Azure Certifications: When Experience Meets Exam Roulette

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough airtime in the cloud community: failing Microsoft certification exams—even when you’ve been living and breathing Azure for years.

I’ve been in the Azure ecosystem for over seven years, spanning roles in sales, marketing, delivery, and now presales. You’d think that kind of experience would make passing the AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) a walk in the cloud. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. I’ve failed that exam more times than I care to count. Meanwhile, I passed the DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate) on my second try—with a 689 the first time and an 812 the second—after just a few months of studying.

So, what gives?

🎲 The Certification Lottery

Microsoft exams are a bit like rolling a 20-sided die. Sometimes you get a fair set of questions that align with your real-world experience. Other times, it feels like the exam was written by a sentient ARM template with a grudge.

The week-long cert bootcamps are great for structure and motivation, but let’s be honest: they don’t guarantee a pass. You can study hard, know your stuff, and still get hit with a question that has two technically correct answers—and you have to guess which one Microsoft wants you to pick.

Real-world experience teaches you how to solve problems. Microsoft exams test if you can think like Microsoft documentation.

When it comes to the DP-600, I was told something that turned out to be surprisingly true:

“If you memorize and understand everything in Microsoft Learn for this exam, you’ll be golden.”

And honestly? That advice tracks. The Learn content for DP-600 is comprehensive, well-structured, and (mostly) aligned with the exam. But let’s not pretend it’s easy. Unless you can absorb 185,451,515 different Azure and Power BI services, best practices, and preview features like a sponge, you’re going to miss a few things.

Still, if you’re prepping for DP-600, start here: 👉 Study guide for Exam DP-600: Implementing Analytics Solutions Using Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

Tech Humor Break

• “Why did the Azure admin fail the exam? Because they answered based on what usually works instead of what Microsoft recommends.”

• “Azure certifications: where knowing too much can actually hurt you.”

• “I passed the DP-600 because I studied. I failed the AZ-104 because I knew things.”

If you’ve failed a Microsoft exam—especially one like AZ-104—you’re not alone. These exams are tough, and they don’t always reflect your real-world skills. But they do reward persistence, pattern recognition, and a little bit of luck.

So, here’s my advice:

1. Study hard—especially using Microsoft Learn.

2. Don’t rely solely on experience—learn how Microsoft wants you to think.

3. Don’t beat yourself up if you fail. These exams are designed to be challenging.

4. Try again. And again. And again, if needed. You’re not failing—you’re leveling up.

And remember passing a cert doesn’t make you an expert. But failing one doesn’t mean you’re not.