There is no better time than right now to start preparing for a Microsoft Azure certification. Getting a Microsoft azure administrator certification can boost your career and help you with new jobs and earning opportunities. Microsoft Azure continues to be the leading cloud platform today, which is why Microsoft offers course and training programs to train professionals looking to grow their skills in this field. According to some statistics, Microsoft cloud certified experts have a 20% higher earning capability as compared to uncertified professionals.
With so many courses and so much information out there, it is easy to get confused on how to start your Microsoft certification journey. Here are 5 simple tips to help you enhance your career and help you prepare for your Microsoft Azure certification exam.
Step 1: Find the Right Azure Certification
The most fundamental step that you should get right is selecting an Azure certification path that is relevant to your career. There are several certification programs offered by Microsoft at varying levels. These are all designed to meet industry standards and are role-based specialisations. The more important certifications offered by Microsoft are:
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- AZ:900 – Azure Fundamentals
- AZ-103 – Azure Administrator
- AZ-203 – Azure Developer
- DP-200 and DP-201 – Azure Data Engineer Associate Level
- AZ-500 – Azure Security Engineer
- AI-100 – Azure AI Engineer Associate
- DP-100 – Azure Data Scientist
- AZ-300 and AZ-301 – Azure Solutions Architect
- AZ-400 – Azure DevOps Engineer
- AZ-120 – Azure for SAP Workloads
- AZ-220 – Azure IoT Developer
Each certification is offered at a different level – Fundamental, Associate or Specialty. You must familiarise yourself with each certification’s goals and requirements and choose the one that’s closest to your job role and career goal.
Step 2: Study the Certification Exam Format
Once you have chosen the right certification path, you should see what your exam is going to be like. Understanding and familiarising yourself with the format and processes of the exam will tell you what to expect and increase your chances of getting certified. There are a host of resources you can find online, along with practice tests that different platforms offer. As you browse through these resources, you can also go through the Microsoft Azure Official Documentation present on the landing page for the certification. It will give you any information you might need regarding exam topics, prerequisites and references. This guidance will go a long way as you prepare remotely for the certification exam.
Step 3: Start Learning with an Online Mentor
Once you know what you are heading towards, it’s time to officially start learning and enroll in an Azure certification training course. If you have already worked in the industry or have experience with any of the cloud products and services, preparing becomes easier. You can also take advantage of free resources available online on the internet. Standardised books and guides are also available to help you better.
Microsoft has a platform where you can find valuable resources, known as Microsoft Learn. It is one of the most valuable platforms out there for anyone looking to start training for their Microsoft online certification. Other platforms and official Microsoft partners are also important as they give you one-on-one mentorship and flexible learning options. These mentors can help you resolve doubts and queries and offer tips to ace the certification exam.
Step 4: Get Hands-On Experience
Learning by doing is the easiest and most effective way to learn anything. To get working knowledge or a dependable level of understanding about anything, start doing it. Online resources, webinars and lectures are all effective, but you should get hands-on with Microsoft Azure before you appear for the certification exam. Various learning platforms offer learning labs that give you a chance to work with the latest products and services used on the Azure cloud platform. Labs enhance your learning experience and skills without too much effort and increase your proficiency with the technology. You get to practice and polish your skills with real situations instead of just hypothetical ones.
Step 5: Solve Practice Exams Multiple Times
Practice tests are the first thing that most certification training platforms recommend. A practice test is one of the best ways to assess your knowledge and skills. You can also compare how you will fare against the average applicant who cleared the Azure certification training exam. You also get an idea of which topics are more important and how to approach them. It also gives you a feel of the real conditions under which the exam is conducted.
There are several different study groups and communities online that you can join to find out about the different resources available, know about any changes in the course or dates, and find a partner to study with. You can also enroll on a Microsoft certified online partner platform that will provide you with a personal mentor and all the resources you need in one place. Don’t appear for the certification exam without proper planning and guidance. Choose your Azure certification path and start learning today.
