Free Azure Practice Tests in 2026
You do not need expensive courses or paid exam simulators to prepare for a Microsoft Azure certification. In 2026, the free options (question banks, official practice assessments and hands-on labs) match what the premium products offer.
This article covers the main free Azure practice tests, how to use them and which suit each certification level.
Why Free Azure Practice Tests Are Now Competitive
Azure certification prep has changed a lot in the past few years. Microsoft has put money into free official learning resources, and independent platforms have built question banks to fill the gaps.
Three things make free resources workable:
Official Microsoft Content: Microsoft Learn now has free practice assessments for most Azure exams. They match real exam difficulty and question patterns more closely than older third-party simulators.
Large Community Contributions: Community sites have built up large question collections with explanations. Many of those questions are recalled from live exams, which Microsoft's exam agreement forbids, and the answers are often unverified.
Hands-on Lab Access: Azure's free tier and Microsoft Learn sandboxes let you practise real scenarios without paying for a subscription. Hands-on experience often counts for more than memorised questions.
Paying is no longer the only route to good Azure certification prep. Many candidates pass AZ-900, AZ-104, AI-200 (the current developer exam) and expert-level exams using only free resources.
AzurePrep: Azure Practice Tests
azureprep.com covers a wide range of Azure exams. AZ-900 and GH-900 are free in full with a free account, every other live certification has a free preview, and one All-Access subscription (monthly or annual) unlocks full access to everything.
What AzurePrep Includes
Broad Certification Coverage: Practice questions run from foundational exams (AZ-900) to expert-level certifications, so you can study related certifications in one place.
AZ-900 Free in Full: AZ-900 and GH-900 are free in full with a free account. You can preview the other certifications before deciding to subscribe.
Detailed Explanations: Each question explains why the correct answer is right and why each wrong answer is wrong. The explanations reference official Microsoft documentation and real-world scenarios.
Study Analytics and Progress Tracking: The platform tracks your results by topic, shows strong and weak areas, and charts progress over time, so you can see where to spend more study time.
Starting with AZ-900? See the best AZ-900 practice exams and free practice questions compared side by side.
Exam-Realistic Interface: The Azure practice tests on azureprep.com replicate the Microsoft exam interface, including question formats, time limits and the scoring display. Knowing how the exam works makes test day less stressful.
Regular Updates: Questions are updated as Microsoft releases new exam versions, to keep them in line with the current exam blueprints.
How to Use AzurePrep
Start with untimed practice tests to find your baseline. Review wrong answers and the related topics before moving to timed tests. The platform supports both topic drills and full-length simulated exams.
You can also drill specific knowledge domains. If you struggle with "Azure Storage" on AZ-104, filter to storage questions only and read the explanations closely.
Microsoft Learn: Official Free Practice Assessments
Microsoft Learn now has free practice assessments for most Azure certifications. They launched in 2024 and are Microsoft's official prep resource.
Structure and Content
Free practice assessments on Microsoft Learn give a set of practice questions per exam. They give an overall score at the end and break results down by topic, so you can see both your readiness and where to focus.
Microsoft writes them to match the style and difficulty of the real exam, but they do not use questions from the live exam pool. With fewer questions, they cover less than the larger platforms.
Free Hands-on Labs and Sandbox Environments
Microsoft Learn also has interactive labs for most Azure exams. In these sandbox environments you can:
- Create and manage Azure resources
- Deploy applications and databases
- Configure networking and security
- Administer identities and governance
Labs run in temporary sandboxes that Microsoft provides at no cost. They cover the practical skills a multiple-choice test cannot fully measure.
Integration with Learning Paths
The practice assessments sit inside Microsoft Learn's learning paths. Each exam has a path with modules for every exam objective, so you can work through the path, practise in the labs and then test yourself with the assessment.
John Savill's Technical Training: YouTube-Based Learning
John Savill's Technical Training channel on YouTube has free Azure content aimed at certification exams. Savill is a Microsoft MVP with long Azure experience.
What the Channel Offers
Complete Exam Coverage: Savill maintains playlists for AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-204 (retired 31 July 2026), AZ-305 and other certifications. The playlists follow the exam objectives, so you can find a specific topic quickly.
Real Instructor Knowledge: The videos draw on Savill's own Azure experience and cover practical scenarios and common exam traps.
Free Access: Everything is free on YouTube. There is no premium tier.
Community Engagement: Savill and other viewers add explanations and clarifications in the comments.
Limitations
YouTube works best alongside free Azure practice tests. Videos explain difficult topics well, but they do not replace repeated practice questions and hands-on labs.
Savill's playlists can run past 40 hours per exam. That suits people who want depth, but it is a lot for candidates short on study time.
Microsoft's Official Free Practice Assessment
Each Azure exam page on Microsoft's official exam site links to a free practice assessment. It offers a smaller set of practice questions than a full practice test platform.
When to Use This Resource
Take the official practice assessment late in your preparation, as a check on whether you are ready for the real exam. A passing score here generally indicates exam readiness.
The explanations are brief, so it works better as a final check than as a learning tool.
ExamTopics: Community Question Dumps with Caution
ExamTopics hosts Azure exam questions submitted by community members. It is free to use.
Strengths
ExamTopics has thousands of questions, which suits candidates who want a large volume of practice. Many questions come from real exam takers who contributed immediately after testing.
Critical Limitations
Quality varies widely. Some questions reflect the exam accurately, while others contain errors or outdated information. Explanations are sometimes wrong or misleading.
Microsoft works against these sites through legal and technical means. Using exam dumps also raises ethical questions about what the certification is worth.
Recommended Approach
If you use ExamTopics, use it to check your knowledge, not as your main preparation. Cross-check answers against official Microsoft documentation and the Azure practice tests on azureprep.com. Do not rely on community dumps alone.
Given the risks, put this resource behind official Microsoft sources and dedicated platforms like azureprep.com.
If you are weighing paid platforms instead, the MeasureUp alternatives guide compares the main options side by side.
Free Practice Tests Strategy by Certification Level
AZ-900 (Fundamentals)
Recommended Resources: Microsoft Learn + azureprep.com
AZ-900 is the entry point to Azure certifications and covers broad fundamentals. The Azure practice tests on azureprep.com cover the AZ-900 objectives, and AZ-900 is free in full with a free account. Microsoft Learn's learning path covers every objective in plain language.
Study Timeline: 2-3 weeks of 1-2 hours daily is typical.
Readiness Indicator: Consistently score 80%+ on azureprep.com practice tests.
AZ-104 (Administrator Associate)
Recommended Resources: azureprep.com + Microsoft Learn labs + John Savill's YouTube
AZ-104 needs theory and practical skill. The Azure practice tests on azureprep.com get you used to the question styles, Microsoft Learn labs let you carry out real administrative tasks, and Savill's videos explain harder concepts such as role-based access control and resource groups.
Study Timeline: 4-6 weeks with 2-3 hours daily is standard.
Readiness Indicator: Score 75%+ on full-length azureprep.com practice tests, and successfully complete all Microsoft Learn labs.
AZ-204 (Developer Associate): Retired
AZ-204 tested development skills and required coding examples, with Microsoft Learn's sandbox labs covering exercises for Azure services like App Service, Functions, and Cosmos DB. For AI-200 prep, check the current skills outline on Microsoft Learn rather than reusing an AZ-204 study plan.
Expert-Level Exam (AZ-305)
Recommended Resources: azureprep.com + Microsoft Learn + architectural documentation
Expert exams test judgement and design decisions as well as facts. The Azure practice tests on azureprep.com concentrate on scenario-based questions. Microsoft Learn has reference architectures and best practice guides, and Microsoft's official architecture documentation and whitepapers fill in the rest.
Study Timeline: 8-12 weeks with 2-3 hours daily.
Readiness Indicator: Score 75%+ on azureprep.com practice tests, and explain architectural decisions confidently.
Free Resource Comparison Table
| Resource | Cost | Question Count | Question Quality | Explanations | Hands-On Labs | Updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AzurePrep (azureprep.com) | Free | Free | Excellent | Detailed | Via links | Continuous |
| Microsoft Learn | Free | A set of questions per exam | Excellent | Minimal | Included | Quarterly |
| John Savill's YouTube | Free | N/A | Excellent | Via video | N/A | Ongoing |
| ExamTopics | Free | 1,000s | Variable | Variable | None | Community-driven |
| Official Microsoft Assessment | Free | A set of questions | Excellent | Minimal | None | Aligned to exams |
What Not to Spend Money On
Several paid products offer what the free options already cover.
Expensive Online Courses: $200-400 courses often cover the same material as Microsoft Learn, which is free. If you study consistently with free resources, a course gives no exam advantage.
Premium Practice Test Platforms: Sites charging $50-100 a year for practice tests are worth comparing on exam coverage and price before you commit. Their pricing relies on candidates assuming that paid means better.
Exam Prep Bundles: Bundles of courses, practice tests and flashcards are often overpriced. You can put together a better plan from free resources alone.
Bootcamps and Intensive Training: Multi-day bootcamps cost $500-2000 and compress the content without addressing your own knowledge gaps. Self-paced free resources let you spend time where you need it.
The only costs worth paying are an Azure subscription for labs once your free tier runs out, and the exam voucher if your employer does not cover it.
Combining Free Resources: Study Plan
Random question drilling is not enough. Use the free Azure practice tests as part of a plan.
Phase 1: Knowledge Building (Weeks 1-4)
Start with the Microsoft Learn learning path for your exam. Work through the modules in order and complete the labs.
Watch John Savill's videos on the harder topics. They give context that reading alone does not.
Phase 2: Targeted Practice (Weeks 5-8)
Use azureprep.com's topic filters to drill the weak areas from Phase 1. If "Virtual Networks" gave you trouble in the Microsoft Learn labs, drill network questions on azureprep.com.
Read the explanation for every wrong answer. Knowing why you got a question wrong matters more than the score.
Phase 3: Full-Length Simulation (Weeks 9-10)
Take full-length, timed practice tests on azureprep.com under exam conditions. Do this even if you feel confident, because exam pressure affects performance in ways casual practice does not.
Phase 4: Final Review (Week 11)
Go over weak topics once more with Microsoft Learn or Savill's videos. Retake the official Microsoft practice assessment as a final readiness check.
Knowing When You're Ready
Candidates preparing with free resources tend to show the same signs of readiness.
Scoring Benchmarks
Consistently scoring 750+ on full-length azureprep.com practice tests indicates exam readiness. That is above the pass mark, with a margin for exam-day variation.
Scores of 700-749 mean more study is needed. Review weak topics and retake tests until you score 750+ consistently.
Scores below 700 mean you need more preparation time. Push the exam back instead of sitting it too early.
Beyond Scores: Practical Readiness
Passing practice tests does not guarantee a pass. Check readiness in other ways too:
Lab Completion: Complete all Microsoft Learn labs without much troubleshooting or outside help.
Explanation Understanding: Explain why each correct answer is right without reading the explanation. If you remember answers without understanding the concepts, unfamiliar exam questions will catch you out.
Scenario Application: Apply exam concepts to real Azure scenarios. If someone asks how to secure a database, you should be able to explain the options without notes.
Time Management: Finish full-length practice tests within the time limit with time left to review.
Conclusion
Free Azure practice tests in 2026 cover everything you need to prepare. AzurePrep (azureprep.com) covers every live Azure certification, with AZ-900 free in full and a free preview on every other certification, and Microsoft Learn provides official assessments and hands-on labs.
Together, the practice tests on azureprep.com, Microsoft Learn, John Savill's YouTube content and hands-on labs match or beat paid alternatives.
Passing depends on steady study and using the resources well. Start with the free resources, follow the four phases above, and aim for consistently strong scores on practice tests before booking your exam.