IT & Cloud
Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Free AZ-305 practice questions 30 questions with full answer explanations. No sign-up. Start practice →Overview
The Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) is the expert-level architecture certification for Azure. Passing AZ-305 earns the Solutions Architect Expert credential. It tests designing solutions across identity, governance and monitoring; data storage; business continuity; and infrastructure - balancing requirements, cost, security and reliability.
It assumes strong hands-on Azure experience (administrator-level knowledge is expected, even though there is no longer a formal prerequisite). The questions include case studies, so it rewards architectural judgement rather than recall.
✓ Who it is for
- Cloud and solutions architects designing end-to-end Azure environments
- Senior engineers who translate business requirements into Azure designs
- Architects responsible for identity, governance, data and business continuity
- Azure administrators (often AZ-104 holders) stepping up into architecture
- Consultants advising stakeholders on Azure infrastructure trade-offs
✕ Who it is not for
- People new to Azure - start with AZ-900, then AZ-104.
- Developers focused on building apps - AZ-204 fits better.
- Those wanting a quick exam - AZ-305 is design-heavy and assumes experience.
Exam structure
| Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions | 25-30% - logging and monitoring, authentication and authorization, and governance across management groups, subscriptions and compliance |
|---|---|
| Design data storage solutions | 20-25% - relational, semi-structured and unstructured data storage plus data integration |
| Design business continuity solutions | 15-20% - backup and disaster recovery, and high availability |
| Design infrastructure solutions | 30-35% - compute, application architecture, migrations and network solutions |
How the exam is weighted
- Design infrastructure solutions 32%
- Design identity, governance and monitoring solutions 27%
- Design data storage solutions 22%
- Design business continuity solutions 19%
What each domain covers
- Design infrastructure solutions
- Compute, networking and application architecture · Migration · Designing for scale and resilience
- Design identity, governance and monitoring solutions
- Microsoft Entra identity · Governance (Policy, RBAC, management groups) · Monitoring and logging
- Design data storage solutions
- Relational and non-relational data · Storage accounts and tiers · Data integration
- Design business continuity solutions
- Backup and recovery · High availability · Disaster recovery
Realistic study time
- With AZ-104 + experience ~2 months of focused study
- Less experienced Considerably longer; build AZ-104 knowledge and hands-on first
Bars show relative effort, not a guarantee. Your time depends on background and study method.
Turn this into a week-by-week schedule with the Study Plan Generator.
What it really costs
Fees change and vary by region. Confirm the current amount on the official site before you register.
Want your full out-of-pocket figure? Try the Cost Calculator.
Salary & career value
Indicative ranges for orientation only - not surveyed data, and not financial or career advice. Sources and date below.
Azure solutions architects in the US commonly report indicative pay around ~$130k-180k, rising with seniority. AZ-305 is an expert-level credential typically tied to architect roles, so the band sits well above associate administrator pay.
Pass rate: Not published. Microsoft does not release official pass rates for AZ-305 or its other expert-level exams. The pass mark is 700 / 1000; the percentages you find online are from training providers rather than Microsoft.
Indicative annual pay (USD), each role's typical band on a shared scale.
Other markets (indicative)
| United Kingdom | ~£65k-100k |
|---|---|
| Canada | ~CA$110k-160k |
Jobs that often ask for it:
- Azure Solutions Architect
- Cloud Architect
- Enterprise Architect
- Cloud Infrastructure Architect
- Solutions Architect
Is it worth it?
Worth it for experienced Azure professionals targeting architecture roles, where the Solutions Architect Expert is a strong, senior-level credential and is frequently named in architect job descriptions, especially in Microsoft-centric and DACH enterprises. The design-focused prep pushes you to reason about identity, data, continuity and infrastructure as a whole, which mirrors the real job. It is not a starting point: without AZ-104-level knowledge and genuine hands-on experience the case-study questions are hard to navigate. Developers who build rather than design are better served by AZ-204, and AWS-first shops will value the AWS architecture track more.
Not sure this is the right exam for you? Compare your options with the Exam Finder.
Compare AZ-305 with other exams
Independent, like-for-like comparisons to help you choose the right one.
Career paths featuring AZ-305
What to do next
AZ-305 is an expert architecture credential. Specialty certifications (security AZ-500, networking, data) go deeper; or compare the AWS Solutions Architect Professional path.
On exam day
Around 40-60 questions including case studies in about two hours, online-proctored or at a test centre, pass mark 700/1000. Confirm the current skills-measured list on Microsoft Learn.
Keeping your certification
Valid one year; renew free through a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn before it expires.
FAQ
- Do I need AZ-104 before AZ-305?
- Not formally - passing AZ-305 alone earns the Solutions Architect Expert credential. But administrator-level (AZ-104) knowledge is assumed, and most people have it before attempting AZ-305.
- How hard is AZ-305?
- It is an expert-level, design-focused exam with case studies. The challenge is architectural judgement across identity, infrastructure, data and continuity, so real Azure experience matters.
- AZ-305 or AZ-204?
- AZ-305 is for architects designing solutions; AZ-204 is for developers building them. Choose by your role; they sit on different tracks.
- How long does it take to study for AZ-305?
- With AZ-104-level knowledge and experience, often a couple of months of focused study. Without that base, considerably longer.
- Does the certification expire?
- It is valid for a year and renews free through a short online assessment on Microsoft Learn.
Related exams
- Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) - Microsoft
- AWS Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02) - Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) - Google Cloud