Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Issued by Microsoft. Below is what it costs, how long it lasts, and what it actually signals — with the date we checked.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Microsoft · AZ-900
Free to learn · paid certificate Recognized
| Cost | $99 Microsoft prices vary by region. |
|---|---|
| Validity | Does not expire. |
| Renewal | None. Fundamentals certificates do not expire — no renewal assessment, no continuing education, no annual fee. |
| Assessment | Proctored exam |
| Proctored | Yes |
| Verify via | Credly |
| Cost per active year | $0$99 once, then nothing — there is no active-year cost to amortise |
Recognised at Azure-heavy employers.
This is the cheapest entry cloud credential to keep, because there is nothing to keep paying. Microsoft's role-based certificates behave differently — they renew annually, also at no cost.
Verified 2026-07-26 · Official page
How we know
Price read from Microsoft's official page 2026-07-25. No-expiry policy confirmed via Microsoft's own documentation and Q&A, and re-confirmed verbatim on the official renewal page 2026-07-26: "Fundamentals certifications do not expire."
Last verified 2026-07-26 · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-fundamentals/
Free preparation
Free resources first. Everything below is free to use; the exam itself is the paid part.
AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner
Free to learn · no certificate
Game-based official training including 12 hands-on assignments. The training is free; the certificate exam is separate and paid.
Verified 2026-07-25
AWS Skill Builder free tier
Free to learn · no certificate
Official free tier. Paid tiers exist alongside it — only the free tier is counted here.
Verified 2026-07-25
Microsoft Learn: AZ-900 learning path and free practice assessments
Free to learn · no certificate
Free interactive path from Microsoft, plus official practice assessments with unlimited attempts.
Verified 2026-07-25
Used by these roles
- Cloud Support — You keep cloud infrastructure running and help engineers and customers when it misbehaves.