# Azure Solutions Architect Expert Study Plan (AZ-305) Fully guided Azure AZ-305 study plan. Design identity, governance, storage, infrastructure, and migration solutions. Expert-level Azure certification. Canonical URL: https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/az-305-solutions-architect/ [Cloud certifications](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/index.md)›[Azure](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/index.md)›Azure Solutions Architect Expert Azure · AZ-305 Updated August 2026 Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) validates ability to design cloud and hybrid solutions on Azure. The flagship Azure architect-level certification. Typical prep ~120h Timeline ~12w Exam fee $165 USD Level expert [Official exam guide (HTML)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-305) Plan length 6 weeks12 weeks18 weeks 12 weeks · ~10h/week ### Approximate milestones 12 weeks CoverageMonths 1–2 1. Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions~wk 2 2. Design data storage solutions~wk 4 3. Design business continuity solutions~wk 5 4. Design infrastructure solutions~wk 7 ReviewMonths 2–3 Mock examsMonth 3 Examend of Month 3 #### Your full plan · 12 weeks to exam day 12 weeks · ~10h/week CoverageReviewMocks· chips show the task mix for that week; buffer days are the planned rest ##### October 2026 1. Wk 1Oct 12 – Oct 18Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards25-30%5 study · 2 buffer 2. Wk 2Oct 19 – Oct 25Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards25-30%5 study · 2 buffer 3. Wk 3Oct 26 – Nov 1Design data storage solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards20-25%5 study · 2 buffer ##### November 2026 1. Wk 4Nov 2 – Nov 8Design data storage solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards20-25%5 study · 2 buffer 2. Wk 5Nov 9 – Nov 15Design business continuity solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards15-20%5 study · 2 buffer 3. Wk 6Nov 16 – Nov 22Design infrastructure solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards30-35%5 study · 2 buffer 4. Wk 7Nov 23 – Nov 29Design infrastructure solutionsCoverageReadQuizFlashcards30-35%5 study · 2 buffer 5. Wk 8Nov 30 – Dec 6ReviewReviewQuizFlashcards5 study · 2 buffer ##### December 2026 1. Wk 9Dec 7 – Dec 13ReviewReviewQuizFlashcards5 study · 2 buffer 2. Wk 10Dec 14 – Dec 20ReviewReviewQuizFlashcards5 study · 2 buffer 3. Wk 11Dec 21 – Dec 27MocksMocksQuizFlashcards5 study · 2 buffer 4. Wk 12Dec 28 – Jan 3MocksMocksQuizFlashcards5 study · 2 buffer Exam daySun, Jan 3, 2027End of week 12 ### AZ-305 activity tracker A visual preview of how exclam.ai turns your AZ-305 plan into daily domain coverage, flashcard, quiz, review, and mock streaks. Switch the plan length to match your exam timeline. Active days 24 Best day 54 min Total study time 11 h 51 min Avg / study day 30 min LessMore Study activityReview / at riskExam day Sample activity — your own streaks, study time, and module milestones appear here once you upload. Sign in to unlock your full 12 weeks plan Every module dated to your exam, with quizzes and FSRS flashcards generated from your own materials. [Unlock my full plan free](https://exclam.ai/pricing/index.md) ## Exam format 40-60 questions, 120 minutes. Multiple choice, case studies, design scenarios. Prerequisites AZ-104 (Administrator) is a prerequisite. Strong Azure hands-on experience required. Exam fee $165 USD ## Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam domains The 4 domains tested on AZ-305, with approximate weights from the official exam guide. exclam.ai weights your study plan according to these percentages. | Domain | Approximate weight | | --- | --- | | Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions | 25-30% | | Design data storage solutions | 20-25% | | Design business continuity solutions | 15-20% | | Design infrastructure solutions | 30-35% | Source: [official AZ-305 exam guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-305) published by Microsoft Azure. ### Suggested schedule, module-by-module How the 4-domain AZ-305 plan distributes across the plan length you pick above. Heavier-weight domains get more time; lighter ones may pair into a single week. Module 1 of 4 Weeks 1–2 Exam weight 25-30% #### Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions Cover Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions end-to-end. Build flashcards covering every learning objective and quiz yourself before moving to the next module. Module 2 of 4 Weeks 3–4 Exam weight 20-25% #### Design data storage solutions Cover Design data storage solutions end-to-end. Build flashcards covering every learning objective and quiz yourself before moving to the next module. Module 3 of 4 Week 5 Exam weight 15-20% #### Design business continuity solutions Cover Design business continuity solutions end-to-end. Build flashcards covering every learning objective and quiz yourself before moving to the next module. Module 4 of 4 Weeks 6–7 Exam weight 30-35% #### Design infrastructure solutions Cover Design infrastructure solutions end-to-end. Build flashcards covering every learning objective and quiz yourself before moving to the next module. Phase: Review Weeks 8–10 #### Review Weak-topic drilling. exclam.ai surfaces topics where you underperformed during coverage and re-quizzes them. Daily FSRS flashcard reps across all 4 topics to prevent decay. Start doing timed question batches focused on the heaviest-weight sections. Phase: Mocks Weeks 11–12 #### Mocks Full-length AZ-305 practice exams under timed conditions. Target one mock every 3–5 days. Same-day error review: for every question you miss, re-derive the solution from scratch. Taper in the final 3 days — light flashcards only. Free official exam guide ## Upload the AZ-305 exam guide and exclam.ai builds your plan Microsoft Azure publishes the AZ-305 exam guide as a free HTML page. Download it, upload it to exclam.ai, and get a fully guided study plan with adaptive flashcards and quizzes in minutes. [Download the exam guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-305) ## How exclam.ai helps with AZ-305 ### Flashcards per domain Upload the AZ-305 exam guide and exclam.ai generates flashcards for each of the 4 domains, mapped to the approximate exam weights. ### Practice quizzes with exam-weighted sampling Quizzes pull more questions from heavier domains. exclam.ai tracks which domains you're weakest on and weights future practice accordingly. ### ~12-week adaptive schedule Coverage phase, review phase, and mocks — distributed across your target timeline. Falls behind automatically rebalance without re-planning. ## Popular AZ-305 study vendors exclam.ai works alongside whichever video course or practice exam provider you prefer. We do not reproduce or redistribute any commercial prep content, upload your own notes taken while studying. Scott Duffy (Udemy) Upload your notes · Works with exclam.ai John Savill (YouTube) Upload your notes · Works with exclam.ai A Cloud Guru Upload your notes · Works with exclam.ai MeasureUp Upload your notes · Works with exclam.ai ## AZ-305 questions Is AZ-104 required for AZ-305? Yes. AZ-305 is listed as requiring AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) as a prerequisite to earn the Expert certification. ## Other Azure certifications [AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals foundational · ~30h](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/az-900-fundamentals/index.md) [AZ-104 Azure Administrator Associate associate · ~100h](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/az-104-administrator/index.md) [AZ-204 Azure Developer Associate associate · ~100h](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/az-204-developer/index.md) [AZ-400 Azure DevOps Engineer Expert expert · ~100h](https://exclam.ai/cloud-certs/azure/az-400-devops-engineer/index.md)