According to the IDC, cloud-related jobs in the IT industry are predicted to increase by 13% annually for the next three years. They will account for an estimated 38% of all the positions in this industry by 2021. Microsoft Azure is the go-to cloud platform for most of the Fortune 500 companies, and thus there is an increasing demand for professionals equipped with the skills and knowledge about this platform. Microsoft offers a variety of Azure certifications for IT professionals who wish to enter the world of cloud computing or take the next step in advancing their careers.
Obtaining these certifications requires a significant amount of investment in time and money. It requires an informed decision regarding which certification is best for you and a detailed strategy for your exam preparations. The Azure certification cost for the Fundamentals certification is $99, whereas each of the Associate certifications costs $165. This article will shed more light on these changes while elaborating on each course’s skills and knowledge. We will also offer various tips for exam preparations.
Changes In Azure Certification Tracks
The Microsoft Azure certification faced many criticisms due to the broad scope of the exams and the testing of redundant skills that were barely put to use by professionals on the job. In response to this, Microsoft revised the Azure certification tracks in September of 2018. These new paths are curated to focus on training candidates in certain specific skills closely related to the industry needs and censor out the unnecessary bits. Each of the paths aligns with a specific job role.
Breakdown Of The New Microsoft Azure Certifications
- Azure Administrator Associate
The Administrator Associate course trains candidates to manage, configure and upgrade the organization’s cloud platform and services. The candidates have to clear the exams AZ-100 and AZ-101 to become a Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate. Some of the responsibilities that Azure administrators are entrusted to include expertise in the following areas:
- Performing server migrations
- Security specific implementations and security tasks
- Virtual machines and networks management and maintenance
- Azure Developer Associate
In this Microsoft Azure certification, cloud developers gain the required skills to translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable solutions. This is achieved by completing the design, deployment, testing, and maintenance of the organization’s cloud solution. To become an Azure Developer Associate, you have to pass the AZ-200 exam. As a part of your training, you shall acquire the following skills:
- Working with and choosing cloud technology solutions
- Developing cloud storage platforms and security for the solutions
- Developing Platform as a Service Solutions (PaaS)
- Creating and working with Azure cognitive services, Bot, & IoT solutions
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Obtaining this Microsoft Certification would require the candidates to clear two examinations: AZ-300 and AZ-301. The cloud architect’s job is to design and deploy the organization’s cloud solution and includes the following processes:
- Drawing up plans for cloud adoption
- Application design
- Data management
- Disaster recovery
- Budgeting
Exam Preparations
Since Azure certifications provide validity to an individual’s skills and commitment to their work, these examinations require a great investment of time and money. You must have a detailed preparation strategy and a sufficient amount of information about the examination before registering for the examination.
Microsoft offers free preparation materials and practices examinations for their certification examinations. The Internet is full of a variety of practice papers, study materials, and video tutorials covering the examination topics. However, you must opt for some up-to-date resources instead of relying on old blogs and YouTube videos.
As a part of your Azure certification training, you can choose to supplement your learning with MOOCs that allow you the flexibility to follow the curriculum in your time, at the comfort of your home. While preparing for a Microsoft Cloud certification, Microsoft on Demand Courses (MOC) is a great option as it is curated by Microsoft Certified Trainers and has an optimal training approach. Apart from this, they are also updated regularly to match the exam requirements.
Conclusion
Microsoft Azure certifications provide a great step when it comes to starting or advancing your career in the field of cloud computing. It opens up different jobs across industries and may also help you in increasing your current salary.
