Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam price, length, validity and renewal
Microsoft · Expert · AZ-305 · $165 · valid 1 year
Exam facts
Checked Sep 24, 2026 on Microsoft's page| Price | $165 per attempt, US list priceUS price shown on the exam page (loaded from Microsoft's exam-pricing.json); plus applicable taxes; price varies by country or region |
|---|---|
| Format | Proctored |
| Passing score | 700 |
| Valid for | 1 year |
| Renewal | Renew free each year by passing an unproctored online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn during the six-month window before expiry. |
| Prerequisites | Must hold Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate; advanced IT operations experience plus Azure administration, Azure development and DevOps experience expected |
| Level | Expert |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE (proctored) |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Traditional), Italian |
| Last changed | Apr 17, 2026English version of the certification and exam updated |
| Source | learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-solutions-architect/Last checked Sep 24, 2026 |
Changes
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About this exam
For solutions architects who design cloud and hybrid solutions on Azure and translate business requirements into designs.
- Price: "$165 USD* (United States, exam page price selector)"
- Validity: "Once you pass, your certification will be extended one year from the expiration date."
- Passing_score: "A score of 700 or greater is required to pass."
Fundamentals certifications do not expire; associate, expert and specialty certifications are renewed free each year by passing an unproctored, open-book online assessment on Microsoft Learn during a six-month window, which extends the certification one year from its expiration date.
After a failed attempt you wait 24 hours before the first retake and 14 days between later attempts, with at most 5 attempts in 12 months, and each retake must be paid for.
Microsoft policySources: each vendor's own certification pages, rechecked weekly. Prices are US list prices before tax; the vendor's page is the final word. Logos via logo.dev; trademarks belong to their owners.