The Microsoft certification roadmap: Fundamentals to Expert
Microsoft retired its old MCSA/MCSE ladder in favour of role-based certification, and the structure is refreshingly logical: Fundamentals, Associate, Expert. Each tier maps to what you actually do at work rather than a product version.
Start with a Fundamentals exam — AZ-900 for Azure, MS-900 for Microsoft 365 or AI-900 for artificial intelligence. These need no prior experience and prove cloud literacy to employers in a single assessment.
At Associate level, pick your lane: Azure Administrator (AZ-104) for infrastructure, Azure Developer (AZ-204) for code, or Security Operations Analyst (SC-200) for defence. Most South African job specs for cloud roles name at least one of these directly.
Expert certifications — Azure Solutions Architect and DevOps Engineer — sit at the top and require an Associate credential first. Plan 6–12 months per tier alongside hands-on lab time. Torque IT delivers the official Microsoft curriculum with certified trainers, and you can sit every exam at our on-site Pearson VUE centre.