Azure certification roadmap 2026: plot a path from Fundamentals to Expert

Each cert lists the prerequisites Microsoft expects you to hold and the certs that build on top of it. Filter by role to thin the view.

Azure certification path in 2026, by role

Azure certifications run in three tiers: Fundamentals, role-based Associate, then Expert. Below, we list the exams for each role in the order most people take them. Every exam linked here is one we currently offer practice questions for. Prerequisites are as stated by Microsoft Learn.

Fundamentals: where most people start

Fundamentals exams are broad overviews. Microsoft describes AZ-900 as a common starting point for a career in Azure, and the other fundamentals exams cover one domain each.

  1. AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. Cloud concepts, core Azure services, and Azure management and governance.
  2. AI-901 Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals. Foundational AI concepts and the Azure services that deliver them.
  3. DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals. Core data concepts and the Azure data services.
  4. SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. Security, compliance and identity concepts across the Microsoft cloud.
  5. PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals. What the Power Platform does: apps, automation and analytics.
  6. AB-900 Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals. The basics of administering Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents.
  7. GH-900 GitHub Foundations. GitHub fundamentals: repositories, collaboration and workflow.

Azure administrator

AZ-104 is the central associate exam for administrators, and it is the certification Microsoft requires before the Azure Solutions Architect Expert. Networking, Windows Server and virtual desktop exams branch from it.

  1. AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. Cloud concepts, core Azure services, and Azure management and governance.
  2. AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator. Identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring.
  3. AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate. Designing and implementing Azure networking.
  4. AZ-802 Microsoft Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate. Windows Server hybrid administration, on premises and in Azure.
  5. AZ-140 Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty. Configuring and operating Azure Virtual Desktop.
  6. AZ-120 Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty. Planning and administering Azure for SAP workloads.

Solutions architect

To earn the Azure Solutions Architect Expert badge, Microsoft requires the Azure Administrator Associate certification (AZ-104) as well as passing AZ-305.

  1. AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator. Identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring.
  2. AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions. Designing identity, governance, monitoring, data storage, business continuity and infrastructure solutions.

Developer

Microsoft has retired the Azure Developer Associate certification and its AZ-204 exam. Today's developer routes run through Azure AI application work, the Power Platform and Cosmos DB.

  1. AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. Cloud concepts, core Azure services, and Azure management and governance.
  2. AI-200 Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate. Developing cloud applications that use Azure AI services.
  3. AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate. Building AI apps and agents on Azure.
  4. PL-400 Microsoft Power Platform Developer. Developing solutions on the Power Platform.
  5. DP-420 Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. Designing and implementing cloud-native applications on Azure Cosmos DB.

DevOps engineer

For the DevOps Engineer Expert badge, Microsoft requires at least one of the Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate certifications, plus AZ-400. The GitHub exams cover the tooling side.

  1. AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator. Identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring.
  2. AZ-400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert. Designing and implementing DevOps: source control, build and release pipelines, security and instrumentation.
  3. GH-900 GitHub Foundations. GitHub fundamentals: repositories, collaboration and workflow.
  4. GH-200 GitHub Actions. Building automation with GitHub Actions.
  5. GH-100 GitHub Administration. Administering GitHub for an organisation.
  6. GH-300 GitHub Copilot. Using GitHub Copilot in development work.
  7. GH-500 GitHub Advanced Security. Securing code with GitHub Advanced Security.

Data engineer, analyst and database administrator

Start with DP-900, then pick the associate exam that matches the work: Fabric analytics, Fabric data engineering, Azure databases or Power BI.

  1. DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals. Core data concepts and the Azure data services.
  2. DP-300 Microsoft Azure Database Administrator Associate. Administering relational databases on Azure.
  3. DP-600 Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate. Analytics engineering with Microsoft Fabric.
  4. DP-700 Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer Associate. Data engineering with Microsoft Fabric.
  5. PL-300 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Associate. Data analysis and reporting with Power BI.
  6. DP-420 Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. Designing and implementing cloud-native applications on Azure Cosmos DB.

AI engineer

The AI exams build on AI-901 and AZ-900, and split into application development and machine learning operations.

  1. AI-901 Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals. Foundational AI concepts and the Azure services that deliver them.
  2. AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate. Building AI apps and agents on Azure.
  3. AI-200 Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate. Developing cloud applications that use Azure AI services.
  4. AI-300 Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) Engineer Associate. Operationalising machine learning on Azure (MLOps).

Security engineer and architect

SC-900 introduces the domain. The associate exams cover operations, identity, information protection and cloud security. For the Cybersecurity Architect Expert badge, Microsoft requires one of the Identity and Access Administrator, Security Operations Analyst or Cloud and AI Security Engineer associate certifications, plus SC-100.

  1. SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. Security, compliance and identity concepts across the Microsoft cloud.
  2. SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Associate. Security operations: threat detection, investigation and response.
  3. SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator. Identity and access administration.
  4. SC-401 Information Security Administrator Associate. Information security: protecting data and managing compliance.
  5. SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate. Cloud and AI security engineering.
  6. SC-100 Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert. Designing a cybersecurity architecture that follows Zero Trust principles.

Microsoft 365 administrator

Tenant, endpoint and collaboration administration, with the Copilot and agent fundamentals as the entry point.

  1. AB-900 Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals. The basics of administering Microsoft 365 Copilot and agents.
  2. MS-102 Microsoft 365 Administrator. Administering a Microsoft 365 tenant.
  3. MD-102 Endpoint Administrator Associate. Endpoint administration.
  4. AB-650 Microsoft 365 and AI Services Administrator Associate. Administering Microsoft 365 and its AI services.
  5. MS-721 Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate. Collaboration communications systems engineering.

Older exams and their successors

Searches for an older path often land on exams Microsoft has since retired. Our catalogue records these replacements: AI-900 is replaced by AI-901; AI-102 is replaced by AI-103; DP-100 is replaced by AI-300; DP-203 is replaced by DP-700; AZ-800 is replaced by AZ-802; AZ-801 is replaced by AZ-802.

Azure certification path: common questions

What is the Azure certification path in 2026?

Azure certifications run in three tiers: Fundamentals, role-based Associate, and Expert. Most people begin with AZ-900, then take the Associate exam for their role, such as AZ-104 for administrators. Expert exams sit at the top and have prerequisites set by Microsoft: AZ-305 requires the Azure Administrator Associate certification, AZ-400 requires the Azure Administrator or Azure Developer Associate certification, and SC-100 requires one of the SC-200, SC-300 or SC-500 associate certifications.

Which Azure certification should I take first?

AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals is the usual first step, and Microsoft calls it a common starting point for a career in Azure. If your goal is security, data or AI, the matching fundamentals exam (SC-900, DP-900 or AI-901) is an equally good start.

Do I need AZ-900 before AZ-104?

Microsoft's Azure Administrator Associate page lists no prerequisite certification, so AZ-900 is a recommendation, not a requirement. It is a sensible first exam if you are new to the cloud.

Is AZ-204 still part of the Azure path?

No. Microsoft has retired the Azure Developer Associate certification and its AZ-204 exam. Developers now look at AI-200, AI-103, PL-400 and DP-420, depending on the work.

Which Azure certification is best for DevOps?

The DevOps Engineer Expert certification, earned by passing AZ-400. Microsoft requires you to hold the Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate certification first, and the GitHub exams GH-900 and GH-200 are a useful complement.