Azure AZ-120 exam-day guide
Azure AZ-120 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original physical ID you registered with, matching your name exactly. Confirm with the provider which ID types and name variations are accepted before test day.
Appointment confirmation and test-center address
Save the confirmation email or screenshot offline, including appointment time, location, and any check-in instructions. Verify the address and transit route the day before.
Know the delivery format and platform
Confirm whether your appointment is at a test center or online-proctored, and which delivery platform hosts it. Requirements differ, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Review the exam's published objective domains
Re-read the official skills outline for this Azure certification and note the domain weightings. Allocate final study time to the heaviest domains and any you feel weakest in.
Rehearse core Azure administration tasks mentally
Be ready to reason about subscriptions and tenants, governance with policies and role assignments, identity and hybrid connectivity, cost management, and monitoring and backup. Focus on why a solution fits, not memorized clicks.
Practice reading scenario constraints
Many questions hinge on constraints such as region, compliance, existing architecture, or cost limits. Practice extracting those constraints before evaluating answer choices.
Prepare for case-study style reading
If the exam includes longer scenario sets, plan to read the scenario once for constraints and refer back rather than rereading fully each question. Confirm the format with the provider.
Rest, hydration, and light meal
Sleep well the night before and eat something modest. Avoid heavy caffeine if you are prone to jitters during timed testing.
Arrive or log in early
Plan to arrive at the test center or start the online check-in well ahead of your appointment. Confirm the provider's recommended arrival window in advance.
Know what is prohibited in the testing room
Phones, smartwatches, notes, and unauthorized materials are generally not allowed. Confirm the exact list and storage rules with the provider, since they vary by format.
Understand break and timing rules
Confirm whether breaks are available, whether the clock pauses, and how to request one. Do not assume; check the provider's candidate rules.
Plan your score-report next steps
Know where results appear and how to retrieve them afterward. If you do not pass, confirm the retake waiting period with the provider before scheduling again.
Plan the day
Stop broad reading. Rework the official skills outline domain by domain and write a one-line summary of what each domain tests. Spend most time on the heaviest-weighted domains and any you have not practiced. Do a moderate set of practice questions, then review every miss for the underlying concept rather than the wording.
Rehearse architecture reasoning: given a scenario, identify the constraint that eliminates wrong answers. Practice governance, identity, networking, and cost trade-offs in short bursts with breaks. Keep sessions under about 90 minutes to preserve focus.
Do a short light review of your own notes and summary sheet only. Confirm appointment time, location or online check-in steps, and ID requirements. Prepare clothing, ID, and travel plan. Stop studying early enough to sleep at your normal time.
Eat a normal meal and avoid cramming new material. Arrive or begin online check-in with buffer time. Do a brief mental warm-up: recall the domain list and your strategy for constraint-based questions. Keep the pre-exam period calm and quiet.
Read each question fully and identify what is being asked before looking at choices. For scenario questions, note the key constraint first. Answer confident items quickly, flag uncertain ones, and return to them. Watch the clock and reserve time to review flagged items. If a question is truly unknown, eliminate clearly wrong options and choose the best remaining fit rather than leaving it blank, unless the format penalizes guessing, which you should confirm in advance.
Note which domains felt weak while memory is fresh. Retrieve your score report and, if needed, confirm the retake policy and waiting period with the provider before rescheduling.
Rules to check
Present the original government-issued photo ID you registered with; the name must match your registration. Confirm accepted ID types and name-change handling with the provider.
Follow all test-center or proctor instructions, including room scans, desk clearance, and permitted materials. Ask the proctor if unsure rather than guessing.
Do not access phones, smartwatches, notes, or unauthorized applications during the exam. Confirm the provider's rules on permitted items and storage before test day.
Breaks and clock behavior vary by exam and format. Confirm with the provider whether breaks are offered and whether timing pauses; do not assume.
Read the exam's published scoring and passing information from the official source. Do not rely on secondhand claims about passing scores or question counts.
If you do not pass, confirm the retake waiting period and any fee implications with the provider before scheduling again.
Report technical problems or interruptions to the proctor or support channel immediately and follow their documented process.
Treat all exam content as confidential and do not reproduce or share questions afterward.