AZ-305 renewal and retake rules
The Azure Solutions Architect Expert credential earned with AZ-305 is valid for one year and renews for free, through an unproctored online assessment on Microsoft Learn that opens six months before expiry. Retaking AZ-305 itself after a failed attempt follows a different rule: 24 hours after the first failure, then 14 days between later attempts, with a cap of five attempts in 12 months. The two systems are separate, and mixing them up is the common mistake. For jobs and next exams, see the career page.
One year, counted from the day the credential is complete
Microsoft’s expiration policy says role-based certifications are valid for one year “from the date that you complete all requirements to earn that Certification”. For this credential, that date is the day both parts exist: the Azure Administrator Associate certification and the AZ-305 pass. If you passed AZ-305 first and AZ-104 months later, the clock starts at the later pass. Microsoft does not publish a worked example for this case, so confirm the exact expiry date on your Learn profile rather than counting from the exam date.
The renewal assessment, step by step
Rules from Microsoft’s renewal page and FAQ:
- The assessment opens six months before expiry and cannot be taken earlier.
- It is free, online, unproctored and open book.
- It focuses on recent updates, so it is shorter than the exam; the FAQ says about 45 minutes.
- Passing extends the certification one year from the expiration date, not from the day you pass, so renewing early costs nothing.
- Failure has no penalty: you can retry immediately once, then wait at least 24 hours between later attempts, with no cap on attempts.
- It is available in the same languages as the exam, and its content is updated in step with exam updates.
There is no other route. Retaking AZ-305 or passing a beta exam does not renew the credential; the FAQ says there are no exceptions.
What happens to the AZ-104 dependency
The Architect Expert requires the Azure Administrator Associate certification, so a natural question is what happens when the two expire in different months. Microsoft’s FAQ answers a general version: an expert-level certification does not automatically expire when its associate-level prerequisite expires, and each must be renewed separately by passing its own assessment. Applied here, the two badges carry independent expiry dates, and lapsing AZ-104 does not remove the expert badge. Microsoft does not publish a statement specific to AZ-305 beyond that general rule, so check your profile for the two dates.
Practical effect: put two reminders in the calendar. The AZ-104 renewal page covers the associate side.
If your AZ-305 credential expires
After expiry the certification can no longer be renewed. Microsoft’s expiration policy says you must re-earn it by passing all the required exams. For this credential the stated requirement is the exam AZ-305 plus holding the administrator associate certification, so a lapsed architect badge normally means sitting AZ-305 again at the full exam fee. The assessment window is the cheaper path, so do not wait for the last week; the FAQ itself recommends taking it well before expiry.
Retaking the AZ-305 exam
Microsoft’s retake policy for role-based exams states:
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| First attempt failed | Wait 24 hours |
| Later failures | 14 days between all subsequent attempts, up to five |
| Attempt cap | No more than five attempts within 12 months of the first attempt; after five failures, eligible again 12 months after the first attempt |
| Passed exam | Cannot be retaken unless the certification has expired |
| Fee | You pay again for each retake, if a fee applies |
| Waiver | Only for internet or equipment failure with a Pearson VUE case number |
These waiting periods are the same for Microsoft’s other role-based and fundamentals exams. The price of AZ-305 is set per country or region and shown at booking, so the fee for a retake is whatever the booking page shows.
Version changes and retirement
The English AZ-305 was updated on April 17, 2026, and the exam page lists no retirement date. Localised versions follow roughly eight weeks later, though Microsoft notes that timing may slip. Microsoft’s FAQ says that if a retirement date falls before a certification’s expiry, the “renew by” message tells you to renew before retirement, and the renewal window may be shortened. Retired credentials stay on the active part of a transcript until expiry. See the site’s exam-changes page for updates, and check certification costs before budgeting a retake.
Accommodations and score reports
The AZ-305 exam page links to Microsoft’s accommodation request page and its exam policies and FAQs. This guide does not restate their detail; read them before booking if you need adjustments. The exam format page covers the mechanics.