If you are preparing for the AZ-104 exam in 2026, there is one thing you should check before continuing with an older study plan: the exam has been updated.

Microsoft has published an updated AZ-104 study guide with skills measured from April 17, 2026. The update does not completely change the Microsoft Azure Administrator certification, but there are several changes to the skills and topics candidates should pay attention to.

This means you do not necessarily need to start your preparation from zero. However, if you are using an older AZ-104 syllabus, course, video series, or study guide, it is worth comparing it with the current exam objectives.

In this guide, we will look at the AZ-104 2026 update, what changed, what stayed the same, and how you can adjust your AZ-104 study plan.

What Is the AZ-104 Exam?

The AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator certification is designed for people who work with Azure environments and are responsible for implementing, managing, and monitoring Azure resources.

The exam focuses on practical Azure administration rather than simply remembering definitions.

Microsoft expects candidates to have knowledge of areas such as:

• Azure networking
• Azure storage
• Azure compute
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Security
• Governance
• Monitoring
• PowerShell
• Azure CLI
• Azure Portal
• Azure Resource Manager templates
• Bicep

Microsoft also recommends that candidates have a basic understanding of operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization.

So, if you are preparing for the Microsoft Azure Administrator certification, your preparation should include both concepts and hands-on practice.

What Changed in the AZ-104 2026 Update?

The most important point about the AZ-104 2026 update is that it is not a complete redesign of the exam.

Microsoft’s change log shows that several major skill areas remain unchanged, while a number of individual objectives received minor changes.

The current AZ-104 exam continues to focus on five broad areas:

1. Manage Azure identities and governance
2. Implement and manage storage
3. Deploy and manage Azure compute resources
4. Implement and manage virtual networking
5. Monitor and maintain Azure resources

This is good news if you have already started studying. Your existing preparation is still useful.

The important part is to update your study plan instead of throwing it away.

1. Azure Identity and Governance Still Matters

Identity and governance continue to be an important part of AZ-104 preparation.

You should be comfortable working with Microsoft Entra ID, users, groups, subscriptions, Azure role-based access control and Azure governance features.

When studying this section, do not simply memorize what each service does.

Try to understand questions such as:

• Who should have access to an Azure resource?
• Which Azure role should be assigned?
• Where should a user or group be given permissions?
• How can access be restricted?
• How do Azure Policy and resource locks help?
• How are subscriptions and resources organized?

This approach will make your preparation more useful for scenario-based questions.

Topics to revise

Your AZ-104 exam preparation should include:

• Microsoft Entra users and groups
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Azure subscriptions
• Management groups
• Azure Policy
• Resource locks
• Tags
• Azure resources and resource groups

2. Azure Storage Remains an Important Area

Azure storage continues to be part of the current AZ-104 skills.

Microsoft’s updated guide identifies storage implementation and management as one of the main areas covered by the exam. The storage objectives received minor updates rather than being completely replaced.

Make sure you understand the differences between the major storage options and, more importantly, when you would use each one.

For example, your AZ-104 syllabus 2026 preparation should cover:

• Azure Storage accounts
• Azure Blob Storage
• Azure Files
• Storage security
• Storage access
• Storage redundancy
• Data protection
• Storage performance considerations

A common mistake is spending too much time memorizing storage terminology without actually creating and configuring storage resources.

If possible, create a storage account in Azure and experiment with the available settings.

3. Azure Compute Is Still a Core AZ-104 Topic

Azure compute remains another major part of the exam.

The current skills measured continue to include deploying and managing Azure compute resources, with virtual machines and containers among the areas receiving minor changes.

Your preparation should cover:

• Azure Virtual Machines
• VM configuration
• VM availability
• VM sizes
• Disks
• Virtual machine scaling
• Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• Azure App Service
• Containers
• Azure Container Instances

Do not study these services independently.

Instead, ask yourself:

“If a company needs this type of workload, why would I choose this Azure service?”

That small change in your approach can make your preparation much stronger.

4. Networking Continues to Be Essential

If networking is already one of your stronger areas, this section can become an advantage during the exam.

The current AZ-104 skills continue to include implementing and managing virtual networks. Microsoft lists only minor changes to several networking objectives.

You should be comfortable with:

• Azure Virtual Network
• Subnets
• IP addressing
• Network Security Groups
• Network interfaces
• Public and private IP addresses
• Network peering
• Route tables
• Azure Load Balancer
• Application Gateway
• VPN Gateway
• Network troubleshooting

Do not limit yourself to definitions.

For example, instead of only learning what an NSG is, understand what happens when an NSG rule allows or blocks traffic.

That kind of practical understanding is much more useful for AZ-104 exam questions.

5. Monitoring and Maintaining Azure Resources

Monitoring continues to be part of the current AZ-104 exam.

The updated skills include monitoring Azure resources, while the broader monitoring and maintenance area remains part of the certification.

Your study plan should include:

• Azure Monitor
• Metrics
• Logs
• Alerts
• Activity Log
• Log Analytics
• Azure Backup
• Resource monitoring
• Basic troubleshooting

A good way to study monitoring is to create a resource in Azure and actually monitor it.

For example:

1. Create a virtual machine.
2. Open Azure Monitor.
3. Review its metrics.
4. Create an alert.
5. Check activity logs.
6. Make a configuration change.
7. Review what appears in the logs.

This takes you beyond textbook learning.

What Did NOT Change in the AZ-104 2026 Update?

This is something many candidates misunderstand.

An exam update does not automatically mean that everything in the old syllabus is now irrelevant.

Microsoft’s change log shows that several major areas had no change, including:

• Implementing and managing storage
• Deploying and managing Azure compute resources
• Implementing and managing virtual networks
• Monitoring and maintaining Azure resources

Some individual objectives within these areas received minor updates, so candidates should still review the current Microsoft study guide rather than relying entirely on an older version.

So if you have already completed several weeks of AZ-104 preparation, do not restart everything.

Compare your existing study material against the current objectives and concentrate on the differences.

How Should You Adjust Your AZ-104 Study Plan?

A Simple 6-Week AZ-104 Study Plan for 2026

If you are starting your preparation now, you can structure your AZ-104 study plan 2026 like this:

Week	Focus Area	What to Study
Week 1	Identity & Governance	Entra ID, RBAC, subscriptions, Policy, locks
Week 2	Storage	Storage accounts, Blob Storage, Azure Files, security
Week 3	Compute	VMs, VM Scale Sets, App Service, containers
Week 4	Networking	VNets, subnets, NSGs, peering, Load Balancer, VPN
Week 5	Monitoring	Azure Monitor, logs, alerts, Backup, troubleshooting
Week 6	Revision	Practice questions, labs, weak areas and mock tests

If you already have Azure experience, you can shorten the first five weeks and spend more time on practice questions and hands-on work.

If you are completely new to Azure, give yourself additional time rather than trying to rush through the syllabus.

Should You Use an Old AZ-104 Course?

You can, but you should be careful.

An older AZ-104 course can still be useful for learning the core Azure services. However, you should compare its content against the AZ-104 2026 exam objectives.

This is especially important if the course was created several years ago.

Before relying on an old course, check:

• When was it last updated?
• Does it cover the current Microsoft Entra ID content?
• Does it cover the current Azure networking objectives?
• Does it include the current storage and compute topics?
• Does it provide hands-on labs?
• Does it cover Azure CLI and PowerShell?
• Does it include current practice questions?

The safest approach is to use the current Microsoft study guide as your reference point.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in AZ-104 Preparation

1. Studying only from videos

Videos are useful, but watching hours of Azure tutorials without using Azure yourself can leave major gaps.

2. Memorizing service definitions

Knowing that a service exists is not the same as knowing when to use it.

3. Ignoring networking

Networking is a major part of Azure administration. Make sure you understand how Azure networks actually work.

4. Skipping Azure CLI and PowerShell

Microsoft expects candidates to have experience with Azure Portal, PowerShell and Azure CLI.

5. Using only old practice questions

Practice questions are useful for understanding the style of the exam, but they should not replace the current exam objectives.

6. Ignoring hands-on practice

If you have access to an Azure environment, use it.

Creating resources yourself is one of the best ways to understand Azure administration.

Is AZ-104 Still Worth Taking in 2026?

Yes, especially if you want to build a career around Azure administration, cloud infrastructure or related cloud roles.

The 2026 update does not completely change what an Azure Administrator needs to know. The core areas remain focused on identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, monitoring and administration.

The bigger lesson from the AZ-104 2026 update is that your preparation should follow the current exam objectives, not simply an old AZ-104 syllabus.

If you have already started studying, there is no need to panic or start over.

Review the changes, identify the areas you have not covered, update your notes, and spend more time working with Azure directly.

Final AZ-104 2026 Preparation Checklist

Most importantly, don’t prepare only to recognize the correct answer.

Prepare to understand why that answer is correct.

That is the approach that will make your AZ-104 2026 exam preparation more useful, whether you are a beginner or already working with Azure.

Conclusion

The AZ-104 2026 update is an important reason to review your preparation, but it is not a reason to throw away everything you have already learned.

The major Azure administration areas remain relevant. The better strategy is to compare your current study material with Microsoft’s latest exam objectives, focus on the updated areas, strengthen your practical skills and then move into scenario-based practice.

If your goal is to become a Microsoft Azure Administrator, the best preparation is not simply learning the AZ-104 syllabus. If you are looking for structured guidance, hands-on practice, and instructor-led learning, Network Rhinos also offers training programs designed around practical IT and cloud skills.

It is learning how to actually administer Azure.