Azure & Fabric 6-Month Roadmap

AZ-104 · DP-600 · DP-700 · AZ-305 — 24 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week

FOCUS 25:00 0🍅
🔥0day streak
📅--days to exam
Saved locally
Overall Progress
0 / 24 weeks completed
🧭
Smart SuggestionStart studying to get personalized recommendations.
Next best actionUse compact mode and command palette for faster daily study.
Theme:

Today Dashboard

Use this as your daily command center: choose the current week, focus on one task, write blockers, and ask AI for the next best study move.

Today's focus

Choose a week, then build today's plan.

0Milestones done
0AZ-104 labs done
AZ-104Next exam
TheoryMode

Daily Goal

0%
0 / 90 minSet target: min

Log Session

Domain Mastery

Recent Sessions

Quick Links

Add:

Study Statistics

Daily Challenge 🎯

Loading...

Weak Areas

Complete practice exams to see weak areas.

Achievements

Study Notes

Flashcard Review

Loading...
Tap to flip
1 / 20

Study Calendar (last 8 weeks)

Less
More

14-Day Activity

Reading List

Micro Quiz

📋 AZ-104 Objectives

📊 Time by Topic

📖 Key Vocabulary

🎯 Today's Study Plan

📈 Week Comparison

🚀 Study Modes

📝 Recent Activity

Daily notes

Next 50 comprehensive enhancement backlog

A prioritized product backlog for turning this roadmap into a full beginner-friendly learning platform. Track status, filter by category, export to Excel, and ask AI to create a build plan for any selected feature.

50Total ideas
0Done
0High priority
0Planned/building
Feature backlog

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+KCommand palette
Ctrl+SSave state
Ctrl+PPrint
Ctrl+/Global search
Alt+1-9Switch to tab 1-9
?This shortcuts help
EscClose palette / modal / search
FFlip flashcard
/ Prev / Next flashcard
Ctrl+Shift+FFocus mode

Press Esc or click outside to close.

Selected feature detail
Select a feature to see the build detail, beginner value, first implementation step, and AI planning prompt.

What changed from the 3-month sprint

Sustainable pace: 15–20 hrs/week (vs 30) · Buffer weeks between exams · Added AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert) in months 5–6 · Hands-on portfolio projects alongside each cert · Dedicated review & mock-exam weeks before each exam.

AZ-104
Wk 1–6 · Month 1–1.5
DP-600
Wk 8–12 · Month 2–3
DP-700
Wk 14–18 · Month 3.5–4.5
AZ-305
Wk 20–24 · Month 5–6
Milestone Tracker
1
AZ-104
Wk 6
R
Buffer
Wk 7
2
DP-600
Wk 12
R
Buffer
Wk 13
3
DP-700
Wk 18
P
Portfolio
Wk 19
4
AZ-305
Wk 24
Done
Month 7+
24-Week Timeline
1
Week 1–2 · AZ-104
Azure identities, governance & policy
Entra ID (users, groups, MFA), RBAC, management groups, subscriptions, Azure Policy, Blueprints
Microsoft Learn~12 hrs
2
Week 3–4 · AZ-104
Storage & compute fundamentals
Blob, Files, Disks, Storage redundancy · VMs, VMSS, App Service, ACI, AKS basics
Hands-on labs~12 hrs
3
Week 5 · AZ-104
Networking & monitoring
VNets, peering, NSG, Load Balancer, App Gateway, VPN · Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts
MeasureUp labs~8 hrs
Week 6 · AZ-104 Exam
Mock exams + sit AZ-104
3 full practice exams · review weak domains · sit the exam end of week
Practice tests~10 hrs✓ AZ-104
R
Week 7 · Buffer
Rest & portfolio project #1
Light rest, start portfolio project: deploy a multi-tier app to Azure with IaC
Project work~6 hrs
4
Week 8–9 · DP-600
Fabric architecture & Lakehouse
OneLake, workspace planning, Delta Lake, Lakehouse shortcuts, ingestion with Data Factory pipelines
Fabric free trial~12 hrs
5
Week 10–11 · DP-600
Dataflows Gen2, Warehouse & semantic models
Dataflows Gen2, Notebooks, Warehouse vs Lakehouse, DAX, Direct Lake, real-time analytics
Hands-on labs~12 hrs
Week 12 · DP-600 Exam
Mock exams + sit DP-600
MeasureUp DP-600, free practice assessment, review domains · sit exam end of week
Practice tests~10 hrs✓ DP-600
R
Week 13 · Buffer
Rest & portfolio project #2
Start Fabric end-to-end project: ingest → transform → model → Power BI report
Project work~6 hrs
6
Week 14–15 · DP-700
Medallion architecture & Spark engineering
Bronze/Silver/Gold layers, Delta Lake optimisation, Z-order, VACUUM, Spark partitioning, caching
MS Learn DP-700~12 hrs
7
Week 16–17 · DP-700
CI/CD, governance & security
Git integration, deployment pipelines, DevOps automation, workspace roles, RLS, OneLake security, Purview
Hands-on labs~12 hrs
Week 18 · DP-700 Exam
Mock exams + sit DP-700
Practice assessment, review real-time intelligence domain · sit exam end of week
Practice tests~10 hrs✓ DP-700
P
Week 19 · Portfolio sprint
Finalise portfolio projects & GitHub repos
Polish READMEs, architecture diagrams, publish to GitHub, update LinkedIn profile
GitHub~8 hrs
8
Week 20–21 · AZ-305
Design identity, governance & data solutions
Authentication strategies, Conditional Access design, data storage, integration, and data flows for Azure solutions
Microsoft Learn~12 hrs
9
Week 22–23 · AZ-305
Design infrastructure, BC/DR & monitoring
Compute, network, migration solutions · business continuity, disaster recovery · monitoring & logging architecture
Case studies~12 hrs
Week 24 · AZ-305 Exam
Mock exams + sit AZ-305
Case study practice, review all design domains · sit exam · Earn Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Practice tests~10 hrs✓ AZ-305
Month 7+ · What's next
AZ-500 · PL-300 · AI-102 · SC-300
Security Engineer, Power BI Analyst, AI Engineer, Identity & Access Admin
Sustainable Daily Study Plan

Weekdays (Mon–Fri)

1.5 hrs theory (MS Learn)
45 min hands-on labs
15 min flashcard review

Saturday

2 hrs practice exams
1.5 hrs weak topic review
1 hr portfolio project

Sunday

Rest or light review
Watch YouTube summaries
Community / networking

Key Improvements Over 3-Month Sprint

⏱ Sustainable pace

15–20 hrs/week instead of 30 — reduces burnout, improves retention

🔧 Hands-on portfolio

3 real-world projects on GitHub prove skills beyond cert badges

🚀 AZ-305 capstone

Solutions Architect Expert — the most-demanded Azure cert for senior roles

💡 Buffer weeks

Recovery time between exams prevents knowledge decay and cramming

Exam Domains
Manage identities & governance15–20%
Implement & manage storage15–20%
Deploy & manage compute resources20–25%
Implement & manage virtual networking20–25%
Monitor & maintain Azure resources10–15%
Week-by-Week Plan (Wk 1–6)
1
Week 1
Entra ID & identity management
Users, groups, admin units, MFA, Conditional Access, PIM, external identities
2
Week 2
Governance & storage
RBAC, Azure Policy, resource locks, management groups · Blob, Files, storage accounts, redundancy
3
Week 3
Compute resources
VMs, availability sets/zones, VMSS, App Service plans, ACI, AKS, ARM templates & Bicep
4
Week 4
Virtual networking
VNets, subnets, peering, NSG, ASG, Azure Firewall, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Load Balancer
5
Week 5
Monitoring & backup
Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, diagnostic settings, Azure Backup, Recovery Services Vault
Week 6
Exam prep & sit AZ-104
3 full mock exams, review incorrect answers, focus on lowest domains, schedule & sit exam
Learning Resources
Microsoft Learn — AZ-104
Official free path · 50+ modules · hands-on sandboxes
↗ learn.microsoft.com
Exam Readiness Zone — AZ-104
Microsoft Learn video readiness series · measured-skills walkthrough
↗ Exam Readiness Zone
John Savill's AZ-104 Study Cram
Free YouTube master class · 3h deep-dive
↗ youtube.com
MeasureUp AZ-104 Practice Exam
Official Microsoft practice tests · detailed explanations
↗ measureup.com
Whizlabs AZ-104 Labs
Scenario-based hands-on labs · browser-based Azure env
↗ whizlabs.com
Udemy — AZ-104 by Scott Duffy
Top-rated course · 17+ hrs · practice tests included
↗ udemy.com
Register for AZ-104 Exam
Pearson VUE · $165 USD · in-person or online proctored
↗ Book exam
GitHub Study Notes
AZ-104 Labs — MicrosoftLearning
Official lab exercises & instructions
↗ GitHub
Azure in Bullet Points
Community quick-reference cheat sheets
↗ GitHub

AZ-104 real-exam-style practice center

Practice with original scenario questions aligned to public AZ-104 measured skills. Use this for learning and readiness; do not paste secrets, tenant IDs, or private exam-dump content.

Exam setup

Start with one domain in practice mode, then move to mixed timed mode when your score is stable.

45:00Timer
0%Score
0/0Answered
0Flagged

Question workspace

Not startedAZ-104Single answer
Choose Start practice to begin a realistic AZ-104 practice session.
Feedback and explanation will appear here.

Domain performance

Finish a session to see domain score breakdown.

Session review

Your missed questions, weak domains, and next repair steps will appear here.

Official AZ-104 lab package, embedded as a guided checklist

The attached zip contains 14 MicrosoftLearning lab markdown files. Use this page as your beginner-friendly control center: follow the lab order, mark completion, open the official GitHub lab, then export your progress to Excel.

Beginner lab rule

Do one lab at a time. Preview the goal, build slowly, verify the result, clean up paid resources, then ask AI Tutor to explain anything confusing before moving to the next lab.

Beginner lab workflow
1. PreviewRead the lab goal and identify the Azure service.
2. BuildFollow the official lab slowly. Do not skip validation steps.
3. VerifyConfirm the resource works before moving forward.
4. Clean upDelete paid resources unless the next lab needs them.
5. ReviewWrite 3 notes and ask AI for a 5-question quiz.
Filter labs
Local package: AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator-master.zip is in this workspace. If you extract it, the matching files are under Instructions/Labs/. The buttons below open the official MicrosoftLearning GitHub version.
LAB 01 · Identity
Manage Microsoft Entra ID identities
File: LAB_01-Manage_Entra_ID_Identities.md · 45-60 min

Practice users, groups, administrative units, and identity basics. Beginner focus: understand who gets access and how accounts are organized.

↗ Open lab
LAB 02A · RBAC
Manage subscriptions and RBAC
File: LAB_02a_Manage_Subscriptions_and_RBAC_Entra.md · 45-60 min

Assign roles at the right scope and test access. Beginner focus: subscription, resource group, resource, and least privilege.

↗ Open lab
LAB 02B · Policy
Manage governance via Azure Policy
File: LAB_02b-Manage_Governance_via_Azure_Policy.md · 45-60 min

Create assignments, test compliance, and understand guardrails. Beginner focus: prevent mistakes before resources are deployed.

↗ Open lab
LAB 03B · ARM
Manage resources using ARM templates
File: LAB_03b-Manage_Azure_Resources_by_Using_ARM_Templates.md · 45-60 min

Deploy repeatable infrastructure from templates. Beginner focus: learn parameters, deployment validation, and why infrastructure as code matters.

↗ Open lab
LAB 04 · Networking
Implement virtual networking
File: LAB_04-Implement_Virtual_Networking.md · 60-75 min

Create VNets, subnets, DNS, and routing basics. Beginner focus: understand how Azure resources talk privately.

↗ Open lab
LAB 05 · Connectivity
Implement intersite connectivity
File: LAB_05-Implement_Intersite_Connectivity.md · 60-75 min

Practice peering, gateways, and hybrid-style connectivity concepts. Beginner focus: when to connect networks and how traffic flows.

↗ Open lab
LAB 06 · Traffic
Implement network traffic management
File: LAB_06-Implement_Network_Traffic_Management.md · 60-75 min

Work with load balancing and traffic routing. Beginner focus: availability, frontend/backend pools, and health probes.

↗ Open lab
LAB 07 · Storage
Manage Azure Storage
File: LAB_07-Manage_Azure_Storage.md · 60 min

Create storage accounts, blobs, files, access controls, and redundancy. Beginner focus: choose storage options and protect data.

↗ Open lab
LAB 08 · VMs
Manage virtual machines
File: LAB_08-Manage_Virtual_Machines.md · 75-90 min

Deploy, resize, connect, and monitor VMs. Beginner focus: compute sizing, disks, networking, and cost cleanup.

↗ Open lab
LAB 09A · Web Apps
Implement Azure Web Apps
File: LAB_09a-Implement_Web_Apps.md · 45-60 min

Create App Service resources and deploy a simple app. Beginner focus: platform as a service, app settings, and deployment slots.

↗ Open lab
LAB 09B · Containers
Implement Azure Container Instances
File: LAB_09b-Implement_Azure_Container_Instances.md · 45-60 min

Run a container without managing servers. Beginner focus: image, container group, ports, DNS label, and logs.

↗ Open lab
LAB 09C · Container Apps
Implement Azure Container Apps
File: LAB_09c-Implement-Azure-Container-Apps.md · 45-60 min

Deploy containerized apps with managed scale. Beginner focus: container app environment, revisions, ingress, and scaling.

↗ Open lab
LAB 10 · Data Protection
Implement data protection
File: LAB_10-Implement_Data_Protection.md · 60 min

Practice backup and restore concepts. Beginner focus: Recovery Services vault, backup policy, restore point, and disaster recovery thinking.

↗ Open lab
LAB 11 · Monitoring
Implement monitoring
File: LAB_11-Implement_Monitoring.md · 60 min

Use Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and diagnostics. Beginner focus: know what happened, when, and what to do next.

↗ Open lab

Lab Notes Workspace

Capture what you built, errors, verification proof, cleanup status, and screenshots to collect later for your portfolio.

Exam Domains
Plan, implement & manage a Fabric solution10–15%
Implement & manage a data lakehouse25–30%
Implement & manage data warehousing20–25%
Implement & manage data engineering workloads20–25%
Manage semantic models & analytics15–20%
Week-by-Week Plan (Wk 8–12)
1
Week 8
Fabric workspaces & OneLake
Workspace planning, capacity management, OneLake architecture, Lakehouse creation, shortcuts
2
Week 9
Data ingestion & transformation
Data Factory pipelines, Dataflows Gen2, copy activity, data orchestration patterns
3
Week 10
Notebooks, Spark & Warehouse
PySpark notebooks, Delta Lake operations, Warehouse SQL, Lakehouse vs Warehouse decision
4
Week 11
Semantic models & real-time analytics
Direct Lake, DAX measures, Power BI integration, Eventstream, KQL database, real-time dashboards
Week 12
Exam prep & sit DP-600
MeasureUp DP-600, free practice assessment, domain review, schedule & sit exam
Learning Resources
Microsoft Learn — DP-600
Official path · 40+ modules · Fabric sandboxes
↗ learn.microsoft.com
Exam Readiness Zone — DP-600
Maintain a data analytics solution · official readiness video
↗ DP-600 readiness
Microsoft Fabric Free Trial
60-day free Fabric capacity · no credit card
↗ Start free trial
Guy in a Cube — Fabric
Adam Saxton · frequent Fabric tutorials
↗ youtube.com
Pragmatic Works — Fabric
Free bootcamps & deep-dive playlist
↗ youtube.com
Official Practice Assessment
Free Microsoft practice questions
↗ Free practice test
Register for DP-600 Exam
Pearson VUE · $165 USD · 180 min
↗ Book exam
Community
Microsoft Fabric Blog
Official announcements, feature releases
↗ blog.fabric.microsoft.com
Fabric Community Forums
Q&A, ideas, and peer support
↗ community.fabric.microsoft.com

DP-700: Fabric Data Engineer Associate

Builds on DP-600. Focuses on advanced data engineering — medallion pipelines, CI/CD, Spark optimisation, workspace governance, OneLake security, and Purview integration.

Exam Domains
Plan & implement data flows20–25%
Implement & manage a data lakehouse25–30%
Implement & manage data warehousing20–25%
Optimise, monitor & secure Fabric20–25%
Implement & manage real-time intelligence10–15%
Week-by-Week Plan (Wk 14–18)
1
Week 14
Medallion architecture & Delta optimisation
Bronze/Silver/Gold layers, V-Order, Z-order, OPTIMIZE, VACUUM, table maintenance
2
Week 15
Advanced Spark & pipeline patterns
Partitioning, caching, broadcast joins, adaptive query execution, Data Factory orchestration
3
Week 16
CI/CD & DevOps for Fabric
Git integration, deployment pipelines, ALM, Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions automation
4
Week 17
Security, governance & monitoring
Workspace roles, RLS, OneLake security, Microsoft Purview, capacity monitoring, real-time intelligence
Week 18
Exam prep & sit DP-700
Practice assessment, full mock exams, domain review, schedule & sit exam
Key Skills vs DP-600
Medallion architecture
Bronze/Silver/Gold, Delta Lake optimisation, Z-order, VACUUM
CI/CD & Git integration
Fabric workspace Git sync, deployment pipelines, DevOps
Spark performance tuning
Partitioning, caching, adaptive query, Fabric Spark pools
OneLake security & Purview
Workspace roles, RLS, Purview data governance
Learning Resources
Microsoft Learn — DP-700
Official learning path · Fabric Data Engineer
↗ learn.microsoft.com
Exam Readiness Zone — DP-700 / networking link
Uses the readiness URL provided; useful for networking foundations and design thinking
↗ Provided readiness link
Official Practice Assessment
Free Microsoft practice questions
↗ Free practice test
Fabric Data Engineering Labs
Official Microsoft Learning GitHub labs
↗ GitHub
Fabric Engineering — YouTube
Spark & Fabric deep dives
↗ youtube.com
Register for DP-700 Exam
Pearson VUE · $165 USD · 180 min
↗ Book exam
Fabric Notes — Sandeep Pawar
Deep Spark + Fabric engineering blog
↗ fabricnotes.io
DP-600 vs DP-700
DP-600 — Analytics Engineer
Focus: semantic models, Power BI integration, reporting layer, Lakehouse consumption
DP-700 — Data Engineer
Focus: pipeline engineering, Spark, CI/CD, governance, platform operations

AZ-305: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

The capstone certification. Requires AZ-104 as prerequisite. Tests your ability to design complete Azure solutions — identity, data, infrastructure, BC/DR, and monitoring. The most-requested cert for senior/lead Azure roles.

Exam Domains
Design identity, governance & monitoring25–30%
Design data storage solutions20–25%
Design business continuity solutions10–15%
Design infrastructure solutions25–30%
Week-by-Week Plan (Wk 20–24)
1
Week 20
Design identity & governance
Authentication strategies, Conditional Access design, RBAC patterns, management group hierarchies, Policy at scale
2
Week 21
Design data & storage solutions
Relational vs non-relational, data integration, Cosmos DB partitioning, redundancy & tiering strategies
3
Week 22
Design compute & network infrastructure
Compute selection (VMs vs AKS vs Functions), hub-spoke networking, hybrid connectivity, CDN, Front Door
4
Week 23
Design BC/DR & monitoring
RTO/RPO strategies, Azure Site Recovery, geo-redundancy, monitoring architecture, cost optimisation
Week 24
Case studies & sit AZ-305
Practice case study questions, review all domains, schedule & sit exam — earn Solutions Architect Expert
Why AZ-305 Is the Capstone
Prerequisite: AZ-104
Already earned in Month 1 — builds directly on admin skills
Expert-level credential
Only "Expert" cert in Azure infra — proves design ability
Highest salary multiplier
AZ-305 holders command $160K–$220K+ in NYC
Case-study format
Scenario-based — your Fabric + admin knowledge gives an edge
Learning Resources
Microsoft Learn — AZ-305
Official path · design-focused modules · case studies
↗ learn.microsoft.com
Exam Readiness Zone — AZ-305
Official FY25 readiness video · architecture decision practice
↗ AZ-305 readiness
John Savill's AZ-305 Study Cram
Free YouTube architecture deep-dive
↗ youtube.com
Official Practice Assessment
Free Microsoft practice questions
↗ Free practice test
MeasureUp AZ-305
Official practice tests · case study format
↗ measureup.com
Register for AZ-305 Exam
Pearson VUE · $165 USD
↗ Book exam
Azure Architecture Center
Reference architectures, patterns, best practices
↗ architecture center

Exam Readiness Zone

Track mock scores, weak domains, readiness checklists, and final exam decisions. Aim for 80%+ twice before booking or sitting an exam.

AZ-104

DP-600

DP-700

AZ-305

0%Average score
BuildDecision
0/6Checklist
AZ-104Focus exam

Ready / not-ready checklist

Weak domains

Official readiness links
AZ-104 Exam Readiness
Official Microsoft readiness search
Open AZ-104
DP-600 Exam Readiness
Maintain a data analytics solution
Open DP-600
Provided DP-700/AZ-700 readiness link
Networking readiness link supplied earlier
Open provided link
AZ-305 Exam Readiness
FY25 Solutions Architect readiness
Open AZ-305
Free no-key AI API: Pollinations.ai

Your beginner AI coach for Azure, Fabric, and portfolio projects

Ask plain-English questions, generate a weekly checklist, simplify hard topics, or turn a portfolio idea into step-by-step tasks. The app uses a free public text API by default and keeps a built-in guide available if the API is busy or offline.

Beginner rule

Do not try to memorize everything first. For every topic, follow this loop: learn the idea, build one tiny lab, ask AI to explain mistakes, write 5 notes, then do 10 practice questions.

Step-by-step beginner path
1

Prepare free accounts

Create Microsoft Learn, Azure free account, GitHub, and Microsoft Fabric trial. Bookmark this roadmap and keep one notebook for commands, screenshots, and mistakes.

2

Set up tools

Install VS Code, Azure CLI, Git, Power BI Desktop, and optional Docker. Sign in to Azure CLI and GitHub before labs.

3

Learn one topic

Read one Microsoft Learn unit, watch one short video, then ask the AI Tutor to explain it like you are new to cloud.

4

Build a tiny lab

Create the smallest working version: one storage account, one VNet, one Lakehouse, or one pipeline. Screenshot every result.

5

Practice and review

Use AI to make 10 quiz questions, answer them yourself, then ask it to explain only the answers you missed.

6

Publish proof

For each project, publish a GitHub README with architecture diagram, setup steps, screenshots, lessons learned, and cost notes.

Ask the AI Tutor
Ready. No API key required. Online access is needed for live AI answers.
Choose a prompt or type your own question. The answer will appear here.
AI-integrated solution ideas

AI study coach

Ask the Tutor to explain each week, generate quizzes, summarize mistakes, and turn hard topics into beginner labs.

Use: every study day

AI lab debugger

Paste an Azure/Fabric error message and ask for likely cause, beginner explanation, and exact next checks.

Use: during labs

AI portfolio writer

Generate README outlines, architecture explanations, project summaries, and LinkedIn post drafts from your project notes.

Use: after projects

AI interview trainer

Generate role-specific questions for Azure Admin, Fabric Data Engineer, and Solutions Architect roles, then practice answers.

Use: Month 5+
Copy-ready beginner prompts
Explain first
I am a beginner. Explain [topic] in simple words, then give one analogy, one Azure example, and one 20-minute lab.
Lab checklist
Create a click-by-click beginner lab for [topic]. Include prerequisites, exact steps, how to verify success, and cleanup.
Error helper
Here is my error: [paste error]. Explain what it means, the top 3 likely causes, and the safest next command/check.
Interview practice
Act as an interviewer for [role]. Ask me 5 beginner-to-intermediate questions and explain the ideal answer after each one.

AI Quiz Generator

Generate quick local quiz questions, save weak topics, then hand the same topic to AI Tutor for deeper explanation.

Quiz output

Choose a certification and topic, then generate a quiz.

Weak topics bank

Best places to put AI in this roadmap

Use AI at the points where beginners usually get stuck: before a lab to preview concepts, during a lab to explain errors, after a lab to quiz weak areas, and during portfolio work to turn notes into professional project documentation.

Suitable AI frontend placements

1. Inline lab coach

Place an AI button on every lab card. It prepares prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, verification checks, cleanup, and quiz questions.

2. Error explainer panel

Paste Azure Portal, CLI, or Fabric errors. The tutor explains the cause, safe checks, and a beginner-friendly fix path.

3. Weekly planner

Use roadmap progress to create a realistic 7-day plan with theory, labs, review, and rest blocks.

4. Exam readiness coach

Use Microsoft Exam Readiness links to generate focused questions by measured skill and explain why wrong choices are wrong.

5. Portfolio writer

Convert lab notes into README sections, architecture diagrams, LinkedIn summaries, and interview talking points.

6. Interview simulator

Practice Azure Admin, Fabric Analytics Engineer, Fabric Data Engineer, and Solutions Architect interviews with progressive difficulty.

Beginner-ready AI Tutor development checklist
1

Define the tutor job

Choose one job first: explain, lab guide, error helper, quiz, portfolio writer, or interview practice. Keep each button focused.

2

Collect page context

Send the current cert, lab title, domain, completion progress, and the user question. Avoid sending secrets, tokens, or account IDs.

3

Use a clear prompt frame

Tell AI to use Summary, Step-by-step, Practice task, Common mistakes, and Next question. This keeps answers consistent.

4

Call the free API

Use Pollinations text API for no-key browser demos. Keep a visible endpoint field so you can swap providers later.

5

Add fallback UX

If the public API is down or slow, show a built-in beginner checklist so studying can continue offline.

6

Save and export

Save progress locally, and export milestones, labs, and editable notes to Excel for professional tracking.

AI tutor prompts by certification
AZ-104 lab tutor
Guide me through [AZ-104 lab name] as a beginner. Include prerequisites, exact portal/CLI checks, cleanup, common mistakes, and a 5-question quiz.
DP-600 analytics tutor
Explain this DP-600 concept for a beginner: [topic]. Then give one Fabric Lakehouse or semantic model practice task and a verification checklist.
DP-700 engineering tutor
Turn this DP-700 topic into a medallion pipeline mini-lab: [topic]. Include Bronze/Silver/Gold steps, data quality checks, and performance notes.
AZ-305 architect tutor
Give me an AZ-305 case study for [architecture topic]. Ask one design question, then explain the best answer and tradeoffs step by step.
Recommended AI frontend roadmap

Phase 1: Single-page AI Tutor

Keep the current no-build HTML app. Build prompts, endpoint field, fallback answer, and local progress first.

Beginner friendly

Phase 2: Lab-aware tutor

Connect every AZ-104 lab card to the AI Tutor. Auto-fill the lab title and ask AI to generate guide, checks, and quiz.

High value

Phase 3: Workbook tracking

Export progress and notes to Excel so you can share with mentors, recruiters, or your own weekly review.

Professional

Phase 4: Production app later

When ready, migrate to React/Vite with a small backend proxy for secure paid APIs. Keep the same prompt structure.

Future upgrade

Why build a portfolio alongside certifications?

Certs prove knowledge, projects prove ability. NYC hiring managers want GitHub repos, architecture diagrams, and working demos. Each project aligns with a cert phase and compounds skills.

Portfolio Builder

Turn each roadmap project into a recruiter-ready GitHub README, architecture story, LinkedIn post, and interview talking points.

Your README draft will appear here.
Project 1 — After AZ-104 (Week 7)
AZ-104 Applied
Multi-tier Azure Web App with IaC
Deploy a 3-tier web app (App Service + Azure SQL + Redis Cache) using Bicep/ARM templates. Configure VNet integration, NSG rules, Azure Monitor alerts, and automated backups. Document architecture with a Mermaid diagram.
BicepApp ServiceAzure SQLVNetAzure MonitorCI/CD
Project 2 — After DP-600 (Week 13)
DP-600 Applied
End-to-End Fabric Analytics Pipeline
Build a complete pipeline: ingest NYC Open Data (taxi trips or 311 calls) into Lakehouse via Data Factory → transform in PySpark with Delta Lake → build semantic model with Direct Lake → Power BI dashboard. Include Eventstream for real-time view.
OneLakeData FactoryPySparkDelta LakeDirect LakePower BI
Project 3 — After DP-700 (Week 19)
DP-700 Applied
Production-Grade Medallion Data Platform
Extend Project 2: implement Bronze/Silver/Gold with quality checks, Git integration + deployment pipelines for CI/CD, workspace RBAC & RLS, Purview scanning, and capacity monitoring dashboard.
MedallionCI/CDGit IntegrationRLSPurviewSpark Tuning
Project 4 — Capstone (Week 24)
AZ-305 Capstone
Enterprise Architecture Design Document
Create a comprehensive architecture design for a fictional enterprise: identity & governance, hub-spoke network, data platform using Fabric, BC/DR with RTO/RPO targets, cost analysis, monitoring framework. Polished PDF/Markdown with Mermaid diagrams.
ArchitectureHub-SpokeBC/DRCost AnalysisGovernanceMermaid
Project 5 — AI integration add-on
AI Applied
Free AI Study Coach & Lab Assistant
Build a small browser app that uses the free Pollinations text API to explain Azure topics, generate lab checklists, quiz you, and summarize your mistakes. Store progress in localStorage, add prompt templates, and include a fallback guide when the API is unavailable.
Prompt DesignFree AI APIFetchJavaScriptlocalStorageFallback UX
Portfolio Presentation Tips
GitHub README structure
Title → Architecture diagram → Problem statement → Tech stack → Setup guide → Screenshots → Lessons learned
LinkedIn integration
Pin each project as "Featured" · write a short article about what you built and why
Architecture diagrams
Use draw.io, Excalidraw, or Mermaid — interviewers love visual docs
Blog / write-up
Write "lessons learned" on Medium, Dev.to, or LinkedIn for each project
$135K
Avg AZ-104 NYC
$148K
Avg DP-600 NYC
$158K
Avg DP-700 NYC
$195K+
All 4 certs
Top NYC Roles
AZ-104
Azure Cloud Administrator
Banks, insurance, healthcare · Midtown NYC
$115K–$145K
per year
AZ-104
Azure Infrastructure Engineer
Microsoft partners, MSPs · Remote hybrid
$120K–$155K
per year
DP-600
Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer
FinTech, media, retail · Downtown NYC
$130K–$165K
per year
DP-600
Power BI / Fabric BI Developer
Retail, healthcare, consulting · NYC
$110K–$140K
per year
DP-700
Fabric Data Engineer
FinServ, tech, consulting · NYC hybrid
$140K–$175K
per year
DP-700
Senior Data Platform Engineer
Hedge funds, media · Wall St
$150K–$185K
per year
AZ-305
Azure Solutions Architect
Enterprise · Big 4 consulting · Midtown NYC
$160K–$220K
per year
AZ-305
Cloud Infrastructure Architect
FinServ, tech · Wall Street / Midtown
$170K–$230K
per year
All 4 certs
Cloud Data Solutions Architect
Enterprise · Midtown / Wall Street NYC
$180K–$240K
per year
All 4 certs
Azure & Fabric Platform Consultant
Deloitte, KPMG, Accenture · NYC
$155K–$200K
per year
Top NYC Hiring Companies
Microsoft
JPMorgan Chase
Goldman Sachs
Accenture
Deloitte
KPMG
Slalom
Cognizant
Infosys
Bloomberg LP
MetLife
Verizon
EY
PwC
Capgemini
McKinsey
Job Search Links
LinkedIn Jobs
Search "Microsoft Fabric" + "New York"
↗ linkedin.com/jobs
Microsoft Careers NYC
Official Microsoft job listings in NY
↗ careers.microsoft.com
Dice.com — Azure jobs
Tech-focused job board · Azure listings
↗ dice.com
NYC Azure Meetup
Azure & Data community in NYC
↗ meetup.com
Salary Progression Timeline
Month 1.5 — AZ-104
$115K–$145K · Azure Admin roles

Month 3 — + DP-600
$130K–$165K · Fabric & analytics
Month 4.5 — + DP-700
$140K–$185K · Senior data engineer

Month 6 — + AZ-305
$180K–$240K · Architect & lead roles

Customize

Data Backup & Restore

Export all your study data as JSON or paste a backup to restore.

Progress copied to clipboard!

Markdown Study Summary

Azure Study Roadmap

Your personal Azure certification study companion

Built with ❤️ for Azure certification success

✓ Saved