Microsoft is now offering career-oriented certifications rather than certifications for definite technologies. The Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure, AZ-204 certification is for individuals who aspire to become or is a developer. The core technologies applied are Azure SDKs, serverless, security, containerization, and automation. Rather than emphasizing entirely on a piece of technology, the certification is centered on the tools that will promote you either fill in the Azure developer breaches or study to become a developer in Azure.
In this article, you will come across everything you require to know to help you prepare for the Microsoft Certified – Azure Developer Associate, AZ-204 certification.
Prerequisites
Microsoft commends the following requirements to be eligible for the AZ-204 exam:
- Applicants should have a minimum of two years of professional experience in the development of cloud solutions and Microsoft Azure.
- Applicants should have reassuring expertise in programming in a top-level programming language confirmed by Azure.
Possessing one to two years of experience with Azure doesn’t inevitably mean you must have worked with it in a professional context. If you are working with Azure in a lab environment, experimenting with it at home, and perceiving it by getting hands-on experience, you will have a firm understanding of the platform for taking the exam.
If you do not possess any hands-on experience in Azure, it is extremely advised to initiate doing labs in Azure. Microsoft Azure gives a free trial to acquire hands-on experience in the lab. To get a 30-day free trial, click here. Once you have taken 30 days free trial, you can utilize a Pay-As-You-Go subscription, which indicates you only have to pay for what you use. The trick to employing the Pay-As-You-Go subscription is to delete all of the Azure resources once you are done doing labs. That way, you don’t stumble into high billing issues.
Who Should Obtain Microsoft AZ-204 Certification?
The AZ-204 certification is designed for anyone that wishes to:
- Learn how to become a successful developer
- Learn how to pursue a career path to become a developer in Azure
- Individuals who want to improve knowledge base
Preparing to become a successful developer can be quite challenging. There are a large number of beginner projects out there, and it can be awkward and difficult to choose among them. Following certain steps like certifications can definitely help—Azure sets out the precise steps you require to take and what steps generate which outcome. If you search for the AZ-204 study guide, syllabus, online videos, practice exams, there are plenty of Microsoft resources available that tune up the code and how to use it.
Let’s imagine you are already a competent developer, maybe working on various platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), and you’re shifting to Azure. Going through a certification path can be a great way to get yourself up to pace with the contemporary Azure technology stack and how to put your development skills to utilize.
Microsoft AZ-204 Exam Information
Microsoft recently updated the AZ-204 exam. It is one exam, so you only have to pass one exam. The exam can be given either on-site at a proctored testing facility or in the comfort of your home. If you choose to take it at home, make sure that you have a webcam and can display your room or office to the online supervisor.
Microsoft AZ-204 Exam Objectives
The AZ-204 exam includes the following domains:
- Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)
- Develop for Azure storage (10-15%)
- Implement Azure security (15-20%)
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (10-15%)
- Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (25-30%)
The intention of these topics is to assure that you understand how to become a developer on the Azure platform. This indicates that you must know Azure SDKs, computing solutions in a computerized way, like how to computerize the creation of a virtual machine, storage, security, and monitoring. You must understand how to connect third-party services into Azure.
The AZ-204 exam needs 40 to 60 minutes to answer. As of right now, with the beta exam, it is an exam of multiple-choice and multi-select questions. The exam cost is $165.00 USD to take this exam either from home or in a testing center.
Though this is not an entire list, supposed to be examined on automation, Azure SDKs, Azure development (the most popular appear to be PowerShell, Azure CLI, JavaScript, and C#), monitoring, and serverless.
Microsoft Azure Certification Path
The AZ-204 is one certification in a comprehensive path. It is deemed an associate exam, and there is a following expert exam. The expert exam on this path is the AZ-400, which is the DevOps Expert certification. Although the AZ-400 is not required, if you want to take the next step, the AZ-400 is a suitable direction.
How you study for the AZ-204 exam will count on your study practices and how you study in the best way possible. Some surveys on how the human brain keeps information propose that 30 minutes to an hour a day is a fair amount.
When you are studying every day for the AZ-204, make sure that you:
- Do labs while studying.
- Watch online videos and learn to get two resources for learning, both visual and auditory. And take AZ-204 practice test.
- Understand each exam objective thoroughly. Almost all of the Microsoft documentation includes hands-on labs, which are important when studying for the test.
Compensation and Career Opportunities
The average salary for a Microsot AZ-204 certified developer starts approximately $40,000 and extents to $170,000. Your salary will rely moderately on your geographic location. If you live in a higher paid place, like New York City, you will receive a six-figure salary, according to your experience.
Specialists with senior-level Azure developer roles perceive the development facets, and many other Azure services, exceptionally great. They are usually leaders of engineering departments and go-to professionals for any Azure development concerning problems.
Salary will also count on your working experience. If you are a fresher, don’t expect you will start out with a six-figure pay check. The more experience you acquire, the greater your rewards will be.
There are over 3,000 vacant jobs presently on LinkedIn and Indeed, for people who are Azure certified. Though this certification will not promise you a job, it will surely help you market yourself in the field as an Azure Developer. Once you receive the certification, it will also be more convenient to attain success in Azure development from an academic point of view.
Conclusion
The Microsoft AZ-204 is a great certification to start with for any Azure developer. Whether you want to know how to become an Azure developer, perceive the Azure platform a little bit better, or migrate skills from one cloud platform to another, the AZ-204 exam is perfect to opt for.
