Azure Certification Roadmap¶
Microsoft changed its lineup a lot in 2026. Always check Microsoft Learn for current exams before you start studying.
Recent retirements
Microsoft retired AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer) on August 31, 2026, with SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer) as its replacement. AZ-204 (Azure Developer) retired on July 31, 2026, with AI-200 as its replacement. Credentials you already earned stay on your transcript.
The ladder¶
| Level | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Fundamentals | AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals, SC-900 Security, DP-900 Data, AI-901 AI |
| Associate | AZ-104 Administrator, AZ-700 Network Engineer, SC-200 Security Operations Analyst, SC-300 Identity and Access, SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer, AI-200 AI Cloud Developer |
| Expert | AZ-305 Solutions Architect (requires AZ-104), AZ-400 DevOps Engineer |
Recommended paths¶
| Role | Path |
|---|---|
| SRE / DevOps | AZ-104, then AZ-400 |
| Architect | AZ-104, then AZ-305 |
| Security | SC-900 if you are new, then SC-200 or SC-500 |
Good to know¶
- Role-based Microsoft certifications expire after one year, but renewal is a free online assessment. Fundamentals do not expire.
- AZ-104 is a prerequisite for the Expert certifications, so it keeps paying off.
- AKS shows up throughout, so CKA pairs well.