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Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) - Exam Strategy

Format reminder

  • 40-60 questions, 100 minutes
  • Pass mark: 700 / 1000 (70%)
  • Mix of multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, case studies (2-3 case studies, each with 4-7 questions about a single scenario)
  • AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) is the prerequisite

Top traps

  1. PHS vs PTA vs AD FS: Microsoft strongly recommends PHS as the simplest. PTA when password sync is unacceptable. AD FS only when legacy compliance demands it - not the modern answer.

  2. Cosmos DB consistency levels: Strong, Bounded Staleness, Session (default), Consistent Prefix, Eventual. Tested often. Strong = highest correctness, lowest availability; Eventual = highest availability, lowest correctness; Session = read-your-own-writes per session. Pick based on the question's correctness vs availability balance.

  3. Storage tier transitions: Hot → Cool → Cold → Archive. Each has access frequency and rehydration latency tradeoffs. Lifecycle policy automates.

  4. Resource hierarchy: Management Group → Subscription → Resource Group → Resource. Policy and RBAC apply at any level and inherit.

  5. Network designs: Hub-spoke with VNet peering vs Virtual WAN. Virtual WAN is the modern multi-region answer; hub-spoke is for single-region or smaller topologies.

  6. VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute: VPN over internet (encrypted by default, lower bandwidth, lower SLA). ExpressRoute private (higher SLA, higher cost, MACsec for encryption on supported speeds).

  7. Azure SQL flavors:

  8. SQL Database (single DB or elastic pool, fully managed PaaS)
  9. SQL Managed Instance (closest to on-prem SQL, supports SQL Agent, CLR, cross-DB queries)

  10. SQL Server on Azure VM (IaaS, full control, BYOL) Pick by the customer's tolerance for managed vs control needs.

  11. Service tier selection under Azure SQL:

  12. DTU vs vCore: vCore is modern, more flexible, supports Hyperscale and Serverless
  13. Hyperscale: 100 TB+, fast backups via snapshots
  14. Serverless: pause when idle, pay per second active

  15. Business Critical: in-memory OLTP, multi-AZ replicas

  16. Data factory vs Synapse vs Databricks: Data Factory is orchestration. Synapse is the unified analytics platform (SQL pool, Spark pool, pipelines). Databricks is best-in-class Spark with MLflow.

  17. Key Vault vs Managed HSM: Vault for most use cases (FIPS 140-2 Level 2). Managed HSM for FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (regulatory).

Case study tactics

Each case study presents a fictitious company with requirements. Read the case study summary once, then for each question, jump back to the relevant section. Don't re-read everything per question. Common mistakes:

  • Missing a constraint buried in "Existing Environment" (e.g., "all servers must remain on-prem until 2027")
  • Ignoring "must minimize costs" or "must minimize administrative effort" qualifiers
  • Picking a technically correct but more expensive answer when "cost-effective" is the criterion

Time management

100 / ~50 = 2 min/question average. Case study questions are faster (you've already loaded context); standalone scenarios are slower. Pace: aim to be at the second case study by minute 60. Leave 10 min for review.

When stuck

  1. Read the case study or question for the deciding constraint - cost, time-to-deploy, RPO/RTO, on-prem dependency.
  2. Default to PaaS over IaaS unless the question rules out PaaS.
  3. Default to Microsoft-recommended pattern - Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework + Well-Architected guidance is what AZ-305 tests.
  4. Eliminate deprecated/legacy answers - AD FS, Azure Service Manager (classic), Resource Manager templates without Bicep references.

Day-of logistics

100 min, ~50 questions: faster pace than AWS Pro exams. Bring two IDs. Online proctored: clear room.

After

Pass: Cert valid 1 year (Microsoft moved to annual renewal). Renew via short online assessment (free).

Fail: Most failures cluster on Identity & Governance (~25%) or Business Continuity (~10-15%). Re-review Azure AD Connect modes, Cosmos DB consistency, ASR vs Backup distinction.

AZ-305 patterns

  • "Hybrid identity, no on-prem federation server" = Azure AD Connect with PHS or PTA
  • "Global multi-write key-value" = Cosmos DB
  • "Cheap interruptible compute" = Spot VMs
  • "Private hybrid 10 Gbps" = ExpressRoute
  • "DR for IaaS, RPO minutes" = Azure Site Recovery
  • "Many subscriptions, consistent policy" = Management Groups + Azure Policy initiatives
  • "Cheap rarely-accessed storage" = Blob Archive tier
  • "Service mesh on AKS without code changes" = Istio add-on
  • "Multi-region SQL with async replication" = Auto-failover groups
  • "Encrypted private hybrid (high speeds)" = ExpressRoute with MACsec