The Microsoft AZ-204 is the well-recognized certification exam that helps everyone interested to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in building, designing maintaining, and testing, cloud applications on Microsoft Azure. If you are rooting for a career in developing solutions for Microsoft Azure, it is a must-do exam for you. For the most part, this is because it will lead you to the official Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification.

Key Audience

As the official vendor states, this accreditation exam is designed for candidates having 1-2 years of working experience in professional development and Microsoft Azure solutions. Moreover, every applicant should have the ability to program in languages supported by Azure. What’s more, candidates need to have sufficient expertise in Azure PowerShell, data storage options, APIs, data connections, and container deployment among others.

What Is The Microsoft AZ-204 Exam?

As you understand, the individuals who are taking the Microsoft AZ-204 evaluation should know how to develop Azure compute solutions as well as monitor & troubleshoot them. According to the official website, this test contains 40-60 various questions that you have to attempt in 120 minutes.

Moreover, it should be remembered that the candidates have to pay an application fee for the registration. The exam price depends on the country you are going to take it in, thus for candidates from the USA, the amount will be $165. Besides, you have to schedule your exam by making an account on Pearson VUE. There you also need to select your test programming language: Python or C#.

Also, those who have lost their job or can't find one because of the COVID-19 pandemic, can take advantage of Microsoft's special offer and do this exam by December 31, 2021, through PSI services. In this case, the fee will be $15, but the test will only include a C# code with no options.

What Are The Domains Covered By The Microsoft AZ-204 Exam?

You have to be prepared before taking the Microsoft AZ-204 exam. It is an associate-level exam but you have to make sure you cover all the domains of this exam while training. In more detail, the candidates have to clear their concepts about exam objectives before appearing for the test.

• Azure Compute Solution Development (25-30%)

  The first tested area focuses on proving your expertise in developing Azure compute solutions. Therefore, you have to get sufficient knowledge skills related to implementing IaaS solutions, creating effective ARM templates, and provisioning VMs in order to pass the exam. The candidates will also learn about dealing with various web apps, creating web apps, and enabling diagnostics logging. Moreover, you should also have skills in implementing the Azure functions such as employing inputs and outputs as well as Azure Durable functions and custom handlers. Along with that, candidates must have a grip on the major concepts of developing the Azure computing solutions to ace this AZ-204 exam.

• Azure Security Implementation (20-25%)

  As you understand, the second tested domain involves an implementation process of Azure Security. It includes client authorization and authentication. So, the candidate must have knowledge about applying the shared access signature and authenticating apps and users by utilizing Azure Active Recovery. Moreover, the candidate should also know how to create secure cloud solutions for Microsoft Azure. Alongside, you will also demonstrate your abilities in code development including keys, secrets, and certificates stored within Azure Key Vault.

• Azure Storage Development (20-25%)

  The third tested objective revolves around developing Azure storage. Thus, it validates the candidate's knowledge of developing solutions that utilize Cosmos DB storage which aids in selecting appropriate SDK and API for a solution and performing operations on Cosmos DB containers and data. Moreover, the candidates should also be familiar with change feed notification management and solution development that use blob storage. Remember, the blob storage solutions involve setting and retrieving metadata and properties, implementing storage policies, as well as moving items in Blob storage between containers and storage accounts.

• Monitoring, Optimization, And Troubleshooting Of Azure Solutions (15-20%)

  The fourth tested section covers monitoring, optimizing, and troubleshooting processes related to numerous Azure solutions. It involves expiration policies and configuring cache for Azure Redis Cache and implementing secure application cache patterns. What’s more, the candidate should be familiar with instrumenting solutions for logging and monitoring process support. As well, you may need to troubleshoot solutions utilizing Azure Monitor to demonstrate yourself as a savvy specialist. Furthermore, you must also have skills in configuring different apps or services to use Application Insights.

• Connection To Azure Services And Third-Party Services (15-20%)

  The fifth and last tested area of the exam discusses the Azure services and third-party service connection. Therefore, the candidate has to answer the questions related to implementing API management that includes creating an APIM instance, defining the right policies for API, and configuring effective authentication for APIs. Moreover, you should also have skills in developing event-based solutions through Azure Event Grid and Azure Event Hubs as well as message-based solutions for passing the final exam AZ-204.

What Are The Career Opportunities For The Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate Certificate’s Holder?

As already noted above, once you pass the Microsoft AZ-204 exam, you will be honored with the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate qualification. This certification will help you get a handsome salary, comfortable work conditions, and other benefits. Moreover, you can showcase your Microsoft certification on your profile and attract potential employers.

So, the candidates who achieve this accreditation successfully can work on the following job roles:

• Software Developer
• Software Engineer
• Cloud Administrator
• Azure Developer
• Azure DevOps

When it comes to compensation, the annual income of a Software Developer is around $72k while the salary of a Software Engineer with Microsoft Azure skills is $89k per year as revealed by PayScale.com.

So, this certification will boost your skills and help you achieve a high position in the digital world. And, once you get some experience, you can opt for higher designations and make your mark in the IT industry with your hard work and dedication.

Career Path

Meanwhile, the candidates who have attained the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification will get unlimited opportunities in the IT sector but if you want to expand your knowledge and upgrade your skills, you should also go for the Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. After achieving these certificates, you will become an expert and can obtain more opportunities along with high incentives. Keep your spirit high and aim for the higher qualifying exams one after another that will give a new boost to your career and make you grow both financially and professionally.