AZ-104 Reddit Study Guide 📚
Crowdsourced wisdom from r/AzureCertification - organized for people with Azure experience
The Brutal Truth About This Exam 💀
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AZ-104 = Hardest Azure role-based cert (according to MCTs) │
│ NOT because concepts are hard, but because: │
│ ❌ Questions test obscure documentation details │
│ ❌ Scenario math problems (VMSS cooldown calculations) │
│ ❌ 58 questions in 90 mins = ~1.5 min per question │
│ ❌ Case studies you CAN'T go back to │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Real talk from someone who scored 950:
"Don't use Scott Duffy unless you have zero portal experience. It's useless for the type of questions you find on the exam."
From someone with MCSE + CCNA who works in Azure daily:
"This was the hardest MS exam I've ever sat. One question is about failing over VMs, then application gateway, then AKS container registry. No one touches all these things day-to-day."
The Study Stack (Ranked by Community Votes) 🏆
Tier S - Actually Gets You to Pass
| Resource | Why It Works | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TutorialsDojo Practice Exams | Questions mirror real exam style. Do until 90%+ | ~$15 |
| FetchExam | 900+ questions, scenario-based, code-based sections | Paid |
| MS Learn Documentation | The actual source of exam questions | Free |
| John Savill's AZ-104 Masterclass | Deep technical dives, constantly updated | Free (YouTube) |
Tier A - Good for Learning (Not Passing)
| Resource | Verdict |
|---|---|
| James Lee (CloudLee) | "The Adrian Cantrill of Azure" - thorough, updated April 2025 |
| Alan Rodrigues (Udemy) | Best hands-on labs, lots of CLI/PowerShell. Accent may bother some |
| GitHub AZ-104 Labs | Must-do. Free sandboxes, real scenarios |
| Adam Marczak (YouTube) | Short visual tutorials, good supplement |
Tier B - Basics Only
| Resource | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Scott Duffy (Udemy) | Gets you familiar with portal. Doesn't explain context. Won't pass exam alone |
| ACloudGuru | Polished but not deep enough |
| Whizlabs Labs | Decent for portal practice, questions are "crap" |
Tier C - Use with Caution
| Resource | Verdict |
|---|---|
| MS Learn Training Paths | Dry, doesn't match exam depth. Only sandboxes are useful |
The Winning Formula 🎯
For You (With Azure Experience):
John Savill + FetchExam/TutorialsDojo = CertifiedStudy Order:
- Skim John Savill's exam cram (get overview)
- Do GitHub labs (hands-on in free sandbox)
- Hammer practice exams (TutorialsDojo or FetchExam)
- For every wrong answer → Read the actual MS Learn documentation article
- Learn to navigate MS Learn (it's available during exam!)
Exam Day Secrets 🤫
MS Learn is OPEN During Exam
Since August 2023, you can access MS Learn documentation during the exam:
- ⚠️ No Ctrl+F allowed
- ⚠️ Can't access other websites
- ⚠️ Eats into your time
- ✅ Use for questions you marked
- ✅ Search keywords to find answers
Pro Strategy:
"Don't touch MS Learn until you finish ALL questions. I finished with 20 minutes left, then went through marked questions using MS Learn."
Time Management
| Section | Reality |
|---|---|
| Case Studies (first) | HARD. Can't go back once done. Don't panic. |
| Regular Questions | ~53 questions. Mark and move. |
| Last 20 mins | Review marked questions + MS Learn lookup |
Someone scored 816 with this:
"Got 58 questions. Started with one REALLY HARD case study. Don't panic - easier questions come later. Finished everything, marked doubts, then used MS Learn for final 20 mins."
Tricky Question Types ⚠️
1. VMSS Math Problems
Real exam question example:
"If VM running 1hr 20min with cooldown of X, after 30 min at 30% CPU, how many VMs running?"
NOT the easy stuff like: "If CPU at 70% for 15 min, add 2 VMs"
2. Obscure Parameters
"AzCopy question referenced some obscure parameter found almost at bottom of the article"
3. Scenario Permutations
"How many App Service plans do you need for 5 different runtime stacks?"
None of the courses teach this. Only practice exams + docs.
Top Resources (Links) 🔗
Free
- John Savill AZ-104 Playlist
- GitHub AZ-104 Labs
- Adam Marczak Tutorials
- MS Learn Study Guide
- Community Resource Hub
Paid (Worth It)
- TutorialsDojo - Review mode + Timed mode
- FetchExam - 900+ questions
- CloudLee by James Lee - Updated April 2025
- MeasureUp - MCT recommended, most accurate
If You Keep Failing 😤
Someone passed on attempt 5 with this strategy:
- Take AZ-700 first (Networking) - You'll know 50% of AZ-104
- Break it into digestible pieces
- Use ChatGPT Study Mode - Ask it to teach topics you got wrong
- Request accommodations if memory is an issue: MS Accommodations
The hard truth:
"My #1 problem - so much is based on if YOU have been in this specific scenario with specific settings. Resources say 'Entra ID is an identity service' but don't go into detail needed to pass."
Quick Wins for Your Experience Level 🚀
Since you already work in Azure:
Skip the basics - Don't waste time on portal navigation
Focus on areas you DON'T touch daily:
- AKS / Container Registry
- Application Gateway
- Azure Site Recovery / Paired Regions
- Load Balancer SKUs
- Key Vault (detailed config, not just "what it is")
- VMSS autoscale rules & math
Learn the MS Learn navigation - Practice finding things without Ctrl+F
Do practice exams FIRST - Find your gaps, then study those gaps
The Reality Check 📊
| Stat | Reality |
|---|---|
| Pass Rate | Not published, but people fail multiple times |
| "Moderate" Difficulty | 🤣 Community says hardest Azure cert |
| Retakes | Free (but limited frequency) |
| Time Trap | Case studies at start, scenario questions at end look like "review" |
TL;DR - Your Study Plan 📋
Week 1-2: John Savill Masterclass (1.5x speed, take notes)
Week 2-3: GitHub Labs (all of them)
Week 3-4: TutorialsDojo until 90%+ consistently
Week 4+: Read MS Docs for every wrong answer
Exam Day: Save 20 mins for MS Learn lookupsFinal wisdom:
"Everything you need to know IS in the docs. RTFM. No one does, and that's why they fail."
Compiled from r/AzureCertification - Jan 2025