Azure Devops Certification Complete Guide

With the broad implementation of cloud platforms, the demand for cloud computing experts has increased. This has prompted a rise in salaries, particularly among those with a certified skills in the Azure platform, which incorporates skills like deployment on Windows Virtual Desktop or Azure Cloud Migration. This Azure Devops certification complete guide covers different certifications you need to know to be a Microsoft Certified DevOps Engineer. 

[AZ-900] Azure Fundamentals

Azure Fundamentals is the primary level test in the new Azure certification path. This exam is planned for the individuals who need to show their fundamental knowledge of cloud services with Microsoft Azure. The individuals who are from non-technical backgrounds but have some basic understanding of the ideas of cloud can also take this certification exam. 

[AZ-900] Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification is optional but is highly recommended for beginners or professionals who wish to refresh their basics.   

Why Should You Learn About Azure?

• Microsoft Azure certifications are very important while seeking a career in cloud computing, and it offers flexible career choices.
• Azure is 5 times cheaper than AWS for Windows Server and SQL Server.
• Microsoft Azure certifications provides better job security and underlines your status as a popular expert.
• Better Job Prospects & Higher Salary after the certification.
• With Microsoft Azure certification, you turn yourself into a vital asset.

Basic AZ-900 Exam Information

Certification Name: AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification. 

Number of Questions: 40-60 

Exam Duration: 90 minutes 

Exam Cost: $99.00 USD 

Passing Score: 700 

There are no pre-requisites for taking this course. It is focused on anybody who needs to become familiar with Microsoft Azure. The main changes introduced in the exam are to bring the exam up to date instead of a complete overhaul. The exam’s focus too has moved towards being more about understanding the advantage and use of Azure cloud rather than simply understanding the underlying theory. 

Azure Associate

To get a Microsoft Azure DevOps certification, you initially need to get Microsoft Azure Associate certification and for this, you have two choices: Azure Administrator and Azure Developer. 

In the end, with Microsoft’s move to role-based certifications, Exam AZ-400 is the one that has become more important. After gathering feedback, Microsoft has at last decided on an exam that reflects the Azure DevOps Engineer job role. 

With Microsoft declaring major changes to a few Azure exams later in March 2020 it’s ideal to discuss the Azure DevOps Solutions (AZ-400). This is an advanced exam that targets experts familiar with Azure administration and Azure development. This exam offers value to engineers, consultants, and architects who are driving for expanded adoption of Agile practices and Infrastructure as Code. 

Candidates preparing for this exam should have a thorough knowledge of either Microsoft Azure Administration AZ-104 certification or Microsoft Azure Developer AZ-204 certification and should be an expert in at least one of these areas. Capability in agile practices, the ability for designing and executing Azure DevOps practices for version control, build compliance, configuration management, release, and testing by leveraging Azure technologies is strongly suggested for AZ-400 certification exam candidates. 

Below is the type of questions that you can expect for Azure Devops Certification :

• Single choice based on a scenario: These questions cannot be skipped, nor can you go back to them afterward to recorrect (got such 3)
• Multiple choice questions
• Single choice questions
• Case studies with multiple questions.
• Arrange in right sequence type questions
  

Which Exams are Applicable? 

To earn Microsoft Azure Devops Certification certification, you need to pass:

• Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions
  

This exam is technical, requiring a level of hands-on experience with DevOps technologies and tools, and some additional breadth of knowledge around DevOps and Agile processes. Since DevOps is a broad area, this is a genuinely comprehensive and difficult exam. All objectives of the exam are covered in depth, however there are a couple of areas that go considerably more profound than others: 

• Azure DevOps
• Azure Resource Manager
• Version Control (mostly Git)
• PowerShell

You can utilize this image as a guide while planning your study time for AZ-400. For example, if you need to pick between dedicating study time on “Design a DevOps Strategy” or “Implement Continuous Feedback” the better choice would be choosing the former as the weighting is higher and there is probably going to be more test questions in that section. 

Percentage of the Question for all the Modules:

• Develop an Instrumentation Strategy (5-10%)
• Develop a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) strategy (5-10%)
• Develop a security and compliance plan (10-15%)
• Manage Source Control (10-15%)
• Facilitate Communication and Collaboration (10-15%)
• Define and implement continuous integration (20-25%)
• Define and implement continuous delivery and release management strategy (10-15%)

Helpful Resources 

Below are some resources to help you prepare for Exam AZ-400 (Azure Devops Certification):

1. Microsoft Learn: A series of free microlearning resources to cover the basics. 

• Microsoft Learning Path: Evolve your DevOps practices
• Microsoft Learning Path: Deploy applications with Azure DevOps
• Microsoft Learning Path: Build applications with Azure DevOps
• Microsoft Learning Path: Automate your deployments with Azure DevOps
• Microsoft Learning Path: Capture feedback and monitoring data to continuously improve your software: a learning path for monitoring and continuous improvement

2. Pluralsight Learning Path: Microsoft Azure Devops Engineer: A learning path with a series of courses focusing on the several topics covered by the exam. 

3. Azure Devops Labs: An significant resource to get active hands-on experience with Azure DevOps. 

The Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert certification is something you can focus on if you are an expert immersed in DevOps culture and practices, holding either an Azure Developer Associate or an Azure Administrator Associate certification. Being a DevOps Engineer on the Microsoft platform is a trending role that incorporates managing development teams, automating builds, managing source code, tests, versioning, packaging and deployments. Typically, a DevOps engineer is worried about two pipelines: a continuous integration (CI) and a continuous delivery (CD). Becoming certified confirms and validates these skills, and shows a specific degree of expertise in this technology.