How I Passed the AZ-305 Exam: Practice Exams, AI Study Guides, and Zero Paid Tests
I got a free exam voucher for attending the Microsoft AI Skills Fest. I passed the AZ-104 last year, so the next step was clear: the AZ-305 and the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
Why AZ-305?
A big part of my job is designing and building solutions on Azure. It's on me to make sure the infrastructure we ship is secure and resilient. The AZ-305 (Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions) covers exactly that: identity, governance, data storage, business continuity, networking, and picking the right compute for the job.
It also lines up nicely with the AZ-104. The Administrator Associate cert is a requirement for the Solutions Architect Expert cert, so I was already halfway there.
The Problem: Life Got in the Way
I started studying right after the Skills Fest by working through the Microsoft Learn path for the AZ-305. I finished it in about 3 weeks.
Then higher priorities came up at work and at home, and I had to hit pause. By the time I came back, a good chunk of what I'd learned had faded. I knew the big picture, but the details were fuzzy. And the AZ-305 is all about details: which service fits which requirement, which tier supports which feature, and which option is the most cost-effective.
Going through the whole Learn path again wasn't realistic. I needed a faster way to find what I'd forgotten and fill in those gaps.
What I Did
I kept the same pace as last time: about an hour a day.
1. Practice Exams with Gemini and Claude
This was the biggest win. I had both Gemini and Claude generate full practice exams in the AZ-305 style, with scenario-based questions where you have to pick the best design for a set of requirements. I took 4+ practice exams this way.
Using two different AI tools helped. Each one phrased questions a little differently and leaned on different topics, so I got a wider spread of scenarios.
2. Focus on the Questions I Got Wrong
After each practice exam, I didn't just check my score and move on. I took every question I missed and dug into it.
I had Claude build study guides for those topics, with links pointing to the official Microsoft Learn documentation. That way I wasn't trusting the AI's word on everything. I could click through and read the source. A prompt like this works well:
Here are the AZ-305 practice questions I got wrong, along with my answers.
For each one, explain why the correct answer is right and why mine was wrong.
Then build a short study guide for each topic, with links to the official
Microsoft Learn documentation.
This turned every wrong answer into a mini lesson. Instead of re-reading everything, I only spent time on what I actually didn't know.
3. John Savill's AZ-305 Study Cram
A week before the exam, I watched John Savill's AZ-305 Study Cram in chunks. It packs the important details into one video and is a great final review. If you're taking this exam, it's a must watch.
What I Didn't Pay For
I've seen plenty of posts on LinkedIn and Reddit where people pay for practice tests on Whizlabs and similar sites. I held off on that. Between the free Microsoft Learn path, AI-generated practice exams, and free videos like John Savill's, there's more than enough free content to prepare.
The Exam Experience
I was nervous on exam day. Right before starting, I asked myself, "Am I ready?" I had real doubts.
The first few questions didn't help. I didn't fully understand them, so I marked them for review and moved on. But as I kept going, the questions started to feel familiar. The scenarios were very close in style and topic to the practice exams I'd been drilling with Gemini and Claude. After that, things moved a lot faster.
Even so, I wasn't confident I'd pass. With about 19 minutes left, I had roughly 10 questions marked for review. That's when I found out you can use Microsoft Learn during the exam. I used the remaining time to look up the questions I was unsure about, and I ended up changing about 6 answers.
Were those changes right? I have no idea. Microsoft's score report breaks down how you did by skill area, but it doesn't tell you which questions you got right or wrong.
When I hit the final submit button, I got that nervous rush. Then the result came up.
I passed! All that studying was worth it.
Why This Worked
Looking back, two things made the difference:
- Practice exams showed me what I'd forgotten. After a long break, I couldn't trust my own sense of what I knew. Practice exams gave me a clear list of weak spots instead of a vague feeling.
- Reviewing the topics I missed made the knowledge stick. Digging into why an answer was wrong taught me more about each feature and resource than reading the material for the first time did. I came out of it with a better understanding of Azure services, not just a passing score.
Studying this way is focused. Every hour went toward something I didn't know yet, not something I'd already covered.
Key Takeaways
- A study break isn't the end of the world: Practice exams are the fastest way to find what you've forgotten.
- Your wrong answers are your study plan: Spend most of your time on the questions you missed.
- Use AI, but check the source: Ask for study guides that link to Microsoft Learn so you can verify what you're reading.
- Microsoft Learn is available during the exam: You can open it for associate and expert level exams. The timer keeps running, and no extra time is added, so save it for the questions you've marked for review instead of looking up everything.
- You don't need paid practice tests: The free content out there is more than enough.
- Consistency wins: About an hour a day added up.
Final Thoughts
The AZ-305 is a tough exam. It tests whether you can pick the right design for a set of requirements, not just whether you know what a service does. But it's very doable with free resources and a smart study plan.
If you have a voucher sitting around or you've been thinking about this cert, go for it. Take the practice exams, learn from your mistakes, and trust your prep.
Good luck!