Certification Path
AZ-305 Roadmap
Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is the most in-demand Azure role. Follow this structured path to master enterprise-scale infrastructure design.
Recommended Study Time
4–6 weeks
20–30 hrs/week
Exam Fee
$165 USD
Passing score: 700/1000
Certification Validity
1 Year
Renewal via free online assessment
Question Format
Case Studies
80 questions, 2.5 hours
Prerequisites & Foundation
Required: AZ-104 Completion
Must pass Azure Administrator exam first. AZ-105 tests hands-on operations; AZ-305 tests architectural design. Finish AZ-104 before this exam.
Recommended: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
If you're new to Azure, start with AZ-900 (foundational). Then move to AZ-104 (admin ops), then AZ-305 (design/architecture).
Recommended 6-Week Study Plan
1Week 1–2 — Domain 1: Identity, Governance & Monitoring
- •Complete identity solutions lessons
- •Study Azure Monitor & Log Analytics design patterns
- •Practice 15+ drills per domain
- •Hands-on: Build a multi-tenant AD setup
2Week 3 — Domain 2: Data Storage Solutions
- •Relational data: Azure SQL, MI, PostgreSQL, MySQL selection
- •Non-relational: Cosmos DB, Blob Storage, Data Lake patterns
- •Data integration: Data Factory, Synapse, Event Hubs
- •Complete 20+ practice questions, focus on trade-offs
3Week 4 — Domain 3 & 4: Resilience & Infrastructure
- •Backup, disaster recovery, Site Recovery, Azure Backup
- •Compute selection: VMs, AKS, App Service, Functions
- •Networking: VNets, ExpressRoute, VPN, Traffic Manager
- •Complete migration scenarios using CAF
4Week 5 — Architecture Scenarios & Integration
- •Study sample architecture scenarios
- •Practice case study questions (exam format)
- •Review Well-Architected Framework principles
- •Complete 50+ cumulative practice questions
5Week 6 — Review & Exam Prep
- •Take 2–3 full-length practice exams
- •Review weak domains with focused drills
- •Memorize trade-offs between services
- •Day before: Light review of key concepts
Career Paths After AZ-305
Cloud Solutions Architect
Annual salary:$140K–180K
Key certs:AZ-305, AZ-700, AZ-104
Focus:Design enterprise solutions, work with stakeholders
Cloud Security Architect
Annual salary:$130K–170K
Key certs:AZ-305, AZ-500, SC-200
Focus:Security by design, compliance, Zero Trust
Cloud Infrastructure Specialist
Annual salary:$120K–160K
Key certs:AZ-305, AZ-104, AZ-120 (SAP)
Focus:Migrations, IaaS, hybrid infrastructure
Next Steps After AZ-305
Immediate: Deep Specialization
Pick one of these based on your AZ-305 strengths:
- AZ-700: Azure Network Engineer Expert (network design focus)
- AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer (security architecture)
- AZ-120: Planning and Administering Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads
Medium-Term: Breadth & Adjacent Skills
Expand your portfolio: AZ-900 refresh, Kubernetes administration (CKA), Terraform/IaC certification.
Exam Day Essentials
Format
80 questions, 2.5 hours. Mostly case studies (read scenarios, pick best solution).
Strategy
Read the scenario fully. Understand business constraints (cost, compliance, performance) before evaluating options.
Common Traps
Overlook RTO/RPO definitions. Confuse service tiers. Miss compliance keywords in scenarios.
Registration
Register at microsoft.com/learn. Pearson VUE testing centers worldwide or online proctored.
Ready to start your AZ-305 journey?