AZ-305 certification: prerequisites, cost and practice questions
AZ-305, Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, is the required exam for Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert; the certification also requires Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate. Microsoft states the price as $165 USD and the passing score as 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000.
- Exam
- AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure SolutionsMicrosoft Learn, checked 24 September 2026
- Leads to
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect ExpertMicrosoft states AZ-305 is part of the requirements for it, checked 24 September 2026
- Prerequisite for the certification
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — the AZ-305 exam itself lists no prerequisite examMicrosoft Learn, Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam fee
- $165 USDPrice depends on the country or region in which the exam is proctored, checked 24 September 2026
- Passing score
- 700Stated on the Microsoft AZ-305 exam page, checked 24 September 2026
- Skills measured
- Identity, governance and monitoring 25–30%, data storage 20–25%, business continuity 15–20%, infrastructure 30–35%Microsoft AZ-305 exam page, checked 24 September 2026
- Exam duration
- Not stated on the Microsoft exam pageChecked 24 September 2026
- Number of questions
- Not published by MicrosoftChecked 24 September 2026
- Practice questions here
- 1,780 for the AZ-305 examCertsqill question bank
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Why you can trust these AZ-305 questions
What are the AZ-305 prerequisites?
Prerequisites are the most-searched thing about this exam after dumps, and the answer has two halves. The exam itself has none: the AZ-305 exam page lists no prerequisite exam. The certification does: Microsoft states, “To become a Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, you must earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification.” AZ-305 is the only required exam, and the expert certification is the reason most people sit it.
Microsoft expects design experience across identity, governance, monitoring, data storage, business continuity and infrastructure — which is administration knowledge one level deeper. That is why AZ-104, the exam for Azure Administrator Associate, is usually taken first: the expert certification is only awarded once that associate certification is in place.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the AZ-305 exam format and passing score?
The passing score is 700 — Microsoft states it on the exam page itself, and reports all technical exam scores on a scale of 1 to 1,000. Microsoft publishes neither a question count nor a duration in minutes on this page, so any fixed figure for either comes from somewhere other than Microsoft.
What it does publish is the weighting of the four design areas:
- Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions — 25–30%
- Design data storage solutions — 20–25%
- Design business continuity solutions — 15–20%
- Design infrastructure solutions — 30–35%
Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam AZ-305. Checked 24 September 2026.
Where can you find AZ-305 practice questions?
This site holds 1,780 AZ-305 practice questions across the four design areas. Every question shows all options, which one is correct, and why each of the others is wrong — on a design exam, several answers usually work, and only one of them meets the requirement in the question.
The biggest single search around this exam is for dumps, outweighing every other cluster. You will not find them here. They mean recycled live exam content, and on a design exam that rewards reading the requirement rather than recognising the question, a leaked answer key teaches you the wrong skill.
Because 700 sits on a scaled range, no practice percentage converts into a Microsoft score. What practice tells you is which design area still costs you points.
What AZ-305 study guide do you need?
Microsoft publishes the AZ-305 study guide and free learning paths, and they define scope. Check the date rather than a version code: Microsoft revises role-based content without changing the exam number.
On renewal: Microsoft renews its role-based certifications through an online assessment, states that renewals are free, and gives a six-month eligibility window before expiry.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Microsoft certification renewal. Checked 24 September 2026.
AZ-305 questions people ask
What are the AZ-305 prerequisites?
For the exam, none — Microsoft lists no prerequisite exam for AZ-305, though it assumes Azure design experience. For the certification, yes: to become Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert you must also earn Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the AZ-305 passing score?
700, on Microsoft’s scale of 1 to 1,000. Stated on the AZ-305 exam page, checked 24 September 2026.
How much does AZ-305 cost?
$165 USD, with the price depending on the country or region in which the exam is proctored, checked 24 September 2026.
How long is the AZ-305 exam?
Microsoft does not state a duration on the AZ-305 exam page, checked 24 September 2026. Any fixed figure comes from elsewhere.
How many AZ-305 practice questions does Certsqill have?
1,780, each with an explanation for every option.
The Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect certification path
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification has two parts, and only one of them is an exam you book for this credential. Microsoft’s certification page states: “To become a Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, you must earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification.” The exam itself is AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions.
So the Azure Solutions Architect certification path runs in this order for most people:
- Earn Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (the administrator exam, AZ-104)
- Pass AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
- Keep the certification active with Microsoft’s free online renewal assessment
Source: Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. Checked 9 October 2026.
Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert: AZ-305 is the only exam
A common question about the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is how many exams it takes. On Microsoft’s certification page today, AZ-305 is listed as the only required exam; the second requirement is the associate certification, not another test.
You can sit AZ-305 before you hold the administrator certification — the exam page lists no prerequisite exam — but the Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 combination is only awarded once both are in place.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. Checked 9 October 2026.
The AZ-305 syllabus was updated on 17 April 2026
Microsoft calls the syllabus “skills measured”, and the full version lives in the AZ-305 study guide linked from the exam page. Both the exam and the certification page carry the same notice: the English language version was updated on 17 April 2026. Microsoft adds that localized versions are updated approximately eight weeks after that date.
If your notes or course material predate April 2026, compare them against the change log in the study guide before you rely on them. The four weighted design areas are already shown higher up this page; what changed is the detail underneath them.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam AZ-305. Checked 9 October 2026.
AZ-305 training and courses from Microsoft
Microsoft offers instructor-led AZ-305 training as the course “Design Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions” (AZ-305T00). Microsoft describes it as teaching Azure Solution Architects how to design infrastructure solutions, covering governance, compute, application architecture, storage, data integration, authentication, networks, business continuity and migrations.
When you compare an AZ-305 course or any Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert training offer, check two things: that it follows the skills measured as updated in April 2026, and that it teaches design trade-offs rather than service definitions. AZ-305 asks which design meets a stated requirement, so a course that only lists what each service does leaves the hardest part to you.
Microsoft also links a free practice assessment from the exam page. It is a useful check of question style; it is one set of questions, not a readiness measure across all four areas.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Exam AZ-305. Checked 9 October 2026.
Using an AZ-305 exam voucher
If you have an exam voucher or promo code from your employer, a training programme or an event, it is redeemed at Pearson VUE, not on Microsoft Learn. Microsoft’s instructions: register and schedule the exam with Pearson VUE as normal, then select “Add Voucher or Promo Code” on the payment and billing screen. Eligible discounts are applied during checkout.
The exam price itself varies by the country or region in which the exam is proctored, and Microsoft asks candidates to confirm the exact price with the exam provider before registering.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Redeem discounts and vouchers. Checked 9 October 2026.
Renewal: what keeps the certification active
Microsoft role-based certifications expire unless renewed. Renewal is an online assessment on Microsoft Learn that you can take any time during your six-month eligibility window; Microsoft states there is no cost to renew, that you can retake the assessment as many times as you need before expiry, and that passing extends the certification one year from its expiration date.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Renew your Microsoft certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
Azure Solutions Architect salary and whether it is worth it
Microsoft does not publish salary data for this certification, so we do not quote an Azure Solutions Architect salary or an AZ-305 salary figure here. Numbers you find elsewhere are surveys with their own samples and methods, not something Microsoft stands behind.
Whether it is worth it is easier to answer in practical terms. The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is worth it if your job involves choosing between Azure designs — identity, data, continuity and infrastructure — and defending that choice. Renewal is free, so the ongoing cost after the exam is your time.
How Certsqill fits into AZ-305 preparation
Certsqill’s AZ-305 practice questions are expert-developed and give an explanation for every answer option, which matters on a design exam where several options would work and only one meets the requirement. Your readiness score is shown per design area, so you can see which of the four still costs you points. Every plan comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
More AZ-305 questions
What is the prerequisite for the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification?
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate. Microsoft’s certification page states you must earn it to become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert. Checked 9 October 2026.
How many exams are in the Azure Solutions Architect certification path?
One exam for the expert credential itself, AZ-305, plus the Azure Administrator Associate certification as a prerequisite. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is there official AZ-305 training?
Yes. Microsoft lists the instructor-led course “Design Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions” (AZ-305T00) and a free practice assessment on the exam page. Checked 9 October 2026.
What is the AZ-305 salary?
Microsoft does not publish salary data for AZ-305 or the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification, so we do not state a figure.
How do I use an AZ-305 voucher?
Schedule through Pearson VUE as usual and select “Add Voucher or Promo Code” on the payment screen. Source: Microsoft Learn, checked 9 October 2026.
Exam fee: $165 — what the AZ-305 exam costs, retakes included →
