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AZ-400: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

Design and run delivery pipelines that are fast, secure and observable — and prepare for the AZ-400 DevOps Engineer Expert exam.

  • 40 hours of live, pipeline-building sessions
  • Works with both Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions
  • Builds a multi-stage pipeline to a real Azure environment
  • DevSecOps: secret scanning, dependency checks and approvals
  • Mapped to the five AZ-400 skill areas
Aligned to Microsoft exam AZ-400
Duration
5 Days | 40 Hrs
Next batch
Batches on request
Delivery
Live Online · Onsite · Corporate
Level
Advanced
Exam
AZ-400
Language
English

Why learn AZ-400 with Ace Skills

  • One pipeline, built end to end

    You assemble a real delivery pipeline over five days rather than isolated demos, so every topic connects to the next.

  • Azure DevOps and GitHub side by side

    Most teams use one or both. You learn the equivalent features in each, which is also how the exam frames its questions.

  • Security shifted left

    Secret scanning, dependency checks and gated approvals are added to your own pipeline, not just described on a slide.

  • Expert-level preparation

    The day-wise plan follows the AZ-400 outline, with a final session on case studies and scenario-based questions.

Course overview

A DevOps engineer is judged by how safely and how often a team can ship. That depends on choices across the whole delivery flow: how work is planned, how code is branched and reviewed, how builds and releases are automated, how security checks are built in and how teams learn from production. This five-day course works through each of those choices with hands-on labs in both Azure DevOps and GitHub.

Day one covers processes and collaboration — Azure Boards, GitHub Projects, metrics and documentation as code. Day two is dedicated to source control strategy: branching models, pull request policies, repository structure and handling large files. Days three and four build a full delivery pipeline, from build agents and package feeds to multi-stage YAML releases, deployment strategies and infrastructure as code with Bicep.

Day four also introduces DevSecOps: secret and dependency scanning, code analysis, secure service connections and environment approvals. Day five covers instrumentation with Azure Monitor and Application Insights, feedback loops into the backlog, and a session on exam technique.

Every lab contributes to one application and pipeline, so by the end you have a working, documented delivery system you can use as a reference in your own organisation.

This course is aligned to the AZ-400 exam. The DevOps Engineer Expert certification also requires an associate-level prerequisite; because Microsoft’s associate line-up changed in 2026, check the current prerequisite list on Microsoft Learn.

Key features

  • Labs in both Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions
  • Multi-stage YAML pipelines with environments and approvals
  • Blue-green, canary and feature-flag deployments
  • Infrastructure as code with Bicep in the pipeline
  • Security scanning integrated into pull requests
  • Observability with Application Insights and dashboards
  • Exam strategy session with practice questions
  • 30 days of post-training doubt support

Who should attend

  • DevOps and platform engineers
  • Developers responsible for build and release automation
  • Azure administrators moving into DevOps roles
  • Release managers and site reliability engineers
  • Technical leads standardising delivery practices

Prerequisites

  • Experience administering Azure or developing applications for Azure
  • Working knowledge of Git
  • Familiarity with YAML and a scripting language (PowerShell or Bash)
  • An associate-level Azure certification is recommended

Curriculum

5 Days · 40 Hours · 15 Modules · 12 Labs

  1. DevOps foundations

    • Flow, feedback and continuous learning
    • Value stream mapping
    • DORA metrics and how to use them
    • Choosing between Azure DevOps and GitHub

    Work tracking

    • Azure Boards process templates and queries
    • GitHub Projects and issues
    • Linking work items to commits and pull requests
    • Dashboards for cycle time and lead time
    • Lab: Set up a backlog with linked GitHub commits · 45 min

    Documentation and communication

    • Wikis and documentation as code
    • Release notes generation
    • Webhooks and chat integrations
    • Lab: Automate release notes from merged pull requests · 35 min

  2. Branching and merging

    • Trunk-based development vs GitFlow
    • Feature branches and short-lived branches
    • Merge strategies and history
    • Release branches and hotfixes
    • Lab: Implement a trunk-based workflow with feature flags · 45 min

    Pull requests and policies

    • Branch protection and required reviewers
    • Status checks and build validation
    • Code owners
    • Commit signing
    • Lab: Configure branch policies with build validation · 40 min

    Repository management

    • Monorepo vs multi-repo
    • Git LFS and large files
    • Removing sensitive data from history
    • Repository permissions and tags

  3. Pipeline fundamentals

    • YAML pipelines in Azure Pipelines and GitHub Actions
    • Triggers, stages, jobs and steps
    • Templates and reusable workflows
    • Variables, variable groups and secrets
    • Lab: Build and test an application with a YAML pipeline · 50 min

    Agents and runners

    • Microsoft-hosted vs self-hosted agents
    • GitHub-hosted and self-hosted runners
    • Agent pools and scaling
    • Caching to speed up builds

    Packages and testing

    • Azure Artifacts and GitHub Packages
    • Semantic versioning
    • Unit, integration and load testing in pipelines
    • Code coverage gates
    • Lab: Publish a versioned package to a feed · 35 min
    • Lab: Add test results and coverage gates · 35 min

  4. Release strategies

    • Multi-stage deployments with environments
    • Approvals and checks
    • Blue-green, canary and ring deployments
    • Feature flags with Azure App Configuration
    • Lab: Multi-stage release to dev, test and production with approvals · 60 min

    Infrastructure as code

    • Bicep and ARM in pipelines
    • Terraform overview
    • Desired state configuration concepts
    • Deployment environments
    • Lab: Provision infrastructure with Bicep from the pipeline · 40 min

    Security and compliance

    • Workload identity federation for service connections
    • Secret scanning and push protection
    • Dependency scanning and licence compliance
    • Static code analysis
    • Key Vault in pipelines
    • Lab: Add secret, dependency and code scanning to pull requests · 45 min

  5. Monitoring and observability

    • Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
    • Application Insights telemetry and distributed tracing
    • KQL for operational questions
    • Alerts and dashboards
    • Lab: Instrument the app and query telemetry with KQL · 45 min

    Feedback loops

    • Linking alerts to work items
    • Release health and automated rollback
    • Blameless post-incident reviews
    • Lab: Configure a release gate based on Application Insights alerts · 40 min

    Exam readiness

    • Exam structure and case studies
    • Scenario questions comparing Azure DevOps and GitHub
    • Practice questions with review
Download full syllabus (PDF)

Skills you will gain

  • Azure Pipelines
  • GitHub Actions
  • Azure Boards
  • Git branching strategies
  • YAML pipelines
  • Azure Artifacts
  • Deployment strategies
  • Feature flags
  • Bicep
  • DevSecOps
  • Secret scanning
  • Application Insights
  • KQL
  • DORA metrics

Tools & technologies

  • Azure DevOps
  • GitHub
  • GitHub Actions
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Git
  • Azure CLI
  • Bicep
  • Azure Monitor
  • Application Insights

Certification exam

Exam details
Exam nameMicrosoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert
Exam codeAZ-400
Duration100 minutes
Passing score700 / 1000 (scaled)
Voucher includedNo — book directly with the vendor
Question formatMultiple choice, Multiple response, Drag and drop, Case study
DeliveryOnline proctored or Test centre
Validity & renewal1 year (free online renewal assessment)

Skill areas measured

  1. Configure processes and communications
  2. Design and implement a source control strategy
  3. Design and implement build and release pipelines
  4. Develop a security and compliance plan
  5. Implement an instrumentation strategy

Exam details are pending verification. Vendors change exams; confirm on the official vendor page before booking. Official exam page (opens in a new tab)

Schedule & Pricing

Live Online

Individual

Price on request

  • 40 hours of live, trainer-led sessions
  • 12 hands-on labs
  • Ace Skills course completion certificate

Onsite

At your office or our centre

Pricing depends on location, group size and dates.

  • Delivered at your premises or an Ace centre
  • Same curriculum and labs as live online
  • Dates planned around your team

Corporate / Team

Private batch for your organisation

A private batch with content adapted to your environment and goals.

  • Customised curriculum
  • Private batch, online or onsite
  • Progress and assessment reports
  • GST invoice and PO-based billing

No public batches scheduled — Talk to an Advisor for a private batch.

Projects & labs you will build

  • Day 4 · 60 min

    Multi-stage release to dev, test and production with approvals

  • Day 4 · 45 min

    Add secret, dependency and code scanning to pull requests

Your certificate

Certificate of Completion — Ace Skills Consulting

Awarded on completing the course. It records the course title and training hours, and you can share it on your LinkedIn profile.

The Microsoft certification itself is awarded by Microsoft when you pass exam AZ-400.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need both Azure DevOps and GitHub experience?

No. The course covers both from the basics, but you should be comfortable with Git and have used Azure before.

What prerequisite certification does the expert badge need?

Microsoft requires an associate-level certification alongside AZ-400. The accepted list changed during 2026, so check Microsoft Learn before booking.

Will I keep the pipelines I build?

Yes. Labs run against repositories in your own account, so the YAML, templates and documentation remain available after the course.

What happens if Microsoft updates the AZ-400 exam?

We map the curriculum to the current published skills outline and revise it when Microsoft changes the exam. Always check the latest outline on Microsoft Learn before booking.

Do you run weekend batches?

Yes. Weekend batches cover the same 40 hours across consecutive Saturdays and Sundays, with timings in IST that also suit learners in the Gulf.

Can you run a private batch for our team?

Yes. We run private online or onsite batches for corporate teams, and we can weight the labs towards your existing toolchain. Request a corporate quote with your team size and preferred dates.

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Train your team on AZ-400

Private batches online or at your office in India and the GCC, with a curriculum adapted to your environment.