The AZ-204, Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate, is a valuable credential for developers who want to show their skills in designing, building, testing, and maintaining cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure. Preparing for it was a challenging but rewarding journey. I used various resources to gain an adequate understanding of the exam topics, and here’s a detailed account of the resources I used.
Learning Resources
Microsoft Learn
The first and foremost resource I used was the Microsoft Learn platform. This is the official study material recommended by Microsoft, and it provides in-depth coverage of all the exam objectives. The interactive learning paths and modules are designed to give hands-on experience with Azure services, which is crucial for the AZ-204 exam.
I reviewed some topics multiple times to ensure I had a solid grasp of the concepts. The step-by-step tutorials and the sandbox environment provided by Microsoft Learn were particularly useful for practicing without needing a personal Azure subscription.
Microsoft 30 Day Challenge
Microsoft launched a 30 Day Challenge some time ago, offering resources for various certifications, including AZ-204. Participants who completed the learning path within the challenge period received discount coupons for the certification exam. Although I didn’t finish the challenge in time, the depth and quality of the study material were immensely helpful.
This challenge provided structured learning and regular milestones, which can be useful if one has a deadline to meet. The material was also different from the official Learning Path and covered a few of the major topics in greater detail. The resources are still available for free but the offer is not active at present for anyone who enrols.
Whizlab AZ-204 Course
Based on positive reviews I read on LinkedIn about Whizlabs' study materials for AWS certifications, I decided to try their AZ-204 course. However, I found the video content to be somewhat disorganized and confusing. There were multiple videos covering the same topics taught by different instructors, which made it difficult to follow a consistent learning path.
Despite this, the labs and mock papers were incredibly valuable, providing practical experience and helping me identify areas where I needed further study. They have a total of 10 practice tests, and around 4 or 5 questions even appeared in the actual exam for me.
Thomos's Blog
Quite old but still highly relevant, this blog proved to be a useful resource aggregator for me. After taking a few mock exams on Whizlabs, I realized that the Microsoft Learn materials and Whizlabs videos were not enough on their own. The additional links mentioned here provided greater depth about each of the resources included in the exam. These materials were also from Microsoft but were not part of either of the two curriculums mentioned above.
Youtube
In addition to the primary resources mentioned above, I occasionally watched random YouTube videos to clarify some of the difficult concepts. These videos were helpful for visual learners like me, providing different perspectives and explanations on tricky subjects.
The playlists from A Guide To Cloud and Alan Rodrigues can be a good starting point for those who prefer videos over text. However, these videos don't go into the required depth for actually passing the exam, so eventually, official text based materials will be necessary.
Key Focus Areas
Practical Labs
Since the AZ-204 exam focuses on how a developer would use Azure resources, practical labs are essential. If you don't have your own Azure subscription, using labs provided by learning platforms like Whizlabs or Microsoft Learn is crucial.
There are several questions on how tasks are done both from the portal and using the Azure CLI, and hands-on practice is needed to fully understand the flow and steps.
.NET Libraries
There were many questions related to .NET libraries for Azure resources, particularly involving Azure Blob Storage and Azure Key Vault. Practical experience through labs was key to understanding these libraries. The exams include questions with incomplete code snippets, and one needs to correctly identify the classes or methods to fulfil the requirements in each case.
Plans and Pricing Models
The exam includes several questions about choosing the right Azure plan based on specific needs for Azure services. For example, if Auto Scale is needed, which plan should be selected for Azure App Service with minimal cost involved?
CLI commands
Azure CLI is actively used for automating repetitive tasks and managing Azure resources. These skills are covered in the exam. One will encounter questions about missing commands and parameters, as well as the correct order of steps to achieve tasks like creating an Azure App Service with a container and streaming logs from it.
When to use which service
Case studies are an integral part of the examination and can include anywhere from 5 to 12 questions. These case studies present a business requirement, and based on that, certain questions are framed, mostly dealing with identifying which Azure services best fit the need. For example, knowing when to use Azure Service Bus instead of Azure Storage Queue or Event Grid.
Conclusion
Preparing for the AZ-204 certification exam can seem daunting, but with the right resources and strategies, it becomes a manageable and rewarding journey. The resources shared in this blog, including online courses, official documentation, practice exams, and videos, were sufficient for me to pass the exam and should help you as well if you follow a balanced approach of practical and theoretical study.
Good luck on your certification journey!