AZ-305 Certification Renewal Clarification

Question

Hi Microsoft Certification Support Team,

My name is Vineeth 

I need your assistance regarding my AZ-305 certification renewal. Please see my attached report

My AZ-305 certification is going to expire soon. I was unable to renew my AZ-104 certification, and because of this I am concerned about my current Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification status.

Could you please confirm if I pass the AZ-104 exam again before my AZ-305 certification expiry date, will my Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification remain active and allow me to complete the renewal?

I would like to make sure I complete the correct steps before the certification expires.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards, Vineeth

Answer 1

Renewals of each certification is separate. Just renew each certification ASAP

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/renew-your-microsoft-certification-faq

My expert-level certification requires achieving an associate-level certification as a prerequisite. If the associate-level certification expires, will my expert-level certification automatically expire, too? No. Your expert-level certification will not automatically expire if your associate-level prerequisite certification expires. Each certification must be renewed separately by passing the associated renewal assessment.

Answer 2

Hi

My main concern is that my Az-104 is already expired , so i have to retake that exam completely but my az-305 will expire by 25th june 2026

lets say i pass az-104 before 25th then will i be available to renew az 305 with renewal process rather then going with full exam

as i pass my 305 i did not got certificate as 104 was already expired at that time.

Answer 3

I would like to clarify my Azure certification renewal process.I have already passed the AZ-305 exam, but my AZ-104 certification has expired. My Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is still active and is approaching its expiry date.

If I pass the AZ-104 exam again before my Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification expires, will my Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification become fully active again and allow me to complete the free renewal assessment?

I would like to confirm whether I can renew my Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification without paying for and retaking the AZ-305 exam again.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards, Vineeth

Answer 4

The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification (based on AZ-305) does not automatically expire if the prerequisite associate-level certification (such as AZ-104) expires. Each certification must be renewed separately.

Specifically:

• Expert-level certifications do not automatically expire when the associated prerequisite (associate-level) certification expires.
• Renewal for each certification is done independently by passing its corresponding free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn within the 6‑month window before that certification’s expiry.
• Passing AZ-104 again does not renew or extend the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. To keep the expert certification active, the AZ-305-based certification must be renewed via its own renewal assessment before it expires.

Therefore, even if AZ-104 has expired or is re-earned, the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification remains governed by its own renewal assessment and expiry date. Ensure completion of the AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect Expert) renewal assessment within the allowed renewal window to keep that certification active.

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References:

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about renewal
• Certification process overview
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Study guide for Exam AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions