AZ-305 Exam Overview
What to Expect
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam costs $165 USD You'll face 50 questions in 120 minutes, giving you roughly 2 minutes and 24 seconds per question. 0 to 1000 scale with a passing score of 700. Case study sections are weighted and scored as a block.
Prerequisites and Audience
AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) is strongly recommended as a prerequisite, and you must pass AZ-305 combined with AZ-104 to earn the Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential. Real-world Azure architecture experience is critical. Solutions architects who design cloud and hybrid solutions on Azure. You should already be comfortable administering Azure resources before attempting the architecture exam.
Staying Certified
Valid for one year. Renew for free through a Microsoft Learn renewal assessment that becomes available six months before expiry. The assessment is untimed and open-book.
Recent Changes
AZ-305 replaced AZ-303 and AZ-304, consolidating two exams into one. The current version emphasizes Azure Arc, Bicep templates, and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Case study format is a distinctive element.
AZ-305 What the Exam Tests
Tests your ability to design solutions for identity, governance, and monitoring; data storage; business continuity and disaster recovery; and infrastructure. Case study sections present complex scenarios that you can't return to once completed. You must design solutions, not just select services.
Design Infrastructure Solutions
Design Infrastructure Solutions carries 32% of the exam weight, making it the single most impactful domain. Allocate your study time accordingly and make sure you can answer questions on this topic confidently before sitting the exam.
Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions
Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions carries 28% of the exam weight, making it the single most impactful domain. Allocate your study time accordingly and make sure you can answer questions on this topic confidently before sitting the exam.
Design Data Storage Solutions
Design Data Storage Solutions at 22% is a substantial portion of the exam. You can't afford to be weak here. Focus on understanding the core concepts and common scenario patterns.
Design Business Continuity Solutions
Design Business Continuity Solutions at 18% is a substantial portion of the exam. You can't afford to be weak here. Focus on understanding the core concepts and common scenario patterns.
Question Format
Multiple-choice, multiple-response, drag-and-drop, and case studies. The case study sections present a business scenario with multiple tabs of information, and you answer several questions about it. Once you leave a case study, you can't go back.
AZ-305 How to Prepare
Study Timeline
Two to three months if you already have AZ-104. If you're studying both concurrently, plan for four to five months total. The architecture exam requires a level of synthesis that rote memorization won't achieve.
Top Resources
Microsoft Learn's AZ-305 learning path, the Azure Architecture Center, and the official practice assessment on Microsoft Learn. The Well-Architected Framework for Azure is essential reading.
Common Mistakes
Studying for AZ-305 without solid AZ-104 knowledge. The architecture exam assumes you understand how Azure services work. If you don't know what an NSG does or how VNet peering works, the design questions will be overwhelming.
Hands-On Advice
Design a multi-region application with Front Door, App Service, SQL Database with geo-replication, and Key Vault for secrets. Add Azure Monitor and Log Analytics workspace for observability. Practice with Bicep templates for infrastructure as code.
AZ-305 Why Practice Tests Matter
Practice tests are the single most effective study tool for the AZ-305 exam. They reveal your weak domains before the real exam does, and getting questions wrong in practice is how you learn. Each practice test here mirrors the real exam format: 50 questions, timed at 120 minutes, with the same 4-domain distribution.
Don't just take practice tests and check your score. Review every wrong answer and understand why the correct option is better. For the AZ-305, pay special attention to Design Infrastructure Solutions (32%) and Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions (28%) questions since they carry the most weight.
