, creating and configuring private endpoints, Private Link service creation, DNS integration for Private Link and private endpoints, on-premises client integration) and service endpoints (use case selection, service endpoint creation, endpoint policies, access configuration).
• 5.Design and implement Azure network security services (15–20%): Covers network security groups (NSG and ASG creation, inbound/outbound rule configuration, VNet flow logs, IP flow verification, remote administration via Azure Bastion, Virtual Network Manager security policies), Azure Firewall and Azure Firewall Manager (SKU selection, deployment design, rule configuration, Firewall Manager policies, secure hub deployment in Virtual WAN), and Web Application Firewall (WAF on Azure Front Door and Application Gateway, detection vs. prevention mode, rule sets, WAF policy creation and association).

• Use the official AZ-700 Study Guide on Microsoft Learn (learn.microsoft.com/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-700) as your primary roadmap—it lists every assessed skill with sub-objectives and links directly to the relevant Azure documentation for each topic.
• Take the free official Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn (assessmentId=70) before and after your study period to benchmark your readiness and identify specific knowledge gaps across the five exam domains.
• Build hands-on labs in a free Azure subscription: create VNet peering topologies, configure site-to-site VPN and ExpressRoute Gateway connections, deploy Azure Firewall with Firewall Manager policies, and set up private endpoints with DNS integration—these are high-frequency exam topics.
• Complete the official Microsoft Learn training path 'Design and Implement Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions (AZ-700)' which provides structured modules with interactive sandboxes covering all five exam domains in sequence.
• Pay special attention to ExpressRoute design options (Global Reach, FastPath, ExpressRoute Direct, private vs. Microsoft peering) and Virtual WAN routing—these are complex, high-weight topics in the 'Connectivity Services' domain that many candidates underestimate.
• Use Azure Network Watcher hands-on: practice configuring connection monitors, running IP flow verify, interpreting VNet flow logs, and using topology views—monitoring and troubleshooting scenarios frequently appear in the exam's scenario-based questions.
• Watch the Exam Readiness Zone video series on Microsoft Learn specifically for AZ-700, which walks through each of the five exam domains with exam-focused explanations from Microsoft subject matter experts.

The Azure Network Engineer Associate certification opens doors to roles such as Azure Network Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Network Architect, and Cloud Solutions Architect at organizations across virtually every industry undertaking Azure adoption or hybrid cloud migrations. As of early 2026, Azure Network Engineers in the United States earn average annual salaries of approximately $109,000–$145,000, with top earners in high-cost markets such as California, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C. commanding $155,000–$165,000 or more depending on experience and seniority.

Demand for certified Azure networking professionals continues to grow as enterprises expand hybrid connectivity using ExpressRoute and Virtual WAN, adopt Zero Trust network security models, and migrate application delivery infrastructure to Azure-native services like Front Door and Application Gateway. Compared to general cloud associate certifications, the AZ-700's specialization in networking positions holders for higher-compensation, more technically complex roles. The certification also serves as a natural stepping stone toward expert-level credentials such as the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) or specialized security certifications, making it a strategically valuable milestone in a cloud networking career path.