CertPath
Browse Certs
MicrosoftAZ-104

Azure Administrator in Paris

Validates skills in managing Azure identities, storage, compute, virtual networks, and monitoring in enterprise environments.

Salary uplift
+$15k
Exam cost
$165
Duration
100 min
Passing score
700
Difficulty
intermediate
View recommended courses
◆ 01 / About

What is Azure Administrator?

The Microsoft Azure Administrator certification (AZ-104) validates your ability to manage Azure identities, governance, storage, compute, and networking — the core skills every cloud-dependent business needs on staff. In Paris, where multinational corporations, French tech unicorns, and public sector bodies are accelerating their Azure migrations, this credential carries real weight. Hiring managers across industries from finance to retail are actively searching for certified administrators who can own cloud infrastructure end-to-end. Whether you're already working in IT support or system administration, AZ-104 positions you as someone who can operate Azure at a professional level — not just spin up a VM, but architect reliable, secure, cost-efficient environments.

With an average IT salary of around $72,000/yr in Paris and a documented salary uplift of $15,000/yr attached to this certification, the math is straightforward: AZ-104 pays for itself within weeks of landing your next role. The exam costs $165, and preparation typically runs two to three months of focused study. Paris hosts European headquarters for companies like Microsoft, Capgemini, Atos, and dozens of cloud-first scale-ups — all of which list Azure administration as a priority skill. In a city where cloud roles are competitive and employers increasingly filter by certification, AZ-104 gives your CV a concrete, verifiable edge. For anyone already working in IT administration in the Paris region, this is one of the clearest return-on-investment moves available.

◆ 02 / Exam details

Exam details

Exam cost
$165 USD
Duration
100 min
Passing score
700
Renewal
Every 1 yrs

Prerequisites: AZ-900 recommended, 6 months Azure administration experience

◆ 03 / Study plan

12-week study plan

1
Azure Foundations and Identity ManagementWeeks 1–4
Study Azure Active Directory, users, groups, and role-based access control (RBAC) — this is the heaviest exam domainPractice creating and managing subscriptions, management groups, and Azure Policy in a free-tier sandbox accountComplete Microsoft Learn's AZ-104 learning path modules on identity and governance
2
Compute, Storage, and Networking Core SkillsWeeks 5–8
Deploy and configure virtual machines, availability sets, scale sets, and Azure App Service environments hands-onWork through Azure Storage accounts, blob storage, file shares, and storage access tiers with real lab exercisesBuild and troubleshoot virtual networks, NSGs, VNet peering, VPN gateways, and Azure Load Balancer configurations
3
Monitoring, Backup, and Full Exam ReadinessWeeks 9–12
Configure Azure Monitor, Log Analytics workspaces, alerts, and diagnostic settings — expect scenario questions on thisPractice Azure Backup, Recovery Services vaults, and site recovery concepts using documentation and lab simulationsRun timed practice exams using MeasureUp or Whizlabs, targeting 85%+ before booking your official test date
◆ 04 / Exam tips

Exam tips

Focus heavily on Azure Active Directory and RBAC — identity management questions appear throughout the exam and are often the deciding factor between passing and failing

Know the difference between Azure Policy, Management Groups, and Blueprints at a configuration level, not just conceptually — the exam tests implementation decisions

Practice reading and writing basic ARM templates and understanding what each section does; you won't need to write one from scratch but you will need to interpret them

Understand when to use Azure Load Balancer vs Application Gateway vs Traffic Manager — the exam frequently presents scenarios where you must choose the right traffic management tool

Do not neglect Azure Monitor and Log Analytics; backup and monitoring questions are common in the final exam sections and candidates who skipped these topics during study often drop marks here

◆ 05 / FAQ

Frequently asked questions

AZ-104 is rated intermediate difficulty. It's significantly harder than AZ-900 and requires hands-on Azure experience, not just theory. Expect scenario-based questions where you must choose the correct service configuration, not just recall definitions. Candidates with six or more months of real Azure administration work typically find it manageable with eight to twelve weeks of structured preparation.
◆ 06 / Other certifications in Paris