Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) – 2026 Exam Review
February 2026
The Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) is Microsoft’s architect-level exam designed to validate a candidate’s ability to design end-to-end solutions on Microsoft Azure. The exam focuses less on day-to-day administration and more on architectural decision-making, trade-offs, and solution design across cloud and hybrid environments.
This certification sits within the Azure Solutions Architect certification pathway. Most candidates pursuing AZ-305 will already have completed the Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or have equivalent experience, giving them a solid intermediate understanding of Azure services and operational concepts.
Successfully undertaking this certification requires more than knowing how Azure services work in isolation. Candidates are expected to understand:
- How Azure services integrate with one another
- How to design secure, scalable, resilient solutions
- How to architect solutions that span on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments
What the AZ-305 Exam Covers
The AZ-305 exam spans a broad range of Azure architectural topics. While it does test knowledge of individual Azure services—such as networking, identity, storage, and security—the primary goal is to assess your ability to combine these services into cohesive, real-world solutions that meet business, technical, and operational requirements.
Key focus areas include:
- Identity, governance, and monitoring
- Data storage and data platform design
- Business continuity and disaster recovery
- Core infrastructure and networking architecture
The exam consistently challenges candidates to think from a customer and solution-design perspective, rather than a purely technical implementation viewpoint.
Preparing for the Exam
If you’re preparing for AZ-305, it’s strongly recommended to use multiple study resources. Microsoft provides several official preparation tools, including:
- Microsoft Learn – AZ-305 Certification Learning Path
- Official study guides
- Practice assessments
- Instructor-led training options
Because Microsoft regularly evolves Azure services and architectural best practices, it’s important to frequently review the official AZ-305 certification page to stay current with any updates to the exam scope or skills measured.
Skills Measured
The skills measured for the AZ-305 exam are broadly weighted as follows:
- 30–35% – Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions
- 25–30% – Design Data Storage Solutions
- 15–20% – Design Business Continuity Solutions
- 25–30% – Design Infrastructure Solutions
(Always verify the latest weighting on Microsoft Learn.)
My Overall Experience with the Exam
Based on my experience, over 70% of the exam focused on identity, governance, business continuity, and data storage, with the remaining 30% centred on infrastructure design.
The exam placed strong emphasis on:
- Designing business continuity and disaster recovery solutions
- Architecting resilient and scalable storage
- Applying governance, risk, and compliance principles across Azure resources
While infrastructure design formed a smaller percentage of the exam, it played a crucial role in bringing all four skill areas together, requiring candidates to think holistically about how an entire Azure solution is architected and delivered.
Study Resources I Used
My study library consisted of:
- Microsoft Learn – AZ-305 Certification Learning Path
- Microsoft Learn – AZ-305 Practice Assessment
- MeasureUp – AZ-305 Practice Assessment
Final Thoughts
The AZ-305 is a true architecture exam. Success depends on your ability to design solutions that balance security, cost, performance, resiliency, and governance—not just knowing which Azure service to deploy.
Best of luck with your studies.
#AlwaysLearning