AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator — Complete Exam Prep vs TOEFL iBT (26+) Complete Preparation Course

The course is aligned to the five official AZ-104 exam domains: managing Azure Identities and Governance (Azure Entra ID, RBAC, subscriptions, resource groups), implementing and managing Storage (Blob, File, SAS tokens, lifecycle policies, backup), deploying and managing Compute Resources (virtual machines, scale sets, App Services, containers), implementing and managing Virtual Networking (VNets, NSGs, load balancers, VPN gateways), and monitoring and maintaining Azure Resources (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, backups, alerts). The V6.0 May 2025 update added practice exam content, refreshed the Microsoft Entra ID modules, and expanded Azure Web Apps coverage. The curriculum totals approximately 17.5 hours of on-demand video — substantial enough to cover every exam objective at meaningful depth without the padding that inflates cheaper courses. Eleven downloadable resources and a free study guide PDF supplement the video content. The bonus "last-minute exam cram" is a three-hour focused review session specifically praised by learners who used it the day before their scheduled exam. The content limitation most frequently cited by learners is a structural consequence of Azure's continuous update cycle: Microsoft regularly changes the Azure portal interface, and some lab walkthroughs demonstrate configurations in interface versions that no longer match the current portal. Learners report that the underlying concepts remain accurate — the lab steps just require adaptation to the current UI when steps do not match.

Scott Duffy is a software architect and Microsoft Azure MVP (Most Valuable Professional) with the MVP award held continuously from 2022 to 2025. He has accumulated 1.5 million total students across his Udemy catalogue, making him one of the platform's most-enrolled cloud computing instructors. His background as a software architect rather than a pure trainer gives the course a practitioner's perspective — he explains architectural trade-offs and design rationale rather than simply narrating portal clicks. Learner feedback consistently describes Duffy as "well organized," with one opencourser.com review noting he "clarified a lot of issues in the first few lectures" in a way that set a strong conceptual foundation before moving into complex topics. His willingness to update the course repeatedly (six major versions, with V6.0 released May 2025) signals genuine investment in keeping the material current — a differentiator in a certification niche where many courses are recorded once and left to age. The criticism that appears across multiple three-star reviews is pacing: the course assumes some prior familiarity with cloud concepts, and learners who are new to Azure entirely may find some modules progress faster than they can absorb. Scott's AZ-900 (Fundamentals) course is the recommended prerequisite for those without prior Azure exposure.

The course lists at $119.99 but Udemy's promotional pricing structure means the effective purchase price is consistently $14–$15. At that price point, 17.5 hours of video plus a full practice exam, downloadable resources, a study guide PDF, and lifetime access with ongoing updates represents outstanding value in the certification preparation market. The AZ-104 certification itself costs $165 per exam attempt. A course that equips learners to pass on the first attempt — as documented by multiple first-attempt pass reports in blog coverage — has a total cost (course + exam) of approximately $180, compared to failing the exam once and retaking it ($330 total). The course's value calculation therefore extends beyond the purchase price to include avoided retake costs. The included practice exam was highlighted as a significant value addition in the V6.0 update. Prior versions required learners to purchase practice exams separately; having both preparation content and assessment in a single purchase at this price is notable. Learners who want more practice exams beyond the included set frequently cite Whizlabs or MeasureUp as well-regarded supplements at additional cost.

The AZ-104 certification maps to the Azure Administrator associate role — a job title with significant market demand across mid-size and enterprise organisations that have adopted Azure as their primary cloud platform. The course is therefore preparation for both a certification exam and a real job function. Multiple learners in blog coverage describe the course as directly applicable to their current administrative responsibilities: understanding the concepts in the networking module (VNets, NSGs, VPN gateways) is immediately useful for administrators managing Azure environments in production. The monitoring module (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics) addresses skills needed to maintain production systems rather than pass exam questions in isolation. The Malith Ileperuma documentation of passing the AZ-104 in fifteen days (studying four to six hours per day) while combining Duffy's course with hands-on Azure labs demonstrates the study pattern that produces the best outcomes: the course as conceptual framework, supplemented by actual Azure portal practice using Microsoft's free labs. Learners who only watch the videos without deploying resources in a real Azure subscription consistently report less confidence in exam and post-certification scenarios.

A genuinely deep, well-structured library — roughly 50-53 hours of video across Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, with 87 downloadable resources, section-by-section strategy breakdowns, and content kept current with the redesigned TOEFL iBT (the Academic Discussion writing task). Reviewers consistently call it "probably the most in-depth course you'll find." The main content caveat is that it assumes intermediate-plus English and is not a beginner English course.

Keino Campbell is the single strongest asset in the package — a Udemy Top 10% Most Engaging Instructor, CELTA-certified ESL specialist, university professor and attorney, with 35,000+ five-star reviews across his TOEFL and IELTS catalogue. Clarity, examiner-awareness and the rare free monthly live group classes draw near-universal praise.

List price around $60-85 but very frequently on sale, with lifetime access, monthly live classes, a certificate and Udemy's 30-day refund. That is a fraction of Magoosh, Kaplan or a tutor. The honest catch is that it leans on standard ETS/official practice rather than bundling its own full-length proprietary mock tests, so serious test-takers buy official material on top.

Strong at the technique level — 30+ assignments, quizzes, and timed Reading/Listening practice that simulates exam pressure — but the most-repeated criticism is that there are no full-length proprietary mock tests created specifically for the course, and the dedicated speaking- practice library is thinner than learners want. Most reviewers recommend pairing it with official ETS TOEFL practice.

Self-reported gains are common and specific across reviews — overall scores up 10-20 points, Reading reaching the 26-27 target band. Because the strategies map onto how the TOEFL is actually scored, motivated self-studiers who do the timed practice tend to report real movement, though reviewers stress success still requires consistent effort.