🎓 Certifications Roadmap
Get certified. Prove your skills. Open doors.
🎯 Certification Strategy
🔥 Current Focus: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator)
Status: 40 pct Complete | Target Exam Date: March 2026 (Schedule by mid-Feb)
Study Plan
Study Checklist
[ ] Identity and Governance (15-20%)
- [ ] Azure AD (Entra ID)
- [ ] RBAC
- [ ] Subscriptions and governance
- [ ] Azure Policy
[ ] Storage (15-20%)
- [ ] Storage accounts
- [ ] Blob storage
- [ ] Azure Files
- [ ] Storage security
[ ] Compute (20-25%)
- [ ] Virtual machines
- [ ] VM availability
- [ ] App Services
- [ ] Containers (ACI, AKS basics)
[ ] Networking (20-25%)
- [ ] Virtual networks
- [ ] VPN and ExpressRoute
- [ ] Load balancers
- [ ] Network security
[ ] Monitoring and Backup (15-20%)
- [ ] Azure Monitor
- [ ] Log Analytics
- [ ] Azure Backup
- [ ] Site Recovery
Resources
| Resource | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Duffy Course (Udemy) | Video | 🟡 In Progress |
| John Savill YouTube | Video | 📝 Planned |
| Microsoft Learn Path | Documentation | 🟡 In Progress |
| Whizlabs Practice Exams | Practice | 📝 Planned |
| Azure Portal Hands-on | Lab | 🟡 Ongoing |
Daily Study Routine
- Weekdays: 1-2 hours after work
- Weekends: 3-4 hours on Saturday or Sunday
- Hands-on: Practice in Azure portal daily (even 15 min counts)
Study Philosophy
Video → Docs → Hands-on → Practice Exams → Review → TAKE THE EXAM
Don't wait for "perfect readiness." Schedule the exam early. Deadlines create focus.
📅 2026 Certification Roadmap
Q1 2026 (Jan-Mar): Foundation
| Cert | Focus Area | Target | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-104 | Azure Administration | March 2026 | 🔥 CRITICAL |
Q2 2026 (Apr-Jun): IaC & Security
| Cert | Focus Area | Target | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraform Professional | Infrastructure as Code | May 2026 | 🟠 HIGH |
| AZ-500 | Azure Security | June 2026 | 🟠 HIGH |
Q3 2026 (Jul-Sep): Kubernetes & AWS
| Cert | Focus Area | Target | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| CKA/CKAD | Kubernetes | August 2026 | 🟡 MEDIUM |
| AWS Solutions Architect | AWS Cloud | September 2026 | 🟡 MEDIUM |
Q4 2026 (Oct-Dec): Specialization
| Cert | Focus Area | Target | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC-300 | Identity & Access | October 2026 | 📝 PLANNED |
| AZ-700 | Azure Networking | November 2026 | 📝 PLANNED |
📊 Progress Tracker
Certifications Earned
| Certification | Date Achieved | Score | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - |
Certifications In Progress
| Certification | Progress | Hours Studied | Practice Exam Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-104 | 40% | ~30hrs | Not yet taken |
🎯 Why Each Certification Matters
AZ-104 - Azure Administrator
Why: Foundation for all Azure work. Required for platform/cloud engineer roles. Salary Impact: Opens 1L+/month jobs Next Steps: AZ-500 (security) or AZ-204 (developer)
Terraform Professional
Why: IaC is non-negotiable for DevOps/Platform roles Salary Impact: Premium skill, higher consulting rates Next Steps: Multi-cloud expertise
AZ-500 - Azure Security
Why: Security = higher pay, critical for enterprise clients Salary Impact: +20-30% over base Azure certs Next Steps: SC-300 (Identity specialist)
CKA/CKAD - Kubernetes
Why: Platform engineering requires K8s expertise Salary Impact: Required for most platform roles Next Steps: CKS (security) or advanced K8s patterns
AWS Solutions Architect
Why: Multi-cloud = more opportunities Salary Impact: AWS + Azure = premium market position Next Steps: AWS Advanced or Specialty certs
📚 Study Resources Library
Video Courses
- Scott Duffy on Udemy - AZ-104, AWS SA
- John Savill YouTube - Azure deep dives
- KodeKloud - Kubernetes, Linux
Documentation
- Microsoft Learn - Official Azure docs
- Terraform Docs - Official reference
- Kubernetes Docs - Official K8s docs
Practice Exams
- Whizlabs - Azure, AWS practice tests
- Tutorials Dojo - AWS practice exams
- Killer.sh - CKA/CKAD practice
Hands-on Labs
- Azure Portal - Free tier experimentation
- AWS Free Tier - Practice environment
- Katacoda - K8s labs (if still available)
✅ Exam Day Checklist
Before Scheduling:
- [ ] Completed full course content
- [ ] Scored 80%+ on practice exams (take at least 3)
- [ ] Hands-on practice with all major topics
- [ ] Reviewed weak areas identified in practice
Day Before:
- [ ] Light review only (no cramming)
- [ ] Good sleep (8 hours)
- [ ] Test equipment (webcam, mic, internet)
- [ ] Prepare quiet room for exam
Exam Day:
- [ ] Eat a good meal before
- [ ] Start exam 15 min early to handle tech issues
- [ ] Read questions carefully
- [ ] Flag uncertain questions, come back later
- [ ] Review flagged questions before submit
🎖️ Certification Badges
Display earned certifications on:
- [ ] LinkedIn profile
- [ ] GitHub profile README
- [ ] Resume
- [ ] Portfolio website
- [ ] Email signature
🔄 Certification Maintenance
| Cert | Renewal Period | Renewal Method |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Certs | Annual | MS Learn modules |
| Terraform | N/A | No renewal needed |
| AWS Certs | 3 years | Re-certification exam |
| CKA/CKAD | 3 years | Re-certification exam |
Keep Certs Current
Set calendar reminders 2 months before renewal. Don't let certifications lapse.
💡 Certification Study Tips
- One at a time - Don't split focus across multiple certs
- Schedule early - Book exam 2-3 weeks out while preparing
- Practice exams are gold - Take them seriously, review wrong answers
- Hands-on > Theory - Actually use the tools, don't just watch videos
- Join communities - Reddit, Discord channels for each cert
- Teach what you learn - Write blog posts, make notes
- Track weak areas - Double down on topics you struggle with
The Real Goal
Certifications are proof of learning. But the real value is the skills you gain and the doors they open.
Focus on truly understanding, not just passing exams.