My AZ-104 Azure Admin Certification Expired - UpSkilling in Cloud Computing

Summary

In this video, Caleb shares his experience with the expired AZ-104 certification and his journey to renew it. He explains the difficulties he encountered with the renewal process, including missing the deadline and failing the test the first time. Caleb outlines his plans to upskill, including using John Sav's study cram and other resources like Udemy and Coursera. He also introduces a new community for aspiring tech professionals, offering support for upskilling and exam preparation. Throughout the video, Caleb encourages viewers to join him on this journey and stay connected for updates.

Takeaways

• 😀 The AZ-104 certification has expired, and the speaker shares their experience of not renewing it in time.
• 😀 The speaker explains how the renewal process for the AZ-104 certification is open and allows retakes, but it can be tricky if you misjudge the dates.
• 😀 Despite failing the renewal test once, the speaker plans to study more and retake the exam in the future.
• 😀 The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of the renewal test, noting that it's harder than the actual certification exam itself.
• 😀 Previously, the speaker's company paid for their certifications, but now they will have to cover the cost of the AZ-104 retake themselves.
• 😀 The speaker has created a Google Sheets document to track their upskilling progress, including the courses and resources they plan to use.
• 😀 The AZ-104 exam is just one part of the speaker’s broader upskilling journey, which involves learning and growing in various areas to become a better engineer.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of practice questions and plans to purchase quality, non-dump practice exams to prepare for the AZ-104 exam.
• 😀 A community will soon be launched to support individuals who are on an upskilling or tech career journey, separate from Discord-based communities.
• 😀 The speaker encourages viewers to share their current or planned courses in the comments, promoting a collaborative environment for others on the same journey.

Q & A

What is the reason Caleb's AZ-104 certification expired?

Caleb's AZ-104 certification expired because he misjudged the renewal date and left it too late. He logged in after the expiration date and was unable to renew the certification.

What is the renewal process for the AZ-104 certification?

The renewal process involves taking an open test on your laptop. The test is not proctored by Pearson View, and if you fail, you can retake it after a brief waiting period. However, if the test expires, you can no longer renew it.

Why are the renewal tests for associate certifications like AZ-104 harder than the actual exam?

The renewal tests for associate certifications like the AZ-104 are harder because they are open-book, meaning candidates can use external resources like Google and Microsoft Learn during the test. The difficulty is likely increased to account for this freedom.

What resources is Caleb using to prepare for retaking the AZ-104 exam?

Caleb is using John Sav's AZ-104 study cram as his primary resource, along with practice questions from online sources. He also plans to study and review his past coursework to refresh his knowledge.

How does Caleb plan to track his progress in upskilling?

Caleb has created a Google Sheets document to track his areas of upskilling, including skill courses, training progress, and project completion. This document will help him organize and follow his learning journey over the next couple of months.

What is Caleb's current progress towards retaking the AZ-104 exam?

Caleb estimates that he is about 45% ready to retake the AZ-104 exam. He has made progress on some areas but has yet to complete others.

What other areas of upskilling is Caleb focusing on besides the AZ-104 exam?

Caleb is focusing on other areas of upskilling to become a better engineer. These include working with virtual networks, creating load balancers, performing disaster recovery, and other technical tasks related to cloud infrastructure.

Why does Caleb prefer to use John Sav's resources for studying for the AZ-104 exam?

Caleb prefers John Sav's resources because they are frequently updated, and he believes they provide a solid refresher and deeper understanding of the exam topics, which is exactly what he needs at this point in his learning.

What is Caleb's opinion on using practice exam dumps?

Caleb discourages using exam dumps, as he wants to avoid using fake or unreliable practice questions. Instead, he plans to pay for high-quality practice exams to better prepare for the AZ-104 exam.

What community is Caleb planning to start, and how will it help people on their upskilling journey?

Caleb is planning to start a community for people on their upskilling journeys, particularly those in tech. The community will provide resources, a space for communication, and a support system for both aspiring professionals and those already working in tech.