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Microsoft · DevOps / Platform

Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400)

Software delivery with Microsoft's DevOps tools, including source control, pipelines, security and feedback.

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Understand the subject

Software delivery with Microsoft's DevOps tools, including source control, pipelines, security and feedback.

Apply it to the work

Useful when a development team needs a repeatable release process with tests, approvals, visible failures and a recovery path.

Build practical evidence

Be comfortable with Git and either application development or Azure administration. Build a pipeline you can troubleshoot, not just copy.

What you will learn to do

Understand the subject

Software delivery with Microsoft's DevOps tools, including source control, pipelines, security and feedback.

Apply it to the work

Useful when a development team needs a repeatable release process with tests, approvals, visible failures and a recovery path.

Build practical evidence

Be comfortable with Git and either application development or Azure administration. Build a pipeline you can troubleshoot, not just copy.

Certification essentials

Requirements, costs and keeping it current.

Check the vendor record and ongoing commitment alongside the career guidance.

Pricing view
Market

Vendor record

Live

AZ-400 alone does not award the expert credential. Microsoft also requires a qualifying Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate credential; check current eligibility before booking.

Source: Microsoft Learn · Read 19 September 2026

Sourced fields only; this does not mean every exam detail has been verified. Pricing and renewal policies have their own sources and check dates. Confirm the currency, tax and final booking total with the vendor.

Role-fit guidance is TechWaymark editorial interpretation. It is separate from the recorded vendor facts and does not measure hiring outcomes.

Costs and renewal

Exam cost
£106
Exam format
Exam format not yet verified — check the vendor's exam page
Keeping it current

Renew annually by passing a free, online Microsoft Learn assessment during the 6 months before expiry.

Renewal sources & exceptions

This applies to the earned certification, not an individual exam pass. Renewal must be completed before expiry and while its assessment remains available.

Renewal policy checked 2026-09-28. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.

UK exam fee shown by Microsoft Learn; proctoring country sets the price. Confirm applicable taxes and current booking total; training and retakes are separate. The expert credential also requires an eligible prerequisite certification; its exam fee is additional. Vendor price checked 2026-09-24. Check the vendor record before booking.

Current vendor pricing source ↗
Preparation and practical skills

Recommended prior knowledge

  • AZ-104 or strong cloud background

Common misconceptions

  • Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400) may meet a named requirement; it does not guarantee shortlisting or replace documented work.

What this cert does NOT guarantee

  • Guaranteed interviews, a salary increase or proof of production experience.
Alternatives and related certifications

Where this fits

  • None required
This cert
Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400)
  • Top of this lane

Alternative routes

No single right path. These adjacent options reach similar roles.

  • Terraform Associate
    Common follow-on or adjacent credential, see the graph for full lineage.
  • CKA
    Common follow-on or adjacent credential, see the graph for full lineage.

Adjacent & overlapping

  • Terraform Associate
  • CKA
Career outcomes and limitations

Realistic first roles

Microsoft-oriented DevOps delivery

How people actually get here

    Real-world career variations

    Timeline expectations

    1. Months 0–2Foundation reading, concepts, vocabulary.
    2. Months 2–4Hands-on labs, documented home projects.
    3. Months 4–6Practice exams, weak-area drills, exam.
    4. Post-examUse target vacancies to guide applications and projects. There is no guaranteed time to a first role.

    Study resources

    Study options

    Choose the right mix for your goals and experience. Links below go to official and third-party resources.

    Guided study

    Structured resources from established providers can help build knowledge and skills.

    Compare study options →

    Third-party providers. Commercial terms, pricing and availability apply.

    Practice environments

    Explore suitable environments for practical work. Check the tools, features and access you need.

    Compare practice resources →

    External resources. Check current costs and access requirements.

    Resources are selected for relevance. Compare access, syllabus coverage and total cost; a listing does not imply a commercial partnership.

    Compare the resources for Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400)
    Learning pathProvider source

    Microsoft Learn. AZ-400 free path

    Reading + interactive

    Free resource; confirm current access terms
    View resource
    PracticeProvider source

    Microsoft Official Practice Assessment (AZ-400)

    Quiz

    Free resource; confirm current access terms
    View resource
    ReferenceProvider source

    Azure DevOps documentation

    Reading

    Free resource; confirm current access terms
    View resource

    Check the current syllabus, access terms and total cost before choosing. Resource inclusion does not guarantee exam success.

    Optional home projects

    Build something you can explain.

    Ideas to explore after choosing a certification, using your own tools and keeping evidence of your work.

    Example project evidence
    Project evidence map (example)
    Pipeline security change proposalScope and inputs
    Repository checks and deployment trust diagramDecisions and reasoning
    Evidence record (example)
    EvidenceWhat to capture
    Pipeline security change proposalShow the inputs, scope and decisions behind this record. No real credential enters the repository or exercise output.
    Repository checks and deployment trust diagramInclude the evidence supporting your conclusion. The proposed identity has a defined audience, scope and trust boundary.

    Remove a secret from a delivery workflow

    A fictional deployment pipeline contains a placeholder long-lived credential. The team wants a safer delivery design and evidence that secrets are not printed in logs.

    Local lab Your own tools Evidence guidance
    View project guide
    Track this certification

    Editorial route and career guidance. No separate external evidence review is recorded for this assessment.

    Editorial evidence review: pending · UK market. Vendor facts and prices elsewhere on this page have their own sources and check dates.