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AZ-305 Hands-On Labs
Real Azure. Real GitHub portfolio.

Five real Azure Solutions Architect projects mapped directly to the AZ-305 exam objectives. Mark a step complete and HandsOnCert commits the evidence — architecture diagrams, governance configs, ARM templates — straight to your own GitHub repo. The portfolio employers actually click into.

$79 one-time · Project 1 free · No subscription

5
Hands-on projects
10h
Estimated time
$165
AZ-305 exam cost
$79
HandsOnCert price

What you'll build

Every project maps to an official AZ-305 exam domain. Each one ends with evidence committed to your GitHub repo automatically.

1

Design Identity, Governance and Monitoring Solutions — Free

Design an Entra ID structure with management groups, subscriptions, and Azure Policy for governance at scale. Configure Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for a multi-resource monitoring solution. Commit your governance architecture diagrams and policy definitions.

Identity, Governance & Monitoring — 25-30% of exam
2

Design Data Storage Solutions

Design a data storage solution choosing between relational and non-relational options, configure storage redundancy and tiers, and design a data integration pattern. Commit your storage architecture decisions and configurations.

Data Storage — 20-25% of exam
3

Design Business Continuity Solutions

Design a backup and disaster recovery strategy using Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery, including RTO/RPO planning. Commit your business continuity architecture and recovery plan documentation.

Business Continuity — 15-20% of exam
4

Design Infrastructure Solutions — Compute

Design a compute solution choosing between VMs, containers, and serverless options based on workload requirements. Deploy an App Service with deployment slots and configure autoscaling. Commit your compute architecture decisions and deployment configs.

Infrastructure Solutions — 30-35% of exam
5

Design Infrastructure Solutions — Networking

Design a network topology with hub-spoke architecture, configure Azure Front Door or Application Gateway for traffic distribution, and design a hybrid connectivity solution. Commit your network architecture diagrams and configurations.

Infrastructure Solutions — 30-35% of exam

Why HandsOnCert

🗂️

Real GitHub portfolio

Every completed step auto-commits evidence to your own repo. No fake portfolio templates — real configs, real screenshots, real history.

☁️

Real Azure resources

No simulators. You work in the actual Azure console and tools, the same ones you'll use on the job and in the AZ-305 exam.

🤖

Cert Buddy AI mentor

Stuck on a step or an exam concept? Cert Buddy is trained on AZ-305 objectives and helps you debug and understand — not just copy-paste.

💰

Cost alerts built in

Every chargeable resource has a clear alert telling you exactly when to stop, deallocate, or delete — so a lab break doesn't become a surprise bill.

📄

Downloadable lab guide

Get the full AZ-305 lab guide as a PDF — step-by-step instructions, screenshots to capture, and an exam quick-reference section.

💵

One-time price

$79 once. No subscription, no recurring charges. Or get All-Access to all 21 cert paths for $199.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the AZ-305 hands-on labs free?

Project 1 (Identity, Governance and Monitoring) is completely free, including unlimited access to Cert Buddy for that project and the manual GitHub commit workflow. The remaining 4 projects unlock for a one-time payment of $79.

Do I need an Azure subscription to complete these labs?

Yes, you need an Azure free trial or pay-as-you-go subscription. AZ-305 involves more advanced architecture resources than AZ-104 — each project includes a cost alert showing exactly which resources to deallocate or delete after use to minimize cost.

How does the GitHub portfolio auto-commit work for AZ-305?

When you mark a lab step complete, HandsOnCert commits your screenshot evidence — architecture diagrams, ARM templates, configuration exports — directly to your own GitHub repository via OAuth. Each project gets its own folder with a unique enrollment code.

How long does the AZ-305 path take to complete?

The 5 projects take approximately 10 hours total, covering Identity/Governance/Monitoring, Data Storage, Business Continuity, and Infrastructure Solutions for both compute and networking — the same domains tested on the AZ-305 exam.

Do I need AZ-104 before taking AZ-305?

AZ-104 is not a hard prerequisite for AZ-305, but Microsoft strongly recommends hands-on Azure administration experience first. AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) is HandsOnCert's most popular path and a logical step before AZ-305.

What's the difference between AZ-104 and AZ-305?

AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) focuses on day-to-day operations: managing identities, storage, compute, and networking. AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert) focuses on designing solutions — choosing the right services, architecture patterns, and governance for business requirements. AZ-104 is typically taken first.

Build your AZ-305 portfolio today

Start Project 1 free — no credit card required. See exactly how the GitHub auto-commit works before you pay anything.

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