AZ-104 and AZ-500 are both Azure associate exams, but AZ-104 is broad administration while AZ-500 is focused on security. AZ-104 (Administrator) covers running Azure day to day across identity, storage, compute, and networking. AZ-500 (Security Engineer) narrows in on securing Azure: identity and access, platform protection, security operations, and data protection. Many people take AZ-104 first to build the foundation AZ-500 assumes.
AZ-104 vs AZ-500 at a glance
| AZ-104 | AZ-500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Associate | Associate |
| Best for | Hands-on Azure administrators | Engineers securing Azure environments |
| Main focus | General administration: identity, storage, compute, networking, monitoring | Identity and access, platform protection, security operations, securing data and apps |
| Prerequisites | AZ-900 or hands-on Azure experience (recommended) | Azure administration knowledge; AZ-104-level experience helpful |
| Difficulty | Intermediate - broad administration | Intermediate - security-focused and scenario-based |
| Exam length | 100 min | 120 min |
| Passing score | 70% | 70% |
Key differences
- Breadth vs security depth. AZ-104 covers a broad set of administration tasks. AZ-500 goes deep on security - Microsoft Entra, Defender for Cloud, Key Vault, network security, and security operations.
- Audience. AZ-104 suits general Azure administrators. AZ-500 suits security engineers or admins moving into a security-focused role.
- Overlap. Both assume you can operate core Azure services. AZ-500 builds on that with a security lens, so AZ-104 knowledge is a strong foundation.
Which should you take?
Take AZ-104 if you administer Azure generally or need a strong all-round foundation. Take AZ-500 if your focus is security, or add it after AZ-104 to specialize. Note that AZ-500 is being replaced by SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer), so check which exam is current before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Should I take AZ-104 before AZ-500?
It is not required, but recommended. AZ-500 assumes you can already operate core Azure services, and AZ-104 builds exactly that foundation before you add the security depth.
Is AZ-500 just the security part of AZ-104?
No. AZ-500 goes much deeper on security than AZ-104 does - identity protection, Defender for Cloud, Key Vault, network security, and security operations - rather than general administration.
Is AZ-500 being retired?
Microsoft is replacing AZ-500 with SC-500 (Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate), which extends Azure security to cloud and AI workloads. Confirm the current exam on Microsoft Learn before scheduling.