HOW DID I MANAGE TO CLEAR AZ-900 CERTIFICATION?
As a junior developer with no prior cloud knowledge, I saw going through the learning and becoming AZ-900 certified as a sure-fire method to build a solid overall foundation that would be an advantage to me. I passed with a score of 870/1000 and have some comments regarding my preparation that I’d like to share.
# PROPER RESEARCH ABOUT EXAM
I did a decent amount of research on the exam itself. I took the exam in English and did not require special accommodations, however, it is essential to thoroughly review the exam specifics before beginning the study process.
#INITIAL STAGE
It is very uncommon for a junior developer to become overwhelmed in their first job in a new market with a completely different professional style. Despite my intentions and preparations, it occurred to me! How could it? My mentor and my internal team provided me with tremendous support and appreciation, which made it much easier to be kind to myself throughout this period. It’s time to concentrate and breathe.
#PREPARATION TIME
Finally, I had enough time and the correct frame of mind! I reviewed the test skills outline on Microsoft Learn. Next, I went through my company’s resources and discovered Pluralsight’s route for Azure 900. The explanations in the videos did not work for me. I needed to take a fresh strategy.
I began by going through Microsoft’s AZ-900 Learn Modules. It was a good beginning point and featured practice sandboxes. Make a Microsoft certification portal account as well as an account to track your progress via the Learn Modules. It goes without saying that you should also test out an Azure subscription! There are both free and premium versions available.
At this point, I was looking for some quality material to rely upon. That’s when I found TestPrep Training. I enrolled in their Microsoft Azure-900 Fundamentals Online course and I must say, it really help me a lot and boosted my preparation.
I accepted Microsoft’s offer to eliminate my certification price in exchange for completing their Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Day: Fundamentals. I have good news to share with my supervisors! Over the course of two days, the presentation lasted around four hours. After the course, I received the supplied materials. The presentation was fast-paced, and I think it would have been preferable for me to attend the training closer to my exam as a refresher rather than the real learning content. Topics that I met for the first time during the virtual course were difficult to grasp. 5 days after the course, I received my exam discount.
#BEFORE THE EXAM PHASE
I looked for cheap and decent practice exams two weeks before my exam. I tried WhizLabs and found their question bank to be restricted and, at times, primitive. Next, I attempted TutorialsDojo’s practice exams, which were all quite similar to the actual test in retrospect. I was introduced to several areas of knowledge and enjoyed obtaining an overview of my talents throughout the various portions. The timed examinations and final exams became tedious, but by that point, I had completed at least six separate tests! I was feeling fairly secure about taking the exam at this time. When I went looking for them, both practice tests were on sale.
But I felt something was missing. Then, I looked up some better quality practice sets and I found the TestPrep Practice Exam. I enrolled in their practice test and that really fulfilled my confidence.
I returned to Pluralsight’s AZ-900 route the weekend before my exam and worked through their practice exams and flashcards. CyberVista made these available. They tested a deeper grasp, and I skipped some questions that were overly detailed. Some questions had incorrect answers listed as correct, but the explanations were accurate, so keep that in mind if you use this material. It was critical that I did not lose sleep over this, thus I did not spend more than three hours on this material.
The AZ-900 exam can be taken at a testing center or at home via online proctoring. The home exam has an extensive and stringent set of norms and procedures. People’s experiences/reviews of taking the online proctored test from home all sounded similar to “not worth the bother” or “it just didn’t accept my test.” As a result, I decided to take my exam at Arrow ECS Test Center.
#D-DAY
During my train travel to the test site, I viewed a few films about the AZ-900. All of the videos I saw had an excellent overview that covered the why, what, and how of each topic.
I noted a few questions that I needed to go over again during the exam. I completed all of the questions and had plenty of time for review. I ended myself revising several of my answers and even discovered that I had entirely missed a hint in one question that had an impact on another. I went over the remaining questions again. Finally, there were maybe three questions that I just guessed. When I submitted the form, I had the option of providing input on all of the questions.
After that, I received my results almost immediately.
My preparation was trial and error, and I felt that I had prepared enough for my score. The AZ-900 is a novice-level exam, and it was ideal for me to discover the many services and possibilities.
