What to look for in a good AZ-104 practice exam
- Weighted to the real skills outline: Microsoft weights AZ-104 across five domains - identities & governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring. A full-length mock should draw questions in those same proportions, not spread evenly, so your practice score reflects where the real exam actually tests you.
- Scenario questions, not vocabulary quizzes: AZ-104 asks you to pick the right VM size, storage redundancy option, or NSG rule for a described situation. Questions that just ask "what is a Network Security Group" won't prepare you for that; look for practice that poses a scenario and asks what you'd configure.
- An explanation for every option, right and wrong: Azure has a lot of near-identical options (Standard vs. Premium storage, NSG vs. ASG, availability sets vs. zones). A practice question is only useful if it explains why the correct choice fits the scenario and why each distractor falls short.
- Enough volume that you can't just memorize: With hundreds of realistic configuration combinations across identity, storage, compute, and networking, a bank needs real depth in every domain - not 15 recycled questions on governance.
- Kept current with the actual Azure portal and services: Azure service names and defaults change (renamed services, new VM series, updated defaults). Outdated screenshots or terminology in a question actively teaches you the wrong thing.
- Domain-level readiness tracking: Because AZ-104 is scored across five weighted domains, you want to know if you're specifically weak in networking or governance, not just an overall percentage.
Common mistakes people make with AZ-104 practice exams
- Memorizing question-and-answer pairs instead of the decision: AZ-104 scenarios get rewritten often enough that memorized answers don't transfer; you need to understand why a storage account needs geo-redundancy, not that "the answer was C."
- Studying from outdated dumps or forums: Brain-dump sites circulate real (and often outdated or wrong) questions. Using them risks learning incorrect information, and using leaked exam content violates Microsoft's exam policies.
- Skipping the explanations: Checking whether you got a question right and moving on skips the "why" that actually generalizes to the next scenario.
- Never doing a timed, full-length mock: Practicing questions in isolation doesn't build the pacing you need for 100 min. A full mock under time pressure is a different skill.
- Ignoring your weakest domain because it's not your favorite: Candidates often over-practice compute (the fun part) and under-practice governance or monitoring, but Microsoft weights all five domains into your score.
How CertGrid approaches AZ-104 practice
CertGrid's AZ-104 bank has 945 questions across all five Azure Administrator domains, and full mock exams draw questions in the same weighting Microsoft uses for the real exam (see the breakdown below). Every question includes a full explanation - why the right configuration works and why each other option would fail in that scenario - plus domain-level readiness tracking after every attempt, so you can see exactly where AZ-104 candidates typically lose points. A free 60-question sample pool with basic explanations lets you try the format first; the full bank, complete explanations, and timed 100 min mock exams are part of the Pro plan.
- Manage Azure Identities and Governance24% of the exam
- Implement and Manage Storage19% of the exam
- Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources24% of the exam
- Implement and Manage Virtual Networking19% of the exam
- Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources14% of the exam
Related exams and next steps
Where AZ-104 fits alongside other certifications worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How many AZ-104 practice questions should I do before booking the real exam?
There's no universal number, but most candidates benefit from working through several hundred questions across all five domains, then taking at least 2-3 full-length, timed 100 min mocks once they're consistently scoring above their target. Covering every domain and understanding your misses matters more than raw volume.
What practice exam score means I'm ready for AZ-104?
As a rough guide, consistently scoring meaningfully above the 70% passing score on timed, full-length mocks - not open-book practice - across all five domains is a reasonable readiness signal. If one domain (say, networking) is pulling your average down, focus there before booking.
Are CertGrid's AZ-104 questions real Microsoft exam questions?
No. CertGrid is an independent platform and is not affiliated with Microsoft. Our questions are original, written to the published AZ-104 skills outline. We do not provide, and do not condone, leaked or "real exam" questions - using braindumps violates Microsoft's exam policies and can get a certification revoked.
How current is CertGrid's AZ-104 question bank?
The bank was last reviewed August 1, 2026 against Microsoft's current AZ-104 skills outline. We re-review banks whenever Microsoft updates an exam's objectives.
Do I need hands-on Azure experience before taking AZ-104?
Microsoft recommends roughly six months of hands-on Azure administration experience. Practice questions build your conceptual and scenario judgment, but they work best alongside actual time in the Azure portal, not as a replacement for it.
What's the difference between AZ-104 and AZ-900?
AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) is a no-prerequisite overview exam; AZ-104 is the hands-on Associate-level exam for administrators who configure and manage Azure resources day to day. AZ-900 is a common (optional) starting point before AZ-104.