AZ-900 never expires, but your answers can: a yearly habit and a CV line
Microsoft states that Fundamentals certifications do not expire, so AZ-900 stays on your transcript with no renewal step. Role-based credentials last one year and renew through a free online assessment. Read the study guide change log once a year and update your CV when a name changes.
No expiry date does not mean no maintenance.
What does not expire
Microsoft states that Fundamentals certifications do not expire. Once you pass AZ-900, Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals stays on your transcript with no renewal step, no fee and no continuing education to log. That is a real difference from many other credentials.
Role-based credentials differ. They last one year and renew through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. If you move from AZ-900 to a role-based exam such as AZ-104, renewal begins with that new credential. Read Microsoft Learn's renewal page to confirm the current rules before you plan one.
Why it still goes out of date
Employers judge your knowledge, not only your transcript. Microsoft renames products and updates the skills measured, as it did on 20 July 2026. Someone who passed years ago and still says Azure Active Directory or Azure Security Center sounds out of date, whatever their badge says.
Three yearly habits
- Read the study guide change log. The AZ-900 study guide on Microsoft Learn records changes to the skills measured.
- Follow Microsoft's credentials roundups on its Tech Community blog.
- Repeat the free practice assessment. It is a quick check on what you still know.
A CV line
After you pass, write "Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), Microsoft", with the year, in your certifications section. Before you pass, write "Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals candidate, exam booked for [month and year]".
Share the Microsoft badge on LinkedIn and add your Learn transcript link, so employers can verify it. Keep your Learn profile on a personal Microsoft account, because the transcript lives there and records under a work or school account are lost if you leave the organisation.
A calendar
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Day you pass | Note the date |
| Every 12 months | Read the study guide change log |
| Whenever a name changes | Update your CV, LinkedIn and interview answers |
| If you take a role-based exam | Add its expiry date with reminders at 6 months and 1 month |
For role-based credentials, the six-month renewal window opens before the expiry date, and the online assessment is free, unproctored and shorter than the exam.
Turn the credential into proof
Write up two small projects from your practice subscription, such as a resource group with tags, a budget, a lock and a policy, or a cost estimate for a small company. Four lines for each is enough: goal, what you did, result and lesson.
Choose the next step by goal
For administration, AZ-104. For applications, AZ-204. For security, SC-900 and then a role-based credential. For business roles, experience and cost management practice first.
Pick a date you will remember
Use the anniversary of your pass as the yearly date, and set a calendar reminder so you do not rely on memory.
Questions readers ask
Does AZ-900 expire?
How do role-based Azure credentials renew?
Should I list AZ-900 on my CV years later?
This article is independent and is not endorsed by Microsoft. Facts change: confirm them on the official page before you act.