Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure: AZ-204 Beta Exam

Microsoft Azure has been one of the leading public cloud providers in the recent past and still continues to exert its dominance. The cloud computing giant offers many certification exams that test the capabilities of candidates for different cloud-based job roles. The new AZ-204 beta exam is one of the most renowned options for cloud developers.

If you’re interested in becoming a cloud developer involved in all phases of development, you should know the fact that the Microsoft Azure certification exam for cloud developers has changed. What was known earlier as the AZ-203 exam will now have the name AZ-204 exam that became available on February 24, 2020.  

Enroll Now: AZ-204 Online Training Course

However, the old AZ-203 exam will be available until May 31, 2020, and candidates could take the exam before its expiry. So, it is important for aspiring Microsoft Azure cloud developers to know more about the details of the AZ-204 exam. The following discussion would highlight important details regarding the new certification exam and the ideal pointers to prepare for the exam. 

Basics of the AZ-204 Beta Exam

The new AZ-204 beta exam is the ideal choice for any individual aspiring to become a cloud developer on Azure. The AZ-204 exam is suitable for candidates who want to participate in all stages of development, starting from requirements definition. Candidates for this exam also have to contribute to the design, development, deployment, and maintenance of solutions on Microsoft Azure. 

The job of candidates for the new Microsoft Azure AZ-204 beta exam also includes engaging in partnerships with cloud administrators, clients, and cloud database administrators for the implementation of solutions. In addition, the exam would also test the capabilities of candidates in using Azure SDKs, APIs, data storage options, and data connections. The exam would also test the skills of candidates in-app authentication and authorization, debugging, monitoring, performance tuning, and compute and container deployment. 

Furthermore, the individual domains covered in the new Azure AZ-204 beta exam validate the essential skills needed for the job of an Azure cloud developer. The planning of domains in the AZ-204 exam’s beta version is rightly ideal for testing the technical skills of candidates. In addition, it is also the new standard certification for Microsoft Azure cloud developers after the expiry of the AZ-203 exam. Therefore, in the long run, candidates will have to comply with the topics in the AZ-204 exam for becoming cloud developers on Microsoft Azure. 

AZ-204 Exam Details

Candidates should know all details about the AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure beta exam. First of all, you need to know the target audience for the exam to determine whether you want to pursue the exam or not. The target audience for the new AZ-204 beta exam includes cloud developers. The exam would replace the existing AZ-203 exam that is the standard certification exam for Microsoft Azure cloud developers.

The aspiring Azure cloud developers would have to follow the exam after May 31, 2020, when the AZ-203 exam expires.

However, candidates should note that the AZ-204 exam is now in the beta stage. Therefore, candidates could not get immediate scores for their exams because Microsoft Azure gathers data regarding the quality of questions and the exam through beta exams. Qualification of the new Azure AZ-204 beta exam would automatically result in the rewarding of Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate certification. 

Requirements for the AZ-204 Exam

There are no specific prerequisites for the AZ-204 exam. However, candidates have to follow the recommended experience and knowledge requirements to have better chances of qualifying the exam. Here are the two important experience requirements for the AZ-204 beta exam. 

• Candidates should have at least one to two years of professional experience in the development of cloud solutions and Microsoft Azure.
• Candidates should have promising fluency in programming in a high-level programming language supported by Azure.

Domains Covered in the Exam

Another important thing that candidates should keep in mind about the new AZ-204 beta exam refers to the exam’s domains. The domains of the exam test the abilities of candidates in certain technical tasks. The abilities tested in the exam are as follows.

• Develop Azure compute solutions (25–30%)
• Develop for Azure storage (15–20%)
• Implement Azure security (20–25%)
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (15–20%)
• Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (15–20%)

Preparing for the Microsoft Azure AZ-204 exam? Follow this comprehensive guide and get ahead with your AZ-204 exam preparation.

AZ-204 Exam Objectives

A closer look at the subtopics in each domain of the AZ-204 exam can provide further clarity regarding the objectives of the exam. Here is an outline of the different subtopics in each domain of the AZ-204 exam. 

Azure Compute Solutions

The first domain of the new AZ-204 exam deals with the development of Azure Compute solutions. This domain accounts for almost 25% to 30% of the total questions in the AZ-204 exam. The important subtopics explored in this domain are as follows. 

• –  Implementation of IaaS solutions.
• – Creation of Azure App Service Web Apps.
• –  Implementation of Azure functions.

Development for Azure Storage

The second domain of the AZ-204 beta exam deals with development for Azure Storage. This domain accounts for almost 15% to 20% of the total questions in the exam. The important subtopics covered in this domain include the following.

• Development of solutions that use Cosmos DB storage.
• Development of solutions that use blob storage.

Try Now: AZ-204 Free Test

Implementation of Azure Security

The third domain of the new version of the AZ-203 exam would deal with the implementation of Azure Security. This domain covers around 20% to 25% of the total questions in the exam. The subtopics covered in this domain include the following.

• Implementation of user authentication and authorization.
• Implementation of secure cloud solutions.

Monitoring, Troubleshooting, and Optimization of Azure Solutions

The fourth domain in the new AZ-204 beta exam deals with monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimization of Azure solutions. This domain would account for almost 15% to 20% of the total questions in the exam. The subtopics in this domain are as follows.

• Integration of caching and content delivery in solutions.
• Instrumentation of solutions to enable support for monitoring and logging.

Connecting to and Consumption of Azure Services and Third-Party Services

The final domain in the new AZ-204 exam is also highly crucial as it accounts for almost 15% to 20% of the total questions in the exam. This domain deals with connecting to and consumption of Azure services and third-party services. The subtopics covered in this domain are as follows.

• Development of an App Service Logic App.
• Implementation of API management.
• Development of event-based solutions.
• Development of message-based solutions.

Therefore, you can clearly note that the new AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure beta exam would deal largely with scenario-based questions. For example, the important domains in the exam emphasize on practical tasks such as consumption of Azure services and third-party services. 

Preparing for the exam AZ-203: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure? Follow this comprehensive guide for the AZ-203 exam preparation and prepare yourself for the exam.

Useful Tips to Prepare for the AZ-204 Beta Exam

Now, you know that qualifying the new AZ-204 exam would not be an easy task. However, you can follow the pointers recommended by experts and qualified professionals to ensure your success. Here are some of the interesting pointers you can try to prepare effectively for the new AZ-204 exam.

• Visit the Official Certification Page

The first course of action for every candidate should be to visit the official certification page. The certification page provides you details regarding the availability and scoring scheme of the beta exam. In addition, you can also reflect on basic details pertaining to the exam on the certification page.

• Go Through Certification Exam Guide

The next step for the effective preparation of candidates is to go for the study guide. The study guide or the exam guide is available for download on the official certification page. Candidates could download the exam guide and find the distribution of objectives for the exam. The exam guide is a reliable tool to study only what’s necessary for the exam rather than mugging up the entire syllabus. 

• Online Certification Training

Candidates should opt for official training courses by reliable online certification training providers. The foremost advantage of such online training courses is evident in the facility of expert guidance by subject matter experts. Furthermore, the coverage of all exam topics in engaging tutorial videos with practical demonstrations offers easier and efficient learning opportunities. 

• Hands-on Labs

The candidates should opt for hands-on labs as frequently as they can to implement their lessons in real situations. Hands-on labs offer considerable improvement in the abilities to address technical tasks in certification exams. You can register for Azure free tier and make your hands dirty through hands-on practice. 

• Study Groups and Online Learning Communities

Furthermore, candidates should also make efforts to join study groups and online learning communities. These platforms can help candidates refine their preparation process and implement unique strategies for succeeding in the exam. One can interact with those preparing for the same exam and thus communicate to clear each others’ doubts.

• Practice Tests

Practice tests should always be at the highest priority of any candidate before appearing for any certification exam. The practice tests are a proven approach for establishing the level of preparation of the candidates. You can also gain the benefit of improving your skills in time management and quick thinking from practice tests. Subsequently, you can improve your chances of qualifying the exam easily. 

Check your AZ-203 exam preparation with the AZ-203 practice tests. Try AZ-203 Free Test now!

Bottom Line

So, now you can proceed to the official certification page of the AZ-204 beta exam and schedule a date! The above-mentioned discussion showed important details regarding the exam alongside presenting viable pointers to qualify the exam. Subsequently, candidates have to take the big step of deciding to take the exam and start their preparations accordingly.

We at Whizlabs are always ready to help candidates achieve their objectives in a simpler manner. As the competition for Microsoft Azure cloud developer jobs increases, Whizlabs provides the assurance of fighting the competition with ease. We’ll soon come up with the AZ-204 online course and practice tests. Still, you can take the AZ-203 exam until May 31, 2020. If you’re preparing for the AZ-203 exam, check out our AZ-203 training course and be ready to receive the badge. 

Opt for Whizlabs training courses right now and see your future becoming bright!        

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About Pavan Gumaste

Pavan Rao is a programmer / Developer by Profession and Cloud Computing Professional by choice with in-depth knowledge in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform. He helps the organisation figure out what to build, ensure successful delivery, and incorporate user learning to improve the strategy and product further.

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