Azure February 2, 2026 8 min read

AZ-104 Practice Questions 2026: Free Azure Administrator Exam Questions

Free AZ-104 practice questions with detailed explanations. Better than ExamTopics.

The AZ-104 Azure Administrator certification is one of the most in-demand cloud credentials in 2026. This guide covers the best free practice questions to help you pass on your first attempt.

Practice Questions

Question 1

Your company needs to ensure that all Azure VMs in a resource group are automatically backed up daily with a 30-day retention policy. What should you implement?

A. Configure Azure Backup with a Recovery Services vault and assign a backup policy to the resource group
B. Use Azure Site Recovery to replicate VMs to a secondary region
C. Create a PowerShell script using Azure Automation to create VM snapshots daily
D. Enable Azure Disk Snapshot on each VM's managed disks

Azure Backup with Recovery Services vault provides centralized backup management, automated scheduling, and retention policies. Backup policies can be applied at the resource group level for consistent protection across VMs.

Question 2

You need to configure network security to allow only Azure SQL Database traffic from specific VMs in a VNet. What should you configure?

A. Create a Network Security Group (NSG) rule allowing traffic from the VM subnet to Azure SQL
B. Configure Azure SQL firewall rules to allow the VM's public IP addresses
C. Implement VNet service endpoints for Azure SQL and configure SQL firewall to allow VNet access
D. Use Azure Private Link to create a private endpoint for Azure SQL in the VNet

Azure Private Link provides a private endpoint with a private IP address in your VNet, ensuring traffic stays on the Microsoft backbone network and never traverses the public internet. This is more secure than service endpoints which still use public IPs.

Question 3

Your organization requires Azure resources to be deployed only in specific regions for compliance. How can you enforce this?

A. Create an Azure Policy with a 'Allowed locations' policy definition and assign it to the subscription
B. Use Azure Blueprints to define allowed regions in the deployment template
C. Configure Resource Manager locks on resource groups in unauthorized regions
D. Create Azure AD Conditional Access policies restricting resource creation by location

Azure Policy provides governance enforcement at scale. The 'Allowed locations' built-in policy can deny resource creation in non-compliant regions across the entire subscription or management group.

Question 4

You need to provide temporary access to an external partner to upload files to Azure Blob Storage without sharing your storage account keys. What is the MOST secure approach?

A. Generate a Shared Access Signature (SAS) token with write permissions and limited time validity
B. Create a separate storage account with a shared access key for the partner
C. Add the partner's Azure AD account as a Storage Blob Data Contributor
D. Enable anonymous public access on the container for the upload period

SAS tokens provide delegated access with granular permissions (write only), IP restrictions, time limits, and protocol constraints without sharing storage account keys. This follows the principle of least privilege for temporary access.

Question 5

Your web application uses Azure App Service and experiences performance issues during peak hours. You need to ensure the app automatically scales out when CPU usage exceeds 75%. What should you configure?

A. Enable App Service autoscale rules based on CPU percentage metric
B. Upgrade the App Service Plan to a higher tier with more vCPUs
C. Configure Azure Load Balancer to distribute traffic across multiple instances
D. Use Traffic Manager to route traffic to multiple App Service regions

App Service autoscale rules can automatically increase instance count based on metrics like CPU percentage, memory, HTTP queue length, or custom metrics. This provides cost-effective scaling that responds to actual demand.

Question 6

You need to provide developers access to production logs in Azure Monitor without granting them the ability to modify resources. What should you assign?

A. Reader role at the subscription level
B. Monitoring Reader role at the resource group level
C. Log Analytics Reader role on the Log Analytics workspace
D. Contributor role with Azure Policy denying write operations

Log Analytics Reader role provides read-only access to logs and monitoring data without granting permissions to modify resources or infrastructure. This follows least privilege for audit log access.

Question 7

Your company requires that all Azure VMs must have antimalware protection. How can you ensure compliance across all subscriptions?

A. Deploy Azure Policy with the 'Deploy Microsoft IaaSAntimalware extension' policy and configure auto-remediation
B. Use Azure Security Center recommendations to manually install antimalware on VMs
C. Create an ARM template that includes the antimalware extension and require its use
D. Configure Azure Automation to run a script that installs antimalware on all VMs weekly

Azure Policy with DeployIfNotExists effect can automatically deploy the IaaSAntimalware extension to non-compliant VMs. Auto-remediation ensures continuous compliance without manual intervention.

Question 8

You need to connect two Azure VNets in different regions and ensure encrypted traffic between them. What should you implement?

A. Configure VNet peering between the two VNets
B. Deploy VPN gateways in both VNets and create a VNet-to-VNet connection
C. Use Azure Virtual WAN to connect both VNets
D. Create ExpressRoute circuits in both regions and enable Global Reach

VNet-to-VNet VPN connections provide encrypted IPsec tunnels between VNets across regions. While VNet peering is simpler, it doesn't provide encryption (though traffic is private on Microsoft's backbone). VPN is required when encryption is explicitly mandated.

Question 9

Your Azure SQL Database has grown to 2 TB and backup storage costs are increasing. How can you reduce backup costs while maintaining point-in-time restore capability?

A. Change backup retention policy to the minimum 7 days
B. Configure long-term retention (LTR) backups to Azure Blob Storage with archive tier
C. Disable automated backups and use manual BACPAC exports
D. Enable zone-redundant backups for better compression

Long-term retention (LTR) stores backups in Azure Blob Storage where you can leverage cheaper storage tiers. Short-term automated backups (7-35 days) use more expensive storage but provide point-in-time restore. LTR is for compliance/archival needs.

Question 10

You deployed an Azure VM but cannot connect via RDP. You verified the NSG allows RDP traffic and the VM is running. What should you check next?

A. Verify the VM has a public IP address assigned and check Windows Firewall settings using Run Command
B. Recreate the VM from a backup or snapshot
C. Increase the VM size to ensure sufficient network bandwidth
D. Check if the VNet has a VPN gateway configured

Common RDP issues include: no public IP, Windows Firewall blocking, or RDP service not running. Run Command allows you to execute scripts on the VM to diagnose and fix OS-level issues without RDP access.

AZ-104 Exam Overview

The Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) exam validates your ability to manage Azure subscriptions, implement storage, deploy VMs, configure virtual networking, and monitor Azure resources.

  • Exam Code: AZ-104
  • Questions: 50-60 (multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, case studies)
  • Duration: 150 minutes
  • Passing Score: 700 out of 1000
  • Cost: USD $165 (~AUD $250)
  • Format: Online proctored or test center

Key Exam Domains: Manage Azure identities (20-25%), Implement storage (15-20%), Deploy compute resources (20-25%), Configure networking (20-25%), Monitor resources (15-20%)

Why Practice Questions Matter

Practice exams are the most effective study tool for AZ-104. They help you:

  • Identify knowledge gaps before exam day
  • Get familiar with Microsoft's question format (especially case studies)
  • Build time management skills (2.5 minutes per question)
  • Reduce exam anxiety through repetition
  • Reinforce concepts through explanations

Candidates who complete 3+ full-length practice exams pass at significantly higher rates than those who don't.

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ExamCert vs ExamTopics: Which is Better?

Many candidates turn to ExamTopics for free practice questions, but there are significant quality issues:

ExamTopics Limitations

  • User-contributed answers: Many answers are wrong or outdated
  • No detailed explanations: Just raw questions with community votes
  • Outdated content: Questions often don't reflect the current exam version
  • No quality control: Anyone can submit answers

Why ExamCert is Superior

  • Verified accuracy: All questions reviewed by certified Azure professionals
  • Detailed explanations: Learn why each answer is correct or incorrect
  • Current content: Questions updated for the latest AZ-104 exam objectives
  • Free access: No paywalls or hidden fees
  • Clean interface: No ads or distracting popups

Unlike generic question dumps, ExamCert provides educational value through comprehensive explanations that teach concepts, not just memorization.

Key AZ-104 Topics to Master

1. Azure Active Directory (20-25%)

  • Managing users, groups, and licenses
  • Implementing RBAC and Azure AD roles
  • Configuring Azure AD Connect and hybrid identity
  • Managing Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM)

2. Storage Solutions (15-20%)

  • Creating and configuring storage accounts
  • Implementing Azure Blob storage and access tiers
  • Configuring Azure Files and File Sync
  • Managing backup and disaster recovery

3. Compute Resources (20-25%)

  • Deploying and configuring Azure VMs
  • Managing VM availability and scale sets
  • Implementing Azure App Service and containers
  • Automating deployments with ARM templates

4. Virtual Networking (20-25%)

  • Configuring VNets, subnets, and peering
  • Implementing network security groups and firewalls
  • Configuring Azure Load Balancer and Application Gateway
  • Setting up VPN and ExpressRoute connections

5. Monitoring and Backup (15-20%)

  • Using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
  • Configuring alerts and diagnostics
  • Implementing Azure Backup and Site Recovery
  • Managing costs with Azure Cost Management

Pro Tip: The exam heavily tests scenario-based questions. Practice case studies where you need to troubleshoot or design solutions based on business requirements.

AZ-104 Study Tips for 2026

  1. Hands-on practice is essential: Sign up for a free Azure account and practice deploying resources
  2. Use Microsoft Learn paths: Free official training modules aligned with exam objectives
  3. Take practice exams weekly: Track your scores to measure progress
  4. Focus on weak areas: Spend extra time on domains where you score below 70%
  5. Join study communities: r/AzureCertification has active discussions
  6. Review documentation: Microsoft's official Azure docs are your best friend

Warning: Avoid braindumps and exact exam question memorization. Microsoft actively monitors for cheating and can revoke certifications. Focus on understanding concepts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the AZ-104 exam?

The AZ-104 exam contains 50-60 questions in various formats including multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and case studies. You have 150 minutes to complete the exam.

What is the passing score for AZ-104?

The passing score for AZ-104 is 700 out of 1000. Microsoft uses scaled scoring, so raw scores are converted to a scale of 1-1000.

Are ExamTopics questions accurate for AZ-104?

While ExamTopics provides free questions, many answers are user-contributed and may contain errors. ExamCert provides verified questions with detailed explanations written by certified Azure professionals.

How much does the AZ-104 exam cost?

The AZ-104 exam costs USD $165 (approximately AUD $250). Microsoft occasionally offers exam discounts during events like Microsoft Ignite.

Can I use practice exam dumps to pass AZ-104?

Using braindumps or memorizing exact exam questions violates Microsoft's exam policies and can result in certification revocation. Focus on understanding concepts through legitimate practice questions instead.

Pass AZ-104 on Your First Attempt

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Good luck with your AZ-104 certification journey! Remember, consistent practice and hands-on experience are key to success.

EC

ExamCert Team

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