Introduction
If you pass the AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design exams, it will enable you to achieve the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. I took both exams a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share my experience. I will also recommend an approach to tackle this certification. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but I find that if I structure my approach, this is half the battle.
Who is the certification for?
The certification is geared towards anyone who wants to take their Azure learning to the next level. If you’ve been administering Azure environments and want a deeper understanding of the architectural elements, then these exams are definitely for you.
Both exams cover an array of topics from Azure Front Door to Azure Data Lake, but it’s important to get an understanding of all of these topics so you can recommend the right solution for your customers. If you’re not in a pre-sales or architect role, then it’s still beneficial to learn the new material as it will accelerate your personal growth and create opportunities.
What’s the difference between AZ-303 and AZ-304?
As with a lot of Microsoft certifications on the same subject, there is a slight overlap in the skills and knowledge. AZ-303 focuses more on the implementation side of things. It expects you to know how to configure Azure Key Vault end-to-end. Whereas AZ-304 changes the gears slightly and taps into why you might want to use one solution over another, for instance, why would you choose Application Gateway over Traffic Manager? I found AZ-304 hugely beneficial in that sense and it helped me fill in the gaps.
Exams are mostly theory and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll know what to do in the real world. But I would argue both of these exams complement each other well and certainly help you to build real-life solutions. I walked away applying my skills the next day.
Study Tips
Below are several steps to help you prepare for the exams.
- Syllabus: Look at the skills measured documents for both exams. I refer to these as the syllabus. This will guide your study focus. You can find the skills outline on both Microsoft exam pages: AZ-304 & AZ-304.
- Document Progress: I mirror the syllabus into Microsoft OneNote and include an additional column. I colour code each topic to remind me which topic I am currently studying. Red means not started, green means I’ve covered it. It’s simple but it helps me keep track on a day to day basis.
- Learning Courses: Pluralsight is a good starting point. It has a great learning path for both exams. But I would advise against using this as your sole study companion. It’s simply not enough, I found gaps in certain areas and it didn’t always marry up to the syllabus. In these cases, I found Microsoft Learn and Microsoft documentation a good alternative.
- Azure Subscription: Get your hands on a free Azure subscription and test your learning with hands-on exercises. If this isn’t an option then Pluralsight does have a couple of labs where you can get into the detail.
- Practice Exams: I used Whizlabs to test my knowledge. The explanations were really good. A key piece of advice is not to memorise answers without understanding the topic. This is a recipe for disaster. If you get an incorrect answer then go over the material in detail again and let the topic sink in.
Pitfalls
As mentioned in the previous section, the biggest mistake you can make is to memorise answers from practice exams. This won’t help you in the real exam. Microsoft is known for their obtuse questioning style and you have to read every single word of the question.
There will be two or more case studies in the exam too which tests your knowledge in customer scenarios. I had difficulty with Azure SQL and Data Lake etc, but after taking the time to learn the material inside out, it put me at ease and I could answer the questions confidently.
It is also common for Microsoft to regularly update the skills measured on their exams. Be sure to keep an eye on the certification page to see if there are any upcoming changes before your scheduled exam.
Conclusion
This was a fun and challenging certification. I will have to renew the certification next year, but this is a great way to stay up to date and it also forces me not to forget core concepts. Ultimately, structuring my study time and taking notes helped me pass. I would recommend adopting a similar approach and going over topics you don’t understand with a fine toothcomb.