Here's something that surprises people who priced AWS first: Azure certification is dramatically cheaper in India. Microsoft prices its exams regionally rather than charging a flat USD rate, so an Azure Administrator exam costs roughly a third of the equivalent AWS associate. If budget is a real constraint, that single fact might decide which cloud you certify on.
The Exam Fees, In Rupees
| Level | Exam | India price* |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals | AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals), AI-900, DP-900 | ~₹3,700 |
| Associate | AZ-104 (Administrator), AZ-204 (Developer), AZ-500 (Security), DP-203 (Data Engineer) | ~₹4,800 |
| Expert | AZ-305 (Solutions Architect), AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer) | ~₹4,800 |
*Microsoft applies India-specific pricing rather than a flat USD conversion, and the exact figure appears at Pearson VUE checkout — confirm there before paying. Be careful with articles quoting the USD list price ($99 / $165) converted at spot rates: that produces a much higher, misleading number for Indian candidates.
For comparison, an AWS associate exam runs about ₹15,100 including GST — roughly three times the Azure equivalent. We've done that math in full in the AWS certification cost guide.
How to Get AZ-900 Completely Free
This is the tip worth the whole article. Microsoft runs Virtual Training Days — free, online, a few hours long — and attendees who complete a full session are typically issued a voucher covering 100% of the corresponding Fundamentals exam. That means AZ-900, AI-900 or DP-900 for ₹0.
Sessions run regularly and fill up, so register early. It is the best value in cloud certification anywhere, and a surprising number of people pay ₹3,700 simply because nobody told them.
Which Azure Exam Should You Actually Take?
- Complete beginner or non-engineer: AZ-900. Free via Training Days, low stakes, proves you can finish something. Skip it if you're already technical.
- The one that matters for jobs: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator). This is what Indian recruiters filter on for cloud roles, and it makes AZ-900 redundant the moment you pass it.
- DevOps track: AZ-400, after AZ-104 — it maps directly onto the platform roles in our DevOps roadmap.
- Architecture track: AZ-305, once you have real design experience. Taking it early is a waste — it tests judgement you haven't formed yet.
- Security fork: AZ-500 — one of the highest-leverage certifications in Indian tech right now, given how thin cloud-security supply is (see the cybersecurity career picture).
The Costs Beyond the Exam
- Retakes: not free. Fail and you pay again, with a 24-hour wait for the first retake and 14 days thereafter. Budget one retake if you're time-pressed.
- Practice tests: Microsoft's official practice assessments are free on Microsoft Learn — genuinely good, and a reason to avoid third-party "dumps", which also risk decertification.
- Training: Microsoft Learn's own learning paths are free and comprehensive. Paid courses add structure and accountability, not information — the trade-off we lay out in self-paced vs mentor-led.
- Hands-on: the Azure free account gives credits for 30 days plus always-free services. Set a spending cap on day one, not day thirty.
Realistic All-In Budget
The frugal path — AZ-900 free via Virtual Training Days, then AZ-104 self-studied on Microsoft Learn with the free practice assessments — costs about ₹4,800 in total. That is an extraordinary return for a certification Indian enterprises and GCCs actively filter on. Add a retake buffer and you're still under ₹10,000. Add an instructor-led course and you're at ₹25,000–50,000, which is only worth it if you know you need the accountability rather than the information.
Whether Azure is the right cloud for your target employers is a separate and more important question — our AWS vs Azure vs GCP guide answers it by employer type, and the cloud salary breakdown shows what each path pays.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Azure certification cost in India?＋
Roughly ₹3,700 for Fundamentals exams (AZ-900, AI-900, DP-900) and about ₹4,800 for associate and expert exams (AZ-104, AZ-204, AZ-305, AZ-400, AZ-500). Microsoft prices regionally for India, which makes Azure certification roughly a third the cost of the equivalent AWS exam.
Can I get the AZ-900 certification for free?＋
Yes. Microsoft runs free online Virtual Training Days, and attendees who complete a full session typically receive a voucher covering 100% of the corresponding Fundamentals exam, including AZ-900. Register early, as sessions fill up.
Which Azure certification is best for jobs in India?＋
AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) — it's the one Indian recruiters filter on for cloud roles, and passing it makes AZ-900 redundant. From there branch to AZ-400 for DevOps, AZ-500 for cloud security (currently scarce and well paid), or AZ-305 for architecture once you have real design experience.
Is Azure cheaper than AWS certification in India?＋
Substantially. An Azure associate exam is about ₹4,800 versus roughly ₹15,100 for an AWS associate exam including 18% GST — about a third of the cost. Microsoft applies India-specific pricing, while AWS bills in USD and adds GST at checkout.
Founder · TrueDirectory
Firoz Ahmed is the founder of TrueDirectory, India's business and education listing platform. He writes straight-talking, research-backed guides on tech careers, courses and companies — genuine editorial recommendations, never paid rankings or sponsored placements.