In the last decade, we have observed an instant emergence of cloud applications and their use by the corporate world for enhanced productivity and cost cuttings. Microsoft Azure is a giant platform in the cloud domain as it sparked a lot of opportunities in the cloud domain for both businesses and the job market, internationally. That’s why there’s a continuously escalating demand for experts with Azure skills. Microsoft is offering a customized Azure developer certification to sustain this need, called Azure Developer Associate. This azure developer certification is for Azure aspirants who want to launch themselves as cloud developers in the IT industry. The AZ-203 exam is an important part of this certification. This article is about the study plans and strategies that are effective for the AZ-203 exam preparation.
Keep in mind, the evolved roadmap of Azure role-based certifications, Microsoft initially offered two separate exams for this certification, AZ-200, and AZ-201. After reviewing feedback, they revised its roadmap and combined both exams to introduce a hybrid exam for the Azure Developer Associate role, namely AZ-203.
IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS FOR AZURE:
Microsoft Azure Developer is perceived as one of the iconic job roles in the cloud domain. This career choice promises you attractive salary packages along with a stable career. The average salary of an Azure developer in the US is above $120K. It is reported that some experienced Microsoft certified Azure Developers could enjoy salaries up to $200K. This figure is enough to satisfy an individual willing to attempt the AZ-203 exam.
EXAM PREREQUISITES:
It is necessary to acknowledge the exam prerequisites before starting preparation for the AZ-203 exam. There exists a myth that everyone can crack this exam, but in reality, you are recommended to gain at least one year of on-job experience in the development of cloud solutions that involve the whole software development life cycle and enhance your programming skills in at least one cloud supported programming language such as Python.
The candidates for this exam should be Azure experts, capable of developing cloud applications. They must have relevant soft skills to work in collaboration with all stakeholders, other cloud experts, and cloud infrastructure architects to successfully implement the solution.
EXAM STRUCTURE:
The general layout of the Microsoft role-based exams is almost similar, but It is recommended to check the basic exam structure and exam policies before moving towards your AZ-203 exam preparation.
Like other of the Azure role-based exams, the number of questions in the AZ-203 is between 40-60 against a total of 150 minutes. There will be a variety of questions, such as:
- Review screen
- Mark review
- Short answer
- Repeated answer choices
- Multiple-choice questions
- Hot area
- Drag & drop
- Case studies
- Build list
- Choose the best answer
- Active screen
For most of the questions, you can review your marked answers before finishing the exam and keep in mind that will be no negative marking for the incorrect answers. So, refrain from leaving any question without being answered as something is better than nothing.
PASSING CRITERIA:
The passing criteria for the AZ-203 exam are 700 marks. You can check the pass/fail status of your exam within few minutes after final submission.
POLICIES FOR UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES:
After 1st failed attempt, you have to wait for at least one day to appear in the exam again. In the case of the second failed attempt, the waiting period extends to 14 working days. In this scenario, you will be able to make at least five attempts per year. After the 5th unsuccessful attempt, you will be restricted from appearing in the exam for the next 365 days.
EXAM MODULES:
For the sake of simplicity, Microsoft has segmented the whole exam course into six modules.
MODULE – 1: Developing Azure Infrastructure as a Service Computing Solutions
Module Weight: (10-15%)
Content of Module:
- Creating containerized solutions
- Implementing batch jobs using Azure Batch Services
- Implementing solutions that use virtual machines
MODULE – 2: Develop the Azure Platform as a Service Computing Solutions
Module Weight: (20-25%)
Content of Module:
- Developing Azure app service web apps
- Developing Azure app service API apps
- Developing Azure app service mobile apps
- Implementing Azure functions
MODULE – 3. Developing for Azure storage
Module Weight: 15-20%
Content of Module:
- Developing solutions that use blob storage
- Developing solutions that use a relational database
- Developing solutions that use Cosmos DB storage
- Develop solutions that use storage tables
MODULE – 4: Implementing Azure security
Module Weight: 10-15%
Content of Module:
- Implementing Access Control
- Implementing Authentication
- Implementing Secure Data Solutions
MODULE – 5: Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing Azure solutions
Module Weight: 15-20%
Content of Module:
- Instrumenting solutions to sustain monitoring and logging
- Integrating caching and content delivery within available resources
- Developing code to support scalability of apps and services
MODULE – 6: Connect to and expend Azure Services and Third-party Services
Module Weight: 20-25%
Content of Module:
- Constructing API Gateways
- Integrating Azure search within solutions
- Developing an app service logic ap
STUDY PLAN AND STRATEGY TO PREPARE FOR MICROSOFT AZURE AZ-203 EXAM:
Microsoft’s Official Learning Sources:
For all azure aspirants out there, Microsoft’s official platform is the primary forum before heading up for any other study guide. You can find pages specified for each Microsoft exam in its official portal, including the AZ-203 exam.
The forum is rich with the best study materials required to crack the AZ-203 exam including:
- Exam information and overall description.
- skill measured
- Exam prerequisites
- Official study groups
- Relevant blogs
- Updates regarding Exam Modules, Dates, and Fees.
Books and Magazines:
Books are an excellent source for AZ-203 exam preparation but from authentic authors and sources. For books and study guides claimed to be a reliable source for the AZ-203 exam preparation, must ensure the authority of the writer or the publisher. This rule applies to those who opt for magazines and scholarly articles to decorate their knowledge assets.
Refrain from practicing exam dumps. You will surely intersect with many sources that offer brain dumps to crack the AZ-203 exam. Microsoft itself highly recommends refraining from using AZ-203 exam dumps.
Whitepapers and Relevant Reports:
Whitepapers are authoritative reports that highlight issues and details regarding a product or service. There exists a variety of official whitepapers published by Microsoft. These whitepapers include details about its products and services, including Azure. These lengthy documents can be very helpful in your study plan. You can also opt for professionals’ reports in this domain to back your preparation strategy.
Study Groups:
Social media groups and study forums are the best ways to boost the AZ-203 exam preparation, where you can ask your questions and doubts to get answers from experienced individuals who have cleared their AZ-203 exam and also learn from the mistakes of those who failed to pass the exam. This practice can clear all your doubts and concerns. Microsoft forum also provides a link to an official study group for the AZ-203 exam.
Stimulated Exams:
For each Azure certification exam, Microsoft offers sample test sessions in collaboration with exam providers. These exam sessions can help you in the self-evaluation of your skills level regarding the AZ-203 exam preparation. In these simulated test environments, you can attend an exam in a similar format as that of an actual exam. These practice tests are being offered in multiple languages.
Another benefit of stimulated exam practice is that you’ll get a detailed review report regarding each answer and an instant mark sheet after the completion of a test.
Online Training Sessions:
There are both online and instructor-led learning sessions available in collaboration with different training partners. Instructor-based learning programs are being offered individually for each module of the exam. For instructor-based learning programs, you can also find classroom-based learning programs based on your location.
If you opt for classroom-based learning, you can visit Microsoft’s partner website and register yourself for the separate training session.
CONCLUSION:
To successfully crack the AZ-203 exam and earn Microsoft Azure developer certification, there are multiple ways and resources available for you to become a Microsoft certified Azure developer. It’s up to you how to utilize these resources in the most suitable way possible to get fruitful results.
Without being trapped by any mythical narrative, you are recommended to prepare yourself for the AZ-203 exam with the smart selection and use of all the available resources with smart utilization of time. With all the resources mentioned above, you can certainly achieve your goal to earn Microsoft Azure Developer certification.