AZ-120 Certification

What the AZ-120 Certification Actually Covers

The Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty credential validates one specific, narrow skill set: planning, deploying, migrating, and administering SAP systems running on Microsoft Azure infrastructure. It maps directly to the AZ-120 exam, "Planning and Administering Azure for SAP Workloads," and it is not a general Azure administration test or a generic SAP functional certification. If you have landed here searching for "AZ-120" while thinking of a different exam or vendor, this is not it - this article, and this entire site, refers exclusively to Microsoft's SAP-on-Azure specialty exam.

Candidates who pursue this credential typically sit at the intersection of two disciplines: SAP Basis administration (HANA, Business Suite, NetWeaver) and Azure infrastructure engineering (compute, storage, networking, identity, availability, and recovery). Microsoft does not require a prerequisite certification, but it strongly recommends the Azure Administrator Associate credential as a foundation before attempting AZ-120. If you want the full picture of who should sit this exam and what background actually matters, the AZ-120 Requirements 2026 guide walks through eligibility in detail.

Breaking Down the Four Exam Domains

Microsoft organizes the AZ-120 exam into four content domains. Two of them - migration and infrastructure design - are weighted equally and together make up more than half the exam, so candidates who under-prepare for either one are taking on real risk. For a deeper walkthrough of each domain's subtopics, see the AZ-120 Exam Domains 2026 guide.

Exam Format, Delivery, and Question Style

AZ-120 is a 100-minute, proctored, computer-based assessment. You can take it at a Pearson VUE test center or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring, whichever fits your schedule and comfort level better. Because the exam may include interactive components rather than only static multiple-choice items, candidates should expect scenario-based questions that ask you to configure, sequence, or troubleshoot rather than simply recall a definition.

Scoring works on Microsoft's scaled system rather than a raw percentage: a 700 is the passing threshold, not "70% of questions correct." That distinction matters because different questions can carry different weight in the scaled calculation. The AZ-120 Passing Score 2026 article breaks down exactly what that scaled number means for your prep strategy, and the How Hard Is the AZ-120 Exam? guide covers how the difficulty actually feels in practice for candidates coming from different backgrounds.

Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics

The AZ-120 exam carries a U.S. list price of USD 165. Pricing and currency can vary by country, so always confirm the exact figure during registration rather than assuming the U.S. number applies globally. Full pricing context, including what you get for that fee and how it compares to other certification paths, is covered in the AZ-120 Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.

If your first attempt does not go your way, Microsoft's retake policy requires a 24-hour waiting period before you can schedule again. That short cooldown is a strong argument for using a first attempt strategically - some candidates treat it almost as a diagnostic run, though paying full price twice is not something to plan around casually. Better to review the domain weightings above and shore up whichever area feels weakest before you ever sit the exam once, using resources like the AZ-120 Cheat Sheet 2026 for last-mile review.

For scheduling logistics, testing window availability, and how far in advance to book a seat at a test center or OnVUE slot, the AZ-120 Exam Dates 2026 guide has the specifics.

Who Earns AZ-120 and Why

This certification tends to attract three overlapping groups of professionals. SAP Basis administrators who are moving their organization's landscape to Azure use it to formalize cloud infrastructure skills they are picking up on the job. Azure infrastructure engineers who get assigned to SAP migration projects pursue it to speak the SAP team's language credibly. And independent consultants working SAP-on-Azure migration engagements use it as a portfolio credential that signals depth beyond a general Azure certification.

Because the exam sits squarely at the SAP-and-Azure intersection, it is not a common entry-level credential - most candidates already have hands-on exposure to either SAP administration or Azure infrastructure work before attempting it, then use structured study to fill the gap on the other side. If you're weighing whether this niche focus translates into better job prospects or compensation, the AZ-120 Salary Guide 2026 and Is the AZ-120 Certification Worth It? articles look at that question directly, and the AZ-120 Jobs page surveys the kinds of roles that list this credential.

Building a Domain-Aware Prep Path

Generic study techniques only help if they're mapped onto AZ-120's actual weighting. Since migration and infrastructure design together account for the majority of scored content, your study calendar should give those two domains more calendar time than HADR or maintenance - not necessarily more effort per topic, but more repetition given how much of the exam they represent.

A structured five-week cadence like this works well because it front-loads the two heaviest domains while leaving the final week for practice exams and gap-filling rather than first-pass learning. For a more exhaustive week-by-week breakdown with specific resource recommendations, see the AZ-120 Study Guide 2026.

Keeping the Certification Current

Unlike some Microsoft credentials that never expire, AZ-120 is valid for only 12 months from the date you pass. That is a deliberate design choice reflecting how quickly Azure services and SAP-on-Azure best practices evolve. The renewal process, however, is straightforward: Microsoft offers a free online renewal assessment, and passing it any time during the six months before your certification expires extends your validity by another year.

This means there is no need to re-sit the full 100-minute proctored exam annually - the renewal assessment is a lighter-touch check rather than a repeat of the original exam experience. Still, it is worth treating renewal seriously rather than as an afterthought, since letting the credential lapse means starting over with the full exam and fee.

Frequently Asked Questions