AZ-305 Exam Syllabus Explained — What to Study for Azure Solutions Architect Certification
Introduction
If you’re aiming to become a Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, the AZ-305 exam is your gateway. But what exactly should you study? And how does this exam translate to real-world architecture responsibilities?
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What the AZ-305 exam covers
- A breakdown of the syllabus domains and weightage
- What to study for each section (with key Azure services)
- Real-world examples of where each domain applies
- How Limcify helps you prepare through architecture-focused content
Who Is AZ-305 For?
The AZ-305 exam — officially titled “Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions” — is designed for:
- Cloud Architects
- Solution Architects
- Senior DevOps Engineers and Technical Leads
Prerequisite: Microsoft recommends prior experience with Azure administration (AZ-104) and hands-on knowledge of infrastructure, identity, networking, and security.
Exam Overview & Syllabus Domains
The AZ-305 exam tests your ability to design and integrate cloud infrastructure solutions. Here’s how the syllabus is structured:
| Domain | Weightage | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Design Identity, Governance & Monitoring | 25–30% | Identity management, role-based access, governance hierarchy, logging, monitoring |
| 2. Design Data Storage Solutions | 20–25% | Relational, NoSQL, unstructured storage, cost optimization, backup, integration |
| 3. Design Business Continuity | 15–20% | High availability, disaster recovery, backup, RTO/RPO |
| 4. Design Infrastructure Solutions | 30–35% | Compute (VMs, containers, serverless), networking, hybrid, deployment models |
What to Study – Domain by Domain
Design Identity, Governance & Monitoring (25–30%)
This section tests your ability to manage access, secure workloads, and monitor environments.
Focus on:
- Azure Active Directory (B2B/B2C, RBAC, PIM)
- Azure Policy & Management Groups
- Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights
- Azure Key Vault
Design Data Storage Solutions (20–25%)
You’ll be evaluated on how you choose and design storage based on performance, cost, and availability.
Study topics:
- Azure SQL Database, Managed Instances
- Cosmos DB (global distribution, consistency)
- Blob Storage vs File Storage
- Integration with Azure Synapse or Data Factory
Use case example:
A manufacturing analytics platform may use Cosmos DB for IoT telemetry and Blob Storage for historical reports.
Design Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (15–20%)
This domain ensures your architecture is resilient and recoverable.
Key concepts:
- RTO & RPO planning
- Azure Backup & Site Recovery (ASR)
- Availability Zones vs Regions
- Load balancing with failover
Industry tie-in:
In aviation systems, designing failover between two Azure regions using Front Door and ASR is critical for passenger safety dashboards.
Design Infrastructure Solutions (30–35%)
This is the most heavily weighted section and covers all major compute, app, and network infrastructure choices.
What to focus on:
- Virtual Machines, VM Scale Sets
- App Services, AKS, Azure Functions
- Networking: VNet, NSG, ExpressRoute, Load Balancers
- Messaging: Service Bus, Event Grid
Scenario:
A fintech app may use App Gateway with WAF + AKS for containerized APIs + Azure SQL for relational storage — and Service Bus for async communication.
How Limcify Helps You Prepare
Instead of just reading docs, you need real-world architecture insight — and that’s what Limcify offers:
- Blog posts that break down AZ-305 concepts into architecture patterns
- Visual diagrams to help you retain and reuse knowledge
- Industry use cases (e.g., manufacturing, healthcare IT, aviation)
- ADR templates and Terraform snippets aligned to exam scenarios
- Scenario-based questions to prep for interviews or case studies
Whether you’re studying for AZ-305 or working as a cloud architect, Limcify bridges the gap between certification content and delivery confidence.
✅ Conclusion
The AZ-305 exam is more than just a test — it’s a blueprint for how modern Azure infrastructure should be designed. By mastering its four domains, you not only pass the exam but build the confidence to architect production-grade systems in any industry.
Use Limcify’s content to guide your learning, simplify your decisions, and prepare for success — in the exam and beyond.