This is a realistic eight-week AZ-204 plan for someone who already writes code and has some Azure exposure. It front-loads compute (the heaviest area) and keeps you building in a free Azure account throughout. Stretch it if you are newer to Azure; compress it if you work with these services daily. Confirm the current skills-measured list on Microsoft Learn.
Weeks 1-3 - Compute (the heaviest area)
Work through Azure Functions, App Service and containers (Container Apps, ACI). Deploy each yourself: an HTTP-triggered Function, a web app, a container. This is ~27% of the exam, so give it real time.
Weeks 4-5 - Storage and security
Cover Cosmos DB and Blob storage, doing real read/write operations from code. Then security: Microsoft Entra authentication, access tokens, Key Vault and Managed Identities. Read a secret from Key Vault in code so the flow sticks.
Weeks 6-7 - Integration and monitoring
Study connecting and consuming services: API Management, Event Grid, Event Hubs, Service Bus and Queue Storage. Publish and consume an event. Add Application Insights to an app, and review caching (Redis) and CDN.
Week 8 - Practice and review
Take the free Microsoft Learn practice assessment, then sit full-length, timed practice tests. Review the reasoning behind every miss and revisit your weakest skill area. Aim to score comfortably above 700/1000 on fresh questions before booking.
Tips
- Keep a running list of services and when to use each; the exam tests selection, not just syntax.
- Weight your hands-on time toward compute and integration.
- Avoid “exam dump” sites - they breach Microsoft policy and copyright, and they do not teach the SDKs.