- AZ-120 is scored on a 700-point scale, not a percentage - see the passing score breakdown.
- Migration and Infrastructure domains each carry 25-30% of the exam, so they deserve the most study hours.
- The U.S. list fee is USD 165, and you can sit the 100-minute exam via Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring.
- A failed first attempt has a mandatory 24-hour retake wait, so use that gap to target weak domains, not to rush a redo.
What AZ-120 Actually Tests
Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty - the credential earned by passing exam AZ-120, "Planning and Administering Azure for SAP Workloads" - is not a general Azure exam and it's not a general SAP exam. It sits squarely at the intersection: candidates are expected to already understand SAP HANA, SAP Business Suite, and SAP NetWeaver on one side, and Azure compute, storage, networking, identity, availability, and recovery on the other. The exam checks whether you can combine both skill sets to plan, migrate, and run SAP landscapes on Azure infrastructure.
This is why generic Azure study material only gets you partway. If you're still forming a mental model of what the credential covers, start with What Is AZ-120? and the broader AZ-120 Certification overview before diving into domain-level prep.
Registration, Fee, and Exam Format Mechanics
Before you build a study plan, know exactly what you're scheduling. AZ-120 has a U.S. list price of USD 165 and is delivered as a 100-minute proctored computer-based assessment. You can take it at a Pearson VUE test center or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring - useful if you don't have a test center nearby or prefer taking it from a controlled home or office setup.
The exam may include interactive question components, not just static multiple-choice items, so expect scenario-based questions, drag-and-drop sequencing, and case-study style prompts that mirror real SAP-on-Azure planning decisions. A deep breakdown of what these formats feel like in practice is covered in How Hard Is the AZ-120 Exam?.
Passing requires a scaled score of 700, not 70% of questions correct - the scaling accounts for question difficulty, so don't try to reverse-engineer how many items you can miss. For the full mechanics of how Microsoft calculates that number, see the AZ-120 Passing Score guide. If you fail on your first try, Microsoft's retake policy requires a 24-hour wait before you can schedule again - plenty of time to review your score report and identify which domain dragged you down, but not long enough to relearn a domain from scratch, so don't treat the retake window as a study plan.
| Exam Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Exam code | AZ-120 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctored |
| Duration | 100 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 (scaled), not percentage-based |
| U.S. list fee | USD 165 |
| Retake wait after first fail | 24 hours |
| Certification validity | 12 months, renewable for free in final 6 months |
For a full line-item cost picture including retakes and renewal, check the AZ-120 Certification Cost breakdown. And if you're mapping the exam against a calendar, the AZ-120 Exam Dates guide covers scheduling windows and the April 17, 2026 skills outline update.
The Four Domains You Must Master
AZ-120 is organized into four content areas, and two of them are tied for the largest share of the exam. Understanding domain weight is the single most useful piece of information for allocating study time - don't split effort evenly across all four.
Domain 1: Migrate SAP Workloads to Azure (25-30%)
This domain covers moving existing SAP systems - HANA and non-HANA - from on-premises or other clouds into Azure. Candidates need to understand migration planning, sizing, and tooling decisions specific to SAP.
- Assessing source SAP environments and choosing a migration approach
- Planning storage and compute sizing for the target Azure environment
- Sequencing migration to minimize downtime for production systems
Domain 2: Design and Implement Infrastructure for SAP on Azure (25-30%)
This is the foundational Azure layer: networking, storage, compute, and identity as they apply specifically to SAP deployment patterns rather than generic workloads.
- Selecting appropriate Azure VM families and storage tiers for SAP database and application layers
- Designing virtual networks, subnets, and connectivity for SAP landscapes
- Implementing identity and access controls that fit SAP administration models
Domain 3: High Availability and Disaster Recovery (20-25%)
HADR is where SAP-specific Azure knowledge diverges most from general cloud administration. Candidates must know how to keep SAP systems running through failures and recover them across regions.
- Configuring availability sets, availability zones, and clustering for SAP database tiers
- Planning disaster recovery topology across Azure regions
- Understanding replication options appropriate to SAP HANA and SAP application servers
Domain 4: Maintain SAP Workloads on Azure (20-25%)
The operational domain: monitoring, patching, backup, and ongoing administration of SAP systems once they're live on Azure.
- Monitoring performance and health of SAP infrastructure on Azure
- Managing backup and recovery processes for SAP databases
- Applying updates and scaling operations without disrupting SAP availability
For question-level detail on subtopics within each of these, the AZ-120 Exam Domains Guide goes deeper than the overview here. If you want the condensed version for last-minute review, bookmark the AZ-120 Cheat Sheet.
Key Takeaway
Since Migration and Infrastructure jointly account for 50-60% of the exam, they should get roughly half of your total study hours - not an equal quarter each alongside HADR and Maintain.
Building a Study Timeline Around Domain Weight
A generic weekly template won't map well onto an exam with such lopsided domain weighting. Instead, build your schedule so the two biggest domains each get a full dedicated block, and the two smaller domains share the remaining time with an integration pass at the end.
Migration Foundations
- Study SAP-to-Azure migration assessment and sizing tools
- Work through migration sequencing scenarios for HANA and non-HANA systems
Infrastructure Design
- Map Azure VM families and storage tiers to SAP workload requirements
- Practice networking and identity configuration for SAP landscapes
HADR and Maintenance
- Build availability and disaster recovery topologies across regions
- Review monitoring, backup, and patch management workflows
Integration and Practice Testing
- Take full-length practice tests covering all four domains
- Revisit weak domains identified from practice results before scheduling
Notice that classic techniques like spaced repetition or timed recall drills still apply here - just anchor them to domain weight rather than generic subject rotation. Spend more repetition cycles on migration sizing scenarios and infrastructure design decisions than on maintenance tasks, since that's where the exam puts more questions.
Running full practice exams under timed conditions before your real attempt is one of the most reliable ways to confirm readiness. You can build that habit using the practice tests on az120exam.com, which simulate the scenario-based question style AZ-120 actually uses.
Why First Attempts Fail (And How to Avoid It)
Most first-attempt failures on AZ-120 trace back to a handful of predictable gaps rather than bad luck on question wording.
- Treating it as a pure Azure exam. Candidates who skip SAP-specific context - HANA sizing conventions, NetWeaver architecture basics - struggle with scenario questions that assume that background.
- Underweighting HADR. Because Migration and Infrastructure get more attention as the "big two," candidates sometimes shortchange availability and disaster recovery, which still carries 20-25% of the exam.
- Misreading the passing score. Some candidates assume they need roughly 70% correct because the score is out of 1000 in a familiar-looking format. The 700 threshold is scaled, not a raw percentage - see the passing score explainer for how that actually works.
- Not practicing the interactive question formats. Drag-and-drop and case-study components feel different under time pressure if you've never seen them before the real exam.
If you're still deciding whether your background is solid enough to attempt AZ-120 yet, the AZ-120 Requirements guide walks through the recommended prerequisites in more detail, and How Hard Is the AZ-120 Exam? gives an honest difficulty assessment based on the domain structure covered above.
After You Pass: Renewal and Career Fit
Passing AZ-120 doesn't lock the credential in permanently. Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty is valid for 12 months from the date you pass. During the six months before it expires, you can take a free online renewal assessment that extends validity for another year - no need to retake the full 100-minute exam or pay the fee again if you renew on time.
On the career side, this specialty sits in a fairly narrow but well-defined lane: organizations running SAP on Azure need people who can bridge SAP infrastructure knowledge with Azure administration, and the certification signals exactly that combination. If you're trying to figure out whether the time investment pays off relative to other cloud credentials, Is the AZ-120 Certification Worth It? and the AZ-120 Salary Guide both dig into that question in more depth. For a sense of where this credential shows up in hiring, see AZ-120 Jobs, and for structured prep resources beyond this guide, browse AZ-120 Training.
Whether you're deciding to start, mid-way through prep, or reviewing before test day, keep coming back to the same anchor: two domains - Migration and Infrastructure - carry the most weight, and your study time should reflect that every week between now and your scheduled exam date.
FAQ
No. Microsoft strongly recommends holding that certification first because it covers foundational Azure compute, storage, networking, and identity skills, but it is not a mandatory prerequisite for registering.
Microsoft uses a scaled scoring system, and you need a score of 700 to pass. This is not the same as answering 70% of questions correctly, since question difficulty is factored into the scale.
Focus first on Migrate SAP Workloads to Azure and Design and Implement Infrastructure, since each carries 25-30% of the exam - together over half the total content.
Yes. AZ-120 is available through Pearson VUE test centers or via OnVUE online proctoring, giving candidates flexibility in how and where they sit the 100-minute exam.
You must wait 24 hours before retaking the exam. Use that time to review your score report by domain and reinforce the weakest area rather than rescheduling immediately without a plan.