Study plan & timeline

Work the phases in order — this is the exact sequence the guide was built around.

1. Phase 1 — Concept Foundation

   Week 1 (2 if starting from zero)
   • Watch John Savill's AZ-104 Study Cram V2 end-to-end at 1x
   • Rewatch at 1.5x while reading along in this guide
   • Read Domains 1–5 in the course reader, including every exam alert
   • Explain out loud what each major service does and why it exists
   • Run the Professor Lockin flashcards for this guide until 80%+ feel instant

2. Phase 2 — Hands-On with SkillUp

   Week 2
   • Open each SkillUp with LevelUp AZ-104 lab and skim the full process
   • Read the explanation at the end of every lab (walkthroughs are enough — no need to deploy)
   • Note which blade / which tier / which scope each task uses
   • Take the end-of-course practice test and log weak domains

3. Phase 3 — Question Bank + Case Studies + AI Review

   Weeks 3–4
   • Work The Tech Blackboard 150-question video
   • Work The Tech Blackboard 400+ question video
   • Drill 6+ full case studies (Tech Blackboard playlist + Microsoft's sample)
   • Paste every miss into an AI assistant and ask why each wrong answer is wrong
   • Re-run flashcards in Learn mode; clear the practice test at 85%+

4. Phase 4 — Day-of Review

   Exam morning
   • Read the Rapid Recall section (last 30 minutes only)
   • Review the Exam Day Checklist
   • Rehearse the Microsoft Learn quotation-mark search trick
   • Arrive early, breathe — scenario → requirement → tool