AZ-900 Cheat Sheet 2026: 1-Page Domain Summary

This cheat sheet is for anyone sitting the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam in 2026 who needs a printable, domain-by-domain review of the essentials.

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (25-30%)

This domain tests your understanding of why organizations move to the cloud. Expect questions comparing IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS with real Azure examples. You should also know the difference between public, private, and hybrid cloud — and which Azure services map to each deployment model.

• Cloud Models: Public (Azure), Private (on-prem), Hybrid (both)
• Service Models: IaaS (VMs), PaaS (App Service), SaaS (Microsoft 365)
• Economies of Scale: Shared resources = lower per-unit cost
• CapEx vs OpEx: Cloud shifts from capital expense to operational expense
• Geography: Geography > Region > Availability Zone (AZ)

Domain 2: Azure Architecture & Services (35-40%)

This is the largest domain on AZ-900. You need to recognize core Azure services by category — compute, networking, storage, databases, and identity. The exam does not test deep configuration, but it does test when to choose one service over another. Azure AD questions appear in 4-6 items on every exam.

Compute

• Virtual Machines: IaaS. Full control over OS. You manage patching.
• App Service: PaaS for web apps. Auto-scaling, CI/CD built-in.
• Azure Functions: Serverless compute. Event-driven, pay per execution.
• AKS: Managed Kubernetes. Container orchestration.
• Container Instances: Run containers without orchestration.

Networking

• Virtual Network (VNet): Isolated network. Subnets, peering, VPN Gateway.
• Load Balancer: Layer 4 traffic distribution.
• Application Gateway: Layer 7 load balancer with WAF.
• Azure DNS: Domain hosting and management.
• CDN: Content delivery network for fast global access.

Storage

• Blob Storage: Object storage. Hot, Cool, Archive tiers.
• Disk Storage: Managed disks for VMs (Premium SSD, Standard SSD, HDD).
• Files: Managed SMB/NFS file shares.
• Queues: Message queue for async communication.

Databases

• Azure SQL Database: Managed SQL Server. PaaS, auto-patching.
• Cosmos DB: Global NoSQL database. Single-digit millisecond latency.
• Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL: Managed open-source databases.

Identity

• Azure AD: Cloud identity and access management.
• MFA: Multi-factor authentication.
• Conditional Access: Policy-based access control.
• Azure AD Connect: Sync on-prem AD with Azure AD.

Domain 3: Management & Governance (30-35%)

This domain covers how to manage, monitor, and control Azure spending and compliance. Expect questions on cost management tools, resource groups, Azure Policy, and SLAs. Many test-takers underestimate this section, but it represents nearly one-third of the exam and is highly testable.

• Cost Management + Billing: Budgets, cost analysis, pricing calculator.
• Azure Monitor: Metrics, logs, alerts, Application Insights.
• Azure Policy: Enforce rules and compliance across resources.
• Resource Groups: Logical containers for related resources.
• Management Groups: Hierarchical organization of subscriptions.
• Azure Blueprints: Deploy repeatable environments (being replaced by Template Specs).
• Service Health: Track Azure service incidents and maintenance.

SLA Cheat Sheet

Pricing Models

Governance Tools at a Glance

For a day-by-day study plan that incorporates all the concepts above, see our 30-day AZ-900 study guide. Need more free materials? Our free Azure resources roundup has videos, labs, and practice tests.

Frequently Asked Questions