AZ-900 vs CLF-C02
Microsoft's Azure Fundamentals and Amazon's Cloud Practitioner certify the same thing for the same reader: that a person who works near cloud decisions understands the service models, the shared-responsibility line, the main service families and the shape of the bill, on one platform. Neither is an engineer's credential. The facts in the table separate them on upkeep rather than on substance: one is the shorter sitting and does not expire; the other is longer, expires after three years and offers a free route to renewal.
The facts side by side
Each column lists the issuer's published facts for the credential; prices are list prices as of the date shown.
| Aspect | Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Microsoft | AWS |
| Exam code | AZ-900 | CLF-C02 |
| Level | Foundational | Foundational |
| Access | Paid | Paid |
| Duration | 45 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Questions | about 40 to 60 (Microsoft does not publish a fixed number) | 65 questions (50 scored, 15 unscored), multiple choice and multiple response |
| Passing score | 700 of 1,000 (scaled) | 700 of 1,000 (scaled) |
| Price | 99 USD as of 8 September 2026 | 100 USD as of 12 September 2026 |
| Validity | never expires | 3 years |
| Renewal | None | Pass the current version again (50 % voucher in your AWS certification account), pass a higher-tier AWS exam, or complete the free game AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner |
| Prerequisites | None. Microsoft suggests general familiarity with IT (infrastructure, databases or software development) but no prior certification. | None. AWS recommends about six months of exposure to the AWS Cloud: in non-technical roles such as sales, procurement, project or management as much as in IT. |
| Languages | English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Indonesian, Russian | English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic |
| Exam delivery | Pearson VUE (test centre or online proctored); students through Certiport | Pearson VUE (test centre or online proctored) |
Which one, for whom
- A non-technical reader whose organisation runs Azure
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).The vocabulary in the meetings is Microsoft's. The exam is the shorter of the two and the credential never expires, so there is nothing to renew.
- A non-technical reader whose organisation runs AWS
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02).The same logic in the other direction: the service names that matter are Amazon's. The three-year expiry is offset by a renewal route that costs nothing.
- A reader whose organisation runs both platforms
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).Sit the shorter, permanent one first; the concepts transfer, and the second credential is optional unless a role requires it. Only the service names differ.
- A technical candidate who will build on either platform
- Neither. The associate credentials on each platform are what an employer reads as evidence of ability, and both vendors allow them to be booked without a foundational pass first.
What the two exams test
Both papers examine cloud literacy rather than cloud skill. The candidate is asked to recognise which service model a situation describes, which party is responsible for which layer of security, what the main compute, storage, database and networking services are for, and how pricing, support plans and governance tools fit together. Neither asks the candidate to configure anything, and neither distinguishes a candidate who has built on the platform from one who has read about it carefully. Microsoft frames its paper around the platform as a whole; Amazon weights its four domains towards services and security, with billing and support as the smallest domain and, by candidates' reports, the one most often failed.
Where they differ
The differences are administrative, and the table above carries the figures. Azure Fundamentals is the shorter sitting with an unfixed question count; Cloud Practitioner is twice the length with a fixed count that includes unscored trial items. Microsoft prices the exam by the country in which it is taken, so a candidate in Germany or Austria pays a different figure from one in the United States; Amazon quotes one figure in US dollars and the test centre converts it. The Microsoft credential does not expire. The Amazon credential expires after three years and can be renewed by sitting the exam again at a discount, by passing a higher-tier AWS exam, or by completing a free game-based activity that no other AWS credential offers. Both are delivered through Pearson VUE, and both vendors publish a free learning path that covers the syllabus.
Language editions
Both exams are offered in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Arabic. Amazon has announced that its German and Italian editions are withdrawn after 31 December 2026; Microsoft has announced no withdrawal. A candidate who intends to sit Cloud Practitioner in German or Italian should book before that date.
Upkeep over a decade
For a credential held over a career, the expiry rule matters more than the sitting time. A permanent credential costs nothing to keep and proves less each year, because the platform it describes has changed; a reader should state the year of the pass on a CV. A three-year credential with a free renewal costs an hour or two every three years and stays current by definition. Which of those is preferable depends on whether the holder expects to remain near the platform: a reader who will keep working beside AWS benefits from the renewal cycle, and one who wanted the vocabulary once benefits from never having to return.
How to prepare for either
The vendors' own free paths are sufficient for the intended reader and are linked from each exam page, together with a practice test from MeasureUp. The preparation that candidates most often omit is practical time in a free account: creating a small resource, reading the cost estimate before confirming it, and deleting it the following day. A few hours spent that way cover service models, regions and pricing in the form the scenario questions use. The Azure Fundamentals and Cloud Practitioner pages each list the free path, the practice test and the courses that fit.
AZ-900 vs CLF-C02: quick answers
Does either exam require the other, or any prerequisite?
No. Neither vendor imposes a prerequisite on its foundational paper, and neither requires it before an associate exam. A technical candidate can book the associate credential directly on either platform.
Which is easier?
They are of comparable difficulty for the intended reader; both pass at the same scaled score. The Microsoft sitting is shorter, and candidates report that the Amazon paper's billing and support questions are the ones most often missed. Difficulty is not a reason to choose between them; the platform in use is.
Is it worth holding both?
Only where both platforms are in use around the reader and a role requires it. The concepts coincide, and the second credential adds service names rather than understanding. A reader with time for one more exam is usually better served by an associate credential on the platform that matters most.
Sources
Last reviewed 3 October 2026 · Getting Digital