AZ-104 — Microsoft Azure Administrator Study Plan

This Study Plan is for candidates preparing for the real Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam from Microsoft. It is designed for working IT professionals who need to turn limited study time into a practical schedule.

AZ-104 preparation should combine three activities:

1. Objective review — know the administrative concepts Microsoft expects.
2. Hands-on Azure practice — configure, troubleshoot, and compare services.
3. Timed exam practice — build speed, accuracy, and scenario judgment.

Use the plan that matches your remaining time, then follow the daily rhythm and missed-question review method consistently.

Which plan should you use?

If you are not sure, start with a timed diagnostic set of practice questions before choosing. Do not spend the first several days only reading documentation or watching videos. AZ-104 requires scenario judgment, and practice questions reveal what you actually need to fix.

What AZ-104 preparation needs to cover

Organize your study around the major Azure administrator skill areas instead of studying random services.

Keep Microsoft’s current AZ-104 skills outline nearby while studying. Use it as the checklist, but use labs and practice questions to test whether you can apply each item.

Baseline setup before you begin

Complete this setup once, regardless of your schedule.

Suggested tracker columns:

Daily practice rhythm

Use the same rhythm every study day. Adjust the duration, not the structure.

If you have 60 minutes

If you have 90 minutes

If you have 2-3 hours

Do not separate all learning from all practice. For AZ-104, you should study a topic, configure it, then answer questions on it while the details are fresh.

Missed-question review method

The fastest way to improve is to classify every missed question. Do not only read the explanation and move on.

Use this review loop:

1. Re-answer the question without looking at the explanation.
2. Identify the exact reason your answer was wrong.
3. Write one short correction rule.
4. Link the rule to an AZ-104 objective area.
5. Retest the same concept within 48 hours.
6. Add repeat misses to your final-week list.

Example correction rule:

“RBAC permissions are evaluated at the assigned scope and inherited downward. If the requirement is limited to one resource group, do not assign at the subscription unless the scenario requires it.”

7-day final review plan

Use this if your exam is one week away. This is not a full learning plan. It is a triage plan.

7-day schedule

7-day rules

• Do not try to master every Azure service.
• Stop adding new material after Day 6 unless it fixes a repeated miss.
• Spend more time on questions you got wrong than on questions you got right.
• Use short labs only; do not build large architectures.
• Prioritize scenario reading and service selection.

Best final-week drills for AZ-104

14-day focused plan

Use this if you have two weeks and can study most days. The goal is to touch every major area, complete one full timed mock, and revisit weak topics.

14-day schedule

14-day study priorities

30-day balanced plan

Use this if you have about one month. This is the best fit for many working professionals because it allows time for learning, labs, and review.

Weekly structure

30-day schedule

30-day lab checklist

For lab work, use small disposable resources in an approved Azure environment and clean up when finished.

60/90-day full preparation path

Use this path if you are newer to Azure administration or want a less compressed schedule. A 60-day plan assumes steady study. A 90-day plan gives more time for labs, documentation review, and repeated practice.

60-day path

90-day path

How to pace a longer plan

Hands-on review guidance for AZ-104

AZ-104 is an administrator exam. You should be comfortable recognizing how Azure resources are configured, secured, monitored, and troubleshot.

Suggested hands-on pattern

For each service area:

1. Read the objective topic.
2. Configure a small example in Azure.
3. Change one setting and observe the effect.
4. Identify which permissions were needed.
5. Review how it is monitored.
6. Answer scenario questions on the topic.
7. Delete or clean up lab resources.

Useful administration commands to recognize

You do not need to turn your study plan into a command memorization exercise, but basic Azure CLI or PowerShell familiarity helps reinforce administration workflows.

az group create --name rg-az104-lab --location eastus
az network vnet create --resource-group rg-az104-lab --name vnet-lab --address-prefix 10.10.0.0/16 --subnet-name subnet-web --subnet-prefix 10.10.1.0/24
az role assignment list --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>

Use commands like these to understand resource groups, networking, and RBAC scope. Do not spend final-week time memorizing syntax unless command usage is one of your weak areas.

When to use timed mock exams

Timed mocks are most useful after you have reviewed enough content to interpret the results.

How to review a timed mock

For every missed or guessed question, write:

• The topic area
• The scenario clue you missed
• The wrong assumption you made
• The correct Azure concept
• Whether you need a lab, a note, or more practice

Do not judge readiness only by one mock score. Look for stable performance, fewer repeat mistakes, and better timing.

High-value comparison tables to build

Create your own short tables for topics that commonly cause confusion.

Final-week rules

Use these rules during the last seven days, even if you followed a 30-, 60-, or 90-day plan.

Exam-readiness checks

You are likely ready when you can do most of the following without heavy notes:

If several checks are still “No,” use your remaining time for targeted practice and hands-on confirmation instead of broad passive review.

Practical next step

Choose your time path today, take a diagnostic practice set, and build your missed-question tracker. Then study one AZ-104 objective area at a time: review the concept, configure a small Azure example, answer targeted questions, and repair every miss before moving on.