Exam Comparison
AWS CCP vs AZ-900
Comparing the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) and the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900). Both fall under IT Certifications. Both are covered by the Cloud Exam Prep: AWS, Azure & GCP app.
The Bottom Line
Pick the cloud you will actually work in, that decides this. AWS Cloud Practitioner suits the larger AWS job market; AZ-900 suits Microsoft-centric enterprises and pairs naturally with a Microsoft 365 environment. Both are light, concept-level exams; either is a fine first cloud certification, and taking both is cheap.
AWS CCP vs AZ-900: At a Glance
| Detail | AWS CCP | AZ-900 |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) |
| Governing Body | AWS | Microsoft |
| Number of Questions | 65 | 50 |
| Time Limit | 90 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Passing Score | 700/1000 (scaled) | 700/1000 |
| Exam Fee | $100 USD | $165 USD |
| Category | IT Certifications | IT Certifications |
| C3RT App | Cloud Exam Prep: AWS, Azure & GCP | Cloud Exam Prep: AWS, Azure & GCP |
Content Areas Compared
AWS CCP Domains
- Cloud Concepts(24%)
- Security and Compliance(30%)
- Cloud Technology and Services(34%)
- Billing, Pricing and Support(12%)
AZ-900 Domains
- Cloud Concepts(25%)
- Azure Architecture and Services(35%)
- Azure Management and Governance(30%)
- Core Azure Services Overview(10%)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between AWS CCP and AZ-900?
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) surveys AWS: core services, the shared-responsibility model, pricing and support structures, and cloud value concepts. Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) does the same for Azure: core services, governance, pricing, and cloud concepts with a Microsoft-ecosystem flavor. Neither is technical enough to certify hands-on skill, both exist to prove cloud literacy and to on-ramp toward the real associate-level certifications (AWS Solutions Architect Associate; Azure AZ-104).
Can I take both the AWS CCP and the AZ-900?
Both fundamentals in one resume reads well for cloud-adjacent roles (sales engineering, project management, support) and costs little, each is a short-prep exam. Engineers should not linger here though: one fundamentals cert, then straight to an associate-level certification, beats collecting entry badges.
Which should I take first, AWS CCP or AZ-900?
Follow your employer or target market: companies standardized on Microsoft (very common in government, finance, and traditional enterprise) make AZ-900 the natural start; startups and the broader cloud job market lean AWS. If you have no signal either way, AWS’s larger market share makes CLF-C02 the marginally safer default.
Does C3RT cover both the AWS CCP and the AZ-900?
Yes. Both the AWS CCP and AZ-900 are covered in the Cloud Exam Prep: AWS, Azure & GCP app for iOS and Mac.
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) (AWS CCP) is administered by AWS. The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) (AZ-900) is administered by Microsoft. C3RT is not affiliated with either organisation. Certification names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.