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The AZ-400 certification validates your expertise in designing and implementing DevOps practices on Azure. Earning this credential is a key step toward attaining the Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert title.

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What You’ll Learn

  • Overview of the AZ-400 exam
  • Exam format, scoring, and timing
  • Who should take this exam
  • The five core technical domains covered
Understanding these details will help you decide if AZ-400 aligns with your career goals and chart a study plan for exam day.

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Exam Overview

CriteriaDetails
Number of questions40–60 (includes unscored items for research)
Question typesMultiple-choice, scenario-based, and hands-on labs
Passing score700 out of 1,000 (no penalty for incorrect answers)
Time limit120 minutes
There’s no penalty for guessing—answer every question. Use official practice tests to gauge your readiness.
The image describes the Microsoft AZ-400 certification exam, highlighting that it includes 40-60 questions, multiple-choice and scenario-based questions, requires a score of 700 or higher, and has a duration of 120 minutes.

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Certification Path

To achieve Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, you must first hold one of these associate-level certificates:
  • Azure Administrator Associate
  • Azure Developer Associate
Then pass the AZ-400 exam to complete the DevOps Engineer Expert certification.
You can pursue self-study or instructor-led courses. Refer to the official learning path for resources.
The image outlines the path to becoming a Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, requiring either an Azure Administrator or Azure Developer Associate certification plus passing the AZ-400 exam.

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Who Should Take AZ-400

This exam is ideal for:
  • Developers building and deploying applications on Azure
  • Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) managing cloud infrastructure
  • Azure Administrators integrating DevOps processes
Whether you’re automating CI/CD or improving collaboration, AZ-400 demonstrates your ability to deliver end-to-end DevOps solutions.
The image lists three groups who should take an exam: Developers, Site Reliability Engineers, and Azure Administrators.

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Exam Domains

DomainFocus Areas
1. Processes and communicationsAgile workflows, collaboration channels, process enforcement
2. Source controlBranching, pull requests, repo policies, pipeline integration
3. Build and release pipelinesCI/CD automation, multi-stage pipelines, environment deployments, artifact management
4. Security and complianceRBAC, auditing, policy enforcement, compliance in CI/CD
5. InstrumentationTelemetry, monitoring with Application Insights & Log Analytics, alerts, dashboards
The image outlines core areas with corresponding percentage ranges, focusing on configuring processes, source control, build pipelines, security plans, and instrumentation strategies.

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1. Configuring Processes and Communications

  • Define Agile boards and work item tracking with Azure Boards
  • Automate notifications via Teams, Slack, or email
  • Enforce policies for code reviews, test sign-offs, and release approvals

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2. Designing and Implementing Source Control

  • Manage Git branching strategies (e.g., Feature, GitFlow)
  • Integrate Azure Repos with Azure Pipelines
  • Enforce pull request policies and build validation
  • Configure repository security and permissions
The image outlines four aspects of designing and implementing source control: managing branching strategies, integrating repositories with Azure pipelines, conducting code reviews, and performing build validation.

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3. Designing and Implementing Build and Release Pipelines

  • Automate CI/CD using Azure Pipelines YAML or Classic editor
  • Build multi-stage deployments with approvals and gates
  • Deploy to Dev, Test, Staging, and Production environments
  • Manage packages with Azure Artifacts
  • Trigger pipelines via code push, schedules, or REST API
The image outlines key components of designing and implementing build and release pipelines, including automating builds, staging environments, deployments, continuous deliveries, and artifact management.

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4. Developing a Security and Compliance Plan

  • Implement Azure RBAC and resource locks
  • Enable audit logs and pipeline security scanning
  • Apply compliance configurations using Azure Policy
  • Integrate security checks directly into your CI/CD workflows

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5. Implementing an Instrumentation Strategy

  • Instrument applications with Application Insights telemetry
  • Monitor application performance and availability
  • Aggregate logs in Log Analytics workspaces
  • Configure alerts on key metrics and build custom dashboards

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Conclusion

AZ-400 demonstrates your ability to build robust DevOps pipelines on Azure. Focus your study on hands-on labs, review sample questions, and master each domain. With dedicated preparation, you’ll earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert badge and showcase your skills in continuous integration, delivery, and monitoring.

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