Retired exam
AZ-204 was retired on July 31, 2026
Microsoft retired AZ-204 and the Azure Developer Associate certification on July 31, 2026. Microsoft identifies AI-200 and the Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate certification as its replacement.
Prepare for AI-200: Developing AI Cloud Solutions on Azure
Historical AZ-204 Scope
AZ-204 was Microsoft's Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure exam until its retirement on 2026-07-31. Its final published scope covered Develop Azure compute solutions, Develop for Azure storage, Implement Azure security, Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions, Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services. This page preserves that dated outline for historical comparison and curriculum cleanup. It is not a schedulable exam, and its prices, delivery details, registration links, and practice calls to action must not be used for a new certification plan.
Who AZ-204 Was For
Nobody should start a new certification plan around AZ-204. This page serves former candidates, credential holders, training teams removing stale material, and practitioners deciding whether prior preparation is reusable for AI-200. New candidates should verify the active Microsoft page and current dated study guide before booking.
Skills You Should Be Ready to Demonstrate
- Preserve practical experience from Develop Azure compute solutions only where the current guide shows meaningful overlap
- Preserve practical experience from Develop for Azure storage only where the current guide shows meaningful overlap
- Preserve practical experience from Implement Azure security only where the current guide shows meaningful overlap
- Preserve practical experience from Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions only where the current guide shows meaningful overlap
- Preserve practical experience from Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services only where the current guide shows meaningful overlap
How to Reuse Your Preparation
Do not rename an old AZ-204 checklist or question bank as AI-200. Compare the two official guides objective by objective and classify each historical skill as transferable, changed, or absent. Use transferable experience as a diagnostic baseline, then rebuild labs and review around AI-200's current domain weights, products, role expectations, security controls, and operational tasks. Because Microsoft identifies AI-200 as the direct replacement, review the skill map below before assuming equivalence.
What changed from AZ-204 to AI-200
| Historical AZ-204 | Current AI-200 | Practical impact |
|---|
Develop Azure compute solutions
25-30% | Develop containerized solutions on Azure
20-25% | AI-200 narrows compute preparation around containerized, scalable cloud applications and their deployment behavior. |
Develop for Azure storage
15-20% | Develop AI solutions using Azure data management services
25-30% | Storage skills transfer, but the replacement gives more weight to data flows and stores used by AI-enabled applications. |
Implement security; monitor and troubleshoot
20-30% combined | Secure, monitor, and troubleshoot Azure solutions
20-25% | Security and operations remain central and are assessed as an integrated production discipline. |
Connect to and consume Azure and third-party services
20-25% | Connect to and consume Azure services
20-25% | Service integration remains directly relevant, now in the context of responsive AI cloud solutions. |
Migration checklist
- Stop scheduling, selling, or presenting AZ-204 as a current exam.
- Compare completed AZ-204 preparation with the current AI-200 guide; do not carry over obsolete weighting or mechanics.
- Create a fresh AI-200 plan around its current domains and hands-on role expectations.
- Remove or quarantine practice content that cannot be mapped to a current objective with source evidence.
- Recheck Microsoft's dated AI-200 study guide before booking because role-based exams change over time.
Historical Domain Guide
Develop Azure compute solutions: Historical Scope
Historically, Develop Azure compute solutions required candidates to connect configuration choices with operational outcomes. The official outline included Implement containerized solutions; Implement Azure App Service Web Apps. Preserve hands-on understanding of those tasks where the successor comparison shows overlap, but do not treat this retired weighting or terminology as a current exam blueprint.
- Use the official historical objectives to document what develop azure compute solutions required
- Mark each prior skill as transferable, changed, or absent in the current replacement guide
- Rebuild practical exercises around current services, interfaces, governance, and role expectations
Develop for Azure storage: Historical Scope
Historically, Develop for Azure storage required candidates to connect configuration choices with operational outcomes. The official outline included Develop solutions that use Azure Cosmos DB; Develop solutions that use Azure Blob Storage. Preserve hands-on understanding of those tasks where the successor comparison shows overlap, but do not treat this retired weighting or terminology as a current exam blueprint.
- Use the official historical objectives to document what develop for azure storage required
- Mark each prior skill as transferable, changed, or absent in the current replacement guide
- Rebuild practical exercises around current services, interfaces, governance, and role expectations
Implement Azure security: Historical Scope
Historically, Implement Azure security required candidates to connect configuration choices with operational outcomes. The official outline included Implement user authentication and authorization; Implement secure Azure solutions. Preserve hands-on understanding of those tasks where the successor comparison shows overlap, but do not treat this retired weighting or terminology as a current exam blueprint.
- Use the official historical objectives to document what implement azure security required
- Mark each prior skill as transferable, changed, or absent in the current replacement guide
- Rebuild practical exercises around current services, interfaces, governance, and role expectations
Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions: Historical Scope
Historically, Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions required candidates to connect configuration choices with operational outcomes. The official outline included Monitor and troubleshoot Azure solutions. Preserve hands-on understanding of those tasks where the successor comparison shows overlap, but do not treat this retired weighting or terminology as a current exam blueprint.
- Use the official historical objectives to document what monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize azure solutions required
- Mark each prior skill as transferable, changed, or absent in the current replacement guide
- Rebuild practical exercises around current services, interfaces, governance, and role expectations
Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services: Historical Scope
Historically, Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services required candidates to connect configuration choices with operational outcomes. The official outline included Implement Azure API Management; Develop event-based solutions. Preserve hands-on understanding of those tasks where the successor comparison shows overlap, but do not treat this retired weighting or terminology as a current exam blueprint.
- Use the official historical objectives to document what connect to and consume azure services and third-party services required
- Mark each prior skill as transferable, changed, or absent in the current replacement guide
- Rebuild practical exercises around current services, interfaces, governance, and role expectations
Sources and Verification
Verified 2026-08-26
How this page was made
Cert Atlas compared Microsoft's final AZ-204 study guide with the current AI-200 guide at the domain and objective level, then checked Microsoft's retirement list and transition announcement. Claims were reviewed against the linked official sources; no exam stems, answers, choices, or explanations were used.
Historical AZ-204 Domains
1.0 Develop Azure compute solutions
25-30%
- 1.1Implement containerized solutions
Create and manage container images for solutions; Publish an image to Azure Container Registry; Run containers by using Azure Container Instances; Create solutions by using Azure Container Apps
- 1.2Implement Azure App Service Web Apps
Create an Azure App Service Web App; Configure and implement diagnostics and logging; Deploy code and containerized solutions; Configure settings including Transport Layer Security (TLS), API settings, and service connections; Implement autoscaling; Configure deployment slots
- 1.3Implement Azure Functions
Create and configure an Azure Functions app; Implement input and output bindings; Implement function triggers by using data operations, timers, and webhooks
2.0 Develop for Azure storage
15-20%
- 2.1Develop solutions that use Azure Cosmos DB
Perform operations on containers and items by using the SDK; Set the appropriate consistency level for operations; Implement change feed notifications
- 2.2Develop solutions that use Azure Blob Storage
Set and retrieve properties and metadata; Perform operations on data by using the appropriate SDK; Implement storage policies and data lifecycle management
3.0 Implement Azure security
15-20%
- 3.1Implement user authentication and authorization
Authenticate and authorize users by using the Microsoft Identity platform; Authenticate and authorize users and apps by using Microsoft Entra ID; Create and implement shared access signatures; Implement solutions that interact with Microsoft Graph
- 3.2Implement secure Azure solutions
Secure app configuration data by using Azure App Configuration or Azure Key Vault; Develop code that uses keys, secrets, and certificates stored in Azure Key Vault; Implement Managed Identities for Azure resources
4.0 Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions
5-10%
- 4.1Monitor and troubleshoot Azure solutions
Monitor and troubleshoot solutions by using Azure Monitor Application Insights; Monitor and analyze metrics, logs, and traces; Implement availability tests and alerts; Instrument an app or service to use Application Insights
5.0 Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services
20-25%
- 5.1Implement Azure API Management
Create an Azure API Management instance; Create and document APIs; Configure access to APIs; Implement policies for APIs
- 5.2Develop event-based solutions
Implement solutions that use Azure Event Grid; Implement solutions that use Azure Event Hubs
- 5.3Develop message-based solutions
Implement solutions that use Azure Service Bus; Implement solutions that use Azure Queue Storage