The AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies certification exam tests and validates your expertise as an Azure Solutions Architect.

EXAM IS RETIRED: This exam was retired, and replaced with the AZ-305 exam.

Certification Target Audience

The AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architecture Technologies certification exam is geared towards Azure Solution Architects who advise stakeholders and translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable solutions.

Overall, this exam tests a cross-cutting set of expertise in the areas of Azure Administration, Azure Development, and DevOps. It is recommended to have expert-level skills in at least one of these 3 expertise areas.

Exam Objective Domains

Here is a list of the skills and objective domains measured on the AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies certification exam. The percentages next to each objective area represents the number of questions in that objective area on the exam.

Implement and Monitor an Azure Infrastructure (50-55%)

Implement cloud infrastructure monitoring
- monitor security
- monitor performance
  - configure diagnostic settings on resources
  - create a performance baseline for resources
  - monitor for unused resources
  - monitor performance capacity
  - visualize diagnostics data using Azure Monitor
- monitor health and availability
  - monitor networking
  - monitor service health
- monitor cost
  - monitor spend
  - report on spend
- configure advanced logging
  - implement and configure Azure Monitor insights, including App Insights, Networks,
    Containers
  - configure a Log Analytics workspace
- configure logging for workloads
  - initiate automated responses by using Action Groups
- configure and manage advanced alerts
  - collect alerts and metrics across multiple subscriptions
  - view Alerts in Azure Monitor logs
  - NOT: create Log Analytics query
Implement storage accounts
- select storage account options based on a use case
- configure Azure Files and blob storage
- configure network access to the storage account
- implement Shared Access Signatures and access policies
- implement Azure AD authentication for storage
- manage access keys
- implement Azure storage replication
- implement Azure storage account failover
Implement VMs for Windows and Linux
- configure High Availability
- configure storage for VMs
- select virtual machine size
- implement Azure Dedicated Hosts
- deploy and configure scale sets
- configure Azure Disk Encryption
Automate deployment and configuration of resources
- save a deployment as an Azure Resource Manager template
- modify Azure Resource Manager template
- evaluate location of new resources
- configure a virtual disk template
- deploy from a template
- manage a template library
- create and execute an automation runbook
Implement virtual networking
- implement VNet to VNet connections
- implement VNet peering
Implement Azure Active Directory
- add custom domains
- configure Azure AD Identity Protection
- implement self-service password reset
- implement Conditional Access including MFA
- configure user accounts for MFA
- configure fraud alerts
- configure bypass options
- configure Trusted IPs
- configure verification methods
- implement and manage guest accounts
- manage multiple directories
Implement and manage hybrid identities
- install and configure Azure AD Connect
- identity synchronization options
- configure and manage password sync and password writeback
- configure single sign-on
- use Azure AD Connect Health

Implement Management and Security Solutions (25-30%)

Manage workloads in Azure
- migrate workloads using Azure Migrate
  - assess infrastructure
  - select a migration method
  - prepare the on-premises for migration
  - recommend target infrastructure
- implement Azure Backup for VMs
- implement disaster recovery
- implement Azure Update Management
Implement load balancing and network security
- implement Azure Load Balancer
- implement an application gateway
- implement a Web Application Firewall
- implement Azure Firewall
- implement the Azure Front Door Service
- implement Azure Traffic Manager
- implement Network Security Groups and Application Security Groups
- implement Bastion
Implement and manage Azure governance solutions
- create and manage hierarchical structure that contains management groups,
subscriptions and resource groups
- assign RBAC roles
- create a custom RBAC role
- configure access to Azure resources by assigning roles
- configure management access to Azure
- interpret effective permissions
- set up and perform an access review
- implement and configure an Azure Policy
- implement and configure an Azure Blueprint
Manage security for applications
- implement and configure KeyVault
- implement and configure Azure AD Managed Identities
- register and manage applications in Azure AD

Implement Solutions for Apps (10-15%)

Implement an application infrastructure
- create and configure Azure App Service
- create an App Service Web App for Containers
- create and configure an App Service plan
- configure an App Service
- configure networking for an App Service
- create and manage deployment slots
- implement Logic Apps
- implement Azure Functions
Implement container-based applications
- create a container image
- configure Azure Kubernetes Service
- publish and automate image deployment to the Azure Container Registry
- publish a solution on an Azure Container Instance
- NOT: Service Fabric

Implement and Manage Data Platforms (10-15%)

Implement NoSQL databases
- configure storage account tables
- select appropriate CosmosDB APIs
- set up replicas in CosmosDB
Implement Azure SQL databases
- configure Azure SQL database settings
- implement Azure SQL Database managed instances
- configure HA for an Azure SQL database
- publish an Azure SQL database

To view the full list of exam objectives, please reference the official AZ-300 exam objectives PDF from Microsoft. Currently, it’s released in the same document as the AZ-300 objectives, until the official release of the AZ-303 exam expected in March 2020.

Azure Architect Technologies Training Courses

With the AZ-303 Azure Architect Technologies exam objectives just recently being announced, and the exam not yet being available, there aren’t any specific video courses that target this new exam just yet. Although, with this exam being a replacement for the similar AZ-300 Azure Architect Technologies certification exam, you could begin studying for this exam now by utilizing existing AZ-300 training courses and comparing them to the AZ-303 exam objectives as your guided study path.

NOTE: The AZ-303 exam is a replacement for the AZ-300 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies certification exam. Instead of a straight replacement, Microsoft has a 90-day phased release schedule where both exams will be available until AZ-300 is finally retired on or around September 30, 2020.

Azure Solutions Architect Expert Certification

AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Certification Exam 1

This is one of a total of 2 exams required to pass in order to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. The other exam is the AZ-304 Microsoft Azure Architect Design certification exam. Once you pass both of these individual exams, then you will earn the full Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.

Happy Studying!

About the Author

Chris Pietschmann

Chris Pietschmann is a Microsoft MVP, HashiCorp Ambassador, and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) with 20+ years of experience designing and building Cloud & Enterprise systems. He has worked with companies of all sizes from startups to large enterprises. He has a passion for technology and sharing what he learns with others to help enable them to learn faster and be more productive.