What is the AZ-204 Exam?

The Microsoft AZ-204 (Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure) exam validates skills in implementing Azure compute, storage, security, and integration solutions. Passing earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate credential.

AZ-204 Exam Details

• Duration: 120 minutes
• Questions: 40–60 questions
• Passing score: 700 out of 1000
• Cost: USD 165 (approximately ₹13,800)
• Delivery: Pearson VUE — online or test centre

AZ-204 Exam Domains

• Azure App Service & Compute — 25–30% — Functions, Container Apps, App Service
• Azure Storage — 15–20% — Blob, Table, Cosmos DB
• Azure Security — 15–20% — Key Vault, Managed Identity, MSAL
• Integration Services — 15–20% — Service Bus, Event Grid, API Management
• Monitoring & Optimisation — 10–15% — Application Insights, alerts

Key AZ-204 Patterns

• Managed Identity — always preferred over connection strings
• Key Vault references — inject secrets without code changes
• Durable Functions — fan-out/fan-in, human approval, monitor patterns
• APIM policies — rate limiting, JWT validation, transformation
• Event Grid vs Service Bus — events vs messages distinction

Common AZ-204 Exam Mistakes

• Confusing Event Grid (events, push) with Service Bus (messages, queue)
• Choosing system-assigned Managed Identity when user-assigned required
• Using connection strings instead of Managed Identity in secure scenarios
• Forgetting that Azure Storage Queue does NOT guarantee FIFO ordering
• Missing that Consumption plan Functions scale to zero (cold start)

Managed Identity vs Connection Strings

• System-assigned: Tied to resource lifecycle — deleted with the resource
• User-assigned: Independent lifecycle — persists if resource deleted
• When to use user-assigned: Multiple resources sharing same identity, or identity must survive resource deletion
• Key Vault access: Always use Managed Identity — never store secrets in config