AZ-104, AZ-500 & AZ-700: Complete Azure Certification Roadmap for 2026

Cloud computing continues to reshape IT infrastructure, networking, administration, and security. For professionals planning an Azure career in 2026, Microsoft’s role-based certifications can provide a structured way to validate skills and build a career path.

Three certifications that frequently come up for Azure infrastructure professionals are AZ-104 (Azure Administrator), AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer), and AZ-700 (Azure Network Engineer).

However, there is an important 2026 update: AZ-500 is retiring on August 31, 2026, so anyone planning an Azure security certification path needs to consider Microsoft’s newer security certification direction as well. 

This guide explains what each certification covers, who should pursue it, how they fit together, what skills you should develop, and how to create a practical Azure certification roadmap for 2026.

What Is the Azure Certification Roadmap for 2026?

An Azure certification roadmap is more than a list of exams.

The best approach is to combine:

Cloud fundamentals → Core Azure skills → Hands-on labs → Role-based certification → Real-world projects → Job preparation

Microsoft currently offers role-based certifications covering different areas of cloud technology, including administration, networking, security, architecture, development, and more. Microsoft describes its certifications as credentials designed to validate skills aligned with job responsibilities.

For an infrastructure-focused career, a simplified roadmap can look like:

Azure Fundamentals → AZ-104 → Specialize in Networking or Security → Build Projects → Become Job-Ready

The important point is that you do not necessarily need to earn every Azure certification.

Your certification path should depend on the role you want.

 

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

What Is AZ-104?

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator is the certification path for professionals who want to demonstrate skills in administering Microsoft Azure environments.

Microsoft currently classifies the Azure Administrator certification at the Intermediate level, with the role of Administrator.

An Azure Administrator is typically involved in implementing, managing, securing, and monitoring Azure infrastructure.

The certification currently assesses areas including:

• Azure identities and governance

• Azure storage

• Azure compute resources

• Virtual networking

• Azure monitoring and maintenance

What Should You Know Before AZ-104?

Microsoft recommends familiarity with areas such as:

• Operating systems

• Networking

• Servers

• Virtualization

• PowerShell

• Azure CLI

• Azure Portal

• Azure Resource Manager templates or Bicep

• Microsoft Entra ID

This makes AZ-104 particularly useful for IT professionals moving from traditional infrastructure into cloud administration.

Who Should Learn AZ-104?

AZ-104 can be a strong choice for:

• System administrators

• IT support professionals

• Infrastructure engineers

• Windows administrators

• Cloud beginners with IT experience

• Network professionals moving toward cloud

• Aspiring Azure administrators

• IT professionals transitioning into cloud computing

If you're unsure where to start your Azure infrastructure journey, AZ-104 is often a logical foundation because it exposes you to several core Azure services.

 

AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate

What Is AZ-500?

AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies focuses on Azure security engineering.

The certification covers areas such as implementing security controls, managing security posture, threat protection, vulnerability remediation, and security across Azure, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. 

Azure security engineers work across areas including:

• Identity and access

• Network security

• Compute security

• Storage and data security

• Application security

• Governance

• Compliance

• Backup and recovery

• DevOps security

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud

For someone interested in cloud security, these are highly relevant technical areas.

AZ-700: Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate

What Is AZ-700?

AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions is focused on Azure networking.

Microsoft classifies the Azure Network Engineer certification as an Intermediate-level credential for the Network Engineer role.

The certification covers:

• Core Azure networking infrastructure

• Hybrid connectivity

• Application delivery

• Private access to Azure services

• Network security

• Network monitoring

• Connectivity troubleshooting

Microsoft's current AZ-700 skills outline, effective July 27, 2026, includes designing and implementing core networking infrastructure, connectivity services, application delivery services, private access, and secure network connectivity. 

Who Should Learn AZ-700?

AZ-700 can be particularly relevant for:

• Network engineers

• Network administrators

• Infrastructure engineers

• Cloud engineers

• System administrators

• Network security professionals

• IT professionals moving from on-premises networking to Azure

A traditional networking background can be particularly valuable because AZ-700 expects understanding of networking fundamentals such as name resolution, network protocols, and network address management. 

 

AZ-104 vs AZ-500 vs AZ-700

Here's a simplified comparison:

Certification	Primary Role	Main Focus	Best For
AZ-104	Azure Administrator	Azure infrastructure & administration	Cloud/Systems/IT professionals
AZ-500	Azure Security Engineer	Azure security	Security professionals (retiring Aug. 31, 2026)
AZ-700	Azure Network Engineer	Azure networking	Network & infrastructure professionals

The biggest mistake is choosing a certification simply because it is popular.

Instead, choose based on your target job role.

 

Which Azure Certification Should You Choose?

Choose AZ-104 if:

You want to become an:

• Azure Administrator

• Cloud Administrator

• Cloud Engineer

• Infrastructure Engineer

• Azure Support Engineer

AZ-104 gives you broad exposure to Azure infrastructure, including compute, storage, networking, identity, governance, and monitoring. 

 

Choose AZ-700 if:

You want to become an:

• Azure Network Engineer

• Cloud Network Engineer

• Network Cloud Specialist

• Infrastructure Engineer

• Cloud Connectivity Engineer

AZ-700 is especially relevant if you already understand enterprise networking and want to move into Azure networking. 

 

Choose the Azure security path if:

Your target career is:

• Cloud Security Engineer

• Azure Security Engineer

• Cloud Security Analyst

• Security Infrastructure Engineer

• Cloud Security Specialist

If you're planning after August 2026, don't build your roadmap solely around AZ-500 because Microsoft is retiring it. Check the latest Microsoft security certification options, including the newer SC-500 direction. 

The Recommended Azure Career Roadmap for 2026

For someone starting from an IT/infrastructure background, a practical roadmap could look like this:

Step 1: Learn IT & Networking Fundamentals

Before jumping into advanced Azure services, understand:

• IP addressing

• Subnetting

• DNS

• DHCP

• Routing

• Switching

• TCP/IP

• Firewalls

• Virtualization

• Windows/Linux fundamentals

These concepts make cloud networking much easier to understand.

Step 2: Learn Azure Fundamentals

Understand:

• Azure regions

• Availability zones

• Resource groups

• Subscriptions

• Azure Resource Manager

• Azure Portal

• Identity

• Compute

• Storage

• Networking

• Governance

For complete beginners, Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) can be a useful introduction. Microsoft describes AZ-900 as a beginner-level certification covering cloud concepts and core Azure services.

Step 3: Build AZ-104-Level Skills

Move into:

• Microsoft Entra ID

• Azure RBAC

• Virtual machines

• Storage accounts

• Azure networking

• VNets and subnets

• Network security groups

• Load balancing

• Azure Monitor

• Azure Backup

• Azure governance

Step 4: Choose Your Specialization

Once you understand Azure administration, choose your direction.

Networking Path

AZ-104 → AZ-700 → Cloud Network Engineer

Security Path

AZ-104 → Azure Security Skills → Current Security Certification Path

Broader Cloud Path

AZ-104 → Azure architecture/DevOps/other role-based specialization

This approach prevents you from learning multiple technologies randomly.

Hands-On Labs Matter

Certification preparation should not be limited to memorizing exam questions.

Build practical Azure labs such as:

AZ-104 Labs

• Create and configure a virtual machine

• Deploy a VNet and subnets

• Configure NSGs

• Create storage accounts

• Configure Azure RBAC

• Implement monitoring

• Configure backups

• Manage Azure resources using CLI/PowerShell

AZ-700 Labs

• Build a hub-and-spoke network

• Configure routing

• Implement VPN connectivity

• Explore private endpoints

• Configure load balancing

• Configure network security

• Monitor network traffic

• Troubleshoot connectivity

Security Labs

• Configure identity controls

• Explore Microsoft Defender for Cloud

• Implement network security

• Configure security policies

• Monitor security posture

• Investigate security alerts

Hands-on practice converts certification knowledge into usable skills.

How to Prepare for Azure Certifications

A simple preparation framework is:

1. Understand the Exam Objectives

Start with Microsoft's official skills outline.

For AZ-104, Microsoft publishes the current skills measured and exam information in its study guide.

For AZ-700, review the updated skills measured from July 27, 2026.

2. Learn the Concepts

Don't memorize commands without understanding why they are used.

For example, when learning Azure networking, understand:

Why do we need a subnet?

When would we use private access?

Why is routing required?

How does DNS resolution work?

Where should security controls be applied?

Conceptual understanding helps when troubleshooting real environments.

3. Build Labs

Create your own Azure environment and practice.

A good lab should include:

Design → Deploy → Configure → Test → Monitor → Troubleshoot

4. Use Practice Assessments

Microsoft provides practice assessments and exam sandboxes for its certifications, including AZ-104 and AZ-700. 

Use practice tests to identify knowledge gaps—not simply to memorize answers.

5. Prepare for the Job, Not Just the Exam

Ask yourself:

"If an interviewer gives me an Azure networking problem tomorrow, can I troubleshoot it?"

That's a much better measure of readiness than:

"Can I remember 100 multiple-choice answers?"

Are Azure Certifications Enough to Get an IT Job?

No certification can guarantee a job.

A certification can validate knowledge, but employers may also look for:

• Hands-on experience

• Troubleshooting ability

• Networking fundamentals

• Cloud knowledge

• Communication

• Project experience

• Automation skills

• Security awareness

• Problem-solving ability

That's why the ideal formula is:

Certification + Hands-on Labs + Projects + Interview Skills

Instead of:

Certification + Memorization

Azure Certifications and Renewal in 2026

Another important point for Azure professionals is certification renewal.

Microsoft states that role-based and specialty certifications are generally valid for one year and can be renewed through a free online assessment during the renewal window.

The renewal assessment focuses on keeping your skills current with technology changes.

This is particularly important in cloud computing because Azure services evolve continuously.

AZ-500 vs the New Security Direction in 2026

If you searched for:

"AZ-500 certification 2026"

you may see conflicting information because the certification is currently in a transition period.

The important facts are:

• AZ-500 is the Azure Security Engineer certification.

• Microsoft is retiring the Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) certification and exam on August 31, 2026.

• It cannot be earned or renewed after retirement.

• Microsoft has introduced SC-500: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate as the newer security-focused certification direction.

• Existing AZ-500 certifications remain valid until their retirement according to Microsoft's published guidance. 

Therefore, anyone planning a security career should check Microsoft's current certification portfolio before deciding which exam to pursue.

Azure Certification Roadmap for Beginners

If you're completely new to cloud, here's a simple progression:

Beginner

IT Fundamentals
↓
Networking Fundamentals
↓
Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)

Intermediate

Azure Administration
↓
AZ-104

Specialization

Choose one:

Networking → AZ-700

or

Security → Current Azure/Microsoft Security Certification Path

Career Preparation

Hands-on Labs
↓
Real-world Projects
↓
Resume Building
↓
Technical Interviews
↓
IT/Cloud Job Applications

Azure Career Roadmap: Which Path Is Right for You?

Your Background	Recommended Direction
IT Support	AZ-900 → AZ-104
System Administrator	AZ-104 → Cloud specialization
Network Engineer	Networking → AZ-104 knowledge → AZ-700
Cloud Administrator	AZ-104
Cloud Engineer	AZ-104 → specialization
Network Security Professional	Networking + Azure Security
Cloud Security Professional	Azure fundamentals → administration/security specialization
Beginner	AZ-900 → AZ-104 → specialization

Remember: this is a career-planning framework, not a mandatory Microsoft certification sequence.

FAQs

Is AZ-104 worth it in 2026?

Yes, if your career goal involves Azure administration, infrastructure, or cloud operations. Microsoft continues to list Azure Administrator Associate as an active intermediate certification, with AZ-104 covering administration across identity, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring.

Is AZ-700 worth it in 2026?

Yes, particularly for professionals targeting Azure networking roles. The certification currently covers core networking, connectivity, application delivery, private access, and network security.

Should I do AZ-104 before AZ-700?

Not necessarily as a formal prerequisite, but AZ-104-level Azure knowledge can provide useful context for someone moving into Azure networking. AZ-700 itself is focused on networking and expects networking fundamentals and experience with Azure resources.