The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals tier currently offers 4 exams: AZ-900 (general cloud), DP-900 (data), SC-900 (security), and AI-901 (AI, GA June 2026, successor to AI-900).MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals), formerly part of this tier, was retired — exam and certification together — on March 31, 2026, and Microsoft has stated that no successor certification is planned. The four remaining exams share the same spec — 99 USD, 45 minutes, 40-60 questions, 700/1000 passing score, no expiration — but their scopes, target roles, and learning efficiency differ substantially. This article compares all four along six axes so you can confidently pick the 1-3 exams that fit your career.
Microsoft's Fundamentals tier sits in the same entry-level category as AWS Cloud Practitioner and Google Cloud's CDL, but unlike its competitors Microsoft splits this category into several separate exams — a deliberate strategy. The design covers a vast ecosystem spanning Azure, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365, with each exam carrying its own standalone value.
| Exam | Domain | Target Role | Difficulty | Study Time (Beginner) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-900 | Azure (general) | SE / Cloud Engineer / IT Sales | ★★☆☆☆ | 25-40 hours |
| DP-900 | Data / Analytics | Data Engineer / Analyst / DBA | ★★★☆☆ | 30-50 hours |
| SC-900 | Security / Identity | Internal IT / SOC / Security Sales | ★★★☆☆ | 25-40 hours |
| AI-901 | AI / Foundry | AI Engineer / Developer | ★★★★☆ | 40-60 hours |
The most important selection axis is your role. Students and career changers without a settled role get the most general value from starting with AZ-900, but working professionals with a clear specialty get better learning efficiency by starting with the Fundamentals exam for their domain.
Cloud engineers and general SEs: AZ-900, no contest. It covers Azure's hierarchy, core services, and governance horizontally, and lays the foundation for Associate exams like AZ-104. It is the single most versatile certification in the Microsoft catalog.
Data engineers and data analysts: start with DP-900. You'll build a mental map of SQL, NoSQL, and analytics platforms (Synapse, Fabric, Databricks), and the progression into DP-700 and DP-300 feels natural. Experienced practitioners can realistically skip AZ-900 and jump straight to DP-900.
Internal IT and SOC analysts: SC-900, no contest. You'll get the big picture on Zero Trust, Entra ID, the Microsoft Defender suite, and Purview, with a smooth path into SC-200, SC-300, SC-500, and SC-100. It is especially efficient for people who already know another SIEM or Active Directory.
Microsoft 365 sales and consultants: the traditional entry point, MS-900 (Microsoft 365 Fundamentals), was retired — exam and certification together — on March 31, 2026, and Microsoft has stated that no new certification is planned to replace it. There is currently no Fundamentals-tier certification dedicated to Microsoft 365. On the administrator side MS-102 remains available, but it too is scheduled to retire on November 30, 2026, with the successor being Microsoft 365 Certified: AI Services Administrator Associate (Exam AB-650).
AI engineers and data scientists: AI-901. Unlike the other four, mandatory Python is the key difference. It assumes you can use pip install and write basic Python, which raises the bar for business roles. As the successor to AI-900 (retired June 30, 2026), it is deliberately tilted toward technical professionals.
Aggregating candidate write-ups, the difficulty ranking is roughly as follows: 1st AI-901 (high technical bar due to mandatory Python), 2nd SC-900 / DP-900 (many Defender products or SQL fundamentals required), 3rd AZ-900 (concept-centric and easiest). A working professional with 1-3 years of IT experience can reach pass-level on AZ-900 in 15-25 hours, but starting AI-901 with zero Python experience typically requires 60+ hours — that's the practical gap.
If you plan to take multiple exams, there are 4 recommended orders depending on your specialty.
| Role | Recommended Order |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure Engineer | AZ-900 → SC-900 → DP-900 → AI-901 |
| Data Engineer | DP-900 → AZ-900 → AI-901 → SC-900 |
| Security Professional | SC-900 → AZ-900 → DP-900 → AI-901 |
| AI Engineer | AI-901 → AZ-900 → DP-900 → SC-900 |
Shared terminology (Entra ID, Storage Account, RBAC, Microsoft Purview) keeps reappearing, so study time shrinks as you progress. A typical pattern: someone who spent 30 hours on their first exam ends up passing the fourth one in just 10 hours — a clear compounding effect.
The combined exam fee for all four is 396 USD (around 52,800 JPY), but Microsoft Virtual Training Day can dramatically reduce the real cost.
A Virtual Training Day matched to each exam runs regularly (Japanese-language sessions are available). Completing Part 1 plus Part 2 ships you an exam voucher worth roughly 165 USD within 5 business days. AZ-900, DP-900, and SC-900 are all available via this voucher route, so you can effectively drive the 297 USD fee for those three down to zero. AI-901 is the exception — because Training Day coverage comes after GA, for now you'll need to look for free vouchers through Microsoft Reactor events or Cloud Skills Challenge.
After completing all 4 Fundamentals exams, you have a complete picture of the Microsoft certification landscape. The standard next step is to move into the Associate tier.
Infrastructure admin: AZ-104. Developer: AI-200 — AZ-204 and its certification were retired on July 31, 2026, and the successor is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (Exam AI-200). Data engineer: DP-700 (DP-203 and its certification were retired on March 31, 2025). Database admin: DP-300. Security operations: SC-200. Identity admin: SC-300. AI developer: AI-103 (GA June 2026). Networking: AZ-700. Microsoft 365 admin: MS-102 (scheduled to retire November 30, 2026; successor Exam AB-650). Fundamentals graduates can realistically pick up an Associate exam in 3-6 months, and this is where your career axis starts to sharpen.
Which of the 4 Azure Fundamentals exams should I take first?
It depends on your target role. The fastest path is: AZ-900 for cloud engineers and general SEs, DP-900 for data engineers and analysts, SC-900 for SOC and internal IT staff, and AI-901 for AI engineers. If your role is not yet set, AZ-900 is the most versatile choice and the easiest to extend into Associate and Expert tiers later. All four share the same spec (99 USD, 45 minutes, no expiration), so taking multiple exams compounds your learning efficiency. Note that MS-900, the former entry point for Microsoft 365, was retired — exam and certification together — on March 31, 2026, and no successor certification is planned.
Is it worth taking all four?
It is a strong yes for consultants, SaaS salespeople, and SEs at Microsoft partners. The total exam fee is 396 USD, but Virtual Training Day vouchers can cut the real cost by more than half. On the other hand, engineers who want to specialize in one area (e.g. SRE) get poor ROI from taking all four — they are better off taking AZ-900 only, then jumping directly into Associate exams like AZ-104. The trade-off is breadth versus depth, and you should choose deliberately.
What is the recommended order for taking the 4 exams?
The standard route is AZ-900 first, then the Fundamentals for your specialty, then the rest. For an infrastructure engineer the typical order is AZ-900 to SC-900 to DP-900 to AI-901. For a data engineer it is DP-900 to AZ-900 to AI-901 to SC-900. Common terms like Entra ID, Storage Account, and RBAC keep reappearing, so study time shrinks as you progress — by the last exam you can reach pass-level in just 5-10 hours.
I hear AI-901 has a different character from the others — is that true?
Yes. AZ-900, DP-900, and SC-900 are concept-focused and require no coding, but AI-901 (GA in June 2026, the successor to AI-900) puts Python implementation with the Microsoft Foundry SDK at the center of Domain 2 (55-60% of the score). You need to be comfortable with pip install and basic Python syntax (function calls, dictionaries, try/except), so non-technical professionals were encouraged to take AI-900 before its retirement on June 30, 2026. As of now, there is effectively no entry-level AI certification aimed at non-technical roles.
What is the difficulty ranking?
The consensus from candidate write-ups ranks the exams as AZ-900 < DP-900 < SC-900 < AI-901. AZ-900 is concept-centric and the easiest, DP-900 demands basic SQL understanding, SC-900 can get confusing due to the sheer number of Defender and Purview products, and AI-901 stands clearly above the rest because of the mandatory Python skills. That said, they are all Fundamentals — with the right study plan, a complete beginner can reach pass-level in 4-6 weeks.
What is the total study time?
Expect 80-170 hours total for all four exams if you are new to IT, 50-100 hours for those with IT experience, and 25-50 hours for those already familiar with another cloud. Per-exam averages run 20-40 hours, but the shared vocabulary creates a compounding effect — from the third exam onward, study time typically drops to 10-20 hours per exam. A working professional studying on weekends and weeknights can realistically complete all four within five months.
What is the cheapest path to take all four?
Maximize Microsoft Virtual Training Day. Training Days for AZ-900, DP-900, and SC-900 run regularly (Japanese-language sessions included), and completing Part 1 plus Part 2 earns you a free exam voucher worth roughly 165 USD. Grab vouchers for those three and you cover 297 USD of the 396 USD four-exam total for free. AI-901 is the exception — Training Day coverage will only formalize after GA, so for now you'll need to look at alternative routes such as Microsoft Reactor events.
What comes after passing all four exams?
The standard next step is the Associate tier. By role, the popular targets are: AZ-104 for infrastructure admins, DP-700 for data engineers, SC-200 or SC-300 for security, and AI-103 (GA in June 2026) for AI developers. AZ-204, the developer track, was retired along with its certification on July 31, 2026; its successor is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (Exam AI-200). DP-203 was likewise retired with its certification on March 31, 2025, so the current data-engineering option is DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer Associate). Anyone who has finished all four Fundamentals already has a complete mental map of the Microsoft certification system, so Associate study time is highly efficient — knocking out one or two Associate exams in 3-6 months is very realistic.
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Exam information in this article is based on the official Microsoft Learn Credentials page. This article is not an official Microsoft Corporation product, and there is no partnership or sponsorship of any kind. Microsoft, Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Foundry, Microsoft Defender, and Microsoft Purview are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Information reflects the official public materials available as of May 24, 2026. Always check the official pages for the latest information.
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